Today we took our field trip to the Guadalupe River in downtown San Jose. I have to say that even though it was freezing, I had a really good time and it was a really educational experience for me.
Actually going out to the field to look at what we study in the classroom is really rewarding because I am more of a visual learner and physically being there helps me understand what we are learning. By looking at the way the water runs over the rocks wrapped in chicken wire and the cottonwood trees settled at the edge of the river, we were able to understand why these things were there and if they were naturally placed there or placed there by humans.
Not only did I love walking the "nature trail" or downtown San Jose, but I also liked looking at how people try to plant trees in urban areas where they should not be grown, like palm trees. I never realized that palm trees could not live in a Mediterranean-like climate and I was very surprised to know that most of them have to be treated very carefully. This makes me realize that it is very important when planning where to put "picturesque" things in a city environment because it is currently costing San Jose thousands of dollars just to keep a couple hundred trees alive!
Actually going out to the field to look at what we study in the classroom is really rewarding because I am more of a visual learner and physically being there helps me understand what we are learning. By looking at the way the water runs over the rocks wrapped in chicken wire and the cottonwood trees settled at the edge of the river, we were able to understand why these things were there and if they were naturally placed there or placed there by humans.
Not only did I love walking the "nature trail" or downtown San Jose, but I also liked looking at how people try to plant trees in urban areas where they should not be grown, like palm trees. I never realized that palm trees could not live in a Mediterranean-like climate and I was very surprised to know that most of them have to be treated very carefully. This makes me realize that it is very important when planning where to put "picturesque" things in a city environment because it is currently costing San Jose thousands of dollars just to keep a couple hundred trees alive!
Anyway, I am glad I got up so early in the morning to go on this field trip and it makes me excited to take the field trip course next semester.
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