As my study area for this course I have chosen the Saunders Woods Preserve, a 25 acre preserve consisting of mainly hilly and wooded area, 3 miles of trails, a meadow at the top of the hill and a creek running through the bottom. It is managed by Natural Lands, a non profit conservation organization focused on preserving natural areas in southeast Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Located in the suburbs west of Philadelphia, it serves as an ecological island for many species of birds, mammals, and some amphibians and reptiles.
I have chosen to focus on this location because it is very special to me. I live within walking distance of this preserve, and frequently visit to walk my dogs, jog, clear my mind, enjoy nature, some photography, I even did a bird watching project there for a previous OMNR course which was a great experience (https://wescitizenscience.blogspot.com/2021/04/conservation.html). While it is not as expansive as many other natural areas, I am interested in its role as an ecological island for the local wildlife within a suburban area. Over the years while visiting this preserve I have seen deer, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, other small mammals, snakes, many types of birds, owls, bats, and more. I saw my first eastern bluebird there as well, a somewhat rare and very beautiful species. They aim to foster biodiversity and have informative posters in relevant locations around the preserve. They provided bird boxes in the meadows for the eastern blue birds among other birds that nest in meadow like areas. They also have bat boxes to provide shelter for the local bat populations. These two initiatives help in conservation efforts as both these organisms have had population declines in the past. I love spending time there, I love the work they do, and I look forward to studying biodiversity and more in this location. I've added some pictures, maps, and informative posters from there, including a seasonal comparison of the stream.
The following link is the preserve via google maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Natural+Lands'+Saunders+Woods+Preserve/@40.0431619,-75.2907545,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c6bf0ed675167b:0x736ba0ec707718da!8m2!3d40.0431619!4d-75.2885658?hl=en
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