The Natural History of My Great Nearby

A Quarter in Hyde Park

By Meghan Hendrix

Week -1

I moved back to Hyde Park on September 11th, 2021. When our car pulled up to the orange-colored, blocky dorm near the center of the University of Chicago’s campus, I wasn’t totally sure what I was getting myself into. I am a third-year student, so I was familiar with all of the views I was seeing, but it felt markedly different from my other UChicago experiences.

The year prior, I lived in an apartment on 54th Street and South Harper Avenue. Although it was a privilege to be in Hyde Park during the pandemic, as I was able to interact with a select few friends and go on masked walks around the city, it was a pretty stressful experience. I learned a lot about urban ecology if getting bed bugs repeatedly counts as observing species, and although I spent a lot of time out in nature, I was way too in my own head to take it all in as a result of experiences I had during the pandemic.

Ultimately, I decided to move back to the dorms to be a Resident Assistant. I really enjoyed my time at UChicago during my first year. I made some of my closest friends in my house in my first-year dorm, and I loved helping with planning events, and so I thought it would be a great way to give me some purpose while also getting to interact with people in-person again. Still, I was worried about potential additional consequences of the pandemic and nervous about stepping into the role.

The outside of Max Palevsky Central, my dorm for this year

Side view of my apartment last year on 54th and Harper. While I lived there, they had this big mural of Jim Nurss, the founder of First Aid Comics, designed by muralist Chris Devins. Sadly, they took him down recently.

Group photo from a dorm event my first year

Week 0

Nevertheless, right after I moved into Max Palevsky Residential Commons, I sprung into decorating the dorm, RA training sessions, and seeing friends. I sat outside on the Bartlett Quadrangles with my first-year roommate and painted pictures of cats that I could hang up in the hallways; we were in the shade of some crabapples planted across from the east entrance of the Regenstein Library. I helped other friends move into their off-campus apartments, carrying their plants up wooden stairs. Soon after, the first-years moved in for Orientation Week and time passed by in a flurry of fun events.

I also began to prepare for my classes. I looked forward to taking Urban Ecology in the Great Nearby. In my introduction assignment for the class, I described how I wanted to learn more about conceptions of the environment that do not pose urban areas and nature as mutually exclusive, but rather as part of one fascinating system. I also wanted to better understand how various species interact with the built environment. I did not know too much about different plant and animal species in Chicago, and I really wanted to learn more.

The day before classes started, my house went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. I ended up wandering around and reflecting near the Nature Boardwalk for hours. It is a gorgeous path encircling a pond, filled with a variety of plant species and a view of the skyline. I have a video below of the scene below. At the time, I didn’t realize that the pond was man-made. It reminded me a bit of Jackson Park, which I used to visit a fair amount. As I looked around, I realized how much I didn’t know—both about the species surrounding me and about what lay ahead for me.

Decorating the dorm

Wooden structure in the Lincoln Park gardens

View from the Nature Boardwalk

Week 1

As we know, the University operates on a quarter system. Sometimes, I think about how this affects how we perceive time.

One of my favorite video games as a kid was Doodle Jump. It is a platformer game where you play as the character on the right. You play by continually jumping upwards onto platforms—collecting helpful items and facing monsters and UFOs along the way. This can serve as a metaphor for the university experience, but more importantly, look at how cute the character is!

At times, the academic quarter can feel like playing a video game. You are trying to speed-run through as much material as possible, and each week is like a new level, complete with new goals and challenges. Week 1 is like a fun introductory level. You mingle with new people. You are inundated by information sessions for student organizations. You are shown the ropes in your classes, given syllabi and relatively simple assignments.

I began to scope out the campus for a tree to observe for Urban Ecology in the Great Nearby. I tried to make a more conscious effort to look at the world around me. In addition, I began to engage with the outdoors in a way that was quite new to me: I joined the rugby team. I had never played a team sport before, and I did not consider myself to be particularly physically active. Nevertheless, I ended up walking to the Midway and then getting repeatedly tackled into the grass, and I found it quite fun! Overall, I learned a lot about my Great Nearby this week, and I am excited to tell you about it!

GIFs courtesy of Doodle Jump

Boundaries of my Great Nearby

To more clearly define the boundaries of my Great Nearby, it is the area within a roughly two-block radius around Max Palevsky Residential Commons Central. This includes everything between 55th Street and the north portion of the Main Quadrangles near Botany Pond. The East-West boundaries are slightly narrower and roughly between S. University Avenue and S. Ellis Avenue. Notable landmarks include the Joseph Regenstein Library and the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library adjacent to my dorm. There is also Cobb Gate, an iconic entrance to the Main Quadrangles. To the north, there is Campus North Residential Commons and the Smart Museum of Art. There are several other university-affiliated buildings in my Great Nearby. In addition, there are beautiful and interesting green spaces throughout my Great Nearby, including the courtyard of the Smart Museum and the Breakup Circle (a constructed garden next to North).

Learn the Great Nearby

My current Great Nearby is, in large part, defined by my interactions with others. I frequently walk with friends, residents, and classmates, but even when I am walking alone, it is often to meet other people. I walk across my Great Nearby on the way to class discussions, group study sessions, and club meetings. I am happy that my new Great Nearby is nestled pretty much right in the middle of UChicago’s campus. It has been really great seeing people have fun in my Great Nearby since I have moved back into the dorms. There has been a palpable excitement and energy that can be observed, specifically among the undergraduate students, while walking near my dorm. My Great Nearby is frequently busy with people, which makes sense given that my dorm is located in a high-traffic area of campus. People seem to be grateful to have campus affairs back to a state of semi-normalcy—even if there are the important caveats that the pandemic is not over yet and that normalcy is not always something that should be returned to. I think that people are just glad to be able to see others in person again. At least, I know I am.

The environment that I interact with consists of deliberately planned green spaces; most commonly, I interact with the Bartlett Quad, where I take plenty of pictures, including this photo that features the top of Reynolds Club in the distance. My Great Nearby also includes roadside green, which consists of trees and bushes planted along roads like 57th Street. Using the frameworks of Aplet and Cole, who created methods for categorizing urban nature, these spaces would likely be considered novel and controlled.

My Great Nearby reflects the university’s desire to come across as prestigious: just look at the ivy-colored walls by Cobb Gate and the towering pines, maples, and arborvitae outside of the Regenstein Library. The university is willing to front high costs for landscaping if they think that it will lead to a high return on investment. In the university’s case, having gorgeous and cultivated green spaces could encourage more people to apply to the university, as they could see the beauty of the place on tours and in photos used in marketing materials. Increased applications increase the perceived prestige of the university, and in conjunction with other mechanisms, allow the university to justify a high tuition sticker price.

Furthermore, the spaces serve as an essential backdrop for other activities that occur on campus. If renowned researchers visit and see a beautiful, intellectual-feeling campus—if they go into my Great Nearby and see students pondering while they watch the ducks in Botany Pond or studying in the gorgeous snowglobe that is Mansueto—it may make them more likely to consider joining the university. Alumni and donors may walk across the northern portion of the main quad before considering how much they would like to financially contribute to the university. Even when the environment is not being actively considered and engaged with by individuals, they are still generally walking across it and looking around, which can make all the difference in terms of how individuals perceive a space.

Melinda Pruett-Jones, Executive Director at American Ornithological Society, describes how Chicago complicated her view of cities in her piece "Looking Up"; she argues that the city not only has beautiful natural spaces, but it also serves as a valuable space for experiences, particularly for children.

Even if adults are less attuned to their ability to frolic and explore as children can, the people who visit my Great Nearby are impacted by the beauty of the spaces—it can prompt reflection and thought. It can even impact their more subconscious views of the university as a whole. This can have downstream economic impacts for the university.

Ecosystems and Biodiversity

My Great Nearby also provides ecosystem services and opportunities for biodiversity. Multiple species of trees and plants are planted throughout the area; there appears to be a particularly good variety near the Regenstein Library and near Campus North Residential Commons. Campus North also has green roofs on top of parts of the dorm, and the adjacent parking lot has plants placed on the concrete barriers on the top floor; the photo shows the plants on top of the concrete barrier in the foreground with the trees across the street in the background. Urban conservation researchers like Peter Del Tredici and Christopher Lepczyk emphasize that details like these are useful for encouraging ecosystems while also being useful for designers from both a practical and aesthetic standpoint.

At the same time, Lepczyk et al. note that features like green roofs may not be as useful for biodiversity as they may seem. In particular, relatively compact green roofs like the ones featured on top of Campus North could even serve as ecological traps—where animals are inadvertently led to make homes in nonideal habitats—due to their “small and isolated” nature. In addition, although the lawns in my Great Nearby often have trees and plants, these are often on the perimeter of the spaces; the majority of the space is taken up by closely-cut grass. Although this fits the conventional view of a college campus, it does not necessarily encourage ecosystem services to the fullest possible extent. Lawns generally do not promote biodiversity; it can be hard for certain animal species to travel across them, and it is a lot of space where a larger variety of plant species could have been planted instead.

Observing Kowarik's Urban Nature on the South Side

Environmental academic Ingo Kowarik defined four types of urban nature; I tried to find examples of each: the pristine remnants of first nature, the semi-developed agriculture and forestry of second nature, the planned parks of third nature, and the evolving novel wilderness of fourth nature. I looked within the bounds of Jackson Park, Hyde Park, and the top of Woodlawn. For first nature, I considered two islands within Jackson Park. The islands appear to be relatively isolated, and from an aerial view, they look fairly untouched—with the caveat that Jackson Park undergoes a large amount of management. Thus, I think they serve as an adequate example of remnants of pristine landscapes. Given the amount of urban planning on the South Side, it is a bit challenging to find things that fully fit the description for first nature, although there are likely trees and other species that are native to the area that could be considered remnants.

As for second nature, I do not believe that the area has too many spaces dedicated to pastures or cropland; however, I felt as though this empty field by the train tracks gives a good example of a space that is influenced by the city but not directly designed as a green space. In addition, Professor Anastasio told me that Washington Park had sheep grazing in the past!

I chose the Bartlett Quad for my example of third nature. There are plenty of options for third nature; it is the most common type of nature within my Great Nearby. The University of Chicago cultivates a variety of parks and gardens. I chose this one because it is where the tree I ended up observing for the quarter is located.

For the fourth nature, I chose an abandoned building near the Keller Center that we discussed in class. It seems as though a novel ecosystem is developing, without much human interference, in a space that once used to have more human interaction. This type of nature is somewhat common in parts of the South Side, existing on vacant lots and other spaces in which ecosystems have sprung up more recently.

Overall, my Great Nearby—and the South Side as a whole—has a lot to be observed. For the quarter, I ended up observing one thing in particular.

This Littleleaf linden next to the Bartlett Dining Commons!

Week 2

I decided to befriend a mature Littleleaf Linden (Tilia cordata) for the quarter! I sniffed the leaves; they smelled like chlorophyll—at least, what I’d expect chlorophyll to smell like, with notes of grass and fresh air. I saw a few brown and orange leaves on the ground, but it was unclear to me whether they were from my tree. I made sure to write in my notes about the variety of plants placed in the bed surrounding the tree.

Befriending My Tree, Understanding Its Processes

My tree is located next to the entrance of the Bartlett Dining Commons, with quite a few other mature and semi-mature Littleleaf Lindens nearby throughout the courtyard on the east side of the Regenstein Library. The species is native to Europe and southwestern Asia and is frequently used in the U.S. as a street and lawn tree (Tilia cordata - Plant Finder). Based on the University of Chicago’s ArborScope directory, it appears to be a fairly common tree on campus.

My particular tree is quite tall; I would estimate that it stands forty or fifty feet in height. I would estimate that it is roughly forty feet in diameter. The bark of the tree is light brown and ridged, and there are a few circular, textured portions of the trunk that are a darker brown. The shape of the trunk of the tree is bulky, but it quickly splits into a few main branches, which extend into many branchlets. The main limbs of the tree seem quite sturdy. The branchlets extend out over a fairly large area; with the leaves on them, they create a good amount of shade.

The leaves are cordate and generally around the size of my palm. At the time of writing this, they were mostly still green; however, on the southern corner of the tree, there was a patch of brown leaves, pictured to the side. Some leaves had small brown spots, but I didn’t notice any pathogens and did not find any species that seemed to feed on the leaves. The tree has small bunches of fruits; each fruit is quite small, around the size of a pea. I have not noticed too many organisms nearby yet. I have seen a few native bees in the vicinity of the tree. There were a considerable number of plant species near the tree, as pictured in the background; some were tall and grass-like, while others were a bright green with large cordate leaves. Overall, the tree appears to be healthy. I did not notice any signs of sickness on the bark, branches, or leaves.

The tree is surrounded by human developments. Most notably, it is next to the west entrance of the Bartlett Dining Commons. The sidewalk and stairs leading to the entrance of the commons are around five feet to the south of the base of the tree, and a wheelchair-accessible path curves around the tree’s other side. People walk under the shade of the tree as they approach the dining hall. Not many people sit under the tree, but there is a thick rock barrier along the wheelchair-accessible path that one can sit on. There are many other trees in the courtyard, but this is the only tree in this particular bed created by the curves of the sidewalks.

The tree and its surrounding plants are seemingly maintained. Based on its health, I deduce that it receives an adequate degree of exposure to sunlight and rain. Interestingly, Professor Anastasio noted that the Bartlett Quad was originally a parking lot next to the library; as a result, the roots of the tree may be impacted by the fact that the ground used to be concrete.

Studying the Species

During Week 2, I also took a deep dive into some of the details of the tree species as a whole.

The Littleleaf linden, formally known as Tilia cordata, is a charming tree with a rich history. It is frequently planted for ornamental purposes, but don’t think that it is only for decoration: it also serves valuable roles in ecosystems!

Historical and Culture Aspects

Various sources state that the Littleleaf linden originated in Europe; some also mention southwestern Asia as a notable origin site. Humans have been having meaningful interactions with the tree for more than a millennium. Ţenche-Constantinescu et al. describe a Littleleaf linden that is over 2,000 years old in an arboretum in the United Kingdom. In addition, based on European folklore, people have planted Littleleaf lindens as early as 760 AD. Sources claim that the tree had important beliefs surrounding it in Scandinavian and Germanic countries around this time. People would dance around Littleleaf lindens and perform ritual offerings due to the tree’s association with spiritual goddesses. In Norse societies, the tree was also allegedly seen as a place that elves and fairies would inhabit, leading to people avoiding the tree at night. It is hard to find a primary source to substantiate these historical claims, but a reputable arbor foundation and a museum both mentioned these anecdotes.

Even if these tales are apocryphal, they nevertheless point to the tree having a meaningful significance to those who interact with it. Another paper describes the significance of the Linden genus in general in Europe and Asia throughout history; the tree has been associated with holiness, friendship, love, and fertility across cultures.

In addition, the tree species was planted around a notable boulevard in the center of Berlin in the 16th century and subsequently replanted after World War II; the boulevard is called Unter den Linden, which means “under the linden trees" (photo courtesy of Wikipedia). The trees are a striking visual element of this boulevard, melding with the constructed streets to create a distinct site in the middle of a historic city. The Littleleaf linden is also the national tree of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and a 700-year-old Littleleaf linden is reported to be the thickest tree in Slovenia, indicating that the tree has a certain degree of prominence across Europe. With that being said, De Jaegere et al. argue that the tree has become more scattered and rare on the continent compared to the abundance of its past.

Still, the Littleleaf linden remains a common ornamental tree. It is planted along streets and sidewalks across the United States. This makes sense given the large diameter of the tree’s foliage. The tree has an appearance that many find attractive without much trimming being necessary, but sources also describe instances of the tree being pruned and used as a hedge, serving as a rectangular-looking decorative element in gardens. It is sometimes planted as a flowering tree due to the attractive fragrance it emits when its flowers bloom in the summer. It is noted that the seedpods on Littleleaf linden generally do not litter the ground, minimizing the upkeep necessary compared to other trees that drop significant numbers of their fruits.

Biological and Ecological Information

The Littleleaf linden is a broadleaf deciduous tree; it has heart-shaped leaves that are shed annually. The leaves are usually 2 to 3 inches in length and shift in colors through the seasons. Multiple sources note the aesthetic value of the leaves when they are a lustrous dark green. The tree has fragrant yellow flowers that blossom later in the summer than most trees, and the tree also yields small, nutlike fruits. The Littleleaf linden can grow up to 50 to 70 feet in height and up to 50 feet in spread. It has been said to have a good growth rate, generally increasing in height by 1 to 2 feet each year; when stressed, it grows slower. Although it is a relatively hearty tree, the Littleleaf linden does not do well in wet conditions. It is characterized as a drought-tolerant species, but it can struggle in situations of consistent extreme drought. Under drought, the species is less able to perform ecosystem services such as transpiration and CO₂ cooling, according to Zhang et al.. In addition, the tree is sensitive to salt sprays and road salts.

Ecosystem Health

The tree provides immense value to the ecosystems in which it resides. The flowers of the Littleleaf linden make the tree highly attractive to bees and other pollinators, including hummingbirds. In addition, birds frequently make homes in the tree, making nesting sites in the branches or in soft parts of the wood. Research has occurred regarding whether the tree species could play a role in bee mortality, as bees have been frequently found dead under the tree. This association is likely due to how late in the summer the tree’s flowers bloom; when the temperature is lower and the flowers do not provide quite enough nectar, the bees do not have enough energy to survive. Still, the fact that the tree’s flowers bloom later than most other trees makes it a valuable nectar source in ecosystems. In addition, the tree’s wide canopy can help to provide shade for species that need it, and its roots can help to stabilize soil, which could help in maintaining the health of an ecosystem.

The tree’s ecological tolerance is seen as potentially valuable for climate change-related forest adaptation. The tree is drought-tolerant, and it can handle hot temperatures well as long as it has a sufficient water supply. It also does well with cold temperatures and frost. Therefore, it shows a lot of potential for being a valuable tree to plant to protect the diversity of forests in the face of climate change. Although there are not many specific management practices around the tree currently, it is possible that policies around the tree may arise in the future, especially due to its potential relevance for climate adaption.

Littleleaf lindens & climate change

Below, I've included five photos from early October of my tree's leaves. They were all a vibrant green except for the orange-brown portion mentioned earlier; the cause remains undetermined.

Week 3

In Week 3, I began to notice that more of the leaves in my tree had taken on an orange tint, although the majority were still green. I also noticed the wrapper of an ice cream bar and a piece of plastic near my tree, along with some brown and orange leaves scattered across the ground. I felt the softness of the ground below me. In terms of plant and animal species, the plant species near my tree seemed to be consistent, and I noticed roly-polys in a crevice in my tree for the first time!

Roly-Polys

I have been quite intrigued by the roly-polys I have seen on my focal tree. The first time I saw them, two of my friends stopped by to observe my tree with me. One of them looked into a small hole around my eye height and noted that there were several of them inside. I took a look in; it was slightly difficult to see, but it appeared to be a small cavern. I was not sure whether they were interacting with each other or why they were hanging out in the hole. Perhaps they were resting or getting out of the elements; they may have been having a roly-poly roommate meeting. Later, I found them again in a slightly more exposed crevice on the north side of the tree. I am curious about what other parts of the tree the roly-polys may hang out in. I would also like to find out whether they are truly roly-polys (known more formally as pillbugs). They could also be another type of woodlice or perhaps even another species entirely. I could not figure out whether they fed on the leaves.

I enjoy seeing people near my tree. It is a busy spot, as countless people from the dorms walk past the tree each day to enter Barlett to eat meals. Sometimes people hang out on the stone railings that line the accessible entrance, which curves around the tree. I do not tend to see people directly engaging with my tree; however, people seem to be enjoying the tree’s pleasant shade while it still has leaves left.

My Great Nearby is a hotspot for human interaction, which certainly plays a role in what animals and plants are in the area. During the class where we observed squirrels, people noted that they tried to go to the less busy parts of campus in the hopes of spotting squirrels. In my recent experiences with my Great Nearby, I have realized that I only tend to see squirrels in the Bartlett Quad during non-peak times, times when people are not congregating or walking to classes and other activities.

Although I had observed squirrels near my tree, I did not observe squirrels directly interacting with it. There seemed to be a clump of leaves in the tree, which I thought was a squirrel nest, but I never saw any using it. During our class on Wednesday of third week, we participated in a citizen science project related to squirrels, and so it was at the top of my mind during this week as I looked around my tree and my Great Nearby as a whole.

Squirrel Science

Participating in citizen science projects is a fulfilling and intellectually stimulating activity! Prior to Squirrel-Net, I cannot remember doing a citizen science project that involves outdoor activity, although I vaguely remember participating in a couple of Zooniverse volunteer projects when I was younger. I think that doing outdoor projects, in particular, can help a person to better understand and engage with their Great Nearby.

Since our squirrel endeavor, I feel as though I have been more aware of and excited about squirrels on campus. I also noticed what seems to be a squirrel nest in the tree that I am observing, which I am looking forward to further examining! Overall, it feels like I can now look at squirrels and get a better sense of how to categorize the activities that they are engaging in. As we’ve discussed in class—this project, along with the other things we have learned in the course, has shifted me from having “amateur eyes” to having eyes that are slightly keener to certain specific nuances of urban environmental systems, such as certain aspects of how trees and squirrels function.

The opportunities for citizen science projects are limitless. There are so many ways for people to engage with their environments, and a lot of meaningful data could be collected about a variety of different projects. If I were to lead a project, I think I would enjoy leading one on bees. I know that Illinois has a huge amount of native bee species, although I am unsure of which species are present in our Great Nearby. I think that giving people image keys that would allow them to categorize which native bee species they see, along with ethograms for roughly categorizing their behaviors, would be useful for better understanding the life of bees in our Great Nearby. In particular, this could add knowledge of which pollinators exist in our area, and analyzing their behaviors could help to flag anything that could potentially be putting bees in danger. Citizen scientists would learn how to distinguish different bee species, which could be helpful for people who care about the species. It would also help in making sure that people no longer mistake bees for things like wasps and yellowjackets. Overall, I think projects like Squirrel-Net have a lot of potential for being applied to other species, and I am interested in participating in more citizen science projects in the future!

Week 4

GIF courtesy of Doodle Jump

GIF courtesy of Doodle Jump

By Week 4, things had started to ramp up—academically, personally, and ecologically. I observed my tree at night because my dorm was playing a game with water guns. The guy that lives in the room across from me, Lucas, went to the dollar store and bought a ton of miniature super soakers. He assigned everyone a target, and over the course of two and a half weeks, residents sprayed their targets across campus. Most commonly, people were hit in the Bartlett Quad while traveling between the dorm and meals.

As a result, I was slightly scared to observe my Littleleaf linden during this time span. I would sit beside my tree for an hour each week and pray that my assassin would not find me. Ultimately, I was one of the final five; the rules changed so that people could get hit indoors, and so I was eliminated at the beginning of seventh week while hosting an event in the lounge (1:22, it is embarrassing).

Although this game probably sounds needlessly intense and stress-inducing for a dorm activity, it was actually a great way for people to engage with the Great Nearby!

While observing at night, I heard rustling midway through, which I assumed was a squirrel; I looked around intensely with my flashlight for a few minutes but could not find it. It may have just been wind rustling, or a squirrel could have hopped into one of the adjacent trees; perhaps it spotted my flashlight and got scared. I still couldn't figure out whether the squirrel-nest-like clump of leaves is used.

I noticed two of the roly-polys again, this time in a crack where the trunk splits into two parts on the northern side. Some of the plants surrounding my tree, including the long grass-likes ones and some of the ones with more heart-shaped leaves, appeared to be droopier than usual. Although it was harder to tell in the dark, more of the leaves were starting to take on an orange tint, but less than I would’ve expected at this time of the year. I looked at the bark on the trunk and saw orange flecks and grayish lichen.

The week was also busy and chaotic in other respects, but through these events, I was able to better observe urban ecology throughout the city of Chicago!

On Saturday, I visited UIC to watch the rugby game. While walking to the game's afterparty, a teammate stopped me so that we could look at these flowers; I think they are daisies or white asters.

I also saw my family for Parent's Weekend! We ended up visiting Navy Pier. It was just as touristy as I remembered, but this time around, I was looking around to see how people interacted with urban ecology!

I was surprised by the variety of plant species planted along the walkways on Navy Pier. Biodiversity is everywhere!

Week 5

In fifth week, I observed a squirrel go through the bed the tree is in. I initially thought it was going to climb the tree; instead, it climbed onto the banister along the accessible entrance and started foraging in an alert manner. I did not notice any other animal species, and all of the plant species nearby seemed around the same as the prior weeks—some slightly droopy-looking, but nevertheless alive.

I noticed that although some of the leaves were changing color, the color of the changing leaves was much less vivid than some of the other trees nearby. One tree nearby was almost entirely a bright orange by this point, while my tree had just some duller orange leaves, which gave the overall appearance a slight hint of orange. The side of the tree facing Bartlett, in particular, was still pretty strikingly green. I also had not noticed many additional leaves falling.

I made digital art based on photos from around this time of the quarter, pictured on the side. I wanted to paint my Great Nearby with vivid colors to convey how vibrant everything felt at this point in the color. For the most part, I used relatively unrealistic, childlike strokes; I was not sure I could do my Great Nearby justice in any other style.

Week 6

While watching my tree, I saw that more of the plants, particularly the ones with big leaves near the north end of the tree, appeared to have wilted significantly, and I was not sure if it was due to the changing of the seasons or another cause.

I smelled the scent of the bark; it was crisp and earthy. Week 6 was an interesting one. I was busy with various midterm assignments, but it was also the week after Halloween!

Land Use

The ecosystem of my Great Nearby is significantly impacted by human construction and engagement. Most of the natural spaces can be considered third nature; as a result, the soil is likely laid in place by the University. I do not think there is much variety in the different types of soil in my Great Nearby. I think that it is likely pretty packed down; I wonder whether this could impact the amount that the roots of trees can grow and spread. All of the soil seems relatively welcoming for plant species, given that the plants that I have seen are growing healthily, including my focal tree. This could be because of the university adding fertile fill to the soil, which is noted on a Facilities Services webpage.

There has also been a fair amount of rain this quarter, so I haven’t seen any of the soil as particularly dry. The temperature also appears to be relatively consistent, although the wind tunnel created by the structure of Campus North could be interesting to consider, and it is plausible that the green roofs on North could plausibly help with decreasing the urban heat island effect. The trees planted in my Great Nearby that line the trees and sidewalks help to provide shade, which can also help with reducing the heat island effect and with helping heat feel less intense for people walking.

Altered hydrology is also an interesting consideration. The buildings definitely impact the flow of water when it rains; the university has some sort of drainage system in place that prevents the buildings and natural spaces in my Great Nearby from getting too flooded. There are a variety of impervious surfaces in my Great Nearby, including the concrete sidewalks, the asphalt roads, and the roofs of various buildings. These can also play a role in the temperature, and they can potentially divide up the ecosystem, creating slightly fragmented habitats. This is particularly notable in relation to the roads in my Great Nearby; animals like squirrels can cross sidewalks with relative ease, but it may be more challenging to cross 56th Street, for instance.

Theology

I decided to read the introduction of Michael Northcott’s Place, Ecology and the Sacred: The Moral Geography of Sustainable Communities as I was interested in learning more about how theological concepts could relate to Leopold’s ideas on nature. Northcott uses Leopold’s “land pathology” concept to argue that most people in the present are disconnected from the land (Northcott, 5). He argues that natural areas are now conceived of as “spaces” rather than “places” due to mechanisms of capitalism, meaning that people survey and map out the land but do not meaningfully engage with it (Northcott, 11). This relates in interesting ways to other texts we have read in the class; similar to Pruett-Jones, he also touches on how children do not have quality interactions with the environment and how this could potentially lead to harmful attitudes towards natural spaces. In my Great Nearby, I think environmental areas are seen as spaces insofar as we see natural areas and think of what purposes they serve for us. For instance, the Bartlett Quad is for walking to class and for going to the dining hall. The Breakup Circle near Campus North is for breaking up. I do not think people generally actively consider their relationship with the environment in my Great Nearby, simply because I think it is often seen as a backdrop for other activities. Still, the Land Ethic could be applied here if people thought more about the reciprocal relationship they have with these spaces. I think attitudes could shift so that the environment is considered to be a key part of the community of my Great Nearby.

Stubs of the plants and raked leaves

More leaves fall!

In particular, I saw this squirrel on a bike next to Bartlett!

Up close!

My tree, providing services

Building across from Botany Pond

Week 7

Week 7 was strikingly busy. I was shocked to find on Tuesday morning that all of the plant species next to my tree had been cut. I assumed it was regular seasonal upkeep; there were little stubs left, which I hope will allow them to regrow next spring, but I was still sad about it.

There was a considerable amount of leaf drop this week. I noticed a fair amount of leaves on the ground last Sunday; by Tuesday, it seems like they were raked onto a black tarp. More leaves fell and covered the bed during the week; the area was covered with leaves on Thursday. They were primarily mustard yellow ones—which surprised me because there were not too many leaves on the tree that were a bright mustard yellow—there were some that were more orange and pear-colored. The tree itself still hadn't had too much of a vivid color change, but it seemed more yellow than in previous weeks.

I assumed most of the leaves on the ground were from my Littleleaf linden; they seemed cordate, although they could have also conceivably been from nearby ones.

I didn’t see any species during my observation period, but I noticed 3 squirrels—possibly the same squirrel three times—adjacent to the bed throughout the week. As I looked around for animal species, I reflected on the various services that my tree provides its ecosystem.

Ecosystem Services, Health, and Economic Gain

My Littleleaf linden offers a variety of useful ecosystem services! I found the framework discussed in class from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment to be quite useful for considering how my tree provides meaningful contributions back to the ecosystem.

In terms of supporting roles, I believe that my tree supports healthy soils, engages in photosynthesis, and contributes to nutrient cycling. My tree is also a wildlife habitat! It is a home for roly-polys. In addition, I think that my tree could feasibly serve as a habitat for birds and squirrels, even if I have not observed this directly. Many other trees and plants in my Great Nearby play similar roles.

For regulating, my tree contributes a lot, as do other trees in my great nearby: they help with clean air and carbon storage, and they also serve as useful sites for pollination.

Most plant species in my Great Nearby are not considered useful for provisioning services; people are not relying on my tree for food or water. Nevertheless, from a cultural standpoint, my tree provides shade, and so the stone rails next to my tree can double as a shaded sitting spot. It also lends aesthetic beauty to the front of the Bartlett Dining Commons. More broadly, my tree and the other plants near it help to set the vibe of that part of the campus, creating a sense of place that feels distinctly UChicago.

The ecosystem of my Great Nearby can also provide health benefits. As discussed in class, having nature nearby can help with attention and mood. Anecdotally, I have found this to be quite true. Walking around nature in my Great Nearby feels really nice; it often helps me to feel more relaxed and focused afterward. Thus, from a mental health standpoint, it is likely nice for the inhabitants of my Great Nearby to have spaces like the Bartlett Quad and Botany Pond. More broadly, we touched on how greenspace exposure can be associated with more long-term health outcomes; although I have not been able to observe this in my short time on campus, I certainly think it is important to consider.

Week 8

I noticed three squirrels in the adjacent bed who were actively foraging around 3 p.m. on Friday. I had not seen the roly-polys for a few weeks; I hypothesize that they may be absent due to the colder temperatures.

There was also additional leaf fall; I estimate that the tree was roughly 75% leafless. The leaves still on the tree were mostly yellow. The area appears to be consistently raked; there were some yellow leaves around the perimeter of the bed, but the bulk of the bed looked like it has been raked. The plants pruned nearby the prior week were still short. There was a bush in the bed that was still quite green.

The bark appeared to be texturally the same as it has been in previous weeks; I wondered if it will change during the upcoming winter.

The air smelled frostier. At the time, I wondered if leaf fall would complete while I was gone for the weeklong Thanksgiving break—it mostly did.

Equity and the Great Nearby

It is incredibly important to consider how racist and classist city policies have shaped the urban environment. Over the course of decades, we have developed a heterogeneous urban landscape through practices like redlining; this racial oppression, along with other mechanisms that lead to the stratification of wealth, has large-scale impacts in the present, as described by Schell et al. in their paper. Structural racism and classism also played a large role in health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aagard et al. emphasize the importance of a framework that considers socio-ecological systems while addressing urban environmental conservation. Considering things like accessibility and public health in urban conservation is key for making sure that the utilization of nature is equitable for all; the example we discussed in the course of wheelchair accessible trails in Chicago parks really stuck with me.

Looking specifically at my Great Nearby, these topics are visible and pertinent. My Great Nearby is primarily University of Chicago-owned land. The university has accumulated a large amount of wealth over time, allowing for a high degree of landscaping and maintenance in my Great Nearby, along with the continued creation of new developments, including structures like North. The University is located near several neighborhoods on the South Side that are majority Black and have experienced a lack of investment from the city government over decades. The University plays a role in the gentrification of the surrounding area, which can at times lead to displacement. This often disproportionately impacts people of color.

In addition, Aagard discusses where people went during the pandemic. Sometimes, movement is a privilege; other times, it is a necessity. In my Great Nearby, there are two dorms: Max Palevsky and North. In June of 2020, shortly before the 2020-21 school year, students were informed that the dorms would be single occupancy due to the pandemic, and that housing was no longer guaranteed for non-first-years. As a result, non-first-years swarmed to find dorms off-campus; this shock to the market potentially led to increased prices, which could have further accelerated gentrification in Hyde Park and Woodlawn. Although this specific instance is mostly speculation, it is important to consider how students looking for housing could play a role in perpetuating housing inequities in the area. More broadly, it often feels like the university is a bubble from the rest of the South Side. This is due to a mixture of University and City policies related to topics ranging from policing to building designs. When looking at the Urban Ecology of my Great Nearby, especially the Bartlett Quad, I noticed how insulated it feels. The people walking across it are almost entirely university-affiliated. The land-use patterns of my Great Nearby mirror the rest of campus, but they do not mirror certain parts of the South Side that are disenfranchised, with abandoned buildings and vacant lots. It often seems as though the university focuses more on serving itself rather than on serving the surrounding community, and in my eyes, the design of ecological spaces on campus reflects that. Of course, there’s the caveat that the university has some outreach efforts and attempts to give back, but the ecological differences that have developed over the decades are still striking.

Week 9

And just like that, we are near the end. A week of observation was skipped as I went home for the break.

I arrived back on campus after the sun had already set. I tried to experience my tree in ways other than sight. I have observed my tree after sunset before; I normally use my phone flashlight to illuminate the area so that I can see as many details as I can. This time, I tried to rely on my other senses to shift my perspective. I attempted to smell the tree. I spent a lot of time sniffing different parts of it, hoping to find something to report back. However, my tree smelt aggressively neutral tonight. It did not even smell “fresh” like it had other times I smelled it; all I was taking in was the crispness of the night air. I tried ripping off a piece of bark: still no smell, but I noticed that the underside of the bark is a comparatively vibrant orange compared to the rest of the bark’s brown.

I also felt the texture of the tree. It is ridged. Interestingly, I noticed the bark is slightly softer towards the portion where the trunk splits off on the tree’s east side; it also appears to be a slightly richer brown. I took a little while to stare directly up at the branches. There are a considerable number of branches; they form a complex web and seem as though they could provide a little bit of shade cover even without leaves. A substantial amount of the leaves are gone, although a few are still hanging on; I took photos the next morning.

Some of the observations of my Littleleaf linden give me insights into broader tree species. There are certain traits of the tree that I can assume are shared by most other Littleleaf lindens, including the shape and color of the leaves and the number of seed pods. Thus, I can learn about the species as a whole through the observation of an individual tree; some of my knowledge can be scaled up, even if my tree has some of its own particular features. Similarly, I have arguably learned about what impacts other trees on UChicago’s campus through the observation of my own, as I have been able to observe things like the foot traffic of students and the prevalence of species like squirrels. Thus, some of what I have learned could be scaled up to the rest of campus. However, there are certain elements of my tree and how humans engage with it that are unique; thus, I must be careful before I make generalizations. My tree exists in a particular context; it is next to the dining hall, an area with considerable foot traffic. Some of my observations related to this—like the plastic and trash I have occasionally found in the bed of my tree—might not apply to a Littleleaf linden in a less-trafficked area.

I have not seen any animal species near my tree this week. I still wonder about the roly-polys and whether squirrels actually nested in my tree. Some questions remain unanswered.

Week 10: The Final Round

In the final week of the quarter, I sat in front of my tree and reflected. Nearly all of the leaves had fallen off of the tree; the few leaves remaining were a burnt orange, and they were significantly shriveled from their original size. I realized how different it looked from the start of the quarter, which prompted me to contemplate the narrative of my tree throughout the course of the quarter.

In many ways, the journey of my tree was expected. It is fall. The leaves change color and fall. It gets colder. I documented the temperature each time I observed my tree; the graph below shows the measured temperatures throughout the quarter. Anecdotally, I realized I had to start bundling up around Week 7; my hands turned red from the cold as I wrote my observations.

However, some parts of my observation were unexpected and did not quite fit the preconceived notions I had about my tree. I assumed that I would encounter various animal species during my observation periods but that did not end up being the case. I only noticed roly-polys on the tree during a few weeks of my observations. Other than that, I saw squirrels, ants, and bees, but I never saw them directly interacting with the tree—I am still curious whether the clump of leaves that was in my tree for the first chunk of the quarter was a squirrel nest. In future investigations, I would like to better understand these animal species and how they interact with the tree. In particular, I would like to learn more about the roly-polys, and how they potentially use the tree as a habitat and a source of food.

A large number of my observations focused on the details of the tree itself. In the word cloud below, "leaves" features prominently, which makes sense; I focused a lot on understanding how the color shifted with time. I also spent a lot of time wondering about the future of the tree, which explains why "wonder" is such a large word.

Made using Free Word Cloud Generator

Made using Free Word Cloud Generator

I also was curious about whether I could visualize the change in color of my tree over time. On the right, you can see the photos of the Littleleaf linden each week, which shows the changes of the leaves and the surrounding plants. The shift in color and quantity of leaves is clear over time.

I also found the average color of these images, which is featured below. I took these photos at different angles, times of the day, and levels of cloud color, so this visualization is not particularly useful for actually understanding the color of the tree for that week—notice how dark the fourth square is, which corresponds to the photo from Week 4 that I took at night. Nevertheless, it is neat to see that the images were yellow-tinted in Week 6, Week 7, and Week 8 before becoming quite grey in Week 10.

Used a JavaScript application to get the average color of the images for each week; each square corresponds to a week. This is not meant to be a comprehensive visualization of the color of the tree, but it is still interesting for seeing how the photos got slightly more yellow before turning grey in the very last week.

Used a JavaScript application to get the average color of the images for each week; each square corresponds to a week. This is not meant to be a comprehensive visualization of the color of the tree, but it is still interesting for seeing how the photos got slightly more yellow before turning grey in the very last week.

Final Reflections

The journey of my tree was similar to the other trees in my Great Nearby. Thus, through my close observation of a single tree, I was able to learn more about nature as a whole. Even though different species change colors and lose their leaves at different rates, I gained a better sense of when these processes occur and how long they go on for. I found myself excited to further observe other parts of my local environment as a result of this project, which encouraged me to learn even more!

In contrast to solely text-based classes, I feel like this class allowed me to more directly apply what we learned to my everyday life. I could think about urban ecology while walking to class or sitting on the Quad with friends. With that being said, the texts we read in the class also helped me with both the task of observing the tree and the process of reflecting on nature in my life as a whole.

Based on readings in the class, I considered things like the types of observations I make and how I walk through outdoor spaces. This was helpful for me as it made me more aware of what lens I am looking through when I perceive the world. I look at everything through specific contexts that are informed by my experiences. Considering this fact will be useful for me across a wide variety of circumstances. I am interested in working in a public health-related field; it will be important for me to make thoughtful observations, understand what lens I view situations from, and consider the broader social context of various health issues. The skills I gained from this project will be helpful for all of these things.

People were always super excited to hear about this project. Whenever someone asked what classes I was taking this quarter, I would mention that I am in a class where I observe a tree for an hour each week. People always had questions, and they seemed genuinely interested in hearing about my tree and my experiences with it. It was a great thing to talk about at parties. A few of my friends even observed the tree with me for a couple of weeks, which I appreciated. I think that people were excited to hear about a class where students directly engage with the world around them. As ecologists like Melinda Pruett-Jones have suggested, hands-on engagement with the natural world can help people to truly understand its ubiquity and importance in our everyday lives. In particular, fun projects like this one demonstrate the amount of joy that people can experience from engaging with the environment.

Overall, I successfully made it through all 10 weeks of this quarter. I've passed through all of the levels and won the game! The quarter was definitely challenging at times, but I nevertheless made good memories, learned a lot, and befriended a really awesome Littleleaf linden in the middle of the Bartlett Quad!

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 10

Works Cited

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Anderson, J. (2017). Why ecology needs natural history. American Scientist, 105(5), 290. https://doi.org/10.1511/2017.105.5.290
Aplet, G., & Cole, D. (2010). Chapter Two: The trouble with naturalness: Rethinking park and wilderness goals.

Breuste, J. (2020). The urban nature concept—of what urban green consists of. Cities and Nature, 17-48. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37716-8_2

Cronon, W. (1992). Prologue. In Nature's metropolis: Chicago and the great west. W. W. Norton & Company.

De Jaegere, T., Hein, S., & Claessens, H. (2016). A review of the characteristics of small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata mill.) and their implications for silviculture in a changing climate. Forests, 7(3), 56. https://doi.org/10.3390/f7030056

Del Tredici, P. (2014). The flora of the future. Places Journal, (2014). https://doi.org/10.22269/140417

Kowarik, I. (2015). Cities and wilderness: A new perspective. International Journal of Wilderness, 19(3), 32-36. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259389620_Cities_and_wilderness_A_new_perspective

Lande, C., Rao, S., Morré, J. T., Galindo, G., Kirby, J., Reardon, P. N., Bobe, G., & Stevens, J. F. (2019). Linden (Tilia cordata) associated bumble bee mortality: Metabolomic analysis of nectar and bee muscle. PLOS ONE, 14(7), e0218406. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218406

Lepczyk, C. A., Aronson, M. F., Evans, K. L., Goddard, M. A., Lerman, S. B., & MacIvor, J. S. (2017). Biodiversity in the city: Fundamental questions for understanding the ecology of urban green spaces for biodiversity conservation. BioScience, 67(9), 799-807. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix079

Littleleaf Linden (Tilia cordata). (2017, April 28). National Museum of American Illustration. https://americanillustration.org/project/tilia-cordata/

Littleleaf Linden - Tilia cordata. (n.d.). Urban Forestry Outreach and Research (UFOR) Nursery and Lab. https://trees.umn.edu/littleleaf-linden-tilia-cordata

Littleleaf Linden tree. (n.d.). Arbor Day Foundation. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/treedetail.cfm?itemID=858

Northcott, M. (2015). Place, ecology, and the sacred: The moral geography of sustainable communities.

Pruett-Jones, M. (2015). Looking up. In City creatures: Animal encounters in the Chicago wilderness, 27-32.

Schell, Christopher J., Karen Dyson, Tracy L. Fuentes, Simone Des Roches, Nyeema C. Harris, Danica S. Miller, Cleo A. Woelfle-Erskine, and Max

R. Lambert. "The ecological and evolutionary consequences of systemic racism in urban environments." Science 369, no. 6510 (2020). doi:10.1126/science.aay4497.

The Joseph Regenstein library. (n.d.). The University of Chicago Library - The University of Chicago Library. https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/spaces/joseph-regenstein-library/

Tilia cordata - Plant Finder. (n.d.). Missouri Botanical Garden. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a918

UChicago Campus Tree Inventory. (n.d.). ArborScope. https://arborscope.com/mapDisplay.cfm?id=08C5C2C7

UChicago natural history. (n.d.). The University of Chicago Facilities Services. https://facilities.uchicago.edu/botanic_garden/uchicago_natural_history/

Zhang, Stratopoulos, Pretzsch, & Rötzer. (2019). How do Tilia cordata Greenspire trees cope with drought stress regarding their biomass allocation and ecosystem services? Forests, 10(8), 676. https://doi.org/10.3390/f10080676

Ţenche-Constantinescu, A. M., Varan, C., Borlea, F., Madoşa, E., & Szekely, G. (2015). The symbolism of the linden tree. Journal of Horticulture, Forestry, and Biotechnology, 19(2), 237-242. https://journal-hfb.usab-tm.ro/romana/2015/Lucrari%20PDF/Lucrari%20PDF%2019(2)/41Tenche%20Alina%202.pdf

Photos by me unless stated otherwise.

Appendix

(Excuses to use the "insert rich embed" function)

Course Notes

Playlists of the Quarter (vaguely nature-inspired!)

Weeks 0-2

Weeks 3-5

Weeks 6-8