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.