Photos / Sounds
Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
The plant typically grows to be 1-3” tall and according to some the leaves on this plant taste good. They seem to grow in all areas wet, dry, sandy etc. although here we see it near the lake. As you can see it blooms especially yellow in the spring.
-Dulcie Church
Photos / Sounds
What
Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
This tree is a confier so instead of leaves, it grows needles. It also loses its needles before the winter. Here we see it beginning to grow back those needles. It is native to southern swaps which is why it does so well by the water here. -Dulcie Church
What
Cutleaf Teasel (Dipsacus laciniatus)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
I found this plant while walking along Birky Pond on Heartland's Campus. Harmony Brucker
Photos / Sounds
What
Cutleaf Teasel (Dipsacus laciniatus)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
The name for this derived from the word for thirst of water which explains why this is found near the pond we were walking at. As we noticed this was a very large plant we looked at but also saw some that would be fully developed in two years.
What
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
The Canada Goose was first scheduled as schedule 1. Recently has been removed from schedule 1 to schedule 5 by wildlife officials. These specific geese are now commonly found throughout Illinois and have become somewhat of a burden.
What
Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
I found this lilac bush in my back yard. I think that it is interesting because there are four bushes each with a slightly different colored lilac. Alexandra Williams
What
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
swimming with their babies. - sabonah hardy
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Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
In my observation, I discovered a flock that included a mother goose and her goslings.
What
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
The Mallard was entering the water during my observation.
What
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
Many of them in the pond. Swimming around. Emily Martinez
What
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
Sitting next to the pond. Emily Martinez
What
Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
This huge wildflower stands well over 2 meters (6 feet) tall in late summer when it's blooming. Like other members of the Silphium genus it has a very gummy sap. If you break a stalk and come back the next day you'll find a chunk of the dried sap; its texture resembles chewing gum. It's pretty tasty and takes a long time to dissolve. I don't know if the leaves really do orient North/South but that's why it is called Compass Plant.
What
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
While walking around the nearby pond I spotted quite a bit of Dandelions. They were growing in a small field of grass near a the bank of the pond. There is a heavily used interstate nearby.
The Dandelion evolved overseas in Eurasia. While it is not commonly used for food nowadays, it has been in the past. It was thought to have medicinal properties as well.
Jake Biggerstaff
What
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
The Mourning Dove is a beautiful bird. They are one of the most abundant and widespread birds in all of North America. Their beauty and abundance come with a cost, as they are also one of the top game birds for hunters. Funny enough, I found this one in my front yard. She nests in a flower pot on my front porch and comes back every single year. I think it's interesting how she knows exactly where to go every time she comes back from the South. She is very calm and relaxed. She doesn't mind us coming up to look at her, and she doesn't fly away when we walk in and out of our front door. She hatches her eggs every year and is a good mother to her young. It's always fun to see her chicks grow and fly off into the real world. It is definitely a fun thing to witness and I look forward to it every year.
-Austen Bozarth
What
Cambarid Crayfishes (Family Cambaridae)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
While exploring around the pond, I found a crayfish burrow. It was hidden in a cluster of leaves and sticks. Little balls of mud were molded together forming the burrow. There was a small hole in the top center of the burrow serving as an entrance/exit. The burrow was farther away from the water than I expected it would be. After researching, I learned that the crayfish do not always dig directly to the water, but just far enough into the ground where they can find dampness.
Kaleigh Kirkpatrick
Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
I saw this Wild Mustard flower while exploring near Birky Pond. It was surrounded by dock and dandelions. There were not many around this area. On this specific Wild Mustard, there was a Cydnidae; commonly known as a negro bug or ebony bug. This bug was very small, black, and resembled a beetle. It did not move when I got close to it or when the flower was being touched. After researching this bug, I learned that they have piercing mouthparts that allow them to suck juice out of plants so I am assuming that the bug was feeding.
Kaleigh Kirkpatrick
What
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
While fishing yesterday at Lake Evergreen I witnessed this goose who later was joined by another and some baby geese. I was able to get very close without it flying away luckily!
Canella Ontiveros
What
Joint-toothed Mosses (Class Bryopsida)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
I found the organism while hiking at Shady Hollow. The moss was discovered on a path covering a fallen tree and its branches.
Canella Ontiveros
What
Stink Bugs (Family Pentatomidae)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
While picking up trash, my teacher pointed out the location of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. It blended in to the environment so well, I missed it. These stink bugs are known for causing harm to fruit and vegetable crops, and is native to China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and was accidentally introduced to the United States. The increase in population of these bugs has been on the priority list of the Department of Agriculture.
Kody Miller
What
Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
While picking up trash on our nature hike, my teacher and I noticed a dead rabbit decomposing near a shed with solar panels on it. The rabbit appeared to have no noticeable signs indicating it was killed by a predator. It looked as if it had just fallen over dead due to old age. Though these rabbits are common where I currently stay, I had never seen any rabbits on campus until now.
Kody Miller
What
Cutleaf Teasel (Dipsacus laciniatus)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
We saw a large amount of Teasel over the course of our hike on May 7th. Thus, we had many options for photographs of this organism. This example of Teasel was especially enormous, and it was actually much taller than Emma and I! This specific example of Teasel was growing just a few yards from Birky Pond on campus. Everything around the area was also growing and blooming, which was proof that spring really has arrived.
Caitlin Alexander and Emma Brandt
What
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
Emma and I found this red-winged blackbird near Birky Pond on campus this past Wednesday. It seemed rather content just sitting on the tall grasses bordering the pond, and it was not the only one we saw that morning! We first noticed the bird at about 9:30 in the morning. We were surprised at the amount of birds we saw during the hike, and neither of us remembered seeing Red-Winged Blackbirds on campus before!
Caitlin Alexander and Emma Brandt
What
Cutleaf Teasel (Dipsacus laciniatus)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
Surrounding the lake were many Teasels. Their scientific name is, Dipsacus. They can grow to be 3-8 feet tall!! They surround the lake close to the water and were very tall. They looked like the would be pointy/sharp if you touched them. They looked very lightweight and swayed in the wind.
Allison Breen
What
Docks (Genus Rumex)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
What I saw while on the nature hike was a weed called "Dock". The weed was on the ground semi close to the edge of the lake. Although this was the best picture I could get, Dock weeds seemed to be very common around the nature area. I read that Dock weeds are mostly weeds but some are grown for their edible leaves, they are also mainly grown in the Northern hemisphere but have been introduced almost everywhere.
Allison Breen
What
Earthworms (Family Lumbricidae)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
I found this worm under some leaf litter in the small drainage stream that feeds the pond. It seemed to just be moving through the organic matter looking for a snack. There were other organisms around it seemingly breaking down the leaf litter. The layer that the worm was in was rather broken down already. Scott Alan Joyce
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White Clover (Trifolium repens)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
Found this white clover interspersed with some grass. It was just sitting there fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere. Scott Alan Joyce.
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Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
I found the organism while picking up trash in the greenspace near the Workforce Development Center. When I saw the dandelion, it looks like it could have been preparing to bloom into white fluffy threads. I found it interesting that the dandelion was bright yellow. Every time I have seen a dandelion it looked whithered.
Monika Wolford
What
Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
I found the organism while picking up trash in the campus greenspace with classmates. The thistle looked as if it could have been preparing for the purple flower that should eventually grow. I found it interesting that the plant was only growing on soil that had no other plants around it.
Monika Wolford
What
Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)Observer
heartlandbiologyDescription
While I was walking along the North West part of HCC's campus I spotted an abundance of dandelions. While some might find dandelions to be just another weed, I actually like to see them out in people's yards or on school campuses. Long live the dandelion!
Lindsay Summers