Diario de marizadepina

This week, I went on another nature walk at the Pine Tree Reserve. This time, the ground was covered with beautiful orange autumn leaves. The weather was warm, and the trees provided a nice shade. Upon my walk, I noticed various groups of the Archaeplastida clade. One of the most common ones I found was the gymnosperms. There were a lot of pine trees all over, and It was cool to see evidence of their "naked seed" through the fallen pine cones. I also noticed a couple of angiosperms and bugs surrounding their flowers. This made a lot of sense, considering that pollination is one of the key traits of the angiosperms. Additionally, I also managed to find mosses, but they were very hidden. It took me a while to finally spot them. This was expected since I know members of the bryophyte taxa, like mosses, tend to thrive in lower damp spaces. Overall, I really enjoyed this nature walk as it was exciting to notice the key characteristics and synapomorphies of each taxon/group and relate them to the concepts we learned in class.

This week was the first time I walked around the Newton Woods. As I walked, the sun filtered through the tall trees, and I noticed that the trail was quite rocky, with numerous rocks, leaves, and acorns scattered on the ground. Initially, I didn’t see many fungi until I began examining the fallen branches and tree trunks more closely. I discovered that a variety of fungi grow on them. I later realized that fungi primarily thrive on fallen tree trunks, most likely due to their symbiotic relationship with dead organisms, where, in this case, they would decompose the wood and return/recycle nutrients back to the soil. Overall, I was excited to finally see a diverse range of fungi at Newton, compared to my first nature walk, where I hardly noticed any at all.

Today was the first time I walked through the Pine Tree Reserve fully, I stayed for about 35 minutes. The weather was warm but also refreshing as the trees blew a pleasant breeze. Initially, I thought I would see a lot more animals and fungi scattered around, but I mostly saw different flowers, trees, and other plants. The only animals I observed were squirrels and bees that roamed around, but they seemed to scatter away quickly when I tried taking a picture of them. Nevertheless, I enjoyed stepping on the autumn leaves as their colors blended with the natural browns and greens of the reserve. I also was amazed to see so many pretty wildflowers like Goldenrods, Asters, and sunflowers; together they created a delightful palette. Overall I found the walk very relaxing it gave me time to reflect and notice the beautifully unique patterns and designs nature has to offer. The fresh air and sunlight that peered through the towering trees made me feel calm and grounded. I want to explore more areas like the Pine Tree Reserve and hopefully see more fungi and animals.