Week Two

Tuesday April 15, 2014

4:56 pm
Partly Sunny, Warm Muggy
59 degrees
Ravenna Park Erratic

          After having class this morning in the park I learned a lot. One of the first things we covered was lichen on red alder trunks and how they do not like to grow in the city, we learned they are highly sensitive to pollution and thus do not survive well near the city. I still find it awkward to be in the middle of the park conducting observations, not because of the act itself which i actually enjoy but more because of the looks and smirks i receive by the passerby's. I returned to Ravenna this afternoon to record some more observations, and found some interesting changes.
          Though the creek is still running relatively full and hasn't changed much in its flow volume since last week there is a lot more green to be noticed. The Big Leaf Maples which was one of the species we learned about today has bloomed and their leaves are a nearly neon green, that stands out and is a distant cry from their fall browns oranges and yellows. The leaves are small and yet to mature but their difference seems to add a thickness to the canopy that was not present last time. I assume this will only grow more apparent as spring continues.
         Looking into the river itself I find very fine sands, clays and silts that have dropped out of suspension. They sit atop larger almost black rock that would have been moved there during a high flow event. There are many particles of bark and leaf floating down stream and where the stream narrows the sand and silt are flushed away leaving only the dark rock bed. Judging by the bottom of the creek bed I can tell where the water moves quickly or slowly and where the pools form behind larger rocks there is a clam that is serene. A few water bugs or water striders as the field guide refers to them.
          In addition to the Big Leaf Maples there is a lot of Skunk Cabbage and Lady Ferns (a species that we learned about today, before which I only knew of deer ferns and sword ferns). And there is a lot of Birds. We saw a Black Capped Chickadee today which was cool that is the first time I have identified a Bird that I did not already know.

For the sketches portion of this week I focused on the Western Red Cedar: