Since there are Visitor Fees (see below), take time to hike the other numerous trails and gardens. Take a break with visits to the Nature Center and Gallery Exhibits and if you're present at lunch time you can bring your own picnic or select something from the cafe. Please make sure you pick up a map of the grounds and follow Fernwood's No off trail hiking rules.
Parking is only allowed at the Mary Plym Visitor Center
at N 41° 51.919 W 086° 20.785. Please enter the grounds through this building entrance before starting your search for this, and all of the other Fernwood caches.
Items you will need to bring to complete this Earthcache are a Thermometer that will read a temperature between 40° and 60° F, and a a smartphone to take a photo. Please note: This geocache is located in the Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve and there are admission fees for non-members. Visit wwww.fernwoodbotanical.org for admission fees and hours of operation. Please pay at the Mary Plym Visitor Center front desk before making your way to the Nature Center building..
A spring is a natural discharge point of subterranean water at the surface of the ground or directly into the bed of a stream, lake, or sea.
Water in springs generally originates as rainfall that has soaked into the soil and percolated into underlying rocks. Permeable rocks (those containing interconnected pore spaces through which water can migrate), such as limestone and sandstone, store and transmit water and are called aquifers. Sometimes the water in an aquifer becomes confined between two impermeable rock layers, such as clay or shale. When these strata are tilted or folded into a structural trap, the water in the lower part of the aquifer is stored under pressure. If the pressure is high enough, the water will push to the surface, and create a spring.
The entire area at Fernwood, sits on top of a large underground clay bowl, that was carved out by the last ice age (see picture below). The underground clay bowl over time, has been filled by soil erosion. This underground bowl has been collecting rain water and run-off water from the adjacent properties over the last 10,000 years. The underground bowl has filled with water that now reaches the surface forming the three springs at Fernwood.
The three Springs are located at:
(1) N 41° 51.963 W 086° 20.870
(2) N 41° 51.993 W 086° 20.890
(3) N 41° 51.985 W 086° 20.914
These three springs form 3 small streams which converge (come together) at the same location. Spring (3) is the location of our Earthcache.
The posted coordinates will take you to a small bridge that passes over two streams formed by two of the Springs. The stream is about 12 inches under this bridge. This is where you will take your temperature reading, and picture of your face (or Team/Group Faces), with your GPS with the Waterwheel clearly showing in the background of the picture. This picture must be uploaded with your log entry, and at the time of your log entry.
Please do not post your Temperature in your log, but email me your results. Any log entries that do not include the required picture and email, will be deleted without notice.