Gordon Smith

9/30/09

Natural History of the Berkshires

Field Journal Assignment #2: Mission Park Site

When I went to my site at 3:20 on Wednesday afternoon, the sky was overcast, and the first drips of rain were audible, if not visible. While I am in the group of people who is unfortunately not blessed with a strong sense of smell, there were several observations that I could still make with my nose. The air in my site smelled crisp, clear and fresh, there were no lingering smells of the nearby dining hall (though sometimes there are), nor the sweet smell of rotting leaves; just freshness with a hint of cut grass from a nearby lawn mixed with the slightest tinge of pine sap. Even the cliché earthiness of dirt and grass was not apparent to me: only a cold clearness.

The next topic that I would like to discuss is the changes that I am noticing in my site relative to the first time that I saw it. As I walked towards the center of the grove, the first difference I noticed was that the amount of ordinary grass has decreased and that the amount of broad-leaved low vegetation (mostly goutweed and some Virginia creeper) has increased to compensate. Other changes on the ground surface of the site were that the areas of brown with dirt and dead pine needles showing have grown larger, and that they are no longer solely confined in areas of denser tree cover. The ground is also littered with noticeably more dead branches than it was a few weeks ago, and the number of dead leaves has increased dramatically, though these leaves are likely from other nearby stands than from the site itself. I would say this because only very few of the deciduous trees in my site have even begun to turn, to say nothing of losing brown leaves.

As for the trees themselves, 2 sugar maples have begun to have their outward facing (facing away from the center of the site) leaves turn yellow. It is interesting to me that they have not turned, because many of the maple trees near to the site have already completely turned bright shades of red and yellow. This is most likely because they are different species of maple (red vs. sugar). Additionally, an American beech tree has begun also to turn yellow and brown, and one of the bigger paper birch trees is also in the process of turning yellow. The only red in my site comes from a quite a large amount of Virginia creeper vines that are both on the ground as standing broad leaved vegetation and on a few of the maple trees.

Also, to clarify a few points, my site is completely devoid of running or standing water. It is also flat in a way that is likely only possible with human manipulation. Human traffic in the area is quite high along the adjacent paths, but only rarely do people walk on the site itself, with the exception of the path that cuts through.

The last topic I would like to discuss is the overall nature of my site. Though I had seen evidence of gardening and grounds keeping near to my site, I had never truly though of it as a “garden” because the low-lying plants had been left alone for the most part. As I have begun to identify plants, however, it has become more and more obvious that there is very little natural and native about my site. The clover-like plant with one broad leaf that I have described in earlier journals is wild garlic mustard, an invasive exotic imported for its culinary properties.  While it does smell quite a lot like garlic, and is interesting in its ability to stay green over winter, it is in no natural occurrence here in the Berkshires. With two of the dominant low-lying plants confirmed as invasive exotics, it is likely that many more of the plants are as well. As such, I will keep in mind the fact that what I am observing is in a large part due to human intervention, though I will not stop looking for interactions nor viewing the area as a natural, if manipulated, whole.