Kristyn Crossley
Integrative Studies Major – University of North Texas
October 12 – 8:30 am
For this midterm assignment, I decided to create a mandala in my front yard in North Richland Hills, Texas. My yard has a beautiful flower bed beneath the front windows of a red brick home. This flower bed contains two Rose of Sharon bushes, one rosemary herb bush, and many other plants including rosebushes, zinnias, daylilies, oregano, Katie Ruellia, and Mexican petunias. The soil of the flower bed is a mixture of topsoil containing nutritious minerals for flowers and a bottom soil of red, dry Texas clay. The defining feature of the flower bed is the large flowering rosemary herb bush. This plant is about 10 years old, which means that the central stem is thick and sturdy. The large bush has numerous branches that extend in many directions.
These branches include many small purple flowers, which attract multiple different kinds of insects including bees, flies, and grasshoppers. I first notice a small bee buzzing around the outside of the rosemary bush, moving from purple flower to purple flower. This bee had two wings and a yellow abdomen with a black tip. After researching different types of bees, I decided this bee belonged to the honeybee family. The bee hovered around the edges of the rosemary branches. Sometimes to look closer, the bee would venture into the folds of numerous branches. While in flight, the bee went from flower to flower in search of pollen. When the bee found a flower he liked, he landed and stayed for about 3 seconds and then left to begin the search again. Finding an appealing flower, the bee landed on the rosemary branch and reached his head inside the flower, searching for pollen. After a few minutes of exploring, the bee began to collect two small balls of pollen on his hind legs or pollen basket. Fascinated by this first bee, I soon noticed another bee that entered into the search for pollen. This bee looked very similar in size and color to the first one. I can only guess that the second bee also belonged to the honeybee family. As I watched the two bees carefully, I waited to see if there would be any interaction between the two. The two bees went about their buzzing without flight paths, staying on opposite sides of the rosemary bush. There was no competition to reach certain flowers first because there were plenty of flowers to share. In the center of the rosemary bush, a large green striped grasshopper clung to the central stem. This grasshopper was around 3 inches long and had a brilliant green color on his hind legs and dark brown abdomen. The body colors gave the grasshopper great camouflage in the rosemary bush. Even as the entire bush swayed with the wind, the grasshopper stayed completely still on the stem. I was beginning to think the grasshopper was taking a morning nap in the safe confinement of the bush. No movement disturbed it, even as my mother picked weeds from the flower bed. As I observed the branches of the rosemary herb, I began to take notice of other creatures that resided and interacted there. Mosquitos flew around the bottom of the bush, while craneflies and dragonflies flew around the top of the bush. A small green lizard ventured out of the center to find the sun on a swaying branch. Each species of insect or reptile maintained a certain place in the social hierarchy of the rosemary ecosystem, whether in the center of the bush, flying above the bush, or moving about the bottom branches. The rosemary bush symbolizes a miniature version of the entire flower bed ecosystem.
October 12 – 1:45 pm
I returned to the flower bed in the afternoon to make some more observations. I looked closely at the rosemary bush to see if there were any changes since this morning. The temperature outside was the familiar warmth of a Texas afternoon. The sun periodically flashed its rays between the scattered clouds. Two bees were still hovering around the outside of the rosemary bush. I could not tell if these bees were the same ones that I saw this morning, but I did determine by color and size that they belonged to the same honeybee family. They continued to search for pollen, while avoiding each other as I took a closer peak into the bush. The small green lizard I found in the rosemary bush this morning was gone from sight. However, I caught a glimpse of a green tail between the rosemary branches, located near the center of the bush and away from danger. Another missing rosemary resident was the large green grasshopper that had been resting in the center of the bush. This large grasshopper was gone, but in its place I found a smaller and leaner yellow grasshopper. This grasshopper had yellow hind legs with dark bands and a dark brown abdomen. The grasshopper perched on a rosemary branch that had access to the sunlight. Slowly, the grasshopper would angle its body to gain more access to the sun. Though searching for sunlight and heat, the grasshopper stayed observant of outside dangers, including birds and other enemies, myself included. Speaking of birds, I did not see any fly near the flower bed mandala. With my mother and myself moving about the front yard, I suspect that our rustlings dissuaded birds from visiting. Without these flying terrors, insects had more freedom of movement with no fear of being eaten.
October 12 – 5:30 pm
In the evening, rain clouds positioned themselves above the flower bed mandala. Soon, the clouds opened up and started pouring large drops. Following the movement of the rain clouds, the temperature outside dropped to a cool 60 degrees. I waited for the rain to lighten before I headed outside with my umbrella. The grasshoppers and bees who had previously been active this afternoon were now absent. The presence of rain must have pressured these insects to find shelter and higher ground. Mosquitos, on the other hand, seemed undisturbed by the rain. The mosquitos stayed low to the ground, swarming in search of a blood donator. At the time, this blood donor would be me. Even as the rain was sprinkling, I could hear the familiar whiny buzzing around my ears. Though my umbrella provided me shelter from the rain, it also invited some hungry and unwanted guests. Trying to ignore the mosquitoes, I spot a small green grasshopper sitting in the Rose of Sharon bush near the brick house. This grasshopper appeared to belong to a species that frequents the flower bed often. With the familiar green striped hind legs and brown abdomen, the grasshopper quietly inched up a long branch to get away from the sprinkling rain. The lizards in the bushes located on the side of the flower bed seem to be enjoying the rain. One small green lizard peeks out of the bush, hidden underneath the multiple small oval leaves. The lizard watches me closely as I come near to take a closer look. When I appear too close, the lizard scurries underneath a new leaf and watches me upside down. Another small gray lizard curiously looks for the source of the commotion. The lizard slowly moves out of the protective mass of leaves. Perched on a single leaf, the lizard does not mind the rain.
October 13 – 9:00 am
After the rain came and went in the night, I strolled outside the next morning to observe any more changes. Immediately, I could hear numerous birds chirping in the neighborhood. There were even two small birds in the front yard tree hopping from branch to branch and nibbling on leaves. As they moved, small yellow leaves fell from the tree. I believe the presence of the birds meant that they had come out after the rain in search of food. Though the bees were still absent from the rosemary bush, my mosquito friends, from the night before, were still buzzing around the low ground in search of more blood. Yesterday, I had received many unwelcome gifts from these mosquitoes in the form of bites, so I was in no hurry to appear welcoming. The aftermath of the rain had created a new and fresh mandala for my observations. The plants and leaves were clean and crisp after a long night of water. Even the atmosphere was cooler. The after-rain smell of the plants and herbs, however, intrigued me the most. The rosemary and oregano herbs in the flower bed had a stronger and more concentrated smell. Perhaps this contributed to the lack of insect activity around the rosemary bush, along with the presence of many birds. As I moved around the mandala, I made an interesting discovery. Two small snails clung to the front windows of my home. I wondered how they traveled to the window. I can only guess that they had made their way up to the front window to find safety from the rain.
October 13 – 10:30 am
When the sun came out from behind the scattering rain clouds, the leaves of the mandala began to dry. I returned to the flower bed to make some final observations. The disappearance of the rain gave the insects a green light for activity to begin anew. I heard a flutter of noises as a green grasshopper flew past me and landed on the Rose of Sharon tree. The familiar colorings of the grasshopper signified that it belonged to the same family as the previous grasshoppers. The snails I had seen this morning were still present on the front window. They had not moved from the comfortable and safe spot. I saw multiple lizards near the bush on the side of the flower bed. One small green lizard clung to a nearby plant. This plant had a long brown stem and several branching green leaves. The lizard was situated on the stem of the plant above an even smaller brown lizard, which was located several inches further down the plant stem. When I tried to take a picture of the brown lizard, it moved around the stem out of my view. With another look at the bush, I found another small green lizard peering out from the leaves. As I moved in closer, the lizard quickly retreated back into the bush and hid beneath the multiple layers of leaves. In my final observations, I noticed the return of a bee to the rosemary bush. Smaller in size and less furry, this bee was part of a different species than the ones I had seen yesterday. The bee had two small lacy wings and bright yellow and black stripes on its abdomen. Along with a different exterior, the small bee also acted differently than the others. The bee was faster and spent a smaller amount of time on each purple flower. It was very difficult to catch this bee in a photograph. When it finally landed on a purple flower, I was able to observe it using its mandibles to move the flower. As the bee peeled the outer petals of the flower, it rapidly reached for the inside pollen.
Afterward - Benefits
Turner and Berkes (2006:497) state, “ecological understanding is the term we use to refer to a suite of attributes embodied within traditional ecological knowledge systems… elaboration of environmental knowledge as a result of detailed observation and experience of variations in nature… [leads] to a sophisticated understanding of the ecosystem.” This “ecological understanding” defined above helps people learn more about their environmental surroundings and local ecosystems. In this way, Haskell made observations of a mandala for over a year in his book entitled The Forest Unseen. Haskell describes different species of animals, insects, and plants and how they interact with each other and him. I took Haskell’s book as an example when I approached this midterm assignment on making observations of my own. I believe the readings of Haskell and Turner and Berkes helped me to be more observant and understanding of my own local ecosystem. One of the many benefits of making my own observations and reading Haskell’s book is that I made more detailed observations of how the insects and animals interacted in the miniature ecosystem of my mandala. I think this idea can be applied to humans around the world. It is important to observe and interact with local natural environments. These relationships with the environment can reveal crucial information about animals, insects, and the multiple species of biota, which could have beneficial effects and qualities for human life and culture.
References
Haskell, D. G. 2012. The Forest Unseen. Penguin Books, New York.
Turner, N. J. & F. Berkes . 2006. Coming to Understanding: Developing Conservation through Incremental Learning in the Pacific Northwest. Human Ecology 34:495-513.
Integrative Studies Major – University of North Texas
October 12 – 8:30 am
For this midterm assignment, I decided to create a mandala in my front yard in North Richland Hills, Texas. My yard has a beautiful flower bed beneath the front windows of a red brick home. This flower bed contains two Rose of Sharon bushes, one rosemary herb bush, and many other plants including rosebushes, zinnias, daylilies, oregano, Katie Ruellia, and Mexican petunias. The soil of the flower bed is a mixture of topsoil containing nutritious minerals for flowers and a bottom soil of red, dry Texas clay. The defining feature of the flower bed is the large flowering rosemary herb bush. This plant is about 10 years old, which means that the central stem is thick and sturdy. The large bush has numerous branches that extend in many directions.
October 12 – 1:45 pm
I returned to the flower bed in the afternoon to make some more observations. I looked closely at the rosemary bush to see if there were any changes since this morning. The temperature outside was the familiar warmth of a Texas afternoon. The sun periodically flashed its rays between the scattered clouds. Two bees were still hovering around the outside of the rosemary bush. I could not tell if these bees were the same ones that I saw this morning, but I did determine by color and size that they belonged to the same honeybee family. They continued to search for pollen, while avoiding each other as I took a closer peak into the bush. The small green lizard I found in the rosemary bush this morning was gone from sight. However, I caught a glimpse of a green tail between the rosemary branches, located near the center of the bush and away from danger. Another missing rosemary resident was the large green grasshopper that had been resting in the center of the bush. This large grasshopper was gone, but in its place I found a smaller and leaner yellow grasshopper. This grasshopper had yellow hind legs with dark bands and a dark brown abdomen. The grasshopper perched on a rosemary branch that had access to the sunlight. Slowly, the grasshopper would angle its body to gain more access to the sun. Though searching for sunlight and heat, the grasshopper stayed observant of outside dangers, including birds and other enemies, myself included. Speaking of birds, I did not see any fly near the flower bed mandala. With my mother and myself moving about the front yard, I suspect that our rustlings dissuaded birds from visiting. Without these flying terrors, insects had more freedom of movement with no fear of being eaten.
In the evening, rain clouds positioned themselves above the flower bed mandala. Soon, the clouds opened up and started pouring large drops. Following the movement of the rain clouds, the temperature outside dropped to a cool 60 degrees. I waited for the rain to lighten before I headed outside with my umbrella. The grasshoppers and bees who had previously been active this afternoon were now absent. The presence of rain must have pressured these insects to find shelter and higher ground. Mosquitos, on the other hand, seemed undisturbed by the rain. The mosquitos stayed low to the ground, swarming in search of a blood donator. At the time, this blood donor would be me. Even as the rain was sprinkling, I could hear the familiar whiny buzzing around my ears. Though my umbrella provided me shelter from the rain, it also invited some hungry and unwanted guests. Trying to ignore the mosquitoes, I spot a small green grasshopper sitting in the Rose of Sharon bush near the brick house. This grasshopper appeared to belong to a species that frequents the flower bed often. With the familiar green striped hind legs and brown abdomen, the grasshopper quietly inched up a long branch to get away from the sprinkling rain. The lizards in the bushes located on the side of the flower bed seem to be enjoying the rain. One small green lizard peeks out of the bush, hidden underneath the multiple small oval leaves. The lizard watches me closely as I come near to take a closer look. When I appear too close, the lizard scurries underneath a new leaf and watches me upside down. Another small gray lizard curiously looks for the source of the commotion. The lizard slowly moves out of the protective mass of leaves. Perched on a single leaf, the lizard does not mind the rain.
October 13 – 9:00 am
After the rain came and went in the night, I strolled outside the next morning to observe any more changes. Immediately, I could hear numerous birds chirping in the neighborhood. There were even two small birds in the front yard tree hopping from branch to branch and nibbling on leaves. As they moved, small yellow leaves fell from the tree. I believe the presence of the birds meant that they had come out after the rain in search of food. Though the bees were still absent from the rosemary bush, my mosquito friends, from the night before, were still buzzing around the low ground in search of more blood. Yesterday, I had received many unwelcome gifts from these mosquitoes in the form of bites, so I was in no hurry to appear welcoming. The aftermath of the rain had created a new and fresh mandala for my observations. The plants and leaves were clean and crisp after a long night of water. Even the atmosphere was cooler. The after-rain smell of the plants and herbs, however, intrigued me the most. The rosemary and oregano herbs in the flower bed had a stronger and more concentrated smell. Perhaps this contributed to the lack of insect activity around the rosemary bush, along with the presence of many birds. As I moved around the mandala, I made an interesting discovery. Two small snails clung to the front windows of my home. I wondered how they traveled to the window. I can only guess that they had made their way up to the front window to find safety from the rain.
October 13 – 10:30 am
When the sun came out from behind the scattering rain clouds, the leaves of the mandala began to dry. I returned to the flower bed to make some final observations. The disappearance of the rain gave the insects a green light for activity to begin anew. I heard a flutter of noises as a green grasshopper flew past me and landed on the Rose of Sharon tree. The familiar colorings of the grasshopper signified that it belonged to the same family as the previous grasshoppers. The snails I had seen this morning were still present on the front window. They had not moved from the comfortable and safe spot. I saw multiple lizards near the bush on the side of the flower bed. One small green lizard clung to a nearby plant. This plant had a long brown stem and several branching green leaves. The lizard was situated on the stem of the plant above an even smaller brown lizard, which was located several inches further down the plant stem. When I tried to take a picture of the brown lizard, it moved around the stem out of my view. With another look at the bush, I found another small green lizard peering out from the leaves. As I moved in closer, the lizard quickly retreated back into the bush and hid beneath the multiple layers of leaves. In my final observations, I noticed the return of a bee to the rosemary bush. Smaller in size and less furry, this bee was part of a different species than the ones I had seen yesterday. The bee had two small lacy wings and bright yellow and black stripes on its abdomen. Along with a different exterior, the small bee also acted differently than the others. The bee was faster and spent a smaller amount of time on each purple flower. It was very difficult to catch this bee in a photograph. When it finally landed on a purple flower, I was able to observe it using its mandibles to move the flower. As the bee peeled the outer petals of the flower, it rapidly reached for the inside pollen.
Afterward - Benefits
Turner and Berkes (2006:497) state, “ecological understanding is the term we use to refer to a suite of attributes embodied within traditional ecological knowledge systems… elaboration of environmental knowledge as a result of detailed observation and experience of variations in nature… [leads] to a sophisticated understanding of the ecosystem.” This “ecological understanding” defined above helps people learn more about their environmental surroundings and local ecosystems. In this way, Haskell made observations of a mandala for over a year in his book entitled The Forest Unseen. Haskell describes different species of animals, insects, and plants and how they interact with each other and him. I took Haskell’s book as an example when I approached this midterm assignment on making observations of my own. I believe the readings of Haskell and Turner and Berkes helped me to be more observant and understanding of my own local ecosystem. One of the many benefits of making my own observations and reading Haskell’s book is that I made more detailed observations of how the insects and animals interacted in the miniature ecosystem of my mandala. I think this idea can be applied to humans around the world. It is important to observe and interact with local natural environments. These relationships with the environment can reveal crucial information about animals, insects, and the multiple species of biota, which could have beneficial effects and qualities for human life and culture.
References
Haskell, D. G. 2012. The Forest Unseen. Penguin Books, New York.
Turner, N. J. & F. Berkes . 2006. Coming to Understanding: Developing Conservation through Incremental Learning in the Pacific Northwest. Human Ecology 34:495-513.
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