Week 9 Journal

June 7th

65 Degrees F

Sunny

My Final Visit

Part 1

Week 1

Week 9

Me standing in Giant Horsetails for reference

     

     It was a bittersweet goodbye today as I observed the organisms at my site for the last time this year. However, I know that I'll be back next Fall to see how things are going, so that was a nice thought. Once again, I was amazed at how tall the Giant Horsetails had gotten. The first time I observed my site, they were just shooting up and didn't exceed a height of 6", now they're easily 4' tall and I have provided a photo for reference above. I had no clue how tall they were capable of getting and definitely didn't expect this size from the little reed looking chutes. As you can see from the difference in the two site pictures, little of the original foliage in the little meadow remains, as the Horsetails have taken over almost completely. The salmonberries are all ripe now for the most part and will soon be at the end of their growth period. They are tasty! The birds were especially loud on this day I noticed. I wonder if the babies are all born yet. Black-capped Chickadees, American Robins, as well as song sparrows were all over the place, flitting around. As for the mud that once plagued the meadow floor, much of it has dried up and now much more of the landscape is walkable. 

Part 2

Plant: Despite the way it sits and only the wind can move it, I can tell it is alive. Each of its components is like one of my arms or legs, a limb, part of the whole and part of the Earth. 

Bird: You can follow to your hearts content, but never catch. With your hands at least. To be this free is something a human will never know. In observing such a creature, you see that it is very simple. Yet, we will never be as complex. If only they could teach us how they see the world.

Animal: All it wants is food and shelter. Much simpler than myself, it's beautiful because it bypasses intricacies and focuses on necessities. The priorities are obvious, and for that, I have respect. Learning from this thing is easy as you watch it survive, only living in the present, never occupied with the future. 

Part 3

The perception of my site has definitely been altered throughout the course of this quarter. During the first week, I was unable to really zone in on any one organism and sort of just saw the site as a small area with a bunch of plant species. Eventually though, I could key in on each individual species of not only plant, but animal and invertebrate as well. Seeing how many life forms one small area can support was one of the biggest lessons I learned. Biodiversity is immense in Seattle thanks to places like Ravenna park and I hope it will be around for many years to come. I was able to really get to know the park after repeatedly returning over the course of nine weeks and I'm so happy I did. This site has become a major part of my scholastic career at the University of Washington because it is now a place of solace that I can visit when I need to clear my head and just relax. With minimal foot traffic along the path near my meadow, I am able to relax and reflect on life somewhere that isn't surrounded with concrete or steel. And that, is something beautiful.

At the beginning of the quarter, I really knew very little of the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Being from Leavenworth, a town just across the mountains, I was a bit disappointed with myself for not knowing more than I did. It is alright though, because Envir280 filled that gap for me. Knowing the glacial and forest history of Seattle makes the region so much more interesting to me. When we spend time in a place like Seattle, its easy to forget what it once was and just accept it for what it is now, a huge booming city. But knowing on a deeper level is something that everyone should do at some point. Because once you know its history, you begin to wonder what it will be like in the future. That is an interesting thought; things can change so vastly. There is still much of the Puget Sound region to be explored for me though. Seeing as I had to miss the trip to Lake Crescent, I would love to visit the Olympic Peninsula to see all it has to offer. I have experienced many of the plants and animals of the forest and wetlands, but coastal areas is where I lack knowledge and experience. I hope I can fix that very soon.

To intimately know a natural place is to be attached to something at the deepest of levels. When you get to know a place well, it becomes something you care about. You want nothing to change it or alter the beauty it has to offer. It seems that today, people are becoming less connected to the natural environment and that is a scary thought. Mostly because without the connection, the concern lacks as well. We need to find a way to continue people's love of nature for the next generations, because they will most likely decide what happens to the remaining wildlife the Earth has left, even though it is already dwindling quickly. Knowing multiple places as well is also key to connecting to one on a deep level. You know what other places have to offer, and you can decide which ones bring you the best, most comforting feelings, and you know what types of landscapes you want to avoid. Everybody is different, therefore they look for different aspects of nature for comfort. I hope to never lose my drive to get to know nature more deeply, at any scale. I plan on continuing to explore what I can, when I can and to experience as much wilderness as possible. It brings me joy to share what knowledge of the natural world I have with others who are lacking, because I can see the feeling it gives them, and I know it is a joyful one. One that is the beginning of a new love.