With the weather starting to grow colder, the trees are starting to drop their colorful leaves while fall flowers bloom and plants from earlier in the season begin to seed. I enjoyed my time at the Quaking Bog I visited earlier and wanted to explore what else the park has to offer.

As is always present, the sound of traffic lingered in the distance. Moving deeper into the park, it grew quieter as the sounds of falling leaves, skittering small animals, and calling birds came to the forefront. Each breeze brought a new wave of sound that slowly dispersed as the gust concluded, only to begin again shortly thereafter. It smells like fall: wet and crunchy and sweet with decay.

Inspirational Organisms

1. Acorns: round shape better suited for ground distribution
2. Chickadee: call warns for predators
3. Hawk: screeches to protect territory
4. Spruce/Pine cones: distribute seeds
5. Ducks: organize selves and navigate in patterns
6. Migratory birds: organize selves, navigate in patterns, conserve energy
7. Algae: absorbs energy, distributes gases
8. Vines climbing up trees: flexible structure
9. Vines weaving through decaying logs: cycle nutrients
10. Leaf mining insect: meandering patterns
11. Blue jay: complex social systems
12. Mushroom groups: distribute resources
13. Mushroom shape: manage tension
14. Fall flowers: provide last-minute food/resources
15. Deciduous pine: preserves water. generate higher water yields
16. Bees: organizing, energy distribution/conservation, temperature stability
17. Leaves changing color: precursor to dropping, preserves resources
18. Leaves eaten, holes in random (?) pattern
19. White fungus growing on tree branch: self-assembly
20. Ants: manage temperature and workloads
21. Red branches: striking appearance
22. Hoary wood mint flowers/seeds: spread ferociously
23. Blue berries: color stands out amongst background of natural tones
24. Seeds arranged in helix: organization
25. Water on leaves: water beads on leaves, grass blades
26. Moss/lichen: fast recovery
27. Layered bark: protects tree
28. Mushroom gills: maximize surface area
29. Diversity of groundcover: field of plants, but not a single species
30. Eaten leaves: in response to being eaten by pests, some plants attract pest-eating insects

Location: Theodore Wirth Park, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

When: Late Morning

Conditions: Absolutely lovely, partly cloudy and breezy