Olszewski 1

Emily Olszewski
November 30, 2015
Professor Karen Gordon
Biology 1101: Bioscience
Ecological Preserve Observation
The art of observation is one of the most important tools of science known across the
planet. In my own discipline, acting, I use observation to collect information from those around
me by observing their behavior and reactions to the world around them even the minutest
observation can be used to learn important information. Observation is a use of the senses to
collect material from the natural world i.e. what one sees, hears, smells, etc. When one observes
a particular inquiry over a period of time, there is an expected change in the results gathered.
The location of my observation was to the left of the ecological Preserves pond. Exactly 20
Emily-sized steps to the left of the left end of the water bank (near the boat) to a wooded
swamp area. From there, I would take 10 steps backward (toe-to-heel) where the grass protruded
in an angular shape; here, I would take my pictures. The purpose of this observation was to
choose an area of interest and make detailed observations across the passage of time.
Throughout the observation of this area, I noted the changes in temperature, weather, time,
sounds, and physical changes that occurred. This is important in understanding the world around
us and how each individual change can affect the next i.e. temperature effects leaf color and
insect life.

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Data
Observation
1
2
3

Location
Temperature
Time of Day

Weather

Sounds

Date: 8/25/15
20 ft (steps) to left of
pond, 10 steps back
84F
5:00 PM
Hot, humid, light breeze,
clouds
Birds, mosquitos, leaves
rustling

Leaves on trees

Green, slightly brown

7
8
9
10
11
12
13

Leaves on ground
Ground cover
Rocks
Fungi
Moss
Smells
Sky
Lake, pond,
stream
Take a picture

Very little
Mostly grass
Very little seen
None identified
None identified
Flowery & fruity
Blue with some clouds

Date: 10/20/15
20 ft to the left of pond, 10
feet back
63F
1:05 PM
Sunny, blue sky, a little
cool, light breeze
Birds, crickets, leaves
rustling
Greenish yellow, some
orange, less than before
Moderate amount of
coverage
Grass with some leaves
Very little seen
None identified
None identified
Dry/grassy
Very blue, no clouds

Very still

Very still

14
15
Other

Date: 11/17/15
20 ft to the left of pond, 10
feet back
63F
2:45 PM

Very still

Cool & cloudy

Water & leaves
Brown, the only greenness
is grass
Lots - covering much of
the ground
Grass with many leaves
Very little seen
None identified
None identified
Leafy, dry
Cloudy & gray

Although I simply used my own feet to locate my observation area, I was very careful to always
start from the same mark and cautiously back away to the proper location each time. I think I
was very successful in this and might have only improved if I had used a tape measurer and an
exact mark (like a flag or stick in the ground) to be certain.
Photographs
1. Picture lost
2. Picture lost

Olszewski 3
3.

Results
The data I collected showed a vast change in the visual, auditory, and olfactory intake of
the location over the noted period of time. Many drastic changes occurred in temperature, time,
weather, sounds, leaves on trees/ground, ground cover, sounds, and sky all of the categories,
except those for which I had no data to input. The temperature shift between the first and second
visit was significant: after nearly two months, the temperature fell approximately 20 degrees
Fahrenheit. However, on the third visit, which occurred less than a month later, no change in
temperature was noted. The time of day at which I took my photographs was very sporadic and
may have accounted for some temperature discrepancies (5:00 pm, 1:05 pm, and 2:25 pm).

Olszewski 4
Perhaps if I had visited my location at the same time each visit, the results would not have been
so different. The weather change was also drastically notable: at first, the hot/humid
temperatures of August and very little breeze, followed by October, where it was sunny and cool,
and finally the third visit where no sun was visible and it was cold and gray. These were the
most obvious visible observations that I ascertained each time.
It is interesting to note the change in sounds that occurred over this 3-month period.
When the temperature was first hot and humid, mosquitos were present, however, after the 20
degree temperature drop, mosquitos were replaced with the sounds of crickets, and by November
when the weather felt much colder, there were no sounds of insect life. The change in the color
of leaves was to be expected, however, I was surprised at how gradual it occurred. Upon my first
observation in August, there were very green and there was little sign of the coming fall, by
October, they had turned vibrant colors, and less than 30 days later, had completely died and
turned brown. This also accounted for the amount of leaves I found during each visit: first,
hardly any, then a moderate amount, followed by almost all of the leaves covering the ground.
The smells fell in conjunction with my observations: flowery and summer-like in August, more
dry in October and the smell of freshly cut grass, and leafy and dead in November. From my
initial observation to the final, I never noted any observable rocks, fungi, or moss.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the simple act of observation: taking in and notetaking the sights, smells,
sounds, etc of a specific location proved to present a large amount of data. In many fields of
science, we so often use specific measuring tools to calculate our findings and form theories and
hypotheses, that we forget how much our own five senses can provide for us. From using my
senses, I was able to collect information from the area around me, note how it changed, and
come up with viable theories as to why it changed. The type of observation was also very useful
in recording data that could be easily followed up on the second and third visits. I knew that

Olszewski 5
with each visit, my surroundings would change, we see this every day, but I was not prepared for
exactly how much changed around me and how quickly it occurs. This was an eye-opening
experience and I am glad to have taken part in it.
Word Count
1,071