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:

Week One

Sunday: April 6, 2014
6:19 pm
Overcast, 59 degrees
Ravenna Park Boulder

            Today is my first entry for the blog that will be recording my observations of the surrounding in Ravenna Park Seattle. I will use the Erratic boulder that is in the park and is surrounded by a wood bridge and a trail that deviates from the main trail through the heart of the park. The stream running through the park is about half full at this time as you can see from the bank lines where it flows when it is all the way full and you can smell the blooming flowers of spring and hear the birds calling. I hear at least 4 distinct birds and their calls not including the crow and the woodpecker that are nearby making a ruckus. This being my first entry I do not know exactly what to look or listen for but i will just do my best to observe.
           There are a good number of mosquitoes and gnats around since i am near the stream as well as lots of people walking/running through the park. Some little kids came by and were jumping off the rock and that combined with the sounds and the smells around me reminded me of when i was a young kid and i would go on adventures in the woods. I used to be an avid mountain biker and hiker as well as spending time in the woods walking my dogs, so being in Ravenna is nice but it still feels very exposed to the city. Hearing so many people and airplanes and even the distant car even in the middle of the park it makes it quite apparent that you are near the city and by a residential area.
          On the rock face there is moss and some fungi growing, it is all damp with moisture and looks to be healthy. The ground around the base of the rock is saturated with water form the recent rains of the last few weeks. There is some english ivy and native blackberry and some sword ferns also present at the base of the rock, in addition to many dead leaves left from the winter and fall. A child's flip flop is dropped about 20 feet away its bright pink and blue suggesting that a young girl would have worn it, the rock that i am sitting on is cool and damp from the air around and the whiteness of the paper in my journal stands out and looks as sterile and unnatural as the flip flop and is blindingly night in comparison to my surroundings.
          The ripple of the creek is a slow and steady gurgle and is refreshing and a nice sound that almost counteracts the noise of the construction in the distance. Overall I feel awkward and out of place as if sitting in nature is an act far out of the ordinary for the passerby's that give me interesting glares. I feel dwarfed by the massive evergreen trees and the old maples, many of which are already on the verge of blooming as is made apparent by their large nearly neon green buds with pink highlights. Their is a tree to my left with white and pinkish leaves and i have never seen one of these before so I look forward to trying to figure out what kind it is. Also and lastly there is a significant amount of woody debris near the base of the rock that sit in the sandy bottom of the creek, the look natural but the large lump of concrete next to them is obviously not.