Journal #7

Date: June 6th, 2020

Time: 12:04pm 

Weather: Windy, blue skies

Temperature: 72 degrees F

Location: Edgewood Park, CA

Due to COVID-19, I was only able to make several repeat observations at my site in Edgewood Park. In my pictures, you aren't able to see many phenological differences between the first and last photo, however, I was able to see the California bay and Coyote Brush become grow fuller and darker green over time. The most profound changes at my site were the different species that started to arrive during the latter part of my observations. My first time visiting the site, I didn't notice many animals or insects. Maybe this was because I wasn't paying attention or because I was too focused on taking in the site as a whole, but this week and last week there was an abundance of animals, notably birds. Many birds only made brief appearances, but others like the California Towhee and Stellar Jay hung around for a while, giving me the opportunity to observe their behaviors in-depth. Today, I saw a Stellar Jay for the first time, high in a nearby Northern California Black Walnut tree. (Side note, I noticed the Northern California Black Walnut Tree bearing bright green, unripe walnuts)!! I was sitting down writing notes when I see a relatively large bird perch on a tree. I walk over and immediately notice its beautiful blue body and blackhead. I watch it for several minutes as it looks around and waits on the branch. It hops along the branch, presumably in search of food, but with no luck. I notice the funny hair on its head and its long blue tail. One thing I noticed today that I hadn't noticed in my other observations was the grass right under my feet. I really took interest in the grass's individual structures, like its sheathing leaf base and awn sticking out of the lemma. It reminded me of the importance of the Poaceae, and how heavily we rely economically on so many of its species. I was also lucky enough to see a Black-tail deer today, grazing with its fawn. This was truly spectacular and a nice way to round out my observations for the quarter. Lastly, today I noticed that the burrow holes I noticed last week belong to the Western Fence Lizard. As I got up to leave my site, I saw a lizard pop its head out. It all makes sense, because a few weeks ago I was documenting a tailless lizard by my feet, and was curious where it came from. I now understand that all those holes I was curious about belong to the abundance of Lizards I've seen running around my site. 

Question 1: My connection with the phenological changes at my site isn’t very strong as I had to move around and was only able to really track the changes at my site for a few weeks. However, I did notice the presence of birds and other wildlife increased immensely as the weeks prolonged. I noticed the vegetation becomes greener and fuller, and vibrantly colored flowers come into bloom. My emotional relationship to my site, however, has drastically changed since my first visit. In the beginning, I found myself too focused on actively looking for unique traits and species instead of building a relationship with my site. I would become frustrated when I didn't see anything "special" or when no novel species paid me a visit. But as the weeks progressed, I found that when I stopped actively looking for changes to track and species to record, and instead just let nature unfold around me, I began to see more. Once I was patient and observed nature without an agenda, nature unfolded in miraculous ways. Not only did I notice more, but I asked more questions and became more mindful. I built a connection with my site and cared for its wellbeing. I cared about the new species that were showing up and the wellbeing of the trees around me. I took pride in understanding my site and its ecology, being able to name almost all the species in its ecosystem. Becoming more aware of my site and the natural environment has made me more aware of phenological changes happening all around me, especially in my backyard. When I go into my backyard now, I make note of which flowers are blooming and new species that have arrived!

Question 2: Keeping a journal of my nature observations in my home state has definitely made me feel more connected to home. Growing up, I was always fascinated by the Coast redwoods, but hadn’t learned much about the other native species in the area. Being able to spend time at my spot, which is a nature preserve, allowed me to learn about the different species native to my area and tell the differences between species such as the California Bay and Eucalyptus tree, the Coastal Wood Fern and the Gold-backed fern, etc. Being able to distinguish between the different species has given me a deeper sense of pride and loyalty to my home. It gives me a deeper sense of connection and curiosity about the local natural environment. Recently I've been interested in the ethnobotany of my local area, and species used by indigenous peoples. I'm curious about how the indigenous communities in the Bay Area differed from those in Seattle based on the plants they had to work with and which communities were more successful due to the availability of local natural resources. 

Question 3: Intimately knowing a place means noticing the little nuances bypassers would overlook; noticing the frequency and abundance of species, noticing the vegetation color, noticing when the environment seems happy, sad, upset or at peace. The only way you can really know a place is if you visit it repeatedly and spend time making observations. You don't need to be a scientist or professional to know a place intimately. You just need to be curious, be patient, and willing to learn from nature. I think there's more to be gained from doing close, repeat observations at one spot than visiting some far-flung place. By really knowing an area and spending intimate time observing that environment, you feel a deeper, more intimate connection to that environment compared to visiting a faraway place. Once you establish an intimate relationship and connection at one spot, you can base all your new observations off your prior knowledge. So, for example, say I take a trip to Muir Woods National Park. By having my deep knowledge of my site at Edgewood Park, I would be able to compare and contrast the two sites and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Muir Woods than if I didn't have any prior base knowledge to base my observations off of.  I could compare the size of the redwood trees at Muir vs Edgewood, compare the different birds etc.
Question 4: There are so many things I have learned from this class, but one takeaway I'm really happy about is being able to ID different trees and birds. Learning how to identify common species in the PNW has given me a sense of freedom and pride; when I go to the park or walk around my neighborhood, I try to identify as many species as possible. And if I don't know them, I look them up! Opening the world of species identification has sparked a sense of curiosity in me that was always there, but never tapped into. Now that I have some baseline knowledge, I'm excited to use that as a jumping-off point to learn even more. I wish everyone could take this class to engage in academia that is genuinely interesting, beneficial, and fun. Even online, I've been more engaged in this class than almost all my other classes at UW because the topics are relevant and vitally important to understand the place we live. One other personal outcome I gained from this class was learning the importance of mindfulness in nature. It was so refreshing and recentering to take a few hours out of the week and be in nature with no technology or disruptions. It's easy to forget to do this during the school year because work piles up, and especially this quarter with COVID, but doing this every week was exactly what I needed and craved.  I will definitely continue my nature observations at my spot and continue to intimately connect with the area. 

Question 5: My perception of nature has changed over this quarter, in large part due to Robin Krimmerer’s, Braiding Sweetgrass. Being a PoE student and growing up in the Western world, I am often taught how humans are disconnected from nature and harm the environment. However, Krimmerer was able to shift that narrative, and illustrate that humans are in fact are deeply intertwined with nature, and have the opportunity to make the relationship between nature and humans a positive one if reciprocity and gratitude are practiced. ; this realization also occurred to me when hearing Warren King George’s testimonies. Western folks have been taught from a young age to take, take and take from the environment, but not practice reciprocity or gratitude. On the contrary indigenous cultures centered their relationship with the nature around reciprocity and gratitude, in which humans care for and respect the natural environment.  If we were taught more about indigenous knowledge and their perception of human-nature relationships, I think there would be more respect and appreciation for our environment. Having the opportunity to simply observe nature this quarter has illustrated me the power of the innate human-nature connection. 

*Sorry my photos look so wack, I couldn't get them to line up for the life of me.

 

1st 50sq m photo

1st 1sq m photo

2nd 1sq m photo

2nd 50 sq m photo

3rd (and last) 50 sq m photo

3rd (and last) 1 sq m photo

Black-Tailed Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
(Cervidae).
I chose this Deer because it was the first time I
saw a large mammal at my site! I had the pleasure
of observing it graze with its fawn for several minutes.
The deer grazing reminded me of Robin Krimmer's book
about grazing and its importance to our ecosystem.

Farewell-to-spring
Clarkia rubicunda
(Onagraceae)
I chose this species because of its intricate stamens and a beautiful 4-lobed stigma. My site is mainly full of green vegetation, so this vibrant flower immediately caught my eye. I also chose this plant because it is Native to the Bay area, unlike many species at my site

Narrow-leaf Mule's Ear
Wyethia angustifolia
(Asteraceae)

Similarly to the Farewell-to-spring, I chose this species

because of its beautifully vibrant yellow color and 

because of its native presence. I also love the beautiful 

ray and disk flower arrangement on this flower, unique

to the Asteraceae family. 

Costal Woodfern
Dryopteris arguta
(Dryopteridaceae)
I liked this fern because it was one I hadn't
learned about. I chose the Costal Fern
because it closely resembles the Sword Fern
we learned about but it differs in its leaf
arrangement. Lastly, I chose this because I
feel as though ferns are often overlooked, but
they deserve a lot of respect and appreciation. 

Journal #5

Date: 5/16/20
Time: 5:07pm
Location: Edgewood Park, CA
Temperature: 71 degrees F
Weather;: Blue skies, windy

Today was an exciting day. I saw and heard many birds, which is different from my last journal as I only heard them. In fact, I saw upwards of 10 birds today which was super exciting! I couldn't get a good enough look to identify any, but a few swooped into the Coyote Brush right beside me, and I could hear them scrambling around. I saw two greys, small birds chasing after each other by the redwoods. I wonder if this is a mating ritual or if they are just playing. Their chirps were very high pitched and evenly spaced out. I notice a lot of holes in the ground which I haven't noticed before. I'm not sure if they're gopher holes or snake holes, but they are covered with a layer of dirt and there are a bunch right next to where I'm sitting. The grass is a lot drier today than two weeks ago. While the trees and Coyote Brush seem to have gotten greener, the grasses look browner and are brittle to the touch. As I search for invertebrates, I notice so many lizards! One is hiding right under the rock I'm sitting on, and we stare at each other awkwardly for 5 seconds before it scurries off swiftly. Part of its tail was missing, making me wonder how that happened. I just hope it wasn't a human. Its tail is very long and fat and has small little scales that stand up all over its body. It has beautiful brown and black stripes running horizontally across its body, and cute, tiny eyes. The Pacific Redwoods haven't changed at all - they remain calm, stiff, and wise, moving only when the wind hits them.

1. Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
2. Bumblebee (Bombus)
3. Ladybug (Coccinellidae)

The first invertebrate I saw today was the beautiful Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus). I followed this butterfly for as long as I could before it flew away; I first spotted it perched on a leaf of a nearby California Bay. It was easy to spot due to its bright yellow wings and black stripes. It quickly departs the leaf and to flies to a nearby pink flower. The butterfly wraps its legs around the flower petals and sticks its tongue into the nectar, pulsing forward and backwards. It moves quickly but remains calm on the flower, only flapping its wings to assume a new position or get a better balance. As it hangs onto the flower, its wings remain at a 45-degree angle. The wind offers some difficulty for the butterfly and intermittently knocks it off the flower, but it finds its way back. After a minute or so, it flies off. In the Coyote bush, I hear the distinct buzz of a Bumblebee (Bombus). At first, I struggle to follow it as it flies around the coyote bush, but it luckily lands on a orange flower by my sitting rock. To my surprise, I witnessed this bumblebee conducting buzz pollination! It begins by wrapping its legs around the flower (similar to how the Western Tiger Swallowtail did). It looks as if the bumblebee is almost biting the flower's anthers, searching for pollen. After a while, its wings being to flap very hard and fast; the bumblebee looks like its vibrating. As the bumblebee accesses the pollen, it wipes the pollen onto its legs. It amazes me how much pollen is on its legs. The bumblebee is moving fast and doesn't lose focus on the pollen. After a minute, it flies away, perhaps in search of other flowers or for its hive. This was the first time I've seen buzz pollination up close and intimately, so I was very excited!

Poem #1: You are weighed down with pollen, but you fly as if you're weightless. Your fierceness resembles a tiger, yet you are tiny. Your body is round, but you are agile. You are meticulous but ever so clumsy. So many dichotomies that defy natures law, but somehow you are here, providing us resources so valuable that our land, jobs and life depend on it. Do you know how valuable you are? Do you know your worth? You might not realize your importance in this vast world, but I do. What have we done to deserve you?
     *Bumblebee (Bombus)

Poem #2
Twin redwoods stand mighty in the distance,
Swaying in the wind as she listens,
You are easily forgotten,
But you are responsible for our existence.

50 sq m

1 sq m

Bumblebee (Bombus)

Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)

Ladybug (Coccinellidae)

Journal #4

Date: 5/2/2020
Time: 3:35
Temperature: 70 degrees F
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Edgewood Park, San Carlos CA

Journal #3

1.

Landscape drawing: Features California bay and Coast Redwood

2. “For supporting me to live, I give thanks to all the fungi, trees, birds, and thousands of species I encounter every day."

3. In the background of my site stand two GIGANTIC California Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). Its leaves are green dark on top, and white on the bottom (stomatal rows). At the tip of the leaf, young, bright green needles are starting to emerge. It's leaves are on a 2D plane, similar to the Abies grandis, and have an alternate arrangement. Unlike the conifers in the PNW, the California Redwood bears very small, round pine cones. Its trunk is huge and peeling. The leaves have no aroma, and they quite spiky. As the wind hits the redwood, it brushes the leaves together, creating a majestic, calming sound. Although not as mighty as the California Redwood, I am surrounded by many California Bay (Umbellularia californica). Its leaves are shiny, they have entire margins and an alternate leaf arrangement. New, bright green leaves are sprouting, and they are smooth but very thick. I take a leaf off, break it in half, and am immediately overwhelmed with the incredible smell of bay leaf. I notice black dots on the leaves; I wonder what insect that is from. Its trunk is small and relatively smooth. Lying under the shade of the California Bay lies Miners Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata). This native plant is fleshy and herbaceous, with seemingly hairy leaves. It is light green and has round, disk-like leaves, which surround its smooth, tender stem. The stem passes directly through the round leaf there is a small white flower growing on top of its rounded leaves. It lacks odor, but when I touch it has an ever-so-slightly sandpapery texture. It is a very cute and elegant plant. Abundant at my site is Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis). This shrub is about 4 feet tall, and its leaves are small and smooth, but inconspicuously sticky. Its leaves are serrate, but not like other serrations I've seen. The serrations on these leaves are very spread out and pronounced. It lacks odor, but as the wind blows past, it sounds like someone angrily shaking a tree. My site is overwhelmingly green, thus the bright purple of the Greater Periwinkle (Vinca major) catches my eye immediately, even though it is not abundant. It has 5 flat petals, with a gradient-like purple getting darker as it approached the tips. It is incredibly smooth and thin and almost has a fleshy feel. It is very symmetric; it kind of looks like a pinwheel. Its leaves are simple and opposite. Looking closely, I notice fine hairs on the margins. It smells like dewy grass.

4. Practicing mindfulness today was exactly what I needed, especially during this uncertain time. As I lay back and listen to the bird's chirp and wind hitting the trees, it takes me back to my childhood playing in the Redwood National Forest. Since coming to UW, I haven't encountered any Redwoods. While there are other spectacular trees in the PNW, nothing can quite beat the magnificent California Redwood. Sitting and quietly observing the Redwoods today was the first time in a while I really thought about and appreciated them. When I was younger, I was fascinated by their grandiose but calm presence. It marveled at their confidence, yet wise and quiet demeanor. I had forgotten about their magnificence until today when I had the opportunity to observe this amazing tree and ponder its majesty as I did years ago. I hadn't realized how much I miss the sight of Redwood trees. It has always been my favorite tree, but it surprised me that simply its presence today brought back so many childhood memories.

5) Looking at nature through a scientific perspective is important. However, it is equally as important (if not more) to simply observe nature and embrace nature in a non-scientific perspective. Today's exercise reminded me a lot of two themes in the book, "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Krimmerer.  She writes about nature through the eyes of indigenous knowledge (rather than scientific), and by doing so, addresses reciprocity and gratitude. Krimmerer emphasizes how modern societies have become accustomed to the mindset that everything that earth creates is for our taking because scientifically speaking, plants should keep reproducing. But in fact, to be sustainable, it is vital to give back what we take, not only to replenish what we took but to build a relationship and respect with the environment. She also emphasizes how we have forgotten to practice gratitude, but we must practice gratitude for all the gifts earth provides us. Practicing mindfulness today, I thought a lot about Krimmerer and her themes of reciprocity and gratitude. Unlike other journal entries where it is centered around identifying and characterizing species, this journal one felt more personal and meaningful. Adding meaning to nature is not done through science, but through gratitude and reciprocity.

Journal #3

Journal #3
Date: 4/25/2020
Location: Seahurst Park, Burien
Weather: Sunny

Temperature: 52 degrees F

Time: 2:11pm

Today was absolutely stunning. While it isn't quite warm, there are blue skies and the vegetation seems to be very happy. The vegetation seems to be a lot more green and vibrant today than last week. The soil is moister and I see lots more creatures! I notice many slugs insects such as spiders and gnats. I am able to identify multiple plant species that I was unsure of last week. I feel such pride and confidence knowing I am slowly identifying more and more species.  For one, I now know my site has many sword ferns (Polystichum munitum). I try to find other ferns, such as Lady fern, Bracken fern and Licorice fern, but there only seems to be sword ferns. They are super easy to identify with there dark leaves, once-pinnate leaves and the sword handle butt at the base of the leaves. I learn that the maple over my head is, in fact, a Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), with its bright green, opposite, 5 lobed leaves. Besides its obvious leaves, its abundance of moss on the bark gave it away as a bigleaf maple. Last week I identified Oregon Grapes, but this week I know this particular Oregon grape is a dull Oregon grapes (Mahonia nervosa) with its 9-19 leathery leaflets with shiny surfaces. More yellow flowers have blossomed since last week, but many are still tightly wound up in balls. I know its not tall Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) because it has more than 5-9 leaflets and has more than just one central vein. Just like last week, I hear the same bird calls - I can't wait until we start identifying birds based on their calls! The river is flowing at the same speed and force as last week but it smelled a lot fresher than last week. Last week my site smelled somewhat sewer-like, whereas today I just smell the fresh dewy air.

I had a hard time finding lichen/fungi at first, but when I really got close to the ground and ventured around a bit, I found many! Although it's not a lichen, I found an abundance of Golden Short-Capsuled Moss (Brachythecium frigidum). It hugs the big maple trees bark at my site, and I see lots of it lying on the ground attached to twigs. It is soft to the touch, almost like a sponge. It is yellowish-green, with sharply pointed leaves and toothed upper edges. Its sharp ends are a bit intimidating but it is surprisingly smooth. This moss reminds me of the leaves on Juniperus scorpulorum. On the maple tree, this moss grows in large mats and has many spreading branches. As I look to the ground, I see lots of Beard Lichen (Usnea). I'm not completely sure its species, but it is pale green and had lots of veins. It has a central cord, which makes me think it might be a Usnea wirthii. Looking some more I came across Hooded Tube Lichen (Hypogymnia physodes). This lichen isn't as abundant as some of the other species; I only saw a few specimens. It has an appressed leaf and narrow lobes. It is hollow, like the Forking bone, but as I dissect it, I notice it bears tiny soredia on the insides of the lobes. The upper surface is pale greenish and the lower surface is blackish. I found this lichen lying on the ground, but I can't find any more or its source. Next to the Hooded Tube Lichen, I see a Forking Bone Lichen (Hypogymnia inactiva). It looks somewhat similar to the Hooded Tube Lichen, but it has much narrower lobes, and there were no soredia. It was also hollow and the upper surface is pale yellowish/green and the lower surface is blackish (similar to Hooded Tube Lichen). I spot this lichen by the roots of the maple tree, but I don't see much of it. The tree provides the lichen shade and moisture from the river. Looking to my left, I see a soggy branch lying on the ground with two types of lichen on it: Ragbag (Platismatia glauca) and Blood-spattered Beard Lichen, (Usnea wirthii). The Ragbag has broad, pale green lobes.  The margins are frilly and are bearing soredia. While the upper side is green, the lower surface is shiny white. This species usually lives on trees, but I spot it on a twig, shaded under the maple tree, which is close to the river. The Blood-spattered Beard Lichen, (Usnea wirthii) has pale, yellowish-green leaves and a clear central cord. I search and search for a fungus at my site, but I am unsuccessful. I walked a few meters away, however, and am able to find a Mica Cap (Coprinellus micaeus), rooted under a fallen log. It has a brown, inky cap with salt like granules covering it. Looking at its underside, the gills are light brown and are crowded. The stem is white and smooth, about 3 cm thick. If I were to guess, I would say I didn't find any fungi at my original site because there aren't many fallen logs and shaded areas for the fungi to thrive. But where I found the fungi, there were many fallen logs for the fungi to root into.

50 s 

1 sq m

Golden Short-Capsuled Moss - Brachythecium frigidum

Beard Lichen - Usnea

Hooded Tube Lichen - Hypogymnia physodes

Rag Bag LichenPlatismatia glauca and Blood-Spattered Beard Lichen Usnea wirthii

Forking bone - Hypogymnia inactiva

Mica Cap - Coprinus micaceus

Journal #2

Journal #2

Date: 4/18/2020
Location: Seahurts Park, Burien
Weather: Overcast
Temperature: 55 degrees F
Time: 5:16pm

Today is the first-day journaling at my new site! My previous site was overrun with non-native species and didn't offer a lot to journal about as it was on a beach. But my new site lies above a fast-running creek, shaded by tree canopies and surrounded by tons of low-lying vegetation.  I am sitting a fairly steep bank that leads to the creek, and the first thing I notice is the calming sound of rushing water. I am surrounded by all different shades of green; dark, light, neon. Ferns and small shrubs lie by my feet. The ferns are about 3 feet fall, swooping to the left and have sharp tips. The leaves are long (3-4 inches) and are dark green. The leaf arrangement is opposite, and the leaves gradually become smaller as they approach the tip. Hanging above me, I notice a very large tree, with maple-like, neon green leaves. Its bark is smooth, and its branches seem relatively bare. There is bright green moss on the right side of its bark, but not the left. I wonder why? Right by my left foot is an Oregon Grape. It has serrate leaf margins, pinnate venation, and opposite leaf arrangement. The leaves are dark green and smooth to the touch. It almost has a waxy coating over the top. Its flowers seem to have 3 petals and sepals. It is a low lying shrub, with bright yellow flowers at the tip. Many have not yet flowered, they are still bulbs, tightly wound up. I notice little magenta dots on each bulb. I wonder what that is? To my left, I notice a young pine tree. It has rounded needle tips that cover the whole branch,. It has two white stripes (stomatal rows) only on the underside. These features convince me it is a young Alpine Fir.  Its bark is smooth and grayish, and every now and then I spot tiny woody pine cones on the branches. The tree is only about 6 feet tall, and there aren't a whole lot of needles yet. I'm curious if I'll be able to see its growth over these next few weeks. I don't see much wildlife besides a bumblebee, but I hear many birds. One bird is particularly vocal; its call has 4-5 short chirps, then one long, vibrato-sounding riff at the end. I hear several birds call back and look up to spot them. No luck.

#3: Memory sketch

#4: Contour sketch

#5: Gesture sketch 3 sec

#5: Gesture sketch 5 sec

#5: Gesture sketch 30 sec

#5: Gesture sketch 60 sec

#8: Study drawing

A young tree, potentially Abies amabilis

Short fern by my feet

Unknown plant grown by the water

50 sq m

1 sq m

View as I look right of my site

Maple tree

Journal #1

Formative Experience:
I have been fortunate enough to have been surrounded by nature at an early age. I grew up in Marin County, next to the beautiful Mt. Tamalpais, where Muir woods was just a drive away and stunning beaches were ample. Nature or passion for the environment was not something my parents found incredibly important or particularly emphasized. In fact, they barely believe in climate change! But ironically my dad introduced me to backpacking, and mountain biking and little does he know, my love for the environment. When I was around ten years old, my dad and brother frequently dragged me along to our local mountain (Mt. Tamalpais) to flying remote-controlled airplanes. Everyone in my family is pilots, so naturally, they enjoyed this outing. But I always dreaded it; I had and still have absolutely no interest in planes and even less interest in remote-controlled airplanes. Annoyed at them for dragging me along, I would wander around, and pick as many different flowers as I could. I would stash them in my pocket, bring them back to my dad, and ask him if he knew the names of the flowers. He knew the names of a few flowers, but not many. He didn't seem to care that he didn't know the names of all the flowers. But I was very eager to learn as many species as I could, to the point that I knew every flower on the mountain. Noticing I took an interest in the nature around me, my dad offered to buy me a native flower ID book to bring when they went flying. From that day forward, any time my dad, brother and I would go to Mt. Tamalpais to fly airplanes, I would bring my flower ID book and identify as many plants as I could. I'm not sure what sparked my interest in identifying these species, but it was something I became very passionate about. Maybe it was because I wanted to be the different one in my family and be passionate about something they weren't. Maybe it was because I just liked the pretty colors of the flowers. I'm not sure. But I'm grateful for whatever it was. To me, it was rewarding to be able to see my progress and identify more and more flowers. I loved learning about why the flowers were certain colors, when they bloomed, where they were grown. It was like learning a new language! I would pick the flowers, and instead of stashing them in my pocket, I would stash them in the correct pages of the ID guide, hoping one day I would fill the whole book with every flower in it. While I never found all the flowers, but I did begin to discover my love for nature and the environment. Now when I encounter new environments, I strive to learn the names of the native species.

Journal #1
Location: Seola Beach, Burien, WA
Temperature: 57 degrees F
Weather: Clear skies, windy
Time: 4:56pm

Today was a beautiful day to be on the beach, however it was quite windy. I am sitting on a wooden bench on Seola beach; to my right is a steep hillside full of conifers (Cupressaceae and Pinaceae) and unfortunately a lot of English Ivy, and to my left is the beach. Looking straight ahead I have a beautiful view of the Olympics, but I am unsure exactly what peaks I'm looking at. At 50m^2 ahead, in the midst of the conifers I see some deciduous trees, however, they don't look very well. They are bare and seem as though they waiting for warmer weather to come around. At the base of the conifers, I spot lots of cones lying around. Besides a few colorful flowers, the hillside landscape is very green. My eye is drawn towards this one beautiful, magenta flower, so I walk over to it and ID it as an Annual Honesty. Just above it lies a Wild Cherry. Sitting on the bench, I am unable to smell what is around me as my nose is overwhelmed with the smell of seawater. I close my eyes and focus solely on the sounds around me. It's funny because, on my right, I hear the calming sound of leaves brushing against one another, but to my left is the juxtaposing sound of whitecaps crashing into one another. At 1m^2 in front of me, my feet are dug in the sand, but the grass tickles my legs. I go to touch it, but its sharp edges cut my hand a bit. Grass. Why is there grass on the beach? Looking through my ID guide, I'm guessing it is Dunegrass (Elymus Mollis) (?). I hear a buzzing sound, and quickly spot a ginormous bumblebee in search of flowers. Disappointed by the lack of flowers, the bumblebee leaves. I spot some empty crab shells in the sand, but I hardly see any wildlife. Usually, at this spot I see seagulls and other birds, but not today. Maybe it's because it's so windy. Close by my feet I notice an herb with purplish zygomorphic flowers and needle-like leaves. I become frustrated and slightly confused as I unsuccessfully spend about 10 minutes trying to identify this herb in my PNW ID guide. Once I smell it, however, I immediately recognize it as Rosemary. This reminds me of warm Rosemary bread from QFC. I take a minute to soak in the sun and appreciate my surroundings. Coming to this spot offers me a place of solitude and calmness, away from the busyness of everyday life. Watching the trees above me sway envokes a sense of ease and relaxation - they are just moving with the flow. As I wrap up and leave my spot, I feel less heavy, more serene and more refreshed.

Conifers in my 50 sq m. periphery (50m^2)

Panorama of Site (50m^2)

View of trees as I look upwards

Unknown shrub surrounded by lots of English Ivy (1m^2)

Wild Cherry (1m^2)

Annual Honesty (1m^2)

 

Dunegrass (?) (1m^2)

Rosemary (1m^2)