Breaking Buds Challenge

Date: 4/13/2017

Time: 3:00 pm

Weather: Sunny and in the 50's

Location: Site Beta (A house behind Lesley)

Date: 4/15/2017

Time: 3:00 pm

Weather: Sunny

Location: Site Beta (A house behind Lesley)

Date: 4/18/2017

Time: 4:00 pm

Weather: Sunny

Location: Site Beta (A house behind Lesley)

Each day that I visited site Beta to observe the bud, the flower seemed bigger and more vibrant. It is amazing to me how quickly these buds seemed to bloom. I saw several bees buzzing around these trees. It made me happy because of the rapid dying of honeybees all over the world. It was comforting to see them. As the bud opens a beautiful white flower is revealed. Slowly but surely it opens further and further to blossom.

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. "

                                                                                                      -Marcel Proust

Assignment #4: Site Beta

Site Beta- A house outside of Lesley University

Date: April 14th, 2017

Time: 2:00 pm

Location: Lesley University

Weather Conditions: Bright and Sunny

Site Beta is beginning to show signs of life. Having walked by it all winter I would often notice the dead trees and the cold hard ground. Now, buds are beginning to grow and plants are sprouting. Squirrels dart around and bees buzz by. The sun is bright and warm and basks everything in a golden hue. 

Plants are beginning to grow in Site Beta

Nature is not simply the deep woods or a secluded clearing. Nature is all around us. It is often easy in the city to become oblivious and not notice the world around us. We need to appreciate nature, even in its smallest forms. Yes this plant (shown above) is small. Yes it;s surrounded by man-made items. Still, it is beautiful and should not be considered less than what it is.

Assignment #2 The Properties of Life in Site Alpha

Site Alpha Location: Gardner Massachusetts near the train tracks.

Date: 04/02/17

Time: 5:30 pm

Weather Conditions: Cold, cloudy and rainy.

Observation Transect

The path I took was again mainly flat with minor dips. On the ground under me, hard icy slush lay under my boots. To my left, the forest of deciduous trees and conifers lined the path. The train tracks and partial rock wall lay to my left. There was significantly less snow on the path, and what was left was harder and more like solid ice. More patches of grass were exposed during this object transect. To my right the medium sized bushes still lined the way. They gleamed as ice crystals were attached to their exposed buds. 

Properties of Life

1. Homeostasis 

The deciduous trees in Site Alpha maintain homeostasis by losing their leaves for the winter. In doing this, they are able to conserve moisture and energy in their trunks and branches and can survive the harsh winds.

2. Growth

The rain water from the sky as well as the melted water from the snow aid in plant growth. It nourishes the grass beneath.

3. Response to Stimuli

The patches of grass peeking through the snow suggests a response to stimuli. The stimuli being the warmth of the sun and the warmth of the liquid rain water as it reaches contact with the frozen ice and snow. As a response to this stimuli, the snow begins to melt, revealing patches of grass beneath.