Habitat Destruction

Trouble for the Cranes by Bhavya
Yip and her family were a typical family of whooping cranes. They ate berries and bugs and all the other things normal whooping cranes eat. They had the same slender legs and slim neck all whoopers have. They also had the same problem as other birds of their kind.
Mama flew off one day to get something to eat while Yip was sleeping in the nest made of bulrush and grass. There was a loud rumble in the distance coming closer very quickly. Papa was wading through some tall marshland grass around the nest. The rumbling was becoming a loud roar. It was coming closer and closer. Then, a bulldozer came crashing through the grass. Marsh water splashed over Yip, waking her up as the bulldozer passed right next to her, just missing her by inches. She got caught in a large tangle of grasses.
''Where are you?'' Papa asked.
"Over here!'' Yip replied. She climbed out from under the grass.
''Thank goodness you're safe.'' he declared, "We'll have to find another nest for you."
"Who did that?'' Yip demanded, "Why did that thing destroy the nest?''
''Those humans are destroying our habitat. They are using up the land for their own foolish needs. Let's go find your mother.''
They set out looking for Yip's mother. After a while, they came upon a small clearing. ''It just needs a little grass and bulrush and it'll be fine.''
Pretty soon Mama came gliding gracefully on a rising column of warm air to where they were. "I went to the other place and didn't see you so I asked one of the other cranes where you were. She said you came over this way. I see you have found an excellent place for another nest."
Mama and Papa started to gather bulrush and grass to build a new nest. They heard some talking but didn't pay much attention. Yip was wandering around, looking for the source of the talking. She was sure that the source of the talking was the same thing that was sloshing around in the marshy area in front of her. She went a little farther into the grass until she came to another little clearing besides her own. There stood a human being who crouched down to look at her. Frightened, Yip ran through the marsh, not knowing where she was going. She came to where the old nest once was. She looked around. She saw that the human had followed her. He was looking over the remains of the nest. "Bulldozer," he muttered under his breath with an angry expression on his face. Then he ran away. Yip found her way back home. There she found a brand new nest waiting for her. She told Mama and Papa about what had just happened. Then, they fell asleep. Yip was awakened by the sound of many people talking but one voice was very loud. She listened closely. "…the reinforced laws will protect the cranes that live here and all the other animals that live in this marshland." Yip woke up Mama and Papa to ask them what that meant. Mama and Papa told her that it meant that from now on they were safe from any humans who wished to disturb them.
"From now on we’re free from the human destruction. Now we can live our own happy lives." And so they did.

No species can continue to exist when its ecosystem—it’s very home—is destroyed (Sheldon). Animals and plants are becoming extinct or endangered every day for a variety of reasons, but what matters is what is the main cause and how we can find a solution to solve the problem. Species become extinct due to the impact of introduced exotic species, pollution, disease, hunting, and habitat destruction. Habitat destruction is the main cause of species endangerment as it is caused both by humans and environmental factors: “Habitat destruction is probably the single most important factor leading to the endangerment of species. It plays a role in the decline of some 95 percent of federally listed threatened and endangered species. Habitat destruction has impacted nearly every type of habitat and all ecosystems” (libraryindex.com). Animals and plants have certain needs to survive such as water, food, shelter, and suitable living conditions and when an animal’s habitat or ecosystem is destroyed, the things they need are no longer there for them to survive. “The main cause of the present extinctions is habitat destruction stemming from human activities, such as the clear-cutting of old growth forests in the temperate zone and rain forests in the tropics, overgrazing grasslands, draining wetlands, and polluting freshwater and marine ecosystems” (Primack 3).

Population growth is the largest reason as to why habitats are getting destroyed, as there are more and more people in the world, more resources are being used, therefore habitats are being destroyed to obtain these resources. We need more land and more resources such as wood, water, and food as our population increases. As we use more land, more animals lose there’s. “Wiping off an entire forest within a short span of time to undertake and initiate a housing project creates habitat destruction. Hence, the hopeless animals are not left with much time to adapt themselves. As a result, even the strongest are not able to survive, ultimately resulting in extinction of species (tutorvista.com).” Humans use resources for industries and they clear habitats for agricultural uses. Pollution to the water is also a form of habitat destruction and greatly affects any aquatic animals and is believed to be the main killer of underwater species. Also urban expansion is another huge contributor to habitat destruction as well as logging (cutting forests), grazing from livestock, mining, dams, and human activities.

Although I strongly believe that habitat destruction is the number one cause of species becoming extinct, many scientists believe that climate change is the main cause. According to Kristine Preston, climate change is mainly the result of human-caused emissions of heat-trapping gases and is the main reason why animals are becoming extinct (Page 1). Yes, I can see why some people would believe this; there is great evidence that shows how the change in the climate is altering habitats, therefore changing the lands temperatures so that previous animals that thrived there no longer can. Humans emit greenhouse gases into the air through automobiles, factories and other chemicals, which secrete into our atmosphere and little by little are eroding away our ozone layer which protects from harmful radiation from the sun. In the past few centuries, the amount of greenhouse gases emitting into the air has increased, therefore speeding up the erosion of the ozone layer. With the ozone layer depleting, more radiation from the sun is able to get through to the earth, which in turn is heating up the earth’s atmosphere, hence climate change. The Earth’s temperatures are slowly rising which can cause major problems to ecosystems. Certain plants and animals are adapted to their environments and when you increase temperatures, their environments may not become suitable to live in anymore. For herbivores, if plants die due to the change in temperature, then what is there left to eat? They will either die or have to find another place to live. Although climate change is a very big problem, it is not big enough of a problem for endangered species. Habitat destruction is a guaranteed way for an animal to die from lack of basic needs or to migrate to another location that is suitable for them to survive in. In climate change, it isn’t guaranteed they can no longer live there as they still have a fighting chance.

Others might argue that disease caused from introducing new species into new habitats is a major cause of extinction. I agree that this is a cause, but I do not agree that it is a major one. More animals have become extinct in the past two centuries or so due to increase in the human population, but I feel the disease from introducing new species into habitats is no longer a major cause of extinction, like it used to be. When people first started discovering new territories and exploring new ecosystems, that’s when I believe this was a problem. “As a result of increased predation and disturbance, about 50 of the bird species became extinct prior to the arrival of Europeans in 1778. The Europeans brought cats, new species of rats, the Indian mongoose, goats, cattle, and the barn owl; they also unwittingly brought bird diseases, and they cleared even more land for agriculture and human settlements…ultimately, human disturbance and the introduction of exotic species could result in the extinction of all endemic bird species” (Primack 84). I believe that since most of the world has now been discovered and settled in, introducing new species is no longer a major threat. Each continent and habitat now has its own set up species of plants and animals; the only time new species would be introduced would be if vacationers and the likes bring home species from foreign countries. U.S. Customs states that, “You contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before you depart if you plan to import or export wild birds, land or marine mammals, reptiles, fish, shellfish, mollusks or invertebrates (cpv.gov).

Habitat destruction is caused by many factors, one of which is population growth and urban expansion. Our population continues to rise drastically which calls for a greater need of urban areas. Habitats are being taken over by homes and industries to provide for this increase in the population. Forests and grasslands are cleared to build suburb communities for the increasing middle class. Also, the population growth has caused fragmentation which is, “the process where a large, continuous area of habitat is both reduced in area and divided into two or more fragments… fragmentation occurs when paved roads are built, causing a habitat to be divided onto either side of the road” (Primack 35). Fragmentation also can occur when farmlands are created in the middle of habitats. “Many bird, mammal, and insect species in forests will not cross even very short distances of open area… A second harmful aspect of habitat fragmentation is that it reduces foraging ability of animals. Many animal species, either as individuals or social groups, need to be able to move freely across the landscape to feed on widely scattered sources” (Primack 35).

With the increase in the world’s population comes the need for more resources; this includes wood from trees, and this is where we get to deforestation. According to Norman Myers, “Tropical moist forests, hereinafter referred to simply as tropical forests, contain at least 50% and possibly a still larger proportion of earth’s species in only 6% of earth’s land surface. The forests share another unique characteristic: they are being depleted faster than any other large-scale biome” (Swanson 111). If deforestation continues, which it will, due to the need for wood to construct buildings, many species will be wiped out for good. I understand that deforestation can’t be avoided, but I feel that there are ways to go about deforestation that will lower the number of animals becoming extinct or endangered from it. If you are going to cut down trees, why do it from the rain forests? If it is true that they do hold 50% of the world’s species, there is a greater chance of one of those species becoming extinct than if you deforest a coniferous or temperate forests where there are less species to effect; the less species, the decrease in amount of animals becoming endangered.

Pollution is another huge factor in habitat destruction, especially for aquatic life. “Water pollution often severely damages aquatic communities. Rivers, lakes, and oceans are used as open sewers for industrial wastes and residential sewage” (Primack 147). Aquatic environments hold millions of plant and animal species, and the pollution deposited into these environments poisons the species and kills them. “Pesticides, herbicides, petroleum products, heavy metals (such as mercury, lead, and zinc), detergents, and industrial wastes can kill these organisms” (Primack 149). People these days, for whether its lack of effort or for a rich man to get richer, seem to not care or pay attention as to where there waste items end up. CEO’s of big shot industries don’t care where their waste goes, they let it run off into the rivers and streams, and hey if it keeps them rich why would they care? Also, people of this century are lazy and some are too lazy to walk over to a trash can and throw their items away. Why not just toss it on the ground? People don’t think that the one plastic cup full of coke is going to have an effect on anything, but it can. “Europe’s largest river the Rhine, has seen a severe decline in species diversity during the past 60 years as a direct result of increasing pollution” (Catley 104). Believe it or not, that one plastic cup can do more harm than you think.

In conclusion, habitat destruction is the main cause for the endangerment of species. Although many may believe that climate change and disease caused from introducing new species into an environment is the main reason but there is more evidence and more species on the endangered list do to habitat destruction. It is caused by human and environmental factors but its largest contributor is population growth. The population growth leads to urban expansion, and a bigger demand on resources which then leads to deforestation for wood, and mining which releases toxic substances into the surroundings and destroys habitats. Pollution destroys aquatic habitats and greatly affects the species that live there. Habitat destruction is a huge problem and most of the species that became endangered got that way due to their habitat being invaded, whether by humans or waste, and destroyed.

Work Cited
Bhavya, By. "Whooping Crane by Bhavya." Pontantico Hills School, Nov. 1999. Web. 20 Nov. 2010. .

Catley, Ketyn M. The Biodiversity Crisis: Losing What Counts. Ed. Michael J. Novacek. New York: New, 2001. Print.

"Endangered Species Activities Tutorvista.com." Tutorvista.com - Online Tutoring, Homework Help for Math, Science, English from Best Online Tutor. Web. 20 Nov. 2010. .

"Extinction and Endangered Species - Factors That Contribute to Species Endangerment." Library Index. Net Industries, 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. .
Meyers, Norman. The Economics and Ecology of Biodiversity Decline: the Forces Driving Global Change. Ed. Timothy M. Swanson. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1995. Print.

Preston, Kristine L, John T. Rotenberry, Richard A. Redak, Michael F. Allen. Habitat Shifts of Endangered Species Under Altered Climate Conditions: Importance of Biotic Interactions. University of California: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2008. Print.

Primack, Richard B. Essentials of Conservation Biology. Sunderland, Mass., U.S.A.: Sinauer Associates, 1993. Print.

Sheldon, Joseph K. "Endangered Species/Species Extinction - Causes, Statistics, and Trends." Clean Funny Cartoons / Environmental Issues ... on Grinning Planet. 13 July 2004. Web. 18 Nov. 2010. .

U.S. Residents. "Know Before You Go: Regulations for International Travel." U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 2009. Web. .

Al Gore: An Inconvenient Truth

According to the Environmental Defense Fund, in 2005 it was the hottest year on record. There was a 100% increase in the intensity and duration of hurricanes since the 1970’s. Hurricanes in 2005 caused 100 billion dollars in damages alone in the U.S. By 2030, Glacier National Park will no longer have glaciers. In the last 30 years, 400,000 square miles of Arctic sea ice have melted and by 2050, 15-37% of plant and animal species could be wiped out due to global warming (Environmental Defense Fund). In Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, his main argument is that the world does not care enough about global warming and it is time to make some changes to help prevent it. Gore is very persuasive and enticing in his film and lectures and seems to know what he is talking about. He gathered many credible statistics and facts to help prove his claims and to help make his audience believe in his ideas and solutions. Gore may be well known politically, but can he make himself known in the scientific world as well? In order to figure out this question, we must look deeper into the film and break apart the facts and how Gore communicates with his audience to decide if this is possible.

I believe Gore’s argument to be very successful. Global warming is a mainstream topic that is constantly being discussed in the media and it is a topic that draws people’s attention. This film helps elaborate on this topic and make people really think about their actions. Gore uses tons of statistical data and graphs to help grab people’s attention. For example, he used charts of the CO2 levels and environmental temperatures from the past millions of years to really effect the emotions of the audience. This information was taken from glaciers and recorded. It showed how in the past two hundred years or so, CO2 levels have sky rocketed and have more than doubled due to humans; this is surely to grasp the audience’s attention. He also showed projected CO2 levels in fifty years, which would be double what it is now unless we make a change. To help give Gore some credit, according to realclimate.org, “Gore shows the strong parallel relationship between the temperature and CO2 data from the ice cores, and then illustrates where the CO2 is now (384 ppm), leaving the viewer’s eye to extrapolate the temperature curve upwards in parallel with the rising CO2. Gore doesn’t actually make the mistake of drawing the temperature curve, but the implication is obvious: temperatures are going to go up a lot” (Realclimate.org). Gore also used digital satellite-like scenarios in which it showed detailed videos of world renowned cities being flooded by the ocean waters due to Antarctica or Greenland melting. Gore claims that in as little as 50 years, the Arctic Sea would no longer have ice. Mark Serrize, in an article for National Geographic argued that “new research shows it could take as little as 20 years for the sea ice to disappear” (National Geographic). According to Dr. Jim Hansen of NASA, Gore is correct in his ideas that the sea levels could rise to cover many heavily populated cities due to Antarctica or Greenland melting, proving Gore is at least right in that fact (Washington Post). Out of everything Gore showed this was sure to shock people. Gore uses straight scientific facts that come with credibility to show his audience he is telling the truth and that what he is saying is scientifically proven.

The strengths of the documentary are the scientific facts, graphs, scenarios, and pictures. The people will believe Gore more because he used these things to get a reaction from the audience. Gore has a good structure with his presentation; starting off with explaining what global warming is and its causes by using a video clip from the popular animated TV show, Futurama. He then continued on to his main argument that we need to make some changes to stop global warming from becoming worse and that the government and the people of the world need to start paying more attention to the environment and how certain lifestyle choices effect the environment. Gore’s voice and tone grips the audience’s attention and makes them want to hold on to the words he says. He is a great public speaker and really knows how to entrance his audience. The facts were well put together and the presentation was in an orderly fashion.



The film had very few weaknesses, but one of them is the fact that it was Al Gore giving this presentation. He is a politician and is greatly one sided in a lot of his arguments about politics so what is to say he isn’t about global warming as well? Someone with a little bit more credibility in science such as a scientist or someone from an environmental agency would have been better to discuss a topic such as global warming, not a politician. The information is there, but the informant isn’t. Many would disagree with my opinion as Jurgen Fauth states in an article she has written, “If we focus on Al Gore's personality or spend time speculating on his Presidential aspirations, perhaps we won't take notice of the film's carefully elaborated argument. Maybe we'll even forget about global warming” (About.com). The film is well put together and the fact they videotaped Gore’s actual lectures was a good idea. However, the mini Gore stories should have been left out. It is a play for pathos. They had nothing to do with global warming and he used them merely to make his audience sympathetic and trust him more. They made you feel more for Gore, but they made you feel nothing towards the actual reason this film existed, global warming. I believe Gore highly appeals to the ethos aspect as he is a very likable well rounded person. He is also famous and come with high credibility and because he is so well known I feel he can contend to his audience well.

I believe all the facts, charts, and presentations presented by Gore make this film a strong documentary and something that can be presented as highly credible. The fact that he uses such strong information in his presentation and clearly knows what he is talking about greatly enhances the films appeal. I also believe the fact that it is Al Gore, a previous well known candidate in a presidential election giving this presentation makes the film more interesting and more enticing to watch. I feel that the film would not be as strong if this argument was presented from someone with a lower celebrity and status. The facts and information that Gore gathered did the job they needed to do in supporting his argument on global warming. They were strong, credible, and interesting, and greatly enhanced his argument. With all that he presented, it would be hard for someone or anyone to put up a good offense against his argument. Gore greatly appeals to his audience in every way possible. He is a political man of interest and many would watch this film just to see how Gore handles the topic and to see where he stands. He also knows how to play on his audience’s emotions by using shocking facts to scare the audience and home stories that make the audience feel sympathetic towards him and towards his idea. The stories help develop a level of trust between Gore and the audience.

I believe Gore’s argument to be a very successful one, but I also disagree with the director deciding to use Gore to relay this serious message to the people. I feel a more scientific approach and using someone who has more credibility in science would have been a better choice. Global warming is an important topic that needs to be shared with the world. People need to be educated about this topic and learn what they can do to slow it down, otherwise global warming may begin to increase at a faster rate and the whole world will be in turmoil. This film overall does a successful job in educating its audience and to really grasp people’s attention to what is going on in the world around them. I feel if more people were to watch this film, they would get a better idea as to what they can do to help the environment and the earth fight this impending destruction.

An Inconvenient Truth: Team Gore Responds - Fact Checker." Blog Directory (washingtonpost.com). 18 Oct. 2007. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. .

Eric. "The Lag between Temperature and CO2. (Gore’s Got It Right.)." RealClimate. 27 Apr. 2007. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. .

Fauth, Jurgen. "An Inconvenient Truth - Review." World/Independent Film. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. .

"Global Warming by the Numbers - Global Warming - Environmental Defense Fund." Environmental Defense Fund - Finding the Ways That Work. 24 Jan. 2006. Web. 28 Oct. 2010. .

Lovgran, Stephen. "Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" Movie: Fact or Hype?" Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News. National Geographic News, 25 May 2006. Web. 28 Oct. 2010.

Formal Response - An Inconvenient Truth

In the beginning of "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore, he shows satellite pictures taken of the Earth to show you how beautiful Earth really is. He also explains what global warming is by using a clip from the popular cartoon tv show called Futurama. Al Gore starts discussing glaciers and shows pictures of glaciers on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Glacier National Park, Italian Alps, Switzerland, and Peru. He shows pictures from years ago when the glaciers were larger and fuller and now, where they have melted and depleted by at least half of what they used to be. Gore discusses how we can use glaciers to measure past levels of CO2 in the atmosphere and past environmental temperatures. Ocean temperatures become the next topic and how ocean temperatures effect nature and weather. He also discusses factors causing global warming.

The central claim Al Gore is trying to voice is that global warming IS bad and we need to start making changes to fight against it or prevent it before it is too late. Gore uses pictures of the glaciers and the Earth to draw peoples attention. He also uses graphs showing how CO2 levels have progressed over millions of years and how recently CO2 levels are the highest they've ever been amd climbing. Also discussed is ocean temperatures and how the higher the temperature, the greater the winds which equals more storms. There was a greater amount of storms in 2004 and 2005 than ever before. An all time record was set of tornados and typhoons in 2004. Al Gore also showed maps and pictures of what would happen if Greenland or Antarctica melted; sea levels would flood cities.

When Al Gore showed the graph of the CO2 levels I was shocked. The levels are so high and have greatly increased and it is scary to think that CO2 levels are going to be three times that much in 50 years. I feel like this was meant to scare the people into action. The main data shown that affected me the most and got my attention was the computer demo of important cities and regions around the world being flooded and submerged under the ocean due to Greenland and Antarctica melting. This grasps your attention and I was extremely interested in this as it is a huge deal and if were to happen, would be a monumental catastrophe.

Al Gore throughout this film shows himself in a sympathetic, relatable way. He talks about his son and the accident he had when he was six. This made me sympathetic and be more trustful in Al Gore as a person. He uses mini stories of his sons accident, his life growing up on the farm, and his presidential campaign to make you relate to him and trust him and to see him as a normal man. Al Gore is a famous politician so he tries to get the audience to be sympathetic and trust him so they will better believe his argument about global warming.

Magnificent Medina

Who doesn’t love the small, but beautiful farm towns full of unique dining and shopping mixed with breathtaking views of the countryside? Medina is one of them. Medina became a city of Ohio in 1835. Medina is a small, quaint town compared to the nearby city of Cleveland but its bustling downtown environment and beautiful farmlands put it on the map. Medina was founded in 1816, and part of the old town can still be seen in the public square of downtown Medina, where the city has restored the beautiful Victorian styled buildings surrounding it (www.medinahistorical.com). Medina is a continuously growing city; moving from a mostly rural community to a now suburban community. Now to take a deeper look into the Medina community through a firsthand account of the city from Sara Dieckman, a resident of Medina, and delve into her home and the surroundings, along with the economy of the city and its best and worst features; purely opinionated of course.

Sara Dieckman lives in the quiet countryside of Medina, surrounded by farmlands and some wooded areas. Sara lives on a 2 acre property off of the mile long Steigler Road. Her home is equipped with a basketball court and a garage around the same size as her house, filled with carpenter’s equipment to help house the tools of her father’s profession. Steigler Road is unique. Being only one mile long, it is also divided in half. The road is owned by both Medina and Valley City, another neighboring town. Medina is nicely snuggled close to the large city of Cleveland, being only a twenty minute drive away, along with Lake Erie close at hand. Dozens of deer roam the lightly wooded areas and vast farmlands of Medina. This rural town over the past few years has spouted more suburban developments to accommodate the growing population of roughly 27,000 mostly Caucasian occupants (www.medinaoh.org).

Medina’s economy has been slightly struggling the past couple years. Medina seems to have a drug issue erupting amongst the younger members of the population and it has yet to be confronted and solved. Also, the schools and the city seem to be unable to get any levy’s passed. For this, the busing has been canceled so students must find their own rides to school or walk. Also, only the main high school sports such as football, baseball, track, and basketball are played at the school as the smaller sports such as swimming and tennis were cut due to budget issues. A few years ago, the city tried to do away with all the sports to help save money, but the students organized a school wide walk out until the city agreed to return the sports to the schools. For a town that is in love with their football, they weren’t about to let the city get rid of it. The city has a very large recreational park called Hinkley Park. Hinkley Park offers rock-climbing, a lake which holds many forms of water sports, a beach, and a creek. Downtown Medina offers many large department stores for shopping, as does the town of Brunswick which is close by. The closest mall is the Strongsville mall called South Park, which is a twenty minute drive away.

Sara Dieckman, a resident of Medina, offers her opinion on the city. The best places to hang out are Hinkley Park, the attractive historical downtown Medina, and the Strongsville mall. She loves that the community is small and that everyone grows up together from a young age. In her opinion this can be a bad thing as everyone knows everything about everyone. Everyone in the town is close and it’s a beautiful city to live in. One thing she thinks needs to change is the fact that you will not see a sidewalk anywhere except for in the downtown part of the area and a few suburbs. Medina has made her laid back, easygoing, and good with people. However, Sara wants to escape to live on the beaches of North Carolina. She is tired of seeing the same people every day, and like most that live in Ohio, sick of the unpredictable Ohio weather.

Overall, Medina is a beautiful small town full of cheerful people, gorgeous farmlands, and historical settlements. Located close to larger cities, but also a town that can hold its own, Medina has a growing market and booming industries, which help supply 9.5% of the jobs in the Medina County area (www.ecanned.com). It is also close to many shopping centers and fantastical dining. To fully enjoy everything this town has to offer, try and see it all, and truly embrace the rich history and uniqueness of magnificent Medina.



http://www.ecanned.com/OH/Medina_County.shtml
http://www.medinaoh.org/About_Medina/
http://www.medinahistorical.com/MedinaCountyABriefHistory.htm

Hometown Connection

I have a connection with the town I grew up in when I was younger, Marion, OH. I lived there from about the age of 2 to fourth grade. I grew up near my elementary school and was very close with all the people that I met. I lived there with my dad, mom, and sister; my grandparents also lived about a five minute drive away. I have a close connection with my elementary school Indian Mound and the playground there, that has a small forest growing on the outer edge. My friend Tricia and I would spend every recess in that forest making up concoctions out of our left over lunch to try to "save" the trees and help them grow. We would slather our concoctions on leaves then glue them to the trees to "heal" them (we wanted to save the world).
I also have a close connection to my grandparents old house (they have moved since I've moved out of Marion). I spent at least an hour there everyday. It was a large house, very old, located on an acre of land. On this land stood a beautiful flower garden, shared by my grandfather and their neighbor, and a extremely large oak tree from which there was a tree swing. There was so many nooks and crannies in this house which me and my sister hid in during hide and seek. This is the place I learned to ride my bike, to roller skate, climb trees, where i got a leech stuck to my ankle, and where i tripped and landed on a gutter and had to get my first stitches. I loved this small town and still do. It has a great sense of community and is very pretty and old fashioned. I hope one day to be able to return there and take a walk around and once again visit all my old favorite spots.

About Me

Hi! My name is Kayla Miller. I am a freshman at Ohio University. I went to high school at Hilliard Davidson in Hilliard, OH. State champs! I am currently a History Major, but i hope to double major in Biology soon! I like to snowboard and I also love sports, especially flag football. I am an avid music lover and listen to pretty much any kind of music; except for polka and folk. It is kinda creepy. I love hanging with my friends and meeting new people! I am really excited for school to finally start so that way I will be able to stay busy, not to mention I enjoy the classes I am taking! See you later OU!