English Ivy

H.R. Waller
Date: 30 September, 2008
Time: 0940
Location: Right before the sky bridge, next to Sparks.
Weather: a little cloudy, 58 degrees, brisk feeling.
Today in my biology class we were discussing the effects of invasive species on the natural world and we began to discuss English Ivy and how it is incredibly invasive and creeps up on to trees, evntually killing them. Though it looks pretty, it is a threat to the health of some species. Then as I was walking back to Kaneko from class, I spotted upon the wall to the east of Sparks a plethora of ivy crawling up the wall, the trunk of the tree planted in the bed and all over the ground as well. It is fascinating to look at. It does its work gracefully, appearing beautiful and intentional. It is strange to look at how it holds itself in a perfectly upright position against the flat wall. It has nothing to grab on to or curl itself around, but somehow it takes over every inch of available space. It is a shame that this plant that adds a good deal of aesthetics has to be so harmful and difficult to control.