The Species Around Us: Class Lagoon Exercise

I still find it hard to believe that I'm in a class which allows me to get credit for engaging in things I already love to do. Our class walk around the lagoon was basically part of my daily routine, as I go for runs around campus as often as possible. The act of walking instead of running, however, allowed me to tune into the animals present and be more aware of their behaviors and sounds without being so disruptive. As I walked around the lagoon I noticed various species such as ducks, frogs, and even a small scurrying rabbit.

The first species I passed by was the group of ducks wading in the water. A large group of them loitered near the lagoon's edge, sitting and swimming together without seeming to have any sense of urgency or purpose. A few ducks left the group to go look for food, and I walked alongside two as they occasionally bobbed their heads into the water to pull up whatever they could find. I tried to pace myself to match the speed of their swimming, and after initial hesitation about having a human so close they didn't try to move away.

As I walked further I started to hear a constant ribbet/croaking sound, but I didn't see any frogs. I approached the sound and took a video to record it. It was entertaining to hear them make such a loud noise but not be able to actually see them produce it.

One of the last animals I saw was a small rabbit hopping along a dirt path on the cliffs. Before I was able to take a video the rabbit quickly ran into the bushes. I tried to walk slowly and quietly to get closer, but it ran across the path too fast to really spend time with it.

My walk around the lagoon gave me an idea for a possible project. I think it would be interesting to create a map of the lagoon and pinpoint the certain areas specific species tend to spend time in. It seemed as if each group had their own spot, and it would be interesting to see if this pattern would change over time or if it was a daily routine for them.


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