Resource Partitioning: Sergio Diaz & Edwin Romero

Resource Partitioning: Sergio Diaz & Edwin Romero
For the resource partitioning assignment, we decided to observe a tree that is located within Harrison Park, in the southwest side of the city. There were three pieces of evidence that would be considered resource partitioning. The first evidence was the great number of markings/scratches along the tree. At first, we thought that these markings were made by humans, but after observing the tree for some time, we realized that many squirrels kept going up and down the tree. The second evidence was a birds nest that was hidden, but after closer observation, we were sure that it was a birds nest. The nest was mostly composed of old leafs and didn't look to be in good condition. We were able to see a bird come within the nest, but we were unable to see the bird go inside. Lastly, we saw small insects at the base of the tree. These insects kept going inside the small cracks/holes that were located at the bottom of the tree. In conclusion, we saw three species: squirrels, birds, and insects. The evidence: markings/scratches, birds nest, and small cracks/holes.

Resource partitioning

The tree is near a park on the corner of Seminary and School. Its hard to tell exactly what happened, but there was a lot of evidence of high interaction with this tree. Near the bottom of the tree there was about a 3 foot tall area of no bark, it was kind of smooth. It was indented, so something purposely got rid of the bark, but I don't know what. I would guess some kind of squirrel, rat, or raccoon did it since it definitely does not look like the result of birds.
There were also a lot of knots in the outside of the wood, like those callous things you were talking in class about. These could be caused by birds digging into the wood to get at stuff inside the tree, or it could be insects crawling around inside.
At that time, there was no animals visible on the tree, but the whole area has a lot of birds and squirrels, so there are probably some of those living there. There were also little pieces of some kind of fruit that fell off a nearby tree, and showed evidence of animals eating them.

Resource Partitioning- Scott B, Alex Bishay & Gwen Eder

Our tree was located on Belden, in front of the parking lot. One of the first things that we noticed was that there was some human interaction with the tree. There were staples left in the tree from when a sign or poster had been there, and because of this the bark was starting to peel off. We also noticed that there were some holes in the tree, possibly from a termite or another animal that was using the tree for a parasitic relationship. Although we did not see any squirrels or other rodents, we did see evidence of their existence on the tree. We saw scrapings on the tree that looked they came from the claw of an animal. There was bark peeling off in a few places, which also could have come from the claw of an animal. While most of the relationships we saw with the tree showed evidence of the tree being harmed in the relationship, hopefully there were some interactions that are mutually beneficial for the tree and the other organism. We also noticed a layer of lichen, or moss, was growing on the tree. While we aren’t sure what exactly the lichen does for the tree and vice versa, one thing that we do know is that lichen always grows on the north side of the tree, which is beneficial to humans trying to find their way.

Trees

Allie Meyerson
Anna Diede
Mike Hansberry
For this resource partitioning example, I used a tree at my parents’ house in rural Minnesota. I found many different species, or evidence of different species on and around our tree. The tree that I focused on was a plum tree, and therefore, felt that I would be able to find more species because they would be attracted to the fruit. I saw molds, and algae’s, evidence of bark being stripped at the base, which I assumed was from deer and other small animals, many different insects, and all sorts of different vegetation at the base of the tree that will indubitably effect the soil that the tree grows from. I also could tell that there were insects or harmful bacteria on the tree because of the decay of the leaves.

Maggie Landon
I examined a tree outside of my apartment and found many signs of different species living in it or using it. I looked up in the tree and found some sort of nest in the branches. The nest looked disheveled and very old so I think it was created last spring. The nest was probably used by a bird. I also saw two squirrels running throughout the branches. Some of the leaves had started to change colors and a lot of them had tiny holes in them. It looked like some type of bug had been eating them. Some of the bark had been torn off, but I don't know what species could have done that. The birds, squirrels, and bugs all depended on that tree. They used it for a place to live and for food.

Trees by: Armita Ayrempour & Lisseth Loyo

During the resource partitioning activity Lisseth & I were looking at trees around DePaul's quad but we were unable to find much evidence of wildlife. Over the weekend i went to a trail in Lake forest and found a tree with a substantial amount of evidence with signs of different species all over it. The tree i looked at was a "Black Locust" ( i finally found the name after i recognized a picture of it online haha). There were tiny insects climbing the sides of the trees, they were mostly located in the grooves and ridges of the tree. Some of the leaves had holes in them which led me to believe that the insects were using the leaves as a food source. Towards the top of the tree there were two bird's nests that looked empty but there was one bird 5 feet away from it. There were squirrels running around and climbing the trees and the markings on the tree looked like they belonged to squirrels. Some people had carved their initials into the tree which served as a good example of how markings can show all the different species that are interacting with nature. 

Resource Partitioning

Our group went to a park near my house to observe a tree. Immediately we found a squirrel climbing up the bark and into the branches. Upon further investigation, we noticed some loose bark and a nest of some sort. We were unable to determine what species lived in the nest but it did look to be in poor condition. This could mean it was a birds nest and it has been abandoned for the upcoming winter. When we pulled the bark back (carefully) we noticed some scratch marks just as we had discussed in class. Again we couldn’t be sure what species caused this damage to the tree, but it was most likely an insect. These three pieces of evidence point to the tree being used as a shelter by at least the three species we observed.

Mike Simmons, Jim Nolan, Justin Morris

BABOONS! (and other Lincoln Park nature)

Rhonda Le & Kaitlin Parella

For this assignment we decided to look a tree on Belden Ave. The first thing we noticed was that the leaves had changed color due to the recent cold weather. As we examined the leaves more closely, we found that there were tiny holes in the leaves. This is probably due to small insects feeding off of their nutrients. Up in the branches we saw a gathering of small sticks and dried grasses that were most likely one time a bird’s nest. Because the nest was abandoned, we assumed that maybe the bird’s that once inhabited it had flown south for the winter. Next we heard a giant “screech” sound, we looked up and saw a family of baboons! (just kidding). As we approached the tree we noticed a boy walking his dog, and his dog pulled the owner toward this tree, sniffed around, and lifted up it’s leg and peed right on the trunk! This is an example of dogs or pets using the tree, in this case marking their territory. On the trunk of the tree, we also found some old nails and holes from things being nailed into it. This was from people using this particular tree to hang flyers or advertisements. While we were studying the tree, a friend who we were with (Nick Pinto) walked right up to it and pulled some bark off of it. This is another example of how humans share the tree, in this case negatively. While walking, we also saw some squirrels roaming around the area, and we assume that squirrels share this tree habitat as well. 

Resource Partitioning- Cora Marquez

I walked outside of my apartment this weekend and into the middle of my street. I started walking up and down the sidewalk looking at all the trees lining the road. I found many pieces of evidence that showed other species presence. The tree I observed the most was a old tall tree, I am not sure exactly what kind of tree it was but it was gorgeous. One piece of evidence that I found on the tree were scratches which could have been made by a numerous amount of animals. I also found many bit marks and hole on some of the leaves that were made by insects. The leaves were starting to all so on the ground I was able to notice the marks much closer. There was no wildlife in the tree when I was observing it but I did notice higher in the branches a nest formation. I am not sure if there were still birds that inhabited it but there was at one point. I could account for 2-3 species on this particular tree I found.

Trees In The Quad- Jamie Kolcz, Rima Alsammarae

For this assignment we looked at the trees in the quad. While we were walking through the quad we noticed that there are many different physical characteristics of different species living in the trees. On some of the trees there were birds nests in the branches. On the trunk of the trees there were some scratches that looked like little bugs were inside the bark and trying to eat their way through the bark. On the trunk there was also some bark missing. That might be from the bugs eating their way through and the bark had fallen right off of the tree. Some of the leaves had little holes in them looking like little bugs or caterpillars were trying to eat them. When we looked up into the branches at one point we saw some birds. We can account for at least 2 or 3 species that were living in or on this tree.

Trees :)

For this assignment, we examined a tree outside the street of seminary avenue in Lincoln Park. The first thing we noticed was a squirrel frolicking and playing in the tree. There was most likely a squirrel in the tree as trees are apart of their habitat. We also noticed traces of a nest near the top of the tree. We assumed the nest would be a birds nest. There were holes in the tree that could have been from insects eating away at the tree. We had a hard time finding indicators of species. This could be from a numerous amount of things, for example the fact that the seasons are changing and there are not as many insects and wild life out as in the summer.

xoxo

cc and ss

Courtney Carlstrom and Sarah Stokke

Resource Partitioning by Grant J. Chun

For the resource partitioning assignment, I went to observe a tree right in front of the Belden Apartment in DePaul's Lincoln Park campus. On this tree, I found 3 different evidences of resource partitioning. First evidence is the birds nest that I saw above the tree. It was a small nest made out of little tree branches. I was fortunate to see a bird actually flying toward the nest and landing on it. Judging by how big the bird was, I speculated that the bird was a mother bird who came back after a long day to take care of her baby birds. The bird was part of resource partitioning because it used the tree as a source of shelter. Second evidence I saw was multiple scratch marks around the bottom trunk area of the tree. The size of the marks were small so I assume that small animals like a squirrel went up and down the tree multiple times. Trees have different resources that sometimes have food for squirrels. Because of this, my reasoning tells me that the squirrel went up the tree for food most likely. The third and final evidence of resource partitioning that I saw from the tree was clipped and broken tree branches on top part of the trees. This shows that it did not occur due to natural means. It was more of a work by people who went up via machinery to chop down unnecessary branches. In conclusion, the 3 evidences I saw were the birds nest, scratched claw marks on the tree, and broken/clipped branches on several parts of the upper branch. For the species, the 3 major species that I believe to have influenced the resource partitioning process are the bird, squirrel/small rodent-like animal, and damage done by humans with the aid of the machine.

Resource Partitioning: Lindsay Bishop and Andrew Chae

The tree we chose to investigate is on Kenmore and Dickens. They are very large trees and we chose them because we thought they might be used by many different animals. Altogether we found four pieces of evidence on the tree of resource partitioning.
The first piece of evidence we saw was a few dark holes or creveses in the trunk that looked like some insecst had been eating away at the tree in those spots.The next piece of evidence we found we both found very interesting. The particular tree we were examining split in to very early creating two large branches. In the middle or the fork of these two huge branches was a what appeared to be another plant growing out of it. However we both thought that this could be a part of the same tree and just a new growth. Weather or not it is the same organism or not we assumed that it was using the bigger tree of some nutrients.
The third piece of evidence we found were some sort of scratch or discoloration on the bark of the tree. It looked as if something was peeling the bark of the tree. We thought the might have been caused by squirrels scurrying up the tree while they collected nuts. We had noticed a lot of squirrel out recently and this seemed like a good explanation.
The last piece of evidence we found was a nail in the tree. We saw this a humans using resource partitioning. Altogether i think we could account for four or five different species using the tree as a resource, insects, birds, squirrels and humans.

Resource Partitioning Jaclyn St. Clair & Melissa Kamali

Our tree was located on Belden in front of the DePaul Student Center. On this tree we found three pieces of evidence. We noticed that the bark on the tree was chipped and peeling off in certain spots. From the evidence of the missing bark we could possibly conclude that a bird or squirrel was climbing or clawing at the trees bark. It also could be inferred that the bark is missing because of insect infestation in the tree. Insects could be making a habitat in the tree therefore causing the tree to lose bark. We also noticed that the leaves on the tree were discolored with holes in certain spots. These discoloration and holes could be caused from insect bites which in turn cause the leaves to die and change colors. There were certain branches on the tree that had broken limbs or very bent limbs. This evidence could be attributed to wildlife such as birds or squirrels trying to climb on the branches and breaking the limbs. There were probably four to five species inhabiting the tree. The evidence we saw on the tree from certain species looked damaging to the tree. We were not able to see certain species inhabiting the tree that were not causing harm, however many species that do not cause harm use this tree for their habitat.

Resource Partitioning- Katie Fraser and Meaghan Dries

The tree my partner and I observed was one that is right outside my apartment in Wrigleyville. The tree is located directly in front of my apartment which is behind the field near Clark street. Although it is in an area that is sparsely populated, as far as trees go, there was still evidence of resource partitioning.
One of the most obvious aspects of resource partitioning was a bird next that was in one of the higher branches. It was rather small and looked as though the birds weren’t using it anymore, but that it had once housed a family. The nest was made from feathers, twigs, and bark from the tree.
This explains a bit of the loss of bark on the tree. However, it also looked as though the bark had been touched my insects. There were a few trails down the backside of the tree, and bumps on the back of some of the leaves as though insects had laid eggs there. Only the leaves on the lower most branch, as those were the ones we could see the best, had these bumps. They have been growths, but some looked as though the edges had been nibbled on.
There was a squirrel nearby in the street, not directly in front of the tree, but could have been in street because we were invading its home. I have also seen squirrels around the tree before as it is right outside my front window.
At the base of the tree there was some moss. This could have developed at the base because the base of the tree is often damp. I know this because the tree is surrounded by dirt, which our upstairs neighbor uses to let her dog relieve herself. There was only a little trace of moss though, so it could have been something else but my partner and I believed it looked like moss and felt soft and spongy like moss.
The last species, if it counts, is the dog. My neighbor lets the dog use the tree as her bathroom area. Although the tree is not the dogs direct environment, the dog uses the tree and alters the environment with its excrement.
Those are a few of the species we saw partaking in resource partitioning at the tree in Wrigelyville.

Resource Partitioning by Aaron Agustin, Mehul Chaudhari, Colin Thomas

For our resource partitioning activity we weren’t able to find much outside of McGowan hall. We decided to go out on our own and each find a tree with resource partitioning. Between the three of us, we found the best tree to be at Oz Park. It had evidence of at least four obvious signs of different species using the tree, and some other signs that suggest the presence of other species. The first sign were several crows. The crows were using the tree as a perch at the moment, but interestingly enough, the birds were taking bits of leaves away from the tree. Though not their permanent shelter, the crows found the tree to be a way to create shelter. The second sign were scratch marks running up the side of the tree, some of which left raw bark exposed. At first, these marks were thought to have been left by insects, but after a few moments, it became evident that these were marks left by squirrels. We can account for this because after a few moments of standing next to the tree, a squirrel crawled down the tree. It seemed to expect some kind of food judging by its proximity to us. The tree actually had several squirrels in the tree. The third sign of partitioning was moss growing along the tree, and the last sign was a spider web which was going along the trunk of the tree. This spider web actually suggests two forms of partitioning. The obvious one would be the spider, but since it wrapped its web along the tree trunk, it also suggests that the spider was hunting the insects which ran along the tree. Another suggestion of insects present in the tree was a series of holes located along the tree trunk. This could have been created by insects or birds trying to get at the insects inside the bark. The insects that could have been eating at the tree may have been termites. The tree itself was rather old so it could have been supporting termites for awhile. The birds that may have created the holes could have been a wood pecker or even the crows.

Autumn Evidence of Resource Partioning By: Amy Barracca and Lucy Molina

The tree that we observed was found in Lucy's backyard. Lucy's pear tree is in Northlake which is near O'hare Airport. The tree has evidence of being a home to insects. One can notice this from the insect trail on the bark, and also a hole in the middle of the truck. Woodpeckers have chewed at the bark as a means to eat insects inside the trunk. A layer of moss has attached to the trunks of the tree. In addition, there are fruit buds beginning to form on some of the branches. Daily, the tree is home to squirrels. The location of the tree is ideal for animals because there isn't much traffic in the backyard and, isn't surrounded by sidewalks. Autumn hasn't taken a toll on the tree yet. It still has it's green leaves. On our tree we found 5 pieces of evidence of resource partioning: insects, moss, a woodpecker, leaves, and squirrels.

Resource Partitioning

My group journeyed to a nearby sidewalk between Munroe Hall and the McGowan science buildings. There, we found a tree with thorny little twigs among a group of bushes. We only noticed a few signs of resource partitioning on this tree. We observed that the bark on the tree was partially stripped off in some places. This could have been done by a climbing squirrel or an insect eating away at the bark. In addition, we noticed that many of the leaves were torn and tattered, which could have been done by a caterpillar or other herbivorous insects. There were probably many different species exploiting this tree, but our evidence can only account for 2-4 species. My group noticed very little signs of life on this tree. We suspected this was due to a variety of factors, including the location, height, and care of the tree, as well as the current weather. Firstly, the tree was planted directly in between the intersection of two sidewalks--this isn't a very ideal place for animals to make a home. In addition, the small height of the tree could have also prevented wildlife from utilizing it's resources--squirrels and birds may find more security in a tall tree, where they are out of reach from prey. This tree is located in the middle of the DePaul campus, and thus must be maintained by the gardening employees hired by the university. Signs of life are not easily visible on this tree because these gardeners are interfering with the system of resource partitioning. For example, they may be clearing off any ivy or growing lichen, or discouraging birds to nest in the branches. Lastly, the weather has recently dramatically changed from warms and sunny to cold and rainy. Perhaps insects, animals and plants were living on this tree prior to the temperature change, but as of now, they have migrated to a warmer climate or found a more suitable place to live. These were just a few things that my group brainstormed on our brief nature walk.

By: Emily Leidenfrost, Anna Papuga and Tom Elliott

Autumn Evidence of Resource Partitioning as Observed by Beth Anton and Ewelina Labanowski

My partner and I found only three pieces of evidence on our tree. The first piece of evidence we found on the tree was a tumor-like growth located on the trunk of the tree, we found out that this growth is called a gall and is caused by either insects that nest in the ball or when the tree is hurt and grows this so as to cover its wound. I guess it seems as a self-help process for the tree; putting a band-aid on a wound so to speak. The second piece of evidence we found was moss on the tree or fungi, it was green and covered the lower portion of the trunk closer to the base of the tree. The third and final piece of evidence that we found were deep gashes in the trunk of the tree which we learned were due to insects eating up or through the trees trunk.

We can account for at least two live species using the tree as a resource, the insects that use the tree as a nest and the insects that use the tree for food. The other form of life we can account for on the tree is the moss, which uses the tree for its nutrients. It was interesting to see all the organisms that use trees for resources, it's something that you do not notice on an everyday basis because although we pass by trees all the time we hardly ever stop to examine the tree and think about all this evidence of resource partitioning.

I think that the most interesting or rather shocking piece of evidence that we found were the deep gashes in the trees trunk. My partner and I had figured that it was caused by humans hurting the tree in some way, possibly axing it for some reason but never even came close to the thought that it was insects eating through the trunk. It was fascinating to learn why and who had left behind all the evidence in these trees.

Resource Partitioning

After taking a few moments to observe evidence of resource partitioning in trees, I was fascinated to discover that it's a home to many different species. In just the few moments that I spent watching the activity on the tree, I was able to identify many different species of bugs. For example, I saw ants, spiders, and a centipede. It is also possible that if I were able to reach high enough to grab a leaf, I might notice bits of the leaf gone, which would offer greater evidence of insect species. Also, I saw two squirrels chasing one another up the trunk and into the branches of the tree. I also noticed that there were birds in and around the tree, though I could hear them much better than I could see them. I could also identify evidence of different plant species that surrounding the tree. Overall, I could account for many varying types of insect, animal, and plant species.

Autumn Evidence of Resource Partitioning

DUE BY MONDAY 8am, OCT. 12.

In lecture on Wednesday October 7, we discussed the concept of resource partitioning from chapter 5. Groups of 2-3 were given time to go outside and find a tree to investigate for evidence of resource partitioning.

As your chapter 5 assignment, each group* is asked to make a new post that gives a description (and photos if you have them!) of all the different signs that indicate the tree is used as a resource for different species. Be sure to address all the criteria below:

• How many pieces of evidence did you find on your tree?
• Describe the individual pieces of evidence that you observed (post photos where you can!)
• How many species can you account for?
• Can you infer what kind of organism left the evidence you saw? If you don't know the exact species try to make a more general guess (e.g. birds, butterfly/moth/insect).

*Only one person from each group needs to create a post, but all group members names should be included in order to allot credit to the entire group!

Nature Walk

Rachel Ross

Nature Walk Assignment

Today I was taking a walk in the rain and I noticed the rain dripping from the leaves. It made me think wish that I had an umbrella to protect me like the leaves that I saw, but then I realized that I did have umbrella of a sort. I noticed that the leaves of the tree I was walking under along the street acted as a natural umbrella. I couldn’t help but notice that I was still getting wet. This was because there weren’t as many trees as there could be along the sidewalk if it weren’t paved over in cement. This thought made me realize how scarce nature can be when living in the city. I hadn’t really noticed the lack of greenery before completing this assignment. T

The trees and how scarce they were made me think of Kuo’s writing and discussion on how greenery in a neighborhood is related to social issues like crime. There has been increasing levels of crime in my neighborhood, although I would have thought our area had a lot of nature. There are trees and shrubs along the sidewalks, but there is also a loud and very visual train running overhead. The area under the train tracks is mostly greenery and acts as miniature parks. But the quality of these parks is reduced due to the large, metal raised train track. I began to wonder how this related to the increased crime in the area. Did the presence of the train tracks diminish the impact the natural environment of the area? Even though the train tracks brought more green patches to the neighborhood, these patches of greenery were ineffective because they housed large metal support beams for the train tracks.

I hadn’t really noticed this combination of urban development and many signs of the wilderness that once was here. I think my walk was more like the writings of Kuo than Muir because Kua noticed how nature affected the neighborhoods and people around it, while Muir was more attuned to how nature affects his own feelings and his own enjoyment of his walk. Upon reflection on this, I notice that Muir was pointing out in his writings the power nature can have on a single person and how important it was to notice and enjoy the nature around you. But Kuo’s work was much more scientific and looked at how nature can affect the greater population as well as the individual. During my walk, I reflected more on the impact the nature, or lack thereof, in the area affected the quality of my neighborhood, rather than myself.

Mehul Chaudhari - Naturalist Essay

It was in the afternoon, a vibrant sunny afternoon heading down this quite, friendly but busy street I was enriched by all the surroundings of nature. The temperature must have been low 70s, as I saw many residents of Lincoln Park outside walking around as I was. I started my journey at Halsted and Armitage were I reside. From there I went down Armitage past Seminary, make a right up on to Fullerton. I knew my walk in Lincoln Park would be filled with nature, because of the effort many residents put in their landscaping, and environment around the town. I was able to encounter nature as I stepped outside and tightly closed the knob. The air that I breathe, the sunlight that I exposed, and everything I see is nature in a general statement. Also a mosquito that landed right my right leg is unfortunately also nature . When looking at the ground I saw, beautiful flowers planted with varies assortments. I saw many residents walking their golden retrieves, and poodles. I did take more detail into what I was observing today than usual, I don’t usually get to take an hour and really examine what I’ve learned, and things you may see but overlook in your head. I believe when the sun is out, shining bright, the skis look clear, the wind is mellow, and the grass is green, I feel as this is a great start to my day, and I am more upbeat in a sense to start my day early in the morning. If the day was pour raining like today, my mood wouldn’t be as happy, as it can be until I got inside, were nature was limited. Talking about our interactions with nature, I believe personally my interaction with nature is happening every second of our life. We are nature, to a point. Without nature we couldn’t survive on this planet, or universe. We need the air to breathe, we need food to survive, and we need water, these are all interrelated with nature. In both writing Kuo’s and Murir’s they both had good points of view on nature, and their interactions and relationships with nature. How they felt we can work better with nature, and how it really has a social impact on us. I think I was able to connect with Kuo’s writing this time, because he provided a closer to home piece of writing. He mentions how public aid housing is effected trees outside of their building, how family’s feel safer because they are easily able to communicate outdoors with each other. He tends to talk more about urban environments which was the one I made my walk through. I feel as everyone’s mood was better because, the nature surrounding us in Lincoln Park is beautiful. The differences in both writing were mostly the point of view they were trying to represent. Murir’s writing showed his personal interactions with nature, and his trip through Yosemite. He was showing more detail of nature, and the wonderful features of nature. Kuo’s was more informational then anything. He provided us with in-depth research showing social interactions with nature. He showed the difference between crime in areas with greener settings then crime in areas with little nature. It helped us figure out what’s best for us, and how to efficiently utilize nature to help out our everyday life.

Mehul chaudhari

Naturalist Essay

Due to very cheap airfare, I decided to take a trip to my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama this weekend. While I have been told in the past that I do not look or sound like I am from the South, I think that many people assume everyone that is from Alabama has a thick southern drawl and does not know what shoes are. Another assumption is that Alabama is home of all farms. Where I live, this is not the case. There are no farms for at least an hour and a half out of Birmingham. Since my family recently just moved into a new neighborhood in a suburb of Birmingham while I was away at college, I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood to see what I could encounter with nature.
There were many things that I noticed that were completely different from my usual walks down the streets of Chicago compared to my walk I was currently taking in my very wooded and damp atmospheric neighborhood. It had just stopped raining, and the mosquitos were swarming. There are hardly ever insects in Chicago, but in the south, they are everywhere. When I am home in Alabama, I am always amazed about how green and lively everything looks compared to when I am in Chicago. Just by taking a 45-minute walk in my neighborhood, I am astonished by how hilly the land is. I can literally see hills and mountains, where in Chicago everything is very flat and there are hardly any trees. One of the main things I noticed on my walk was this patch of mushrooms growing behind one of the bushes of my neighbor’s yard. It was like nothing I have seen before. These mushrooms were very vibrant, large, and exquisite. I couldn’t help but take a picture for my personal keeping, because it was not something I can easily see walking down the sidewalks of Lincoln Park.
I feel that whenever I am home I appreciate nature more because I can actually hear the trees sway, and the birds chirping instead of those noises being drowned out by the sounds of cars and ambulances on Fullerton. Even though I interact with nature every day in Lincoln Park, I feel as if the “nature” part is very artificial. Almost every tree has been strategically placed to make room for people to walk. Humans force nature to adapt to us, and in someway we make it so we have to adapt to nature. For example, because we cannot change how the weather is in the winter, we do what we can to adapt to nature.
My walk resembled Kuo’s more than Muir’s due to the fact that Kuo explains how arboriculture limits the crime in neighborhoods and encourages neighborhood interaction. Because my neighborhood does have a lot of well-kept lawns and trees, I feel as if this encourages interactions between neighbors and does limit crime to a certain extent. I think Kuo’s and Muir’s writings differ in that Kuo was describing ways in which one could improve their neighborhood and how arboriculture could benefit those in residential neighborhoods while Muir’s writing was depicting vivid scenes of nature in different areas. It also did not talk much, if any, about arboriculture. Muir also wrote in a way that made his ideas sound like poetry. Both Kuo’s and Muir’s writings greatly differ such as the nature in Birmingham and that of Chicago.

Naturalist Essay

My walk consisted of going from my apartment on Southport and Fullerton down Fullerton to the Quad, through the Quad and back down Belden back towards my apartment. The walk down Fullerton had small amounts of “green” areas. There were some trees and spots of grass but not as much as I encountered later. Walking through the Quad there was a nice open lot with numerous trees and a lot of grass. The walk back down Belden had alot “green” coverage. I enjoyed the larger trees scattered around the sidewalks and next to luxury houses. There was grass along the whole walk between the street and sidewalk. There were large trees along Belden that I didn’t see on Fullerton.

The walk got me to notice more about my surrounding area but not much. I normally would walk to class along Belden because it is a quieter and more scenic view than walking down Fullerton.

When I walk along the “greener path” I feel more relaxed and comfortable. I get out of the frantic of everyday life and can relax.

On a daily basis I interact with nature because of its impact on my mood. I enjoy looking away from the buildings and concrete to the trees and other natural organisms.

I think my walk was more like Kuo’s article. I feel that nice homes of Lincoln Park contributed to a sense of communityI felt. There were kids playing outdoors, neighbors conversing, and I felt very safe. Muir’s article reminded me of when I travel to my cabin in northern Michigan, where I really enjoy the outdoors and relax in the beauty surrounding me there.

The first writing I read by Kuo talked about how “greenness” of an inner-city neighborhood can have a positive effect on the community. The article talked about how more trees and grass would lead to more active kids, less civil disturbances, and the residents to feel safer in their own community and numerous other benefits. The second article by Muir talked of the beauty of nature. The man went on an overnight hike into the canyon and he talks of the beauty of nature.

Naturalist Essay

Courtney Carlstrom

Environmental Science Paper

Every morning I try to go for a run outside if weather permits. I have a five-mile route both downtown and in Barrington (the suburb I live in) in which I try to do six days a week. Because I was home over the weekend, I chose to write about the route in Barrington. I can not even count the amount of times I have ran this route, however, I have never really noticed my natural surroundings due to the fact that my ipod is usually blasting. I also tend to get lost in my head and thoughts while I run. I thought it would be interesting to look at something I am so immune to in a different aspect, which is why I chose to write about this specific route. I left my ipod at home, left my house, and began my run.

My warm up is a walk down my street, I live in the town of Barrington where homes are average sized, and houses are relatively close together. There are many trees down my street and the grass on everyone’s property is well kept. I thought about how Kuo made the connection of trees and a friendly neighborhood. I would say that my neighborhood is relatively friendly. I saw kids playing outside while on my run, which was another thing that Kuo spoke about. The scenery that consumed the majority of my run was homes, trees, grass, and flowers. There is a pond in Barrington that I ran passed as well, however, it is not very large. It was nice taking notice of my surroundings and really just appreciating the area I live in while I was out for my run.

After I cam home from my run I thought about how I think about nature and how nature interacts with me on a daily basis. I looked in my backyard and saw an arrangement of bushes, trees, and even still flowers (at this time of the year). I realized that when I wake up in the morning, the fact that I wake up to such a beautiful area is something that automatically puts me in a good mood. I really began to appreciate how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful town as far as nature goes. I know that when I am active outside, I am generally in a better mood than when I stay indoors.

Growing up, we lived by the Fox Lake, so playing games with the other neighborhood kids are memories that fill my mind when referring back to my childhood. Being able to enjoy the outdoors is something that almost shaped me growing up. I thought about how my life would be different if I did not have the privilege of being raised in an area surrounded by well-kept nature. I think the perspective I have on live in general would be different and less creative. I almost feel like a child who can’t play outside or at least enjoy the view of a natural landscapes life must be dull or sad. Just having the ability do to things and be active outdoors is something that has presented itself throughout my life and how I have always interacted with nature.

I think that my interaction with nature was more like the writing of Kuo. For some reason, I kept making references of his study while on my walk. I immediately connected the smile on my neighbor’s faces to the trees and green area. I would say that my experience was more similar to the writing of Kuo than Muir. I found Muir’s writing to be descriptive more than actually looking at the social effect that nature has. Overall I thought it was extremely interesting to take a moment and reflect on how my natural surroundings affect me and the life I live.

Naturalist Essay.

Although this assignment required us to embark upon a 45-minute nature walk, I decided to extend my usual 20-minute commute to work in the Loop to a 45-minute nature commute. I walked around my block – observing the modest variety of trees and flowers that flourished the neighborhood. And as I boarded the brown line heading towards the Loop from the Armitage stop, I analyzed how the amount of greenery digressed from a mildly flourished northside neighborhood to a metropolitan madhouse of toxic emissions. Before the Sedgwick stop, there were still a couple of quaint parks here and there that accommodated a lush garden or collections of trees, however, after the Chicago stop, there were mainly massive herds of cars and office buildings. I departed at the Quincy stop in the heart of noise, light, and garbage related pollution. Usually I don’t have the time to notice vast difference between neighborhoods. This past weekend, I went home to the suburbs. Although the suburbs of Chicago are still extremely bustling and populated with
Overall, I felt that my nature commute was somewhat of a combination between the informational, scientific writings of Frances Kuo and the naturalist, artistic writings of John Muir. On one hand, Muir adhered to a more philosophical approach to observing nature. In addition to his creative observations of nature, Muir also stated that “there is an all manufactures of Nature something essentially coarse which can and must be eradicated by human culture” (Muir 27), which encouraged the interaction of human culture with Nature. On the other hand, Kuo focused on the relationship between urban communities and the presence of trees in a more concrete method as opposed to Muir.
In saying this, I learned that it is necessary to observe your environmental surroundings from more than one perspective. And in turn, human culture can and must maintain a relationship with Nature in order to contribute to the health of our biological and social ecosystem in Chicago.

Naturalist Essay

I chose to walk near my house at a local park for my nature walk. Behind the park there is an area where there were railroad tracks a while ago but not it is just trees and bushes. There is an entrance to the area with trees that I went through which led me onto the old railroad tracks. I walked through this area and it felt as if I wasn't any where near a city anymore. There were a lot of trees, bushes, and grass. Some parts of the area even had flowers that I had not seen before. It was also very quite in the area because it wasn't close to any main streets and not much noise from the neighborhood was heard from there. The entire walk was very peaceful and relaxing because not only did I get away from the city but there was silence which was very relaxing. When I walk around my neighborhood, which is rarely, I tend not to notice all the ways nature is involved in the environment. The main thing I notice is the houses and the cars but when you pay attention you see all the things around the house and in public areas. I like being outside in nature because it helps you relax and forget about many of the worries you might have. Usually when I go back home overseas to Montenegro I spend a lot of time "in" nature because our house is on a mountainside away from the main cities. It is very calming and relaxing, because I do things that I probably wouldn't do if I was in a big city, such as explore the outdoors. I think we all interact nature on a daily basis. Everyone breathes and trees help that greatly. We also have a small garden in our backyard and the vegetables that grow there are eaten by my family and me. I think my interaction was more closely related to Muir, because during my walk I just tried to lay back and relax while taking the beauty of nature in. It was very peaceful and the area I walked through didn't have a lot to do with the town I live in because it isn't very visible from the neighborhoods and many people don't even walk through it. Kuo's writing seems to look at the affect of nature on neighborhood's and seems to have a more scientific point of view. Both writing's work but it depends on how you look at nature while you are outdoors which helps you relate to one or the other.

My nature walk

During my nature walk I took a closer look at the nature around me. It was still in an urban setting, and little did I know that there was still a fresh, green environment surrounding me. There were no exotic plants or animals, no tall forests, but there was old trees with character. I walked down Halsted, Armitage, and Belden. When I was thinking about where I was going to take my walk I had thought of this man made lily pond that is the most relaxing, get away place in the city, and on my way I had thought that its not the nature that had intended to ponder. It was made by human hands, and the nature on the three streets I chose were mostly already there before we came in, or placed themselves. Because I do not watch the trees or nature when I walk to get some where. But I looked very closely today. When I woke up I took a good look at the huge maple which I never do. I know its there and its pretty, but its beautiful! I have never taken a second to enjoy it, and I am glad I did today. I noticed that there were a lot of trees with character and flowers that I didn't think were possible to grow in Chicago like hibiscus flowers. Im not saying that it was the first time I saw the trees outside, but it was the first time that I took it in and appreciated it. I love nature, I enjoy it no matter where I am. My room is full of it, my garden is my meditation spot, I just can not get enough of it, and its great because I'm constantly surrounded by it. I believe my walk was more of Muir's interacts because I mediated on it and I went into a state of peace. "Muir valued nature for its spiritual and transcendental qualities." (Wikipedia). The two naturalists differ, but I agree with both, because Kuo says that if there is nature in communities and neighborhoods then there will be less of a crime rate. I agree because I believe that nature is soothing and is a companion to humans. Muir believes strongly in conservation of wilderness like as he did for Yosemite Valley. They both have amazing ideas and studies and I agree with both, but I feel like my walk has more to do with Kuo's writing.

Naturalis Essay - Katie Fraser

Katie Fraser
ENV 101-102
Sept. 20 2009
Naturalist Essay

For my nature walk I chose to walk from my neighborhood, Wrigleyville, to North Avenue Beach. I walked east on Waveland to Halsted, then walked south on Halsted till North, then walked east again towards the lake.
Along my walk I was exposed to many different elements of nature. While walking through my neighborhood there was grass that lined the sidewalks as well as many trees. This continued while walking through Lincoln Park. I also passed Oz Park which is a large area of grassy fields. When at the beach I was exposed to the sand and water of the lake shore. Even while walking down the more urbanized part of Halsted I was exposed to elements like the sun and wind. Originally, I intended just to walk down to the lake from my house, which would have given me little differentiation, since there is no beach or many dilapidated buildings, so I am glad I changed my route so I could experience many different settings.
While on my walk there were a few things that significantly stood out to me, that I may have missed on any normal day. One major thing that I noticed was how much it was beginning to feel like fall. I took a greater interest in the colors of the leaves on the trees around my house and I noticed many more of them on the ground. I also noticed how early it got dark as I made my way back, and how while it was a warm day the temperature dropped drastically at dusk, which happens around fall. While at the beach, I also took note how it was still such a beautiful day to be outside, but that there was a bitter sweetness to the day as it was most likely the last beach day of the year. It was fall, as the sun didn't stay very high for very long and offered less heat while up.
I also took more notice of the drastic change that takes place on Halsted. While walking from Wrigleyville to Lincoln Park many streets are lined with trees and grass. Eventually one will run into Oz Park, which is made up of fields as well as playgrounds and baseball fields. However, after Armitage till about North Avenue, there is hardly any of this. The streets become more worn and there are significantly more buildings. These buildings also look more rugged and beat up. This remains until one hits Old Town, which is right at North Avenue. I actually passed a playground that was all on cement and thought about how different it was from the one a few blocks north at Oz Park.
While at the beach I took much more notice to the trash in the beach. While it is generally a well taken care of beach, I did find cigarette butts, beer caps, and glass in the sand. From a glance, the beach looks taken care of, but upon further inspection one can see that it isn’t. When I pass the beach I generally don’t think about the trash hidden underneath the sand, I usually just long to be lying out under the sun enjoying the last few rays of summer. I found that this remained true even when I was aware of the trash. With the trash in the sand, I still thought about how fortunate I am to live in a city that offers such beautiful lakeshore community property for its residents.
I enjoyed this walk because I generally don't think too much about the nature around me. The most prominent way I view the nature around me is in the weather. The weather affects me greatly as I use public transportation and walk places. I have a love/hate relationship with it. While I like it to be sunny and warm, I curse when it’s too hot because I get sweaty and my hair gets messy. I also dislike it when it rains, but enjoy the coolness it offers. I like when it cools down, but I always wish I could slow the coming of winter. I can say, however, that during the summer and the first few weekends that I have been back in the city, and it is beautiful outside, I often feel guilty for sitting inside. I try and make myself go for a walk or at least sit outside. This summer especially every spare minute I had would be spent outside if it were nice. Since I worked a lot and wasn’t able to be outside as much as I wanted to, I would often sit in my back yard and read if there was no other way to be outside. That way I could at least catch the last few rays before the sun set after work, or I could be outside without having to go to the beach alone. When I moved back I began to take my roommates dog for walks in order to be outside. I enjoyed being able to be outside this Saturday, when I did my walk, because I didn’t want to feel as if I was missing out on one of the last summer days.
When I actually am immersed in nature, that is go outside because I want to spend time outside, my feelings about nature don’t necessarily change, but my emotions do. I tend to be a lot more relaxed. On those gorgeous sunny days when I sit in the quad and listen to music, or take a walk, I feel like I’m the only one experiencing the moment. That the day, and the sun, are all mine. I feel as though I am savoring something special. Some moment of my life, whether it is soaking up summer vacation or just one more moment of my life in Chicago, it’s something that will stay with me, something I can be nostalgic about come fall.. I am happy and relaxed, and feel as though I am truly thinking and living rather than getting bogged down by things I feel I should be thinking about or should be doing. It is a healthy way to forget.
While I would classify my interactions with nature as more of a Muir perspective, this particular walk matched Kuo’s writings more. Kuo discusses more about the social aspect that trees and nature can bring to a community. I found this to be very true in my neighborhood. Kuo uses trees as an example of a entity that a community can revolve around. While the area I live in does have a good amount of trees for a city neighborhood, and they do play a part in the social aspect of Wrigleyville, I don’t think they created the community. I view Wrigley Field as one of the main reasons that Wrigelyville has such a strong sense of community and feeling of safety. However, because of this sense of community, trees, bushes and grass were planted, which only furthered this feeling of a “defensible place,” as Kuo says.
Since my neighborhood has nice grassy areas, many people are out on the weekends, or nice days, running or jogging. I see the sense of “casual social contact” (p4 Kuo) that Kuo talks about when people run with their dogs and others stop to pet them. There are brief interactions simply because one cannot ignore all the people around, especially during Cubs games.
Kuo also dicusses how bringing trees to neighborhoods makes residents feel like it is a shared space and they have some part in it. Thus, they want to take better care of it. I see this with Wrigely, as no one wants to be the person who vandalized the field. I also see this sense of protection that Kuo claims trees bring. He says that once the space feels communal, people often tend to be more on the lookout for strangers. I see this in my neighborhood because many people are out late at night too making it harder for strangers to do harm, and the field is constantly being monitored.
I also saw this when I was on Halsted. The area that I walked through that had very few trees, also seemed to be an area that wasn’t taken care of. The buildings seemed more run down, I mentioned the concrete park, and it was definitely an area I wouldn’t want to be in after dark.
Kuo’s writings wouldn’t generally correlate to how I view nature, as I have mentioned before. His writings were a in-depth look at other studies done about how trees impacted neighborhoods, and then a discussion on what that means for urbanized areas. This piece was more scientifically based and from a more logical place. Muir’s writings were very much from an emotional place. Muir writes with a literary style, very narrative like, where he describes vivid nature scenes and the his reactions to the world around him. He isn’t picking apart individual pieces of nature and studying the effects, like Kuo, he is exploring the grandeur of it all. Yet, both paint an equally interesting picture of the effect nature can have on human beings.

nature walk

I chose to take a forty-five minute walk around my apartment in Lincoln Park. It was an opportunity for me to familiarize myself with the new neighborhood and encounter “nature”. While I was on my walk, I passed several trees and patches of grass but nothing too spectacular. I also saw shrubbery and a small tomato garden. One apartment had a little flower garden that was filled with exotic flowers. While I was taking this walk, I noticed that there were many stores and apartments but a few number of trees. My neighborhood had a couple flower and fruit garden, but besides the few gardens in people’s yards, there were none anywhere else. The roads and sidewalks were surrounded by a couple grass patches and/or rock patches. The article really opened my eyes to urban “nature”. When I think about nature I picture fields of flowers and forest filled with trees. I imagine a serene and beautiful place. However, when I am outside “in” nature, I get a reality check. I realize that the images I have can only be seen in certain places. I also realize that nature has changed and that it is slowly but surely diminishing. In urban areas especially, the beauty of nature that I imagine in my head is very much different from what I see everyday while walking to class. I interact with nature when I run at the birds that are sitting in a bush, or when I play at a park. Nature interacts with me on a daily basis by the weather outside. Sometimes the weather will be nice and sunny and other days it’ll be dark and rainy. I also interact with nature on a daily basis when I breathe. The trees and plants create oxygen for me to breathe in and my body creates carbon dioxide for the plants when I breathe out. Nature and I interact in many ways that I don’t even know. However, there are times when I interact with nature in bad ways. An example could be when I liter or when I pick flowers. I destroy nature and prevent it from doing what it needs to do. I believe my nature walk described Kuo’s writing because he describes nature in urban areas. I have witnessed firsthand what green space can do for people. I live in Naperville, IL and both my neighbors and I have yards and we have come to be good friends. I do believe it is because of the yard and the activities our families do outside that allows for us to interact with one another. However, in my apartment in the city, there is no yard or green space, and this has prevented me from getting to know any of the neighbors. I do not talk with any of them and I have no opportunity to really interact with any of them. The walk around my neighborhood helped me to reflect on Kuo’s writing about the importance of green space. The difference between Kuo’s writing and Muir’s writing was that Kuo describes and proves the importance of green space and nature in urban areas. While Muir is writing about a beautiful scenic environment. He is telling a story, whereas, Kuo is writing a research paper on the benefits of green space. It is two different writing styles and both authors are talking about two different environments. However, they both are talking about nature and the positive things that it brings to the earth. Overall, the readings opened up my eyes to nature that I had never really considered. I learned a lot and am now more observant when walking to class.

I chose to walk through a southern area of Lincoln Park near the zoo, by the nature museum. I chose this area because I’m familiar with it, but also because I enjoy it. There are paths and a pond and a playground. I don’t think that I really noticed anything differently, but taking the walk after having the Kuo and Muir readings fresh in my mind made it interesting.
The two writings were so different because of how each of the authors was looking at nature. While Muir’s writings were heartfelt and almost poetic, Kuo’s-while obviously advocating the importance of nature and greenery-was scientific. I found my walk to be more similar to Kuo’s writings because even though nature is all around, one can’t help but be aware of the concrete paths and buildings around. While this park seems to be urban ecology at its finest, one does not get the same euphorial sense of nature that they may get in a different setting.
Because nature affects us everyday, I don’t think that the walk really changed the way I look at it. I like to think that I am a very aware person and a socially conscious person, so I do see what nature offers us and try to appreciate that every day. It seems like a silly, “tree-hugger” way of thinking but, I know that it is important to respect our resources and value nature in order to ensure its livelihood fir the future. And although the area that I walked through may have been constructed, it is nonetheless, an urban natural habitat, home to many different species.

Today I took a jog along the Lake Michigan lakeshore. While I was running, I tried to be more aware than usual of my surroundings. I took out my headphones and analyzed the nature I encountered on my hour run. It was a beautiful sunny day, mid-afternoon, so there were a lot of people out on the trail. People of all ages and socio-economic statuses surrounded me; rollerblading, biking, and running. The nature I encountered was obviously man-made. The grass was not naturally grown, there were construction signs in the water, and overflowing garbage cans of dog poo surrounded the dog park. The only animals I saw besides the dogs were squirrels and seagulls.

The nature I encounter on a daily basis is very similar to the experience I had on my jog. I am constantly walking past parks that seem natural but are in fact man-made, and surrounded by garbage cans and litter. On the other hand, I live in Lincoln Park, and the benefit of living in such a wealthy area is how well the natural surroundings are kept. It is an urban area and some things just can’t be helped, but I feel very lucky on a day-today basis to be able to live in a neighborhood that is well cared for.

I would compare this particular interaction with nature more with Kuo’s writing, although it had some aspects of both. This is because Kuo wrote more about the reasons behind and causes of what he saw. As I was running I contemplated why I saw the things I did, in particular in relation to my urban atmosphere. I saw graffiti on the side of a bridge because the space I was running past was less taken care of, a result of a lower-income neighborhood. As I continued on the path and entered more wealthy areas the trees became more plentiful and the surroundings appeared cleaner. However, I genuinely enjoyed the nature I did encounter, specifically the lake, which identifies more with Muir’s writing. Granted, I am from Minnesota, and if this assignment had taken place there, my answer might have been weighted more heavily on the side of Muir, because the natural environment in Minnesota is more pristine. But I constantly find myself appreciating the environment of Chicago, and the differences it provides from my hometown.

Naturalist Essay Rima Alsammarae

This weekend I came to Oak Brook, Illinois to visit my family for the religious holiday, Eid. The leaves on the giant Oak tree that protect my bedroom window from a stranger’s glance are turning yellow and orange. I decide today that it’s time to take my walk through a place I used to refer to as home. I instinctively begin to walk down a familiar path. I cut through my neighbor’s yard, just barely staying outside the invisible fence placed for their tireless dog. I normally bring my iPod when I walk, however it’s now broken, and I’m forced to absorb the uneasiness of silence.
I begin to notice how green the grass I’m stepping on is. Not a single yard in Oak Brook is unkempt; with built in sprinklers that are managed by a timer attached to the side of the house, most yards remain exceedingly green. The clouds above me cast grey shadows that compliment the greenness of the grass. The familiar scent of the wind graces my mind with old memories of meeting up with close friends in the nighttime. As I cross into a second neighbor’s yard, I see a family gathered in the kitchen. I don’t spend much time crossing their lawn, but I notice a small rabbit to my left waiting motionless. I pause momentarily assuming he or she will run in the opposite direction. I slowly put my hands in my pockets; it has been months since I’ve seen any animal other than alley rodents and squirrels. Seeing as rabbits are extremely timid creatures, I’m surprised at its calmness and patience. I step forward cautiously. Nothing. This particular one has posted itself as though its feet are cemented in the soil. I pick up my pace again and I am finally near my destination.
As I get closer, I see familiar homes that I used to pass on past getaways- familiar landscapes, vehicles and oil stains on driveways. I look beyond a child’s playhouse and a swarm of insects. There it is, my old friend – the bridge. ‘The bridge’ is a grand name my friends and I gave to a tiny overpass that connects two neighborhoods. It’s built over a comparatively large pond which houses thousands upon thousands of fish, insects and plants. I can hear thunder in the distance and realize my visit to an old friend will have to be cut short.
As I take time to stand there over the water throwing rocks into the pond I realize that most my interactions with nature are interactions with what we’ve turned nature into. I normally live in the city of Chicago and while I walk most everywhere I need to go, the scenery is colored by midrise buildings, skyscrapers, and fenced in apartment complexes. The wind in the city usually only graces my senses with the smell of car exhaust and palpable humidity. The dogs on the street are mild and domesticated. Even in the suburbs, the most authentic interaction I experienced today was that between the rabbit and I. It was barely the size of my forearm yet this engagement felt foreign and unprecedented.
Between the two readings, my experience was more akin to Muir’s writing. However, I argue that because my experience was nothing like Kuo’s approach to nature. Muir’s was less scientifically based and while I took note of what I saw, I suppose one could say that my walk was more emotional than analytical.
This walk left me feeling a slight disconnect between whatever is left of nature and myself. As I walked back towards my house I starred from across my neighbor’s lawn at the Willow trees in my back yard. They’ve grown to tremendous heights, reaching the third level of my house. As I starred at them, the rain began. Slow at first, the rain picked up and the willow trees began to dance, maybe I haven’t totally alienated nature yet, perhaps it truly is all around.

Naturalist Essay- Cora Marquez

I am always walking around Chicago and Lincoln Park area whether it is to go to class or to go to a friend’s apartment. For this nature walk I decided to just get lost in the residential area surrounding my house and take turn down streets I have never ventured to go before. The nature that I encountered while walking around Chicago and Lincoln Park area was mostly many trees on residential street surrounded by small plots and squares or grass. Some areas had lavish gardens and landscaping. I also passed a few parks with open fields and tall bushes. The wild life that I witnessed was a few birds and rabbits but not many at all. I did see a rat on my walk home in the alley, which is always fun to find. A few things that I noticed while walking for this assignment that I usually don’t notice was the variety of trees in Lincoln park as well and the exotic flower arrangements. People tend to care a lot about the appearance of their small grassy plots and put lots of money into them. I also was surprised that I did not see any squirrels because I am so used to seeing them everywhere at home in St.Paul. Minnesota. I love being out in nature and especially appreciate it way more then every while living in the city. Even though I live in the city at home we have much more green space then there seems to be in Chicago. I feel relaxed and peaceful when I am surrounded by nature and I try not to worry about the future life all of these plant species will have due to the entire crisis being discussed. My feelings do not change about nature whether I am inside or outside, I love it and wish I could always be in a huge forest or at my farm in northern Minnesota looking over the lake in our canoe. I ride my bike everywhere around the city; it is my main transportation .By riding my bike I am interacting with nature everyday and constantly whenever I leave my house. I ride past parks, animals, sunlight, trees, grass, flowers, insects and so much more everyday and notice strange bumps in the road and leave everywhere in the fall. I feel as though my walk was a mix between both the authors’ writings. I did tend to think about things on a scientific level as Kuo’s writing was about the science of the trees where as Muir's focused on the surroundings and turning the nature into a story and giving each animal and plant a character and new life. I tend to do that as well, think about the lives the animals have and how they act and move as well as the nature surrounding them.

Naturalist Essay

Michael Simmons

For my nature walk, I chose a path a have taken many times over the last couple years. I live off Irving Park Road roughly three blocks from the lake, so biking and walking along the lakefront trail are common activities for me. This particular walk did not seem very different to me because I generally do pay attention to my surroundings and notice the environment moving around me. I came across the same plants and animals I do on any other day. I walked through the Lincoln Park golf course to reach the lake and so there were many trees and a lot relatively well maintained grass. The trees were full of buzzing insects, chirping birds, and climbing squirrels. I saw a rabbit run from one bush to another in the park and along the lake I noticed seafaring birds and well kept grassy areas. Those areas were full of people doing different activities like tossing the Frisbee, playing catch with their dogs, and just laying out. Although there were many fishermen, I did not see any fish.
I think about nature in Chicago as more of a footnote than anything else. I don’t feel much of anything when being “in” urban nature. The lake is a great place to spend time but the rest of my urban environment isn’t very interesting to me. My home town has several large conservation areas, all being slightly different from each other, so I was use to much greater diversity before I moved to the city. I also spend a lot of time camping over my summer breaks in more remote areas that offer untouched nature. I love this type of nature and try to get away from the city whenever I can because spending time in natural spaces with fresh air just feels good.
I interact with nature on a daily basis by walking or biking through the city. Pigeons are a constant obstacle in the Loop and it is a challenge avoiding them. I enjoy the green nature we do have by laying in the grass in Millennium Park, sitting under a tree in Lincoln Park, or lounging on the Fullerton beach. There is a great deal of nature throughout our city if you are looking for it and I try to notice the little things everyday.
My nature walk related more to Kuo’s writing than Muir’s because I had more of a Kuo mindset. He used a scientific approach to study urban nature and how city dwellers interact and respond to green improvements, and because we discussed this idea in class I was thinking in more of that scientific mode. Muir’s piece was a descriptive account of his travels through rugged, untouched nature whereas Kuo was discussing changes in urban nature. Perhaps if I had taken a walk through the woods or a wide open prairie, my experience would have been as poetic as Muir’s. Instead, I noticed people interacting with green areas just as Kuo suggested.

Maggie Landon
9-19-09
Naturalist Essay
I decided to walk down a pathway that leads down to Lake Michigan. Living in Chicago, one might think there would not be a lot of nature but I encountered trees, plants, grass, dirt, birds and many bugs. I rarely take walks around the city. Usually, I am in a rush to get to class, work or home so I never take the time to study my surroundings and the nature that is included in it. On this particular walk, I did take the time to look around myself and was disappointed at all of the litter that I saw. People carelessly throw paper, wrappers and cigarette buts right on the ground. I rarely notice all of this litter but I did today.
I enjoy all the nature that surrounds me. I always feel revitalized when I am outside in nature. I love breathing in the fresh air and soaking up the sun. I feel healthier when I am outside in nature as opposed to cramped up in my apartment.
Nature interacts with me immensely on a daily basis. My moods are affected a lot by the weather. I am usually much happier if the weather is nice outside. I enjoy the sunshine and I feel like nature comes to life when the weather is nice instead of cloudy and rainy. The trees seem greener and there are animals out and about. When it is cloudy or rainy nature always seems dismal. Everything is grey and the trees and animals don’t seem as lively. When the weather is bad my mood changes; sometimes I get a little sad because of it.
I went on my walk after reading Kuo’s writing and I was thinking about his work a lot so I think my walk was more like the interaction described in his writing. I noticed how the trees were planted in the ground and how man-made they look. There is a perfect cut hole for the trunk of the tree and there are big metal grates surrounding the trees. I always wondered why these trees were even planted, but after reading Kuo’s writing I understand. The trees were planted to make the neighborhoods look nicer and to hopefully make people have more pleasant interactions with each other, according to Kuo’s study. I agree that the trees do just that, and it is nice to see them planted around my neighborhood.
Kuo’s writing was an actual study that was performed about trees and their effect on people and neighborhoods whereas Muir’s writing was a narrative describing nature using various metaphors.

Naturalist Essay

This weekend I decided to take a walk on a path that leads to a park near my house. In the beginning of my walk I encountered a lot of beautiful flowers and trees. The trees were all very big and it showed how long they had been growing here. I saw small animals such as rabbits, birds, and squirrels. On occasion if I’m lucky I even see groups of deer by the edge of the forest. At the beginning of the path the grass was a healthy shade of green and thick. However, as the path progressed the grass was damaged, yellow, and covered with weeds. There was garbage that people left all over the grass even though there are numerous garbage cans throughout the path. I noticed how careless people can be, they are ruining a beautiful park by throwing trash all over the place. That is the main reason I don’t enjoy walking on this path anymore, it used to be clean and relaxing but now all I can see is how much it has changed. As I progressed down the path I also noticed prairie grass and cornfields. When I normally walk throughout this path I don’t notice how much garbage is all over the place and how the scenery changes, as I get farther down the path. This is mostly because I walk my dog and only walk about five minutes into the path. I believe the beginning of the path is so clean, organized, and beautiful because my neighborhood is very nice and people don’t want their property or their location to be ugly or disgusting. As the path progresses the houses become apartment complexes and people start to become more careless about the land around them. When I look out my window at home I love nature because it looks flawless and perfect but when I am in nature I find myself becoming disappointed by the conditions of it. The grass is damaged because of what people have done to it and the air has even changed. People don’t pick up after their dogs and the air has a horrible stench.

I feel that everyone treats with nature on a daily basis whether they notice it or not because we breathe in the air, walk to school/work, use natural resources to live every single day. The urban life obviously has a different impact than the suburban life because of he amount of people and the way people get to work or school. I find the suburbs to be quieter and nature is more noticeable while in the city the buildings and rush of the city almost over shadow nature.

My interaction in nature was more like the interaction described in “A Geologist’s Winter Walk” by John Muir. I liked how he described the animals in their habitat and the way he wrote it I could picture myself there. He describes nature in a way unobstructed by buildings and manmade objects.

The two writings differ because they are each taking a different approach on nature. One focuses on the urban lifestyle with nature surrounding it while the other talks about the animals in their natural habitat.

 

Naturalist Essay

Naturalist Essay

I chose to take my walk on a route that I usually use for my daily run, but this time I paid attention to my surroundings and nature which I never do during my runs. I came across many different types of nature while on my walk. Whether it was different types of trees, birds, or small mammals I notices a lot of things that I usually would have just blocked out. There were large trees overhanging Graceland Cemetery which was followed by much smaller ones on the grassy area in the park at the corner of Seminary and Irving Park. There were kinds playing in the park and birds chirping away, and it was hard not to notice all the squirrels running up the trees.
My feelings don’t really change while I’m outside in nature but the walk was sort of calming and peaceful, almost a get away from the hectic normal life. I feel that I interact with nature instead of nature interacting with me. I am able to interact through sounds and smells that are given off by nature; whether it is from animals, flowers, trees, or the smell of rain nature always has something humans can interact with.
I felt that my walk was more consistent with the piece I read by Frances Kuo. In his writing he made it seem that humans interact will nature the more appealing it is. For example, Kuo believes that the more green spaces outdoors is directly coordinated to human’s social interaction. I felt this exact way while on my walk, when trees and large green spaces were present I was able to see that there were more people around interacting. Whether it was little kids playing at the park, or people walking their dogs, the presence or green made for more social interaction. On the other hand I also felt that my walk was consistent with John Muir because his views consisted of the fact that humans should be grateful for everything that nature has to offer. I feel that nature is there for humans to use as long as they respect it. The only problem I have with Muir’s writing is I feel that he felt that humans were out to disrupt nature, while Kuo felt that it is necessary for humans and nature to coexist.

Naturalist

Because we had already discussed the man made effort to maintain nature around the Lincoln Park campus, I chose to explore a route I was unfamiliar with and chose to explore the Wicker Park area.
The nature I encountered was pathetic, and was only met when I took a wrong turn and got lost. As I tried to re route I noticed I was walking beside a wired gate that was mostly covered by a dark net. Behind the blocked wall was an unkempt and littered space. Aside from the obvious bottles and cans, the city was also using the space for damaged road blockers and traffic signs. I think the space I came across was the most interesting I had seen that day. Here was a native space where trees grew on their own and where natural grass struggled to grow but yet, not one thing was being done to benefit the area.
This walk and realization was depressing. Up until now, I had lived in New England for my entire life so the Fall season is the time of year where nature is most obvious. The fact that you can actually watch the process of the season change is astonishing and the lack of that sense in my life for the past two years is upsetting. But in my experiences with nature in New England and in Chicago I am able to recognize the differences in a city and can appreciate the effort being made to maintain nature anywhere in it.
My feelings toward nature changes with my location. For example, my feelings for my everyday routine in the nature I am most used to stays neutral and unthought-of. But if I am in a place like the Pocono Mountains or Vermont (where you are so visibly immersed in nature), my feelings in that environment are more appreciated and enjoyed. Where I interact with nature by living in and respecting a space, nature interacts with me by providing essential resources like oxygen and food.
The Kuo and Muir articles were different in that Kuo focused more on the cause and effect actions within an urban space while Muir wrote to depict the beauty of an submerged natural space. My walk around Wicker Park was more relatable to Kuo’s findings in ‘The Role of Arboriculture in a Healthy Social Ecology’. One point in particular was the ‘Sense of Safety’. He argues that the nature of trees provides city residents with a greater sense of security. Specifically stating that, “ individuals living adjacent to greener common spaces reported that they felt both safer and better adjusted than did their counterparts living adjacent to relatively barren spaces (152).” I noticed this on my walk and felt that the unkempt and non artificial spaces that I passed was resultant to a more dangerous area. I found that when I tripped and cut my toe, I was most concerned with which disease the nature of Wicker Park would give me. Furthermore, I would feel differently in Lincoln Park. There are trees planted everywhere, the parks are very much maintained and if I had cut my toe in Lincoln Park I would be less concerned with the possible diseases that could come my way.

Naturalist Essay

Nature has always sat differently with me, sometimes it’s my best friend, but other times it is not. Growing up in the Northwest suburbs of Illinois has given me a very unique view on nature when compared to those who live in any other area on Earth, rural or urban. I walked from River North to Oak Street beach and back last week, a walk that I’ve traveled many times before. Knowing that I walked to the beach many times in the past, I didn’t think I would see anything new about nature, I was half wrong.

I’ve always noticed the birds hopping on the sidewalk, the pigeons pecking at trash, but since reading over Kuo’s article I noticed what she was explaining while on my walk. River North is filled with trees, but the Gold Coast has even more greenery which I noticed. This neighborhood has very expensive sidewalk gardens down Michigan Avenue, with tall trees and gorgeous plants, stores and restaurants have planters, little flowers, and mini-trees all contributing to bringing nature where it fits. I even walked past my favorite park in the Gold Coast on Rush and Chestnut, which has massive trees which adds natural beauty to the city.

Noting that these wealthy neighborhoods have plentiful trees, bushes, and flowers certainly connects with what Frances Kuo writes in The Role of Arboriculture in a Healthy Social Ecology. Kuo writes in a modern time, using English that is easier to understand and uses scientific facts that were intriguing and noticeable on my walk. John Muir on the other hand, had more observations on nature instead of science, which had me drift away from his dated and confusing writing, leaving me with the relationship Kuo had on my naturalistic walk. I agree with her knowledge that adding trees and open green spaces helps people in neighborhoods gain strength in social ties and community by utilizing these places in nature. Strengthening these social ties makes the community stronger and more willing to help one another, which causes a decrease in crime; notable in the Gold Coast and River North. These neighborhoods are inviting for people to spend time outside, shop down Michigan Avenue under the green trees on the sidewalk, or eat outside under canopies gated in by beautiful potted plants and flowers.

I noticed that places in these neighborhoods are much more inviting if minor landscaping or greenery is abundant, and it has certainly allured me into joining nature outside at time. I like to sit in the sun and warm days, and listen to the rain fall during stormy nights, but I also love seeing and feeling what Frances Kuo has noted in her article. Nature is always affecting my life; it affects me as a student, an employee, and a human being, living hand in hand with nature and its surprises.