Here is my first draft of my cloud poem...

clouds

high individual

floating transitioning moving

creationl inspiration beauty purpose

changing inspiring disturbing

present powerful

ideas

I took this photo on 9/22/12. I have been watching these white birds for several weeks. They look similar to herons, but there are several ina loose group, rather than the usual solitary heron sighting. I looked them up in Sibley's Guide to Birds book and think I have identified them as egrets either Great or Snowy (not sure which yet as I can't get a close enough view), based on having black legs (white herons do not) and beak shape, as well as the behavior pattern of grouping in loose flocks.

I do not remember seeing egrets so abundantly in previous years and wonder why they are here now.

I took this picture two days ago on my way home from school. The geese are coming through on their migration route south. The noise of the birds honking was tremendously loud!! I wished I had an audio recording at the time. Last night when I walked home there was a flock of mostly ducks, just as large in number but much, much less noisy and less prone to flight as I walked by. They jsut quacked at me a little bit.

Here is a picture of a leaf I took several weeks ago. It shows what I had just learned is called "tar spot disease", which affects several kinds of maple trees. Through the leaf shape and the bark, I though tthe tree must be a silver maple, which seemed confirmed when I read that silver maples grow in wet areas. This tree is right next to the shore. Tar spot happens in wet areas, so this might have originated in the flood of last year, over wintered, and came out again this year.

Here is what I think might be evidence of drought. The lake level is very, very low. I have never seen it this low before. The picture above was taken in September 2012. The picture below was taken in the spring, March, prior to any spring run-off.

I created this blog as part of a year long project with my 5th and 6th grade students in South Hero. We will each explore a special place in South Hero by visiting once a week to observe and collect data. Our observations will be focused on understanding the cycles of plants and animals in order to make connections to our climate. Additionally, we will collect data as we can, such as lake levels, temperature, relative humidity, precipitation and water quality, in order to compare to other places and understand how weather observations relate to overall climate.

I walk by Sawyer Bay on my way to and from school. The spot is lovely, changing every minute of each day, as the sun and clouds change, the water birds move in and out, the wind changes the waves on the lake and more. I am excited about what I will be learning!