Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Land and Soil Sampling

Roadside Mower

This is a roadside mower tractor that I saw on my way to Camp Brook. It really stumps me why people deem it important to mow the side of the road. It just seems like a waste of time, resources, and money to me, plus it's destructive to the flora and fauna that live there.

Wall Lettuce*

On the opposite side of where the tractor is in the image above, I noticed this plant. It has a similar leaf shape to the invasive garlic mustard plant, but it is actually called Wall Lettuce.

Chicory Flower

I was curious to see how the chicory plant would respond to the rain today. The petals were more closed than they were yesterday.

Alder Berry Bush*

I found this berry bush on the edge of a road close to the stream. Not sure if it's poisonous.

Sounds of the stream

Today when I entered the forested area where the stream is located, I was particularly aware of what I could hear. This was probably because of the amplified volume caused by the rain, but it made me appreciate the organic and relaxing sounds of the nature around me.

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Froggo!

I noticed four different frogs on my way to my spot, and I was able to get a picture of this little guy:

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Water Striders' Leg Snaps

Something I've been noticing as I'm taking the stream's temperature every day is the sheer speed at which water striders can snap their back legs together to propel themselves forward. It happens so fast I had a hard time seeing their legs move, so I took a slow-motion video today to try to capture it.

DATA, finally!

Temp*: 17.0°C/62.6°F ; 17.0°C/62.6°F

pH: 7.0

Conductivity: 368 μS

*I took temperature in two different locations today: one was my regular spot that is shaded, and another that has no leaf canopy directly above it. I believe both procured the same results because the entire sky was overcast today.

Sketches

I decided to stick with my pen today, and I enjoyed using it. As I was drawing, droplets of water were falling onto my paper and smudging the ink, so I decided to use that artistically by spreading the water around to shade some parts of the scene.

Compiled data from Sunday-Tuesday (temp, conductivity, and pH)

Other images from today

The deepest pool I've found

A log I would step on when I observed crayfish at this stream in 4th grade

Creeping Jenny (invasive)*

Ghost pipe*

Rain water sample:

Conductivity: 8 μS

pH: 6.0

*Thank you Levi for the identification help!!

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