Week 9

November 30^th, 2014
12:00 pm
Ravenna Park
Sunny Weather

Part 1:

Before I began my trek to Ravenna Park, it was necessary for me to layer up. It was below freezing outside and I knew if I did not have the proper clothing, I would regret it. Once I was ready, I continued to Ravenna Park.  As usual, I walked through mud and crossed a nurse log to make it to the location. There was a thin layer of snow covering all the plants around me. Patches of sunlight illuminated random areas, creating a surreal feeling environment.

Now that it is the end of the quarter, it is important to consider how the ecology has changed over the season. At the beginning of the quarter, all the plants were green and lively. The canopy density of the forest was high, causing difficulty seeing more than 10 meters in any direction. Plants like the western sword fern and the giant horsetail were thriving. The Ravenna Creek itself was at a low level. From where I took my observations, a small branch was growing out of the western red cedar directly behind me. At the time, I did not realize how much all of these aspects of the forest would change.

My most recent visit to my Ravenna location was drastically unlike any I had been to before. To start, the entire forest was covered in snow. With each step I took, you could hear the crunch of ice on the ground. The entire understory was covered in dead leaves. This natural covering, along with the lowering of temperatures, does not allow for much plant life to survive. The western sword fern by the creek, which had previously been thriving, has almost completely dried out. The western red cedar branch I had previously noticed grew 10 centimeters. More than half the trees in the forest had lost their leaves. These trees I had previously identified as red alder and big leaf maple. No leaves on trees, allows you to see up to 15 meters in all directions. 

Ecological changes throughout the quarter. 

Panoramic picture of my site at the beginning of the quarter.

Picture of the Western Sword Fern directly next to the creek at the beginning of the quarter.

Panoramic picture of my site at the end of the quarter.

Picture of the Western Sword Fern directly next to the creek at the end of the quarter. 

Part 2:

1) How has your perception of your observation site changed through the quarter?

At the beginning of the quarter, when I was given the task of finding a blog site, I decided on my spot out of criteria. The site was next to the creek and was completely surrounded by trees. What I did not know was that I would come to love my site for all of its characteristics, even ones I did not initially take note of. For example, the branch that grew out of the western red cedar. I only began to realize how much it had grown because I was at my site every week noticing changes. As time went on, my site became less off an area with plants but more of an area I enjoyed going to observe. It is important to get past the initial feeling of not knowing any of the plants around you and begin to look at how things have changed over time. Another example is the western sword fern that I continuously observed. To anyone who would look at the fern they would say it’s dried out and appears to be dead. I have a different perspective because I have slowly seen the fern loose its color. At the beginning of the quarter it was green and lively.

2) How has your sense of the Puget Sound Region changed through the quarter?

Over the quarter, I have learned large amounts about the Puget Sound Region. Before the class, I had never known that Washington was covered by Lake Russell and then thousands of years later the Cordilleran Ice Cap. These two natural history events have greatly changed how the Puget Sound Region has formed. For example, if you examine the soil of the region, there is evidence of a clay layer. This clay layer formed when Lake Russell covered much of the region. The clay layer causes major damages to house on the sides of mountains because rainwater gets absorbed through the soil, to the clay layer. This absorption causes major landslides.  Knowing about the clay layer helps understand why there are so many major landslides across the Puget Sound region. Another example of something I learned about was glaciers. Having gone on a field trip to Mt. Rainier, I was able to see a glacier melting directly in front of me. This visual has helped me understand how quickly the ice is melting and how big of a problem it is. All of these factors have allowed me to understand the natural history of the area. Knowing this natural history can help prepare us for future changes in ecology and environment.

3) What does it mean to intimately know a natural place? (Think about this question in terms of the process and the outcome. Also think about it in terms of scale—you have done close observation of one site, as well as developed broader appreciation on field trips around the Puget Sound).

It is difficult to describe how it feels to be intimate with a natural place. At the beginning of the quarter, I would have never thought I would come to love my blog site. My blog site has become my sanctuary. It is a place where I can sit down and just observe all the little details. Starting out was intimidating because I did not initially know the plant types and locations. As time goes on, you begin to remember where the plants are and you are able to see its changes. I have slowly become intimate with my natural blog spot. I have always loved the environment, but I had never quite understood location conservation to the same extent. When indigenous people had their land taken away, I can only imagine how horrifying it was. They knew the land better than anyone else and taking away their natural intimate place, I imagine, was difficult. When looking at this natural intimacy it is important to look at it in a more broad sense as well. I came to love my small site, yet intimacy can be extended to a larger scope. Time spent in natural places, big or small, can allow people to connect to natural world around them.  This connection could even cause activism in the future.