Mrs. MH here. I spent another Saturday stepping out into nature. We went into the forest this time as we learned how to read the landscape. Loblolly Pines, Southern Magnolias, Cedars, and Cabbage Palmetto Trees made up the largest part of what you see at first glance. Pictured here is a Cabbage Palmetto just on the edge of the maritime forest. 
If you look closer, it was easy to see so much more.We learned that beetles make up 2/3 of the insect population. Now, I'm a the kind of girl who is creeped out by "bugs." But I have to say that my journey of becoming a Master Naturalist has helped with this. I am considerably less skiddish around these things now. I guess understanding more about them does that.
We spent some time located and identifying butterflies as well. There were Gulf Flitilaries, Cloudless Sulfers, Long-tailed Skippers. and Carolina Satyrs. The truly neat thing was that after returning home to my own backyard, I was able to locate and find two of those four and then apply what I had learned by telling others what kinds they were.
We talked about form and function--what kind of wings does it have, and why do you think it has them? We've talked about reading the landscape and how just by looking closely at the type of vegetation growing in a location, you can tell whether there has been fire there, or whether it floods in that area.
The experience is definitely teaching me to look closer and ask the right questions!
No comments:
Post a Comment