ENVIR 280: 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.