Ravenna Park

Date: April 4th 2016
Time: 1:30-2:30
Weather: Cloudy/Rainy
Temperature: 50 degrees Fahrenheit

When I think of a certain experience I had with nature as a kid I can’t really pinpoint any precise moment I felt connected with nature, but that’s because my whole upbringing was somehow coupled with nature. I grew up next to Dash Point State Park so a good portion of my childhood was spent walking the trails to the park with my parents and finding sand dollars on the beach.

When we weren’t in Federal Way my parents made sure we were still surrounded by natural history. Whether that meant going camping on Lake Kachess or visiting the Grand Canyon I was always learning something new about nature. When my family wasn’t camping we were in our Carver out on the Puget Sound. While on the boat I could look out and see sea lions lying on a barge barking at any boat that passed by.

Not only did my parents insure that I would experience nature but my grandparents were adamant about it too. My grandmother would spend most of our time together teaching me how to garden, which vegetables needed what amount of sunlight and water, and that bees are our most important ally in the garden. When she wasn’t teaching me about how often to water the rose garden, she was quizzing me about the most affective ways to attract humming birds. Although I’m quite unreasonably scared of birds, hummingbirds’ up to 80 or 90 flaps per second will always amaze me.

For the most part, I was in contact with nature every day of my childhood. Day by day I formed a bond with natural history that has led to me major in environmental studies. Although I have not outgrown my irrational fear of birds, my love for nature, specifically the PNW, has grown more and more each day.

For my observation site I chose Ravenna Park. I walked on the trail until I found an area with a diverse range of trees and other species. From my site I was able to hear bird songs, the stream and was able to spot a squirrel or two on the trees in my area. One of these trees, about 20 feet from where I was standing, was a western red cedar or Thuja plicata. It had long bark fibers, opposite branches with needles that lay flat and small pine cones. The needles were green on top with white stomata below allowing for better gas exchange than other trees. 

 About 10 feet across from the tree I found a group of skunk cabbage. Originally when looking up the plants scientific name I assumed it was simplocarpus foetidus but that species is actually native to eastern america and resides in swampy areas. The species that I found is lysinchiton americanus which is more easily found in the Pacific North West region. Before finding the plant my nose was irritated by the smell that continued to waft towards the red cedar I was observing. Now that I have identified the plant I know it's because the plant acquired it's nickname by emitting a skunk-like odor.