Station 1: The Erratic boulder

            This boulder is well known to most people who frequent Ravenna Park, mainly because it looks out of place. The Vashon lobe of the Cordilleran ice sheet moved the boulder almost 20,000 years ago. The boulder sits in the creek that runs through the bottom of the ravine. Since the boulder sits in water the surrounding area is damp, making it a perfect place for moss to grow. There is also a Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia) that has lots of moss growing all over it. The Yew is a tree that does well in moist areas, and usually have a handful of central trunks that branches grow from.  Traditionally, the Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest made paddles for canoes and bows for hunting with the wood from the Yew.  

Stations 2: Devils Club

            Devils club is an understory shrub that can be found mostly in old growth forests of the North West. This spot in Ravenna Park is one of the only one can find Devil’s club at in the entire park. It was not as tall as most of the Devil’s club I came across with when visiting the more preserved old growth forest near Crescent Lake, out on the Olympic Peninsula. The stems of the plant are of the thicker variety when comparing it to other shrubs. It also has spines covering most of the thick stems, with larger leaves extending out form the tops of the stems.

Station 3: Picnic Area

           

            The picnic area is an example of an ecological disturbance caused by humans. Much of Ravenna Park and the surrounding area was logged and clear-cut for human consumption over the years. Over time conservationist have worked hard to try and preserve the natural history of the park. On my walks through the park this quarter I have come across countless instances of young native trees and shrubs being planted in and efforts to further restore the natural ecosystem. There has also been signs posted in areas where a conversation effort is taking place, to let the general public know to take any extra precautions needed to ensure that the restoration is successful. However, there often needs to be a balance between conservation efforts and providing a recreational space for people in the community.

Station 4: The Top of Ravenna Park Bridge

            The top of the bridge that crosses the top of the park is a great place to go bird watching because the viewpoint is up in the canopy of the trees of the park. At first glance the park seems to be dominated by the American Crow, and you can constantly hear their loud caawing call. On my first visit to the top of the bridge I was able to observe a group of crows trying to drive out a couple of larger adult Bald Eagles. Bald Eagles typically are found near larger bodies of water, where they can take advantage of large supplies of fish. In addition to the larger birds just described there are an abundance of smaller songbirds. The American Robin is one that someone is almost guaranteed to hear and see while walking through the park, especially in the early morning hours. They are found all over North America and can be identified by the mahogany red-brown color of its breast. They can often be seen on the forest floor feeding on worms, insects, and other invertebrates. A slightly more rare bird I was able to come across from the vantage point at the top of the bridge was a Golden Crowned Kinglet. It was sitting there perched on the branch of a tall spruce or fir.    

Station 5: The Creek Before the trail splits

            This area of the creek is located on the right hand side when walking through the park from the baseball field. This larger creek bed is located just before the trail splits off. It is located just across from where we observed the devils club. This spot is a great place to look for invertebrates. One of the best places to look for nymphs is under larger rocks in moving water because stoneflies like highly oxygenated water. These nymphs eventually get taken by the current and dragged along to a place where they can under go their metamorphosis. Another commonly found invertebrate found in the stream is the fresh water leach. A good place to look for the inverts is underneath rocks above the moving water, where it is calmer. They feed on the blood of fish, frogs, and other mammals, detecting potential prey by the vibrations in the water. Finally, giant crane flies are probably one of the easiest invertebrates to spot because of their abundance and size. They like to breed in damp places, so the edges of the creek might be a good place to look for these guys. They have extremely long legs as compared to the rest of their bodies