Week 9

3:30 PM Friday, June 6
Sunny, 75 degrees
Magnuson Park

I was able to enjoy my site for the last time today, however I'm sure I will be back in the future. First I just want to share how much my observation spot has changed over this spring.

Week 9

Week 1

These pictures do not fully account for the amount of change at my observation site. I have watched the composition of species change over time, different invertebrates and birds come and go, and plants bloom are produce pollen. It has been incredible to see these changes on all different scales. I learned so much just from sitting in one spot week after week. During my last trip there today I was still able to document a few phenotypical changes. The water level has gone up quite dramatically, in some places the water is even spilling out onto the trail. I also spotted and American Gold Finch today and was able to look at it for quite some time and listen to its cheery call for quite some time before it flew away. I also noticed something new blooming- a small yellow flower that I believe is bird's-foot trefoil. Also a new species of dragonfly/damselfly showed up at my site today. It had really vibrant blue stripes on its wings, which the picture I drew does not do justice. Its body was black and it stayed in one place for a surprisingly long time.

Dragon fly perched on a branch.

Bird's-foot trefoil

American gold finch among the willow branches.

My next challenge was to describe a plant without using any common words related to plant. I chose to describe a giant horsetail. Here is what I wrote, "Vertical structure, green in color. Long, wispy protrusions at each node. It gently rustles and waves in the wind as it sits in the water."

Next we were to describe a bird in a similar fashion. I came up with this about the american gold finch, "Yellow body and spots of black, a flying creature, crying out cheerily on a nearby willow. Just as quickly as it came, it left, gliding silently out of sight."

For the final part I described the dragonfly I saw: "Four long slender protrusions used for flight, landing motionless on a branch, this creature is vibrant and stands out. Look away for a split second, it is now in flight, its black body zig-zagging above the water."

Finally, after a spring of observing, I would like to share my final thoughts and reflections. As the quarter progressed, I grew more and more fond of my observation site. It became less of an assignment and more of a place I looked forward to going to every week. It has shown me that no matter how many times you visit a place, it will never be predictable. I never knew what I was going to see that day at my site and I think that may be what I enjoyed most of all. It was an adventure, even in a place I grew to know so intimately. I was unsure of how much I would discover in this one spot, and I was surprised by the many new species I encountered each week- even into week nine, I am still discovering new things. I never thought I would find 50 species at my site. But I was able to accomplish that with ease once I knew where to look. Magnuson park will be a place I return to, both for discovering new species and going on an adventure and for just relaxing. 

I have lived in the Puget Sound region my entire life. In the past few years, I have really grown to appreciate the beauty of this region, something that I definitely took for granted before. Now my appreciation has only grown deeper. I feel like I know this region better. From traveling to Olympic National Park, to Eastern WA, to local parks in Seattle, all places I have been before, the amount I learned each time made it feel as if the place was brand new to me. I now know the plants and birds common to this region by their species, they are no longer just simply "bird" and "plant" to me anymore. Not only that but now I am knowledgeable about how this region was formed by glaciers and how it is still changing to this day. Not only do I love where I live but I can tell people about it too. I'm more connected to this region than I was before, and I have realized how important it is to have that connection to the natural world that is around you. I want to slow down and take in this place. I want to identify the species I find on hikes and sit and watch birds, not just hike for the view at the top like I always have.
To intimately know a natural place, you need to get to know it on every scale. From the broad view of the landscape to the tiniest bugs that live in the soil, you need to be aware of them. I don't think this means you have to know every species that places has, because that is nearly impossible. I think it is more of knowing where to look. It is also knowing when things are blooming and changing and what those changes will entail. Someone brought up the idea of our sites being like having a relationship with a friend- you want to get to know it and when you visit it catch up and find out what has been going on since you've last been there. I also found myself getting more comfortable with each visit. I welcomed the sight of the red winged blackbird defending its territory. I looked forward to seeing pollinators on the nootka rose. But most importantly, I developed a sense of excitement for what I would see that day when I was visiting my site. No matter how well I thought I knew Magnuson, I still knew that I could never predict what I would see that day when I visited and I think that is part of the intimacy- I know the unpredictable nature of it, and I am fully aware of the fact that everything that happens is completely out of my control. Magnuson is a spot where I can relax and feel at peace. In the future I know I will come back here to relax and just feel the familiarity of it. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to learn to get to know a natural area.