Plants, Trees, and Shrubs in Georgia

The state of Georgia is known for its wildlife. There are over 250 Different types of trees that can be found in the state, as well as numerous other plants and shrubs. I have compiled a list of Fifteen trees, plants, and shrubs that can be found around the state.

TREES

Live Oak (Quercus Virginiana)

Red Cedar (Juniperus Virginiana)

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus Florida)

Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x Yedoensis)

Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum)

SHRUBS

Yellow Jasmine (Gelsemium Sempervirens)

Carolina Silverbell (Halesia Tetraptera)

Mountain Laurel (Kalmia Latifolia)

Yaupon Holly (Ilex Vomitoria)

Catawba Rhododendron (Rhododendron Catawbiense)

PLANTS

Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera Sempervirens)

American Wisteria (Wisteria Frutescens)

Obedient Plant (Physostegia Virginiana)

Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes Atamasca)

Monkshood (Aconitum Uncinatum)

River Lab

Despite the fact that I was a little incapacitated during the day at the River, I'll do my best to illustrate the activities that took place. Hopefully I was watching close enough to get it!


Finding Clams in The River

Here is a map showing where and how many clams students found at various spots in the River. They used a sort of sifter to separate the clams from the River dirt. Some areas were more suitable for the clams than others, and they seemed to prefer certain conditions. I would be interested to learn more about clams and how they ended up in the river. I know I personally tend to associate them with larger bodies of water, like an ocean, so I was surprised to see that there were so many down in the river.

River Elevation

While one group of students was looking for clams, the other group was responsible for measuring the elevation of the river at different points from one bank to the other. They used a rather simple device made from two poles marked with tape and attached to each other by a string. They could determine the elevation by where the water hit the poles and the distance by how far the poles were from each other. Here is a chart showing their findings.

Even though I got sick during our trip to the river, I did have fun during the time that I was able to participate. We gained a lot of interesting information and it was nice to get out of the classroom for a while.

My Favorite Animal

My favorite animal has always been the Lion. I have always loved how they are fierce and regal, but I also like that they stick together in groups, known as Prides. Lions are one of the four Big Cats, a group that consists of Lions, Tigers, Leopards, and Jaguars. They are the second largest of the group, behind only Tigers. Wild Lions can be found in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Lions are much more social than other cats, and tend to travel in Prides consisting of related females and cubs as well as a few adult males. Lions are Apex Predators, but they have also been known to be quite friendly and gentle with humans whom they have grown accustomed too.

An adult male lion with a cub

A lioness with her cub

National Geographic Kids page about Lions

National Geographic African Lions page

 

Lions Wikipedia

Video of Lions being affectionate with Humans

Two Week Old lion cubs (listening to music from the Lion King)

My Happy Place

My happy place is not some exotic location with a beautiful view. Instead I chose a more simple place: my childhood home. I grew up in a small town called Jesup in southeast Georgia. The house we lived in was small, just on the outskirts of town near the paper mill and the river. I lived with my parents and five siblings, and we spent most of our time outside because the house was a little too small to comfortably accommodate up to eight people and a dog during the day.

This picture shows the area that we lived in. The large red marker was our home and the other markers represent other places that I used to spend my time. There was a wooded area behind our house where I would pick blackberries and blueberries that my mom would use to make homemade jam. I also used to spend a lot of time walking around the neighborhood with my siblings or friends. There was also a little corner store down the street that my siblings and I would walk to to buy candy or to get things for my parents.

I picked this location as my Happy Place because it meant so much to me. I've been to other places that would probably be considered nicer, but I really enjoyed my childhood here. It may not have been that long ago since I was a child, but it already feels like a whole different world. I used to spend my days walking around the neighborhood and playing in the woods without adult supervision. I slept with my bedroom window wide open every night without being afraid. I used to climb trees and eat honeysuckle and feed the chickens that we kept. My childhood wasn't perfect, by any means, but I enjoyed what I had and I learned how to have fun without worrying about the outside world. That's what makes my childhood home my Happy Place.

Different Types of Maps

Isarithmic Map

Chloropleth Map

Dot Density Map

Proportional Symbol Map