It's Friday December
11th, 2015 and this is my final weekly journal post for Boren Park as it
relates to my Natural History class. Before writing this post I
reviewed my older ones to get reacquainted with what my site was like when
I first began this project. I noticed a recurring theme that I was
usually arriving in the park after a large storm. Each time I came to the
park, it had only changed in small ways. Things like fallen
branches and trees denuded of their leaves by the wind were a common
sight. Small pools and a few water falls were typical after heavy
rains but were ephemeral. The park seemed to take each storm in
stride. However, this time was different for today I saw the park
undergoing dramatic changes and it was not handling them very well.
A series of
autumn storms had just come through our region earlier in the week dumping
record setting rain fall for the year. Walking up the trail to my
site the park is much swampier than any time before. The
sound of rushing water can be heard everywhere. The parks lowland area
is fully saturated causing my foot to sink several inches into the vegetation
and into the mud underneath. The terrace that the park’s
trail uses to pass through the lowlands has begun to fail causing portions
of it to erode away taking the trail down with it. The park's western
slope that is on the right side of the trail is covered in tiny
waterfalls causing mud streams to flow out across the trail.
As I approach my site I realize now more than ever why the
trail closed signs are still posted even after the
fallen trees has been cleared from the trail last month.
This area is in danger of slope failure due to the enormous amount of rain the
ravine has had to cope with in recent weeks.
Additionally, trees that were already in a slightly reposed position
seemed to be barely hanging on and you get the feeling that a tree could fall
at any moment. During this time, I
take my final pictures, notes and make my last observations but as I
do so I feel a sense of sadness but also some anxiety. I am sad that this will be the final time I
come to the park on a weekly basis but also anxious because I feel that the
park is not safe to be in anymore. As I
wrap my observations I get lucky and am able to get some photos, albeit not
very good ones, of a Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii).
As I exit the
park and stand by its dedication stone I look out and thank the place that has
provided me with so much inspiration and wonder throughout this quarter. I have enjoyed this project so much that I
plan to continue documenting change at Boren Park and maintain the blog but on
a much more infrequent basis. I am excited
to see how the park will continue to transform, not only from is seasonal
variability but over longer periods of time.
In this last section I
will answer the following questions in order to summarize my
over-experience for this project and to provide the reader with
understanding of how this assignment impacted me both personally and
academically.
1.
How has your perception of your observation site
changed through the quarter? Think about how it has changed phenologically, and
how your relationship to it has changed accordingly.
Until this class I have never
taken enough time and care to observe the subtitle phenological changes that occur
in an environment over several weeks. In
my experience, I typically only realized something had changed only when it had
been completely transformed. This class has helped me see that change is
constantly in motion and that small but noticeable changes can been seen if you
slow down to make detailed, consistent and accurate observations. I now notice
that so much more is happening than
trees shedding leaves and have learned that Boren Park a very dynamic place
were disturbance causes both destruction and new opportunities for life. Additionally, I have a more detailed
understanding on the seasonal processes at work, both biotic and abiotic. Before this class Boren Park already had a special
place in my heart. At the top of the
park is Louisa Boren outlook where I got married. However, after this class I have a much deeper
connection with the park. I feel like I
know it as a great friend and look forward to getting to know it better.
2.
How has your sense of the Puget Sound Region changed through
the quarter? Think about the body of knowledge we have explored, and the wealth
of experiences we have had both locally and on travels around the region.
Since moving to the Seattle area
in 1996 I have built, over the years, a patchy framework of knowledge about the
Puget Sound Region. This class not only
helped fill in the gaps in my understanding of what I already knew, it built
upon it and expanded it ten-fold. I have
found this entire course to be more enlightening than that all of my previous learning
experiences of the region combined. For
some reason, in all my years here, I had never been to Mount Rainier, the
Nisqually Delta or Ebey’s landing. We
are so lucky to have a rich inventory of geologic and biological sites so close
that no one should miss out on experiencing these places. My appreciation for the uniqueness of our
region and the complicated and interconnected ecosystems is encompasses is higher
than it has ever been. Thank you for
making sure that we were outside seeing nature first hand rather than
attempting to replicate it a classroom setting.
There is no substitute for the real thing.
3.
What does it mean to intimately know a natural place? Is
there as much to be gained (or more?) from close observation of nature in
a city park, as compared to field trips to far flung places or inspiring
view points in the mountains?
Before this class, for me getting
to know a place simply meant visiting it often, but after it my definition of
getting to know a place has been revised and expanded. It now includes looking deeper into both the
biotic and abiotic components of a place.
This class has taught to me ask questions about my environment and to seek
answers through repeated and careful scientific observation. I have had the opportunity to learn about regional
environments both near and far. If you
were to ask me before this class which place, an inspiring view point in the
mountains or a city park, would provide a better experience of natural history
I would have said the mountain viewpoint without hesitation. However, now I understand both environments
much better and cannot say that either one is more enriching than the
other. I feel that is so much to be
gained from both that you cannot and should not experience one without the
other. Learning from environments large
and small, near and far, gives you a better understanding of your place in this
world and reinforces the fact that everything is interconnected.
4.
What do you feel are your most important personal
outcomes from this class? What is the value to you of nature observation,
and any other skills you have garnered?
I am a person who has struggled
with being patience throughout my life and this class helped me work on the
problem. The act of going to Boren Park
often and making detailed notes and observations help me to slow down a bit and
appreciate that when I do slow down things start to happen. Birds begin to emerge, and squirrels act a
little less guarded. Songs and sounds
that were once inaudible suddenly ring out in full orchestral glory when you
take the time to listen. The languages
of nature are all around us and I feel like I am now at least proficient in
speaking some of the languages of native trees, shrubs birds and invertebrates. I believe that the foundational information I
have learned from this class will help me to continue to learn more plant and animal
species. You cannot help but a get a good feeling when you can point to a tree or
bird and know for certain what it is and be able to tell someone else
that, its priceless. Not to mention these are skills that look
really good on a resume.
5.
Has your overall perception of nature and natural
history, and the place of humans in nature, changed this quarter?
I would say that my over-all
perception of nature and natural history and our place in it has changed. As an environmental studies
major I already know how intertwined we are with nature, but this class
has given me skills to be able to dig
deeper for a more complete
understanding of these intricate connections. This class has inspired me and
has boosted my confidence that I am on the right path. I plan to use the information and skills I have
learned here to inspire others to be more involved in nature and realize that
the more interactions you have with nature the more likely you will be to love
it and protect it.
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