Field Study #6: Final Visit

Final Visit

    Today I made my last field visit for this project. It was snowing today, so it was a perfect day for my last field study. The snow made the park look so beautiful! It was also very cold outside, so I made a shorter visit than usual. I would have loved to spend more time at the park though.

    I really enjoyed this project. I normally don't have a lot of time to be outdoors, so it was fun to have an excuse to go to the park. I've enjoyed taking in the beauty of God's creation while also making observations and learning something new. God's world is really amazing and I think I appreciate it more after all this time outside!

Field Notes

Date: Monday, November 27, 2023
Time: 3:40pm-3:55pm
Climate Conditions: Snow showers, cloudy
Temperature: 28℉
Length of Day: 7:19am-5:44pm (9 hours, 21 minutes)

Organism Observations:

    I saw more birds' nests. Some were big, others were small. The biggest nests were built high in the branches of the tallest trees. The smaller nests were closer to the ground. The nests I saw up close were made of sticks, branches, and twigs, but also other natural materials. I wonder if certain types of birds tend to build their nests higher or lower, bigger or smaller.

    A lot of the trail was covered by a thin layer of snow, but I could see the edges of fallen leaves on the ground buried under the snow.

    I noticed that although the mossy log is covered in snow, it still has moss growing on it. A moss-covered tree I noticed during my last visit is still covered in moss as well. The moss has stayed very green. I wonder if moss grows as well in snowy, cold environments as it does in warmer environments.

    Some of the trees have smooth bark, and others have more rough bark with cracked ridges. I know that different types of trees have different textures of bark, but I wonder why.

Changes Since Last Visit:

    It was very quiet at the park today. I couldn't hear any of the usual bird calls today. I guess most of the birds must have flown south by now. I didn't hear any crickets or cicadas either. I wonder if bugs hibernate in the winter.

    Leaves have continued to fall- they are pretty much all gone now except for a few, including an oak tree with some of its leaves left. The oak tree had big, dark red leaves. There was also a twig with tiny green leaves on it, a branch with a few yellow-green leaves left, and a branch holding on to a few shriveled, dry brown leaves.

    Even after cold and snowy weather, the apple tree is still full of apples. Every visit I am more and more amazed that there are still apples on it!

    In the last few visits, the branch with the bumpy growth on it was a purple-red color with some red and green bumps, but now it has turned a darker shade of brownish purple-red. I wonder why...I know leaves change color but I never thought about branches changing color.

Pictures

"Let it snow!"

Birds' nests in the trees

Snow on the moss-covered log

Here is a new picture I took today of the bird's nest from my fourth visit.

This branch turned a darker color.

This apple tree is amazing!
I wonder if the apples will last all winter...

More pictures of the same apple tree.

I wonder if the apples will last all winter!

Red oak trees on the snowy trail

It's hard to believe that this is my last field visit already! I had a lot of fun today being outside and enjoying God's world, even if it was cold.