My Final Observation…The Beginning of a New Journey

5/12/14                64*F                 Light  Showers

"My last trip was truly a beauty. It was my first visit in the rain. It was like an entirely different world"

 It feels so good. Soft to the touch and soft to the smell. Soft to this space. 

It catches the fallen pieces of the forest. It captures the essence of this place. 

The smell represents where we are and all that is good in this world. 

Funny how something so beautiful is found so low to the ground. So near my feet. So near the earth.

It holds the forest floor closely. 

So closely that I would sooner tear a child from her mother than to tear this life from it's source.
(the Moss)

I regard him as an individual

I refuse to lose him to the masses. I refuse to dismiss his dark beauty as common

I celebrate his song. 

I admire his wisdom. He and his ancestors have survived the unspeakable.

Yet still he flies 

He soars in as a warrior for his family. He protects and guides.

  He looks me square in the eye, greets me with a song                                  

 As I encounter my equal, I am humbled.
                                                                                (the American Crow)

As far as we know, this life form

is immortal
(the Douglas fir)

 I have always known  that this is one of the more beautiful places in the world. That sounds good from a distance but it rains too damn much and if you lived here you would feel differently. I don't get to enjoy the beauty because it rains too much! Every trail and natural area is too far for me to travel. The PNW is beautiful but depressing. Today I am just in awe of our particular landscape. The islands, the ocean, the sound, the mountains, the conifers, and the wildlife are so unique and I am so happy to call this region home. I used to believe that we didn't have much wildlife because it rained so much. I know now that we have an abundance of species to explore and it really doesn't even rain that damn much!

 I am becoming intimate with the Madrona Woods. I realized this when I brought my partner to the site and noticed a different yet powerful connection with my site that I didn't have with my intimate partner. I feel welcomed back by nature each time I walk in. I feel a part of the earth as I observe the changes over time. I have come to know nature as an open door friend. It didn't matter how I was feeling throughout this project. Some days I would slowly enter wide eyed and excited to be there. Some days I would trudge in just wanting to get it over with. Some days I would be in a hurry because I had other things to do and places to be. The welcome was always the same and the ease that would come over me as I became more and more immersed in the greenery was the same. The peace would always flood in at the same time with the same power. I found a love for my natural area that I have experienced before. I loved watching it grow...little by little with each visit. I loved the unexpected...never knowing what I was going to see or do when I arrived. I loved the individual relationship…this was something that was just mine and that I didn't need to share with anyone else. I loved the beauty…the inexplicable beauty. 

Sharing my observation site with my mom

Time For a Change of Geology...

5/31/2014      Eastern Slope of the Cascades     73*F +       Partly Cloudy

Caterpillars almost ready to take on the world

Our trip began just across the Yakima river. After coming from Seattle, it was almost felt like we were in a whole different state or part of country. The impact of the cascades on the climate was made very clear on this day! Everything was dry and tan. The sun was unforgiving and there was no shade. Typical of the dry climate there were was a lot of dry grass, sage brush and even cacti! Because we were by the river there were plenty of wetland species as well. The area was teaming with black cottonwood and native quaking aspen. It was truly an experience to see so many different species living side by side with one another.

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The little horned lizard I found

Everything about this place was different from the natural history I've come to know in the puget sound region. The plants were different, the invertebrates were different and of course the birds were different. Before going on this field trip I wasn't expecting to see much life because of course when you think desert you think desolate and empty. This was not the case at all. It was different life over here. One of the wonders of the Yakima river area was seeing the quaking aspen in it's native habitat. I learned that the species is a cloning reproducer and seen that there were dozens of smaller trees that were all cluttered around the same area coming from the roots of one older, larger aspen at the center. Much of the organism life in the area was huddled near the river. I got the handy tip of identifying poison oak (which looks very similar to red osier dogwood) at the expense of one of our TA's running through it with shorts. Near the river there were lots of species from the rose family and trees. What I thought was so interesting is that right across the pathway that walked alongside the river there were cacti on the ground. I got one literally stuck in my hand trying to pick it up and get a closer look. It was really in there pretty good. The birds were great as well. when we first pulled in we found a bald eagle circling and shortly after a vulture. The bird sightings in this area were quick and consistent. We got great view of several others through the scope and were allowed to explore. The bridge that crossed the Yakima river was swarming with cliff and barn swallows. This area really helped me to understand the practice of humans and all other living species throughout history to stick close to the water. The life was abundant.

Paintbrush plant utilizes the sagebrushes' water underground

Moving along on our trip we went to the actual dessert. The area was just a few miles outside the town of Ellensberg but it looked like one of the isolated places out of a movie. The plant and species life was much different here. There was no river or any real source of water for miles and everything in the area either preferred it that way or adapted. It was interesting that there were several birds in the flat land but I wasn't able to see any of them. We learned that their call carries long distances when there aren't trees or other barriers to stop it. The plant life wasn't incredibly diverse but it was amazing nonetheless. I appreciated being warned against stepping carelessly on plants as I walked. We learned that the plants that live here have fought hard for their survival and that we needed to be very careful to preserve their lives. All the plants were very low to the ground due to the high winds and the warm temperatures. I think the tallest brush I found was about 3 ft tall at best. The wildflowers of this area were a pleasant surprise. You wouldn't think that you could find so many flowers in such a dry and empty environment, but nature has a way of keeping beauty in all it's corners.

 The wildlife of this area were really cool. Everybody was on the hunt for the horned lizard of the area
 being determined to be the first one to find it. On
 my individual lizard hunt I ran square into a
 scorpion. We have scorpions in Washington!

Second stop!

 It was terrifying but that is what I love about natural history is that you never know what is going to pop out on you. It was pretty awesome actually. I must say…I felt pretty brave.
Our final stop was one of the most interesting geological layouts I've ever seen. We were only about five minutes out of the driest of our stops and we ran into a lush green trail. Walking into the trail I looked to my left and seen all desert and looked to my right and seen a forest filled with wildlife. The class began making their way to see the waterfall but I didn't make it that far. We walked slowly and enjoyed the scenery of birds, plants, insects, and even mammals. As we were walking a we were startled by a very loud rustling in the bushes next to us. It sounded too big to be a squrell and too close to be any other animal. After looking closely through the camouflage of the woods we spotted a huge rabbit. Ok run away rabbit, we've seen you. No it just stopped and looked at us then jumped toward us in an act of intimidation. It worked and we ran away. Definitely a first time experience. We got to spot several new birds and just sit quietly listening to the steam run through the woods. This trip was an awesome experience to see the other side of Washington state's diverse range of climate and organisms. For me it was a lesson in natural history. The diversity is endless. Each landscape has something unique to offer. We always hear the the pacific northwest is the most beautiful place in the world, but I don't think I buy that anymore. The driest desert was absolutely stunning in its own way.