One in the same.

Ever since I began observing, I've come to noticed the two birch trees rooted in my front yard. Before we began observations, I became fascinated with the trees. During the summer I've watched as the birch tree became green and lush. As it aged yet another year, it's leaves began to change color.

I took a look at the leaves that had fallen off the birch tree in the front yard. I found 3 leaves demonstrating the process of the change of color in the leaves. It really fascinated me because it's nature, it's something that's overlooked. Lots of people notice the leaves change color in the fall, but how many of those people actually get up close and take a good look at them? I took the time to do so, it's beautiful!   Field Notes 9/23/14


"The process of leaf change."
Field Notes 9/23/14

"The object I focused on the most was the birch trees in my front yard. I noticed something very interesting; certain parts of the long hanging branches had long strands of yellow leaves, others had long strands of bright green and some were long strands of nothing." Field Notes 9/28/14

I found it very fascinating that some parts of the tree were green, some yellow, and some completely naked! All on the same tree. The strands reminded me of an old man, the yellow as his gray hair and the bare strands as his bald spots. The more he aged the more his hair turned yellow and fell out.

"Long Strands of green and Yellow"
Field Notes 9/28/14

"Long Strands."
Field Notes 9/28/14

"Strands of Nothing."
Field Notes 9/28/14

"The yellow leaves from the birch tree look like a big blanket on top of the green grass. The bark on the tree looks ashy, like a woman's legs when she fails to put lotion on them. There is more tree than leaves now, the old man is loosing it!" Field Notes 11/6/14

The few leaves that remain look like tiny beads upon a big necklace. They're holding on for dear life, it's the last group of leaves left in this generation, and they're fighting to keep it alive. Very few strands of hair remains on the bald head, but it won't last forever.

"The Last Leg."
Field Notes 11/6/14

According to "Birch Trees" there are about 15 different types of birch trees: paper birch, gray birch, silver birch, bog birch, downy birch, just to name a few. After researching on "Birch Trees" I've concluded I have a white European birch tree. I figured it was a white European birch tree because it was the most common birch tree found in "urban" areas, as stated by "Birch Trees." Also, the leaf's from the white European birch tree in my front yard matched leaf's I came across on "Birch Trees."

My research done on "Birch Trees" explains that a birch tree has unique features, such as it's bark. The trunk of every type of birch tree (excluding gray birch) peels with age.The birch trees' skin peels and sheds, just like a snakes' skin does. Two entirely different species are in fact the same. Does that mean they're somehow genetically connected? A tree and a reptile to me it sounds insane, but what if it's possible. What is everything we know as humans and the life around us is all somehow connected. A horse can grow hair and cut it just like a human can; a bear hibernates in the winter as does the bulb of a flower, how do you explain the connection? Every single one of these species had to of learn their traits from somewhere. Did a butterfly come across an ant lion and learn the trait of cocooning? The connections are endless, it just goes to show we're all one in the same.

"Peeling Bark"
Field Notes 11/7/14

"Birch Trees." 20-20Site. LoveToKnow Corp. 2012. Web. 8 Nov. 2014.