Fall break plant walk!

Over fall break, I went for an hour's walk around the trails surrounding Hammond Pond. The weather on this day was mostly sunny and 68 degrees, though it felt cooler in the woods. I was able to spot all 4 types of plants, along with some fungi and a few animals like the squirrel that I got a picture of. It was difficult to find many varying types of angiosperms due to the weather getting colder, though I saw some interesting purple and orange flowers. For the Bryophyte, I captured a picture of some mosses along the pathway. I also found pine cones that came from a pine tree, which is a type of Gymnosperm. Lastly, I spotted an example of a Polypodiopsida, which was the fern. On this walk, I saw a plant that I identified as a Japanese Pachysandra and I found it fascinating how this species grew in large patches. I assumed it spread through the use of rhizomes. I also learned that this species is not native to North America, thus it makes sense that one of its defining characteristics is its ability to cover such a large amount of land. I really enjoyed looking for all the different varieties of plants and was so happy to have such beautiful weather when I went on this walk!!

Posted on October 14, 2022 08:34 PM by tessekrub