June 21: Natural Areas Observations

Ijams 

Nature Area

Today, we had the oppurtuntiy to go to Ijams to observe nature and animals interacting. We were to find a quiet spot and sit down for 30 minutes and listen to whats happening in nature around us. We also had to find one nonhuman animal and observe its actions. I took many notes and below are all my thoughts and observations from this trip. 

Observations 

I found a quiet spot and sat down for five minutes. Here are some observations I made during this time:

• I heard a woodpecker pecking away on a tree close by

• I could smell the fresh morning dew 

• Hear bees buzzing and leaves rustling 

• I could feel rough tree branch I was sitting on

• I saw the light reflecting through the trees

• The air felt more fresh and there was a sense of calmness 

• I could feel the humid air and the rocks under my shoes when I walked

All of this made me feel calm and at peace with myself and nature. 

Nonhuman Animal Observations 

I found a spider crawling around its web and picked that for my nonhuman animal to observe. I watched it for 5-10 minutes. Here are some areas of observation I jotted down:

          Actions:               

• The spider was crawling up and down the web
• It seemed to be creating its web or looking for food caught on its web 
• The spider was aware of me because I was really close to its web
• My presence may have affected it a little because whenever I got really close, it would move furtur away from me 

Personhood:

Based on all the things we discussed that qualifies someone to be a person, I didn't observe anything in particular that could be used to argue the spider meets any criteria to be said it could be a human. 

Interactions:

My animal interacts with a lot of other things. It interacts with nature itself so like the surrounding trees, grass, rocks, or anything close by in the environment. It also reacts with other animals such as the ones that get stuck on the web (small bugs) or maybe the more larger ones that could hurt the spider (squirrels, bears, etc). 

Reflection: 

Overall, I think the experience was really peaceful and the observations I was able to make were interesting. I thought it was cool to see how the spider was interacting with the nature around it and thinking about how it interacts with the other animals in the surrounding area. I also think the spider is part of a bigger picture in ecology to help balance out the ecosystem. Everything in nature has a role in order to balance out the life on Earth so it was fun thinking about how this small creature has a role and how it fits into its environment.