Can't Stop; Won't Stop

Field Observations:

What a joy it is to observe a wetland.  I am continually amazed by the incredible resiliency and determination of wetland inhabitants to not only survive, but thrive.  The night before I headed out to the wetland, an intense storm rolled through the area. Wind, rain, and hail pounded the wetland, breaking branches and spreading leaves across the ground.  When I ventured out to the wetland the next day, I discovered, to my amazement, that there was relatively little destruction.  One tree was broken a little more than it was before, and large areas of grasses among the cattails were bent over and tangled.  The high winds had disturbed the water of the pond enough that the thick layer of duckweed and algae that normally covers most of the surface was broken up and covered a smaller area. 

When walking around the wetland, I was able to see a surprising amount of wildlife, especially for the 72 degree (F) and gusty day.  A beautiful giant swallowtail butterfly was fluttering around and feeding on a swamp milkweed plant.  I could have stayed there for hours watching the delicate dance of the butterfly as it drank the nectar from the flowers.  It was amazing to see the butterfly hover just above the flower, then grab on just before a blast of wind would violently shake the plant.  The butterfly would drink the nectar, then continue on to another swamp milkweed and latch on to drink the nectar, all the while continuously flapping its wings in an attempt to stay attached on the flower in the gusty winds.

Upon reaching the southwest corner of the wetland, I had the treat of seeing several painted turtles sunning themselves on logs. They, like many of the other animals, are incredibly difficult to photograph since they are so leery of larger animals, especially humans.  I had to be careful to not move too quickly or make any sudden movements, so as to not scare the turtles into the water for cover.  I felt as though I was so far away that the pictures would never turn out, and narrowly missed a picture of a turtle leaping off of a log into the water.

Unfortunately, with all of the gusty winds, I did not see many dragonflies.  I have really enjoyed attempting to photograph them, and was looking forward to practicing my photography skills with them.  I also was not given the opportunity to view any large birds around the wetland.  The usual families of geese were absent when I went out for my observations.  However, there was evidence that the geese had been there recently in the form of algae pathways created from the swimming birds.

After walking around the edge of the wetland, I had seen an amazing number of organisms that were able to survive the intense storm.  There were several frogs along the bank, butterflies dancing among the flowers, turtles sunning themselves on logs, and a few small songbirds in the trees.  Most of the plants were able to bounce back from the high winds.  The cattails stood tall among the many bent over grasses along the shoreline.  The trees were resilient and held their ground against the battering of the storm.  I continue to fall in love with the plants and animals that call the Kessling Wetland home, and am honored to be welcomed there day after day.

Ecotones around the Wetland:

A simple definition of an ecotone is the transition area of vegetation between two plant communities that has some characteristics of both communities.  These can be large or small in area and provide a unique environment that is often beneficial to members of the two neighboring communities.  In other words, an ecotone is an area where two types of habitat come into contact and provide habitat for organisms that live in both of the neighboring habitats.

Ecotones can be further described as discrete, convoluted, or diffuse.  Discrete ecotones have a distinct boundary between the two ecosystems. Convoluted ecotones have a difficult to define boundary between the two ecosystems due to a large amount of intermixing.  Diffuse ecotones are spread over a wide area and are also difficult to distinguish the exact boundary between the two ecosystems.

The Kessling Wetland is surrounded by several other ecosystems that are distinct from the wetland.  Most of the eastern shoreline is bordered by forest with a path dividing the two communities.  The southwestern corner is also bordered by forest as well.  The southern edge of the wetland is bordered by a prairie, along with the northwestern edge.  The northeastern edge of the wetland has a difficult to define border.  It is mostly met by the mowed lawn of the Kessling Farmstead and the scattered trees between the farmstead and Reith Village.

The image above was taken while standing on the western shore looking to the eastern shore.  Directly behind me is a prairie, and on the opposite shore you can see the forest meeting the edge of the wetland.  Since there is a path that travels directly along this transition area, the eastern edge has a discrete ecotone.  There is a definitive place where the forest and wetland meet with a minimal transition zone.

The image above, taken on 18.07.2014, captures several ecotones.  The photograph was taken while standing in the northeastern corner of the wetland, looking to the west.  Near the area of the Reith Village buildings, there is an area that lacks trees, planted with prairie plants and having several paths throughout the area, this is another discrete ecotone.  There is some transition space, but the path creates a more abrupt change than would be seen in a more natural setting.  Just to the south of Reith Village, there is a stand of trees that grows right up to the waters edge.  There is a fair amount of mixing between forest and wetland species in this area, leading me to believe it is a convoluted ecotone.  To the northeast of Reith Village, closer to where the picture was taken, is an area with a convoluted ecotone.  The two ecosystems blend in a complex manner that it is difficult to determine where one begins and the other ends.

Encyclopedia Brittannica. (2014). Ecotone. Retrieved from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/178617/ecotone
Graves, R. (2011). Ecotone. Retrieved from http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/152345

Four new species:

Giant Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio cresphontes)

Among the largest of the North American butterflies, the Giant Swallowtail measures up to 5 1/2 inches wide.  These beautiful insects are commonly found in deciduous forests and citrus orchards across most of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains.  Giant Swallowtails are identified by the brown to black wings with yellow spots and stripes on the upper surface.  The underside of the wings is yellow in appearance with some grid-like black markings.  The caterpillars feed on the leaves and flesh of citrus plants, while the adults feed on flower nectar.

This particular adult Giant Swallowtail was seen near the edge of the wetland feeding on a swamp milkweed flower.  The abundance of these flowers likely attracted this Giant Swallowtail to the area.

Milne, L., & M. Milne. (1980). National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. New York, NY. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Butterflies and Moths of North America. (2014). Attributes of Papilio cresphontes. Retrieved from: http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Papilio-cresphontes

Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)

Found throughout most of the northern and eastern United States in slow-moving shallow streams, rivers, and lakes, the Painted Turtle is at home in the Kessling Wetland.  Painted Turtles have a characteristic set of yellow and red stripes on their neck, legs, and tail.  The shell, or carapace, also has red bars or crescents along the edge.  There are several sub-species of Painted Turtles.  These each have a slightly different painted pattern, and are easiest to distinguish based upon the location of the turtle.

Painted Turtles are found most often in the southwest corner of the Kessling Wetland where the water is more protected from high winds and disturbance.  There are many logs in this area that the turtles sun themselves on.  They also especially enjoy the soft bottom and ample vegetation of Kessling Wetland.

Behler, J.L., & F.W. King. (1979). National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York, NY. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)

Identified by the bright purple-blue flowers growing in a numerous spikes at the top of the plant, Blue Vervain can grow up to 5 feet tall.  The leaves are lance-shaped and coarsely toothed, growing in a opposite pattern along the stalk.  Blue Vervain is a fairly common plant in most of North America. It produces seeds that are food for many birds, including several species of sparrows, and the cardinal.  Verbena moth caterpillars also feed on the leaves, and Blue Vervain serves as the larval host plant for the common buckeye butterfly.

Blue Vervain grows well in the moist soils near wetlands, which explains why it is present in the Kessling Wetland.  It can also be found in moist meadows, pastures, riversides, ditches, marshes, and river-bottom prairies. 




Newcomb, L., (1977). Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. New York, NY. Little, Brown and Company.
Kirk, S., & S. Belt. (2010). Plant fact sheet for blue vervain (Verbena hastata). Beltsville, MD. USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Norman A. Berg National Plant Materials Center. Retrieved from: http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_veha2.pdf

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Northern Leopard Frogs are found in northern North America from around the Great Lakes, west to the Rocky Mountains, and north to Hudson Bay. These nocturnal, slender frogs have light-colored dorsolateral ridges that span from near the eye to the groin.  Between the two ridges, the dark spots have a slight halo of lighter coloring, distinguishing them from the Southern Leopard Frogs which lack the halo appearance.

Northern Leopard Frogs are found in a variety of habitats ranging from moist fields, to mountains, to brackish marshes, to freshwater wetlands.  The Kessling Wetland provides much cover for these frogs along the edge of the open water, and has an abundance of food sources available for these frogs.  As described in an earlier post, all frog species are tied to the water throughout their life cycle.

Behler, J.L., & F.W. King. (1979). National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York, NY. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

Creative Reflection:

The wetland comes to life, 

rebounding from the storm.

The storm can't blow it down.

The wind can't break its spirit.

The sun shines brightly on a new day.

The animals continue their will to survive.

The storm can't blow it down.

The wind can't break its spirit.

Life in the wetland can't stop. 

Life in the wetland won't stop.

The storm can't blow it down.

The wind can't break its spirit.

What does the Frog say?

Field Observations:

After a full week of class and homework, I welcomed the opportunity to spend some time observing the Kessling Wetland at the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College.   I was so excited to be outside that I couldn't sit still.  I grabbed my rubber boots and started to explore the eastern shoreline. Before I knew it, I had spent an hour enjoying the 79 degree (F) and sunny weather while taking pictures of nearly everything that I saw. 

As I was headed out to the wetland, I heard the roar of an airplane overhead.  I looked up to the North to see a crop duster flying in loops just above the treetops as it turned around to spray the field that is to the north of the farmstead.  The normally noisy wetland was impossible to hear over the roar of the plane's engine.  It was beautiful to watch the pilot maneuver the plane in the tight turns, just above the treetops.

The three families of geese that call Kessling Wetland home were quite active today.  Some of the older 

goslings were starting to become more independent, swimming off just a little further from their parents than before.  The families also would fly short distances as a miniature flock from one end of the pond to the other.  It is always a joy to watch these birds grow and mature day after day.

As I walked along the shoreline, I finally had the opportunity to see some of the noisy frogs that hide along the edges of the wetland.  Although it should have been obvious, the key to actually observing these frogs is stealth. I had to be careful to walk slowly and not make much noise as I crept up to take a look at these sneaky frogs.  They were incredibly difficult to photograph because as soon as they heard any noise from my camera, they would quickly spring up and dive under the thick layer of algae and duckweed covering the surface of the pond.  After much patience and skill, I finally mastered the art of sneaking a picture of these well camouflaged animals.

Once I reached the southern shore of the wetland, I witnessed two beautiful song birds fluttering around and eventually perching on a high branch.  They were too far away and silhouetted against the sun, so I was unable to identify them, but their casual interactions were quite charming. I wish I could have gotten a better view to watch them longer.

Closer to the ground, buzzing around the milkweed flowers, were a dozen honeybees.  They had no interest in me.  They were incredibly focused on finding the nectar from the next beautiful flower that they could find.  I could have spent the entire afternoon watching the bees scurry from bloom to bloom in an elegant dance of excitement.

I was so entranced in watching the honeybees that I almost missed the two herons fly across the wetland to the opposite side of the pond.  The pair rose up with grace and with a few strong flaps of their wings had flown across the pond.  Carefully, each chose its place to perch on a cluster of exposed logs. They remained there for several minutes, eyeing me carefully as I slowly crept closer to capture a better photograph.  After what felt like hours of careful positioning and quiet maneuvering, I was able to snap a unobstructed picture of the majestic birds.

As I walked back to the farm towards the end of my hour long observation, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of gorgeous flying insects.  Butterflies, dragonflies, moths, and damselflies were in abundance. It seemed that no matter where I looked, one would be fluttering around or resting on a beautiful flower, stem, or branch. It was incredibly fun to watch these amazing insects.  Although I wish I could have captured an image of each, some were far to fast for me to take position and focus before the fascinating creature flew to a new resting spot.

Succession in the Wetland:

The Kessling Wetland, nestled between the Kessling farmstead and the Rieth Village, is speckled with floating vegetation and is surrounded by emergent vegetation that leads to some shrubs and then larger trees. This pattern of plant life is characteristic of aquatic succession.  Hydrosere, the process of a freshwater environment slowly filling in with vegetation until dry and covered in forest, is the name that describes aquatic succession. This process occurs much slower in fast moving water since the current continually batters the shoreline making it difficult for new vegetation to establish.

In slow moving and stagnant bodies of water, such as the Kessling Wetland, hydrosere occurs much faster.  The slow moving current allows vegetation to creep slowly inward towards the center of the water body.  As this vegetation dies, it sinks to the bottom and decomposes, adding a new layer of soil, filling in the pond with sediment.  New vegetation grows on top of this decomposed material and when it eventually dies, it adds another layer of new sediment.  These layers stack on top of each other, slowly making the water body shallower.  Most vegetation found in a wetland environment can only survive within a specific range of water depth and moisture content.  That is what leads to the pattern of succession seen in the Kessling Wetland and other similar locations.

In the traditional framework of succession, the Kessling Wetland is in the early stages.  There is still a large area that remains open water throughout the summer months.  Moving from the center of the open water towards the shore, each stage of hydrosere can be observed.  The pattern moves from open water, to floating vegetation, to emergent vegetation, to shrubs and bushes, and finally to larger trees.  As succession continues, these zones will slowly move inward, filling in the pond.  However, moving water will slow this process, helping the pond to retain its open water.

Jackson, M.T. (1997). The Natural Heritage of Indiana. Bloomington, IN. Indiana University Press

Four New Species:

Bulfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

This aquatic species of frog spends most of its life in ponds, lakes, and other slow moving bodies of fresh water.  Bullfrogs live in areas with much vegetation that provides camouflage and cover in the event of a disturbance.  Bullfrogs are nocturnal and feed primarily on insects, crayfish, other frogs, and minnows.   The life cycle of a bullfrog also ties it to the water.  Bullfrogs, along with other species of frogs, hatch from an egg that is submerged under the surface of the water, typically attached to the stalk of a plant.  When these eggs hatch, a tadpole emerges.  The tadpole is essentially a head with a tail that lives entirely under water for several weeks until it begins growing legs.  As the tadpole grows, the legs slowly appear, the tail slowly disappears, the lungs continue to develop, and the gills slowly disappear.  After several weeks of development, the frog is in the shape most associated with being a frog.  Bullfrogs are identified by their large external eardrum (tympanum), fully webbed hind feet, and a lack of dorsolateral ridges.  In regards to habitat, The Kessling Wetland has much of the necessary emergent vegetation in the form of cattails along with much duckweed floating on the surface of the water to provide camouflage and cover for these frogs.  As evidenced in my observations of butterflies, dragonflies, and several other insects, the Kessling Wetland hosts much of the preferred food for bullfrogs.  The bullfrog pictured here is most likely a young fully-developed bullfrog.

Behler, J.L. (1979). National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York, NY. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Herons are identified by their long legs, long neck, long slender bill, and characteristic folded neck when in flight. The Great Blue Heron lives in areas such as marshes, swamps, shores, tidal flats, and moist fields where they feed primarily on fish in the shallow water.  The Kessling Wetland provides the appropriate habitat for these birds to thrive.  There is much cover along the shoreline to provide some camouflage and protruding branches for them to perch upon. The pond is filled with fish, frogs, and other aquatic species that serve as food for these majestic birds.

Audubon. (2014). Great Blue Heron. Retrieved from: http://birds.audubon.org/species/greblu1

Peterson, R.T. (2010) Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America. New York, NY. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Mild Water Pepper (Polygonum hydropiperoides)

Growing in a large mat along the shore, Mild Water Pepper is identified by the five part flowers growing in an erect spike at the top of the plant.  The sword-like leaves are similar to grasses in that they hug the stalk in a sash-like fashion. Mild Water Pepper grows in shallow streams and other wet places, such as the edge of the Kessling Wetland.  The slow-moving and stagnant water allows this plant to become well established along the shore creating habitat for many shoreline vegetation loving species.

Newcomb, L. (1977). Newcom's Wildflower Guide. New York, NY. Little Brown and Company

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

When thinking about a wetland, honey bees are not usually the first creature to come to mind.  These insects build hives in hollow trees.  They have a complex social behavior resulting in distinctly different sub-types of bees within the hive.  For example, there is one queen, a handful of male drones, and many female workers, each with distinct physical characteristics.  In order to make honey, the worker bees leave the hive to collect pollen from flowering plants.  Since there is an abundance of blooming Swamp Milkweed along with many other flowers surrounding the Kessling Wetland, the Honey Bees seem to be quite at home.


Milne, L., & M. Milne. (1980). National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects & Spiders. New York, NY. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

Creative Reflection:

The reclusive frog sits...

                                      waits

hiding near the surface watching the pond.

                                                                                 Duckweed and algae wrap around him

                                                                                                   delicately concealing 

                                                                                  hiding the statuesque observer

The wind rustles cattails

                                            music in the breeze

hiding the frogs nestled along the shore

                                                                                  A pebble crunches beneath my feet 

                                                                                  hiding behind a bush

                                                                                                                                   I freeze

The cautious frogs dive beneath the surface

                   letting out a screech of fear

hiding under the camouflage of green

Welcome to the Wetland

Field Observations:

Wetlands are a truly wonderful place to observe. There is beauty in every tiny detail as the pieces all come to fit together in a magical puzzle. Today I began my observations of the Kessling Wetland at the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College.

It was a beautiful 77 degrees F and sunny with a few thin upper level clouds sparsely scattered throughout the sky.  A slight breeze was blowing out of the West, just enough to keep me cool while sitting along the waters edge.  I found a cozy spot on the eastern shore of the pond near the canoe launch site where there was an opening in the cattails and thick vegetation to sit and enjoy the view.  

Once I was settled in, the wetland came to life.  Dozens of dragonflies danced about just over the water near the edge.  They would tumble together and chase each other around, up and down the shoreline, weaving between the cattails.  When one would tire, it would perch on the tip of a cattail to rest before another dragonfly chased it away again.

As I gazed across the pond, I saw several families of geese swimming gracefully through the waters.  They swam single file, following the adult along the western edge of the pond.  Just beyond the geese, I noticed a large bird standing proud just in front of the thick wall of cattails.  I quickly snapped a picture just before the magnificent bird rose up from its hiding spot and soared towards the south. 

After almost a half hour of enjoying the wetland, the wind shifted and picked up.  The cloud cover thickened, and the animals living in and around the wetland reacted to the change.  The dragonflies no longer danced over the water.  Many found a place of refuge in the tall plants growing along the waters edge.  Some of the birds quieted down and the geese moved closer to the shore.  Occasionally the sun would poke through. At those times the dragonflies briefly returned to their hurried flutterings just above the surface of the water.

Since there was not as much movement of wildlife when the wind was blowing underneath a blanket of clouds, I took the time to examine the tracks in the mud along the shoreline.  Small hand-prints from a raccoon were clustered just adjacent to the waters edge.  Small prints from a young white-tailed deer were scattered around with the hand-prints.  These animals probably visited the same opening along the shore last evening to drink or play in the water.

Vegetation in the Wetland:

Wetlands have four types of vegetation. Submergent vegetation are plants that are entirely underneath the surface of the water.  Floating vegetation occurs closer to shore and is typically a plant that is attached to the bottom of the pond with leaves floating on the surface. Emergent vegetation are plants that have their roots attached under the surface of the water, but their stems and leaves are above the surface. Shrubs and other shoreline vegetation make up the fourth type and are almost entirely above the surface of the water (Cox, 2002). 

While I could not see what was growing under the water's surface, I could see the green clumps of floating algae and Duckweed (Lemna spp.) along the surface of the water.  The most dominant vegetation in this wetland is the cattail (Typha latifolia).  This is an emergent vegetation plant and is found along the perimeter of the pond forming a wall of plant material.  

The Common Cattail (Typha latifolia) is found throughout most of North America in freshwater wetlands.  Cattails grow in shallow water and stabilize the shoreline soil with their root system.  Many parts of the plant are edible, including the rootstalk, young shoots, and immature flower spikes.  Often the Common Cattail will hybridize with the Narrow-leaved Cattail (T. angustifolia) making it difficult to distinguish the two. Since cattails are limited to grow in shallow water, they are only found along the edge of the pond.  Too deep of water and too dry of soil serve as limiting factors keeping the cattails in their place along the shoreline (Niering, 1998).

Cox, D.D. (2002). A Naturalist's Guide to Wetland Plants: An Ecology for Eastern North America. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press

Niering, W.A. (1998). Wetlands. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

Four New Species:

 Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

In clumps along the shoreline in the places where the cattails are not present, a bright pink-purple flower grows. Swamp Milkweed stands up to 4 feet tall with clusters of small (1/4 inch) pink to purple flowers.  The leaves are long and narrow, coming to a point at the tip.

Swamp Milkweed grows well in the moist soil along the edge of the wetland along with full sun exposure.  Since cattails grow in such a dense wall, swam milkweed is found along the shore where the cattails are not present.

The flowers of Swam Milkweed produce a sweet nectar that is a favorite of many butterflies and moths.

Some species of milkweed have medicinal purposes and the genus name, Asclepias was named after Aesculapius, the Greek god of medicine.

Missouri Botanical Garden. (2014). Asclepias incarnata. Retrieved from: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g410
Niering, W.A. (1998). Wetlands. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)

This purple flowering plant can be found in the moist soils near the edge of the open water. It can also be found in wet meadows, floodplains, and roadside ditches. The purple-pink flowers are 1/2 inch wide on a single stem with opposite pointed leaves.

Purple Loosestrife is an aggressive invasive that was first introduced from Europe in the 1800s as a decorative and garden plant. This plant grows in dense colonies and can push the native cattails out of the area.
The habitat generated by this plant is not suitable for food, cover, or nesting sites for many native animals.  In an effort to control the spread of Purple Loosestrife, certain varieties of beetles have been released that feed primarily on this plant.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources. (2014). Purple Loosestrife. Retrieved from: http://www.in.gov/dnr/entomolo/4529.htm
Niering, W.A. (1998). Wetlands. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 

Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa)

The Widow Skimmer is found throughout most of the United States near still bodies of water, such as a pond.  It can be easily identified with its dark blue-ish body and distinctive wing pattern.

The males often compete over territory and are protective of females.  This explains why I saw them chasing each other along the shore.

The life-cycle of dragonflies links them to the water.  The eggs are laid under the water where they hatch and the larvae/nymph grows.  The nymph will shed it's exoskeleton several times in a series of molts before it crawls out of the water and molts yet again, but this time the nymph becomes an adult with the characteristic pair of double wings.

Odonata Central. (2014). Widow Skimmer. Retrieved from: http://www.odonatacentral.org/index.php/FieldGuideAction.get/id/47131
EduWebs. The Dragonfly. Retrieved from: http://www.eduwebs.org/bugs/dragonfly.htm

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

The Canada Goose can be found throughout most of North America in lakes, ponds, marshes, and fields.  They are easily identified by their brown-grey bodies with a black neck and white stripe under their chin.

Canada Geese are often seen flying in a "V" formation as they migrate from northern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.  Families and individuals of these geese can be found in the northern Indiana region year round wherever there is open water.

Peterson, R.T. (2010). Field Guide to Birds. New York, NY. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Creative Reflection:

Getting All of my Geese in a Row

As I begin my time in the Master's program at Merry Lea, I have been working diligently to "get all of my ducks in a row".  When I saw the geese swimming single file out to the open water through the mat of algae and duckweed, it resonated with my experiences thus far.  I have been struggling through finding a way to organize all of my assignments and living on my own for the first time.  It has not been easy, but I have had help from many people along the way, just as these younger geese are following in the path of the adults.