The Pond Trail Map
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I’ve been walking the west side of Medicine Lake for 5 years now. I love meeting the people enjoying the park, photographing whatever my eye sees and just sitting. As my days became busier, I preferred to be more quiet on my walks and started walking down to the holding pond and thru the woods to watch the animals and forest change with the seasons….and I started “pond lounging”.
One day last winter, while walking the “pond trail”, I decided I wanted to learn more about the different tree types, flora and the general area. I had trouble finding information. I signed up for a Big Woods/Big Rivers Master Naturalist Course which offered studies & skills in forest, tree, flora identification, geology and water ecology.
I love pond lounging and walking the “pond trail” and applying what I have learned. I chose to create a simple “Pond Trail Map” as a Capstone Project for the Naturalist course.
It is a simple map that can be used as a reference for what trees, flora and animals to look for while enjoying the pond & trail. When I created the map it was in autumn. Most of the trees were shedding their leaves and the understory of the forest was nearly gone….the only remaining green was the Buckthorn. The animals I observed were from years of walking the trail and pond lounging.
No matter what time of year a creature can be found. In the summer, a lone Great Blue Heron is always at the sand bar, if not there, than over in the cattails or by the road bridge. In the fall the coots, wood ducks, merganzers and Canadian Geese are migrating thru. In the winter, the deer prints can be followed to a resting space in the snow. In the spring, the red-wing black birds are claiming their space in the cattails. There is always something going on “down at the pond”.
Although I originally had planned on creating the map for identification & what to look for, one point became more evident….the Buckthorn has become so invasive in the woods that it is drowning out nearly all the understory and flora that should be present. So my project has become 2-fold….to share information about the area and to bring into an awareness about the invasive Buckthorn.
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I hope that someday the residents along with the city of Plymouth will choose to begin to irridicate the Buckthorn. On that day, I will be there to help because both the pond and the trail thru the woods have always brought me great joy, curiousity and quiet.
for more photos & words of my pond lounging experiences please visit http://dandeelionstories.wordpress.com and click on the pond notes tag.
love everyone.
Pamela
~*~
walking medicine lake... 
Reblogged this on Pamela and commented:
capstone project for big woods/big rivers naturalist class…