Urban Garden

Man has always been attracted to nature and as he has grown past his natural existence into a more communal life he has established settlements and cities across the landscape. However, the further that mankind moves away from nature the more diluted the human experience becomes. This need for nature in city life has been recognized since ancient times. The first recorded public gardens were documented in Babylon and they have been a fixture in urban life ever since. These gardens are an important part of urban living because they not only supply the denizens of the city with a healthy release from their day to day lives but they also provide a healthier atmosphere to live in. This is due to the fact that plants excrete oxygen and consume toxic CO2 in the atmosphere thus eating pollution and making the city’s air cleaner.

Community gardens in today’s civilization give the locals a place to play but they also serve another purpose, they teach children (and other city dwellers) about sustainability. This is important because they would not learn these practices otherwise. Living in an urban environment, often leads humans to become detached from nature but gardens can teach the youth how to provide for themselves. Gardens are also ornamental which adds a certain level of beauty to the landscape. There is another benefit to urban gardens and that is that the food produced in them can benefit those in need. Obviously, there is not enough food to feed all of the starving but every little bit helps. The EPA has a site on the internet that is entirely dedicated to creation and maintenance of Urban Gardens.

12 Soil Orders

There are twelve different soil orders in the world. The soil orders are distinct and reflect the natural climate of the area in which they are found. The soil order found in Georgia is Ultisol also known as red clay. The other eleven orders are as follows: Alfisols, this is usually found in forests and is high in aluminum and iron; Andisols, found in the northwest and includes weathered soil and volcanic glass; Aridisols, found in the deserts of the southwest and consists of dry sand; Entisols, found all over the U.S.A. and is very shallow and sandy; Gelisols, found in the north and consists of permafrost; Histosols, found in swamps and marshes and made of bog muck and mud; Inceptisols, found in humid and sub humid areas; Mollisols, a dark colored soil that is great for farming, Oxisols, tropical soil that is made up of quartz, kaolin, free oxides, and organic matter; Spodosols, a silty and sandy soil made up of aluminum and organic matter; Vertisols, a dry clayey soil that develops deep wide cracks across its surface as it expands.

Tree Lab

 Maple

The maple tree is one of the most distinguishable trees on the planet. There are about 126 different species of maple trees. Maple trees are a part of the acer genus. They are easily distinguished by there unique pointed leaves. 

Live Oak

One of the most abundant trees on the planet, the live oak is easily distinguished by its size and strength. The live oak s well known for being an evergreen tree, meaning that the tree leaves never turn. They are often used as a hardwood lumber.

Holly

Holly is usually associated with a specific Christian holiday. During this time, holly is used ornamentally and hung in wreaths to add some much needed yule tide spirit and color. Holly is also an evergreen and can grow as either a shrub or a tree depending on age and maintenance.

Willow

There are over 200 different species of willow trees. These unique trees are easily identified by their long flowing leaves and there soft but resilient wood. Willows are culturally significant across the globe for both its spiritual and medicinal properties.

Ocmulgee Heritage Trail

Public spaces such as parks and river walks are a vital part of modern human civilization. We often take these communal areas for granted but they have a very important role to play in today’s society. With the development of technology we often don’t realize how much of the human experience we forfeit in exchange for rapid communication and travel. Enjoying nature is one of those pleasures that will go overlooked. Man is naturally attracted to the outdoors but many times public outdoor areas become overrun with unsavory individuals. This can be remedied through municipal projects and public works. By constructing river walks and public parks the shady element that was present in that environment is drawn to the surface and it dissipates into a family enjoying a beautiful afternoon in the great outdoors. Please click on the link below to learn more about the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail.

Ocmulgee Heritage Trail

Mystery of the Megaflood

The movie, Mystery of the Megaflood, was an in depth examination of the possible causes that lead to the creation of the Channeled Scablands in Washington state. The cause of this land deformity had been long pondered by scientists for many years until the answer came from the field of geology. A geologist by the name of Brendt suggested, that instead of the theory that the scablands developed over years at a time he proposed, that the scablands had been constructed by one single catastrophic event. This, of course, sounded ludicrous to his contemporaries and Brendt was told to rethink his hypothesis. It would not be revealed until years later that one of his colleagues would confirm his theory by finding just such an event. he discovered that the megaflood was caused by the rapid melting of an ice dam that held the glacial lake that is now Missoula, Montana at bay. However, this was not the only megaflood that laid waste to this landscape. When the sediment of the area is examined there are several notable layers of deposits found. One of these is a vein of sediment made from a layer of ash that came from Mt. St. Helens. This along with other geological features and layers of deposits found along the canyon lead the argument that this megaflood was not an isolated event and that extreme floods have actually been a regular feature in this landscape throughout history.

Contour Lines

These five contour lines each sit at about 10,000 ft. above sea level in Colorado just west of Denver.