Setting down Roots in Thomas Woods

Field Observations     7/22-7/24/2020     This week I decided to focus on trees specifically when making my field observations because so often we forget to see the forest for the trees, we focus on the bigger picture while obscuring the details. I've focused a lot on insect and wildflower life in my habitat so far which is why I wanted to focus on trees for once since it is Thomas Woods and thus trees make up the most vegetation biomass in my habitat. Using my 101 Trees of Indiana field guide, I looked at my search for trees to ID as a sort of scavenger hunt since I also had plans to incorporate it in this week's creative piece. I looked for trees that I didn't know and which had interesting looking leaves. From an artistic perspective, patterns of leaves, unusual or common shapes, and color were part of what I was looking for to catch my eye and to inspire me to play with. Something I realized from this process is that identifying coniferous trees is very difficult...

Field Observations     July 20-25, 2020     This week I made 2 different visits to Thomas Woods: one during the day and one during the night (more info about the latter later in the blog). During the day trip, I went out at 4:30. The sun was out so I was hot on my walk to the woods but the moment I entered the forest's shadowy embrace the air was much cooler on my face.     The first sounds I heard were the very loud cicadas who seem to always be present. I also heard some type of woodpecker call and then the drumming of its bill into wood. While walking along the path, I happened to glance up and saw a cute little chipmunk or maybe young squirrel scurrying along the branch of a tree. I lost track of it before I could bring my binoculars up to inspect further.      This is my third week in my habitat, and this week I noticed there were a lot less wildflowers blooming than the past two weeks. I had to look a lot harder to find some more woodla...

Field Observations 7/16/2020 10 am to 11:45 am     Today I discovered a second childhood. My curiosity was renewed with a vigor after the Nature Photography lecture. I wanted to see what sort of interesting photos I could capture from my 2 hours in Thomas Woods today. Everything was new and super exciting, even the smallest plant or log. I believe I noticed and spent more time just crouching down than I normally would have otherwise, getting down on the level of various ground plants and insects.      I didn't stray far off the path today as it had rained that morning, but I did at least step in a bit to investigate some microbiomes that caught my eye. One particular tiny habitat that caught my eye was a a knee high tall stump which looked like something had been eating at it. I noticed many rectangular shaped wood pieces piled on the top. I found a millipede resting on one side, as well as various ants crawling around. They seemed to be carrying tiny white obje...

Field Observations      7/8/2020      On my first visit to the Thomas Woods, I decided to walk over to visit my habitat around 6 pm. It had rained hard that afternoon but now the sun was out again and I decided to venture out and explore. There were no set intentions in my mind, only a relaxed curiosity. As I approached the woods I heard a lot of bird song although I couldn't see any birds. I stopped along the path to gaze into the forest, drinking in all the green and sense of depth. There were plenty of trees and the ground was covered with underbrush, brambles and tiny ground plants. I noticed that the majority of trees were more younger although there were some thick, taller trees as well. I wondered if this forest has undergone any succession as I know forests change over time with shade tolerant species overshadowing shade intolerant species, such as oaks. I noticed the shagbark hickory and maple trees but that was all, in the future I will spend a lo...