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July 18, 2012
Our internet just came back on after the storm last night.  I began to write by hand, which I will transcribe here, but surprisingly I didn't get much written down.  Usually, I like to write by hand because you can change your "font" and "style" so easily and I can feel the words as I write... I remember a teacher discussion at school one day and how when students write only on keyboard they miss a type of sensory experience.  Another way of processing the information... anyways, being that I couldn't get on until now, I got to read some of the comments made to my blogs.  I was a little nervous having others read my thoughts (because in my mind, thoughts can be very personal), but it was interesting  to read others' comments to my writing.  I guess it is a good way for people to freely communicate thoughts and learn from one another.  Something you may not say in person, you might say (after reflection) in a comment.  I will need to read others blogs tomorrow due to the time... but maybe tomorrow morning I can begin this process.

Today we began our field research on disturbed sites to catelog plant species and look for invasive plants.  Our first plot was in an area of the BHW close to Route 125.  Lara G. came out with us today, which was helpful.  I think we did well, and the group is working well together.  Dan predicted that we would all fall into our own roles within the group, and we did- Lara H. and I did identification adn Dan took pictures.  We all took turns recording on the data sheet.  I had never heard of sheep laurel, but had seen it in the woods.  I was wondering how it got its name... did sheep eat it? Soft as a lamb? Is it native?   We didn't find any invasive plants within our plot, but we will need to double check on the nonnatives... there are a few I wasn't sure about if they were native- sheep laurel, maple viburnum.  Tomorrow we will begin work on our second plot.  It will be in the same area as our first plot, just in a different direction.  Although it would be bad, it would be exciting to find invasives.  There was phragmytes (spelling?) closer to the road, but not in our plot.  I don't even think that part of the woods is considered BHW, but it abuttes it.  Could this plant move more into the BHW?  It was growing right alongside a drainage ditch, so does it need a wet area?  Perhaps the woods would be too dry? and too shady?  We will need to grab a sample of this tomorrow and I think this will need to be a plant to watch in the future.

As for the educational component of our project, we plan on making a identification guide.  I think it would be nice to create some sort of lesson beyond the identifcation guide, but I am having a difficult time thinking of one other than teaching the kids how to plot a piece of land and identify the plants within it.  Perhaps if I just let it sit in my mind for awhile it will work its way to the top.

I did notice, what I believe to be Reed Canary Grass by my driveway.  It was close to the drainage ditch, just like the plant outside of College Woods.  And there were additional blades come off of the main branch.

I enjoyed Lara's lesson today, especially going outside to look for seeds.  The cedar tree seeds was really interesting.  It looked like one of those balls that bounce around and suction to something.  Why would it look like that?  Lara thought that as it dried out, it opened up and dropped the seeds from the inside.  That makes much sense to me.  I think it does look like a tiny green ball beforehand....  The burning bush right outside the back door of Morriell hall is amazingly huge!  Rather than being a shrub, it is a miniture tree.... I liked how  Lara compared this shrub to the shrub we saw in College Woods.  By comparing them, I think I will remember how they are different so I will know what kind of conditions burning bush likes to grow in.