For this month I went back to Blunn Creek to observe how the changing temperatures are affecting the preserve. This time I went out on the 27th of March at about 4 pm. I went down by the river to see what flora and fauna were present at the river side compared to further away near the trails. I noted many different types of insects that seem to have just hatched with the warming temperatures. The plants were beginning to fill in a little more and the foliage around the creek has become much more dense than in months past. A few bees were circling me while I was there trying to see if I had anything sweet on me. In addition, I saw a large canine paw print down in the muddy areas that looked to be a coyote. Looking back, I wish I had taken a picture of it. Aside from the natural aspects to the creek side, many pollutants can be seen scattered around the banks and in the water. Visible trash is on some of the banks and invisible chemicals and agriculture runoff in parts of the water. As said in the Sand County Almanac, “much of the damage inflicted on land is quite invisible to laymen.” I hope to get back to Blunn Creek next month to check on how the plants, animals and pollution along the creek have changed. I hope to see that it has gone down as the population of animals and plants go up.
