So yes, I did go to my reflection spot in the pouring rain today. It was quite the humbling experience and definitely made me regret not making it out there sooner. So just to reiterate, my reflection spot is behind the basketball stadium and along the bank of Little Westham Creek, which feeds into our Westhampton Lake.
As I stood there being pelted with water bullets from the sky, a couple of thoughts came to my mind. Last time I was here I noticed that the streambed became very flat in places and the flow of water was reduced to a mere trickle. This time that could not be farther from the truth. The water flowed rapidly down from one set of riffles to another, on its way to the Westhampton Lake. This got me thinking about the way rain effects a certain environment or ecosystem. Besides the occasional dance or romp through puddles, the general feeling I get from people is that we humans are not huge fans of the rain, at least in our own environment. Now, I cannot speak for the insects, amphibians, and marine life that inhabit an area such as the Little Westham Creek, but if I had to guess I would say they are not nearly as opposed to rain as we are. In fact, I know the periodic occurrence of rain has a huge effect on the health of their ecosystem, and therefore their ability to survive and thrive. This then got me thinking about the effect of rain and a certain pair of reptiles that I became acquainted with during my summers back home.
Hopefully without getting too off-topic, I’d like to mention one of my favorite exhibits at the Philadelphia Zoo. I volunteered at the Zoo during most of my summers in high school and took a special interest to two of the most famous reptiles there, Harry the Nile crocodile and Blackie the American alligator (not a very creative name for a black alligator I know). One of the things that made their exhibit such a hot spot for guests (and volunteers) were the periodic “rain shows” that would take place. Porous tubing along the ceiling of their exhibit would release water than would shower down over the reptiles, while the lights dimmed and artificial thunder and flashes of lightening brought quite the crowd. While I’m sure the captivating lighting and sounds were what brought the shrieks of fear and glee, I was more interested in the meaning behind the show. The Zoo “made it rain” on these magnificent reptiles to mimic what would occur in their natural habitats. Although I don’t know how much real effect it had on the little vegetation in the exhibits or the reptiles themselves (Harry and Blackie didn’t seem to care one way or the other), I thought it was an effective way to send an educational message to the guests at the Zoo, namely that rain is important. Unfortunately Harry has since passed away (you’ll forever be in our hearts big guy), but if you would like to learn more about Blackie or the Zoo click here: http://www.philadelphiazoo.org/zoo/Meet-Our-Animals/Reptiles/Crocodiles-and-Alligators/American-Alligator.htm.
Now back to the stream. While I know that rain is essential for the cycling of water and nutrients throughout the environment (thanks Elements of Physical Hydrology: Chapter 1), I must admit there is much I do not understand about the full extent of its effect on a certain ecosystem. As I look around the stream I wonder what would happen to this area if there was a substantial drought. Would we lose it altogether? Eyes peeled, I also once again noticed the large amounts of bamboo that populate the stream bank. This time I decided to do a little research and learned that my previous hypothesis does indeed hold some truth; bamboo is used around the world to counter erosion. One place it is currently being used is in the Citarum River Basin in Indonesia (http://beta.adb.org/sectors/water/pda/use-bamboo-land-stabilization-soil-erosion-control-water-catchment-rehabilitation-and-effluent-treat).
Ok so I guess that is enough musing for one day- at this point I began to notice my soaked jeans and remembered that I still had a class to go to. As I looked back one more time at the stream on my way out I thought again about how much different it looks in the rain than on that past cold, winter day. Who knows what I’ll find next time I visit. For my sake I hope it’s drier, but perhaps the creek feels differently.