Dr. Bahn is joining us today. We've discussed the passive retention dam and how runoff from the streets flow down into the woods. I've heard a Northern Cardinal and I've seen wild ginger and spice bush. I noticed as well that the different species of birds in the woods varies throughout the land; some birds prefer old growth over new, for example. I've also heard robins and many crows. I learned something new a fascinating on this hike, that pawpaws are clonal, meaning they grow from the same root system, which makes them "only one plant". I never knew this about pawpaws, I didn't even know that this could happen in the natural world. It made me look at the pawpaw in a new light and I want to consider them even more special because of this. I heard and saw a Pileated Woodpecker when we were visiting the easement and learned that decomposing wood feels spongy and crumbles when held too firmly. We also came across the work of Bucky Logwell, who has made the trail more visible by laying down fallen wood along the trail.
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Grant Nature. The spot I chose to visit is one I have visited many a time while growing up here. As a child, I'd come here for summer camp, then on field trips. Later it would become a place of refuge for my friends and I during the last two years of high school. The spot we frequented is off trail on the river. Constant chirps of insects, the sound of them never ending, their rattling calls beginning and ending all at the same time, creating a vocal union that sounds more like one long call. There are a variety of birds: Carolina Wren, Tufted Titmouse, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal. The water is very low, I'm sitting on a slab of stone that would usually be underwater in the summer. The Osage Orange has grown all the way out to the river, which is new to me. It's a large Osage, the leaves are extended just above the water.
It’s windy today and quite chilly, but the sun is out. Not a lot of birds so far as we wait at the trailhead for everyone to arrive. The wind on the trees sounds like rushing water. Throughout our hike, I noticed that the trail had a lot of fallen leaves. I learned that white snake root is toxic and as we made our way into the trail, I noticed that by the time we got to the puff shroom (the first one we ever encountered as a class) there were a lot more birds singing in the trees. As we made our way out on the prairie, I learned that prairies help with global warming, which I was completely unaware of. Some of my classmates and I had conversations about a documentary I enjoyed watching on Netflix called Fantastic Fungi when we entered the woods again from the prairie. Christian spotted a little snake resting in the plants above the ground and Tiffinnie spotted some pawpaw fruit. We were able to get a hold of some of the fruit and taste it; it tasted like a mix between bananas and pears. I was able to take one home with me and it was nearly falling apart by the time I got home. I separated the seeds from the pulp/rest of the fruit and cleaned them, discovering that they are enveloped in a pulpy sack, much like us and other creatures before birth (pictures of seed in sack in gallery). They’re dark cherry brown with a line of black running down the middle. The pulp smells sweet like guayabana. I actually looked into it and found that pawpaw or Asimina triloba is in the same family as soursop (guayabana), which is in the Annonceae family, which also includes sweetsop, custard apple, cherimoya, and ylang-ylang. This made me really smile because I love these fruits, which grow in my parent’s home countries. Now I have my own tropical fruit from my homeland (Ohio). This connection further proves what I learned in the Indigenous Association at school, how original people may have brought pawpaw up with them from down south.
Sitting at the trailhead, the sun is bright and warm. The grass is wet and I’m sitting by a tree which I wish I could identify on my own (note: download tree identifying app). I’m looking forward to exploring this new trail. A Northern Cardinal chirps away as I sit. There’s also a Tufted Titmouse and a Blue Jay. During this hike, we’ll be accompanied by Dr. Rooney! At the beginning of our hike, we met the beautiful Spice Bush with its tasteful leaves and vibrant red berries. After some guesses from my peers, Dr. Rooney revealed that approximately 28,000 species depend on the Spice Bush. Though I am sure I’ve unknowingly walked by many in the past, it was fascinating to see and taste one because I had never heard of it. As we made our way toward the cemetery, we came across a large and beautiful spruce tree, which sat just outside the old location of the President’s House. As we entered the cemetery, the first thing I noticed was the bird activity, it was like suddenly we were downtown, and they were all there. I started using my bird identifying app and had it on for the rest of the hike, which I have images of in the gallery. We came across birds I had never heard of before, which was exciting. My hope this semester is to catch the song of a Scarlet Tanager on the identifier, which is a rare bird in Ohio but has been seen in these woods! As we continued our hike, I learned that oak trees need fire to grow in order to receive the proper amount of sunlight. Dr. Rooney identified red and white oaks, a muscle wood tree, and hackberry. He also pointed out two white ash trees, both were dead, and he explained that white ash is about to go extinct, which I was sadly unaware of. I was able to smell the wild ginger along the trail after I crushed a leaf in my hand and learned that the only way wild ginger seeds can fertilize elsewhere is by way of ants! At the end of the hike, we got to hear the Pileated Woodpecker which was an awesome cherry on top.
First day in the woods. I haven’t gone in yet, I’ve been sitting at the trailhead for about twenty minutes now, enjoying the space to myself and the constant buzz of insects. There’s a large manhole in the grass, which allows me to sit down without getting my jeans wet from the dew. There’s an ant on the cuff of my jeans, there are but few white clouds in the sky, the sun is shining through the canopy that sits at the edge of the woods. I’m alone human-wise, trying to enjoy that while I can. I’m excited to see/hear/smell what we’ll come across today. While on our hike, I caught sight of two hummingbirds on separate occasions in different places, however both were somewhat on the edges of the woods. I wasn’t sure what kind of hummingbirds they were, but one was perched on a branch while the other hovered around some trees. Toward the beginning of the trail, I spotted a collection of mature pawpaw trees which brought a satisfied smile to my face. In the past, my friend of more than a decade and I have sought out pawpaw trees at our local parks. It was warming to see some in the campus woods, especially of such size. While hiking I was able to identify a Northern Flicker (they sound super cool) and Blue Jays flying above in the trees. Once I started hearing birds I couldn’t identify, I whipped out my phone and used the Merlin Bird ID app, which is a bird identifying app I’ve used in the past. The list of birds I identified is shown in the gallery and include a Downy and Red-Bellied Woodpecker. After we circled around and as we were about to enter the old growth section of the woods, I spotted a Blue Heron, one of my favorite birds, winging across the sky. It’s one of the first birds ever identified for me by my father (during the first few years of my life, there was a pond behind our home). It was a comforting sight. After we entered the old growth trail, I noticed another fine sight: piles of honeysuckle along the trail about where the disc golf course starts. I also spotted some wild ginger in the old growth section and noticed there was a lot more bird activity in this section of the woods.
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AuthorWelcome! My name is Yasel and this is my Campus Woods blog. Archives
October 2022
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