Congaree National Park

On Wednesday and Friday, I learned a variety of soil order including Entisoils, Inceptisoils, Histosoils, Gelisols, Alfisols, and Aridisols. We learned about the physical properties including texture, buld density and porosity. Also, our class learned about the available water, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Permeability) concepts. We had our first exam this week.

On Saturday, my wildlife and management class went to the Congaree National Park. This is the 2nd national park I have been to and I plan on hopefully one day vising all the national parks. Some of the birds we say included the Yellow billed cuckoo, Summer tanagers, Easter pewee, Carolina wren, Acadian flycatcher nests, White breasted nuthatches, Swainson’s warbler, Northern parula , Prothonotary warbler, Eastern phoebe, Hooded warbler , White eyed vireo, Barn owl, Yellow throated warble , Great crested flycatcher, Great blue heron, Tipton mouse, Chimney swifts, Cowbird, Pine warbler and learned about the Scarlett tanagers. We had 3 sightings of a barn owl. Some of the trees we learned about included how the Yellow bellied sapsuckers make the holes on the trees, Mussel wood, American holly, swamp maple, switch cane, sweet gum, beach trees, air leaf, swamp chestnut oak and loblolly pines. Emergent trees is an important concept to learn about with the top layer of the forest profile as the trees try hard to get more light and air rather than the smaller trees and vegetation below fighting for sunlight. Each day, I love bird watching and nature more and more. I truly appreciate this experience. We met a lady on this trip that gave us some advice as we walked path on how we need to learn to appreciate the common species to truly appreciate the rare species because without the common species we wouldn’t know what was truly rare in the area to see. At one moment in time, we had many mosquito’s and flying bugs around us but as soon as we spotted an owl all those bugs just disappeared and all we cared about was watching the owl. It is so interesting to always look at the different types of people at national parks some people rush through the park and miss birds especially the owl and some people actually take time like that wise lady to enjoy nature and travel the world. This was an important learning experience for me to see the wide spread diversity and learn about the types of trees, management and birding in the national park.