I had a bit of reader's block at the beginning of the month. Then two people close to me read Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth respectively, and I realized I was craving something juicy and immersive like that. So I re-read the entire Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir! It was so satisfying… Continue reading Reading roundup: September 2023
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Reading Roundup: August 2023
The Witch King, Sea Change, A Door Into Ocean, The Male Gazed, Big Swiss.
A winding path through the serpentine barrens
On Sunday, July 9, my ecology class visited Willisbrook Preserve, an area protected by the conservation organization Natural Lands. It is located in the Piedmont Uplands, not far from Malvern, Pennsylvania. Willisbrook Preserve includes woods, grasslands, and a rare ecosystem known as serpentine barrens. Serpentine soil is rich in magnesium and iron, which is a… Continue reading A winding path through the serpentine barrens
Climate Roundup: Dog days of summer
Hey there. It's still summer in the northern hemisphere, which means those of us in the US are still seeing a great many climate impacts firsthand. As always, I've collected news about a few (hardly all!) because I think it's important to know and try to understand what climate change looks like in different parts… Continue reading Climate Roundup: Dog days of summer
Walking the Wissahickon
On Sunday, June 25, my ecology class visited the Wissahickon Valley Park, situated in northwest Philadelphia along the Wissahickon Creek. The park is located in the Upland Piedmont region of the Piedmont province; the creek runs through a gorge characterized by schist and gneiss, crystal-flecked metamorphic rocks used for building materials in many historic structures… Continue reading Walking the Wissahickon
From the Mount Holly summit to the Rancocas tidal freshwater marsh
On Sunday, June 18, my ecology class visited three sites in the Inner Coastal Plain: Mount Holly, a forested cuesta; Timbuctoo, a historic settlement founded by free Blacks in 1826; and Rancocas State Park, a protected area along the North Branch of Rancocas Creek. The day was sunny and warm, although comfortably cool in the… Continue reading From the Mount Holly summit to the Rancocas tidal freshwater marsh
Sara Davis 