March 31 and April 1, 2012

See written journal entry for March 31, 2012 for more details on the vegetation and habitat of the area this plant was found in and the weather on the day it was found. This plant was found growing on the branch of a tree about 8-10ft tall along the right side of the path we followed on our second foray into Pack Forest. Porella is a genus of liverworts and this one in particular caught my eye because it looked so different from moss I'm used to seeing. There were plenty of other patches of this species growing all around the path we followed in the forest, so it's clearly a very common organism. The Porella is, just to be clear, the bubbly plant. The finer plant is another species that is not the focus of this observation.

For more information on habitat, vegetation, and weather of Pack Forest, the area this specimen was found in, please see the written journal entry for March 31, 2012. Osoberry flowers in the early spring and is among the first plants to leaf out. This particular osoberry was about 4-5 ft tall and was growing near some Salal and other plants carpeting the forest floor just off the path we were following in our first foray into Pack Forest. The fruit is very bitter and was eaten by Native Americans, who also made tea out of the bark and chewed the twigs for use as a mild anesthetic and aphrodisiac.

For more information on the vegetation, habitat, weather, and on lichens in general, please see the written journal entry for March 31, 2012. This Evernia prunastri was found growing on the branch of a 10-15 foot tall Red Alder tree, a species of tree that lichens seem to prefer. This lichen is also known as Oakmoss, because it usually grows on Oak trees, though it does grow on other species. This particular specimen had thalli about 3 inches long. The thalli were light green, though they can become dark green when wet. Interestingly, this lichen is commonly used as a base for perfumes.

For more information on habitat, vegetation, and weather of Pack Forest when this specimen was found, please see the written journal entry for March 31, 2012. This species of galium is known as a cleaver and was found in a shaded area under the trees on the left side of the path on our second foray into Pack Forest. It was located near a small stream and grew in small clumps, though it can grow in very large patches too. This species is interesting because it sticks to cotton thanks to the small hooked hairs that cover the leaves and stem. This aids in seed dispersal as parts of the plant can also stick to animal fur. The specimen I photographed was about 3 inches long. This plant does flower in early spring and summer and it does produce fruit, though the one I found had not yet. This plant is edible and it was used in the past by herbalists to treat skin diseases, lower blood pressure, and lower body temperature. It is rich in Vitamin C and has also been used to relieve poisonous bites. It has been used for many other medicinal purposes by various cultures.

For more information on the habitat, vegetation, and weather of Pack Forest on the day this specimen was observed. This common duckweed was observed covering the surface of a small pond hidden in the trees on the left side of the path on our second foray into Pack Forest. Out of the water, this floating aquatic plant looks tiny leaves with a single root hanging from each. This root can be 1-2 cm long and the leaves are about 1-8mm long. Common duckweed is an important food source for birds and fish as it is rich in protein and fats. The pond in question was almost completely covered with the common duckweed because it grows so rapidly and it appeared to be the only aquatic plant in the pond.

For more information on habitat, vegetation, and weather of the Pack Forest area on the day I observed this specimen, please see the written journal entry for March 31, 2012. These horsetails were found alongside the pond covered in common duckweed behind a shed just off the left side of the path on our second foray into Pack Forest. Horsetails produce fertile stems, which is what I found, in early spring and sterile stems in late spring. The stem I found had not yet produced its branches or its spore bearing strobilus. Horsetails prefer damp, shady places in woodlands, which explains why I found these horsetails in the damp area next to a pond under the shade of a shed and the trees.

For more information on habitat, vegetation, and weather of the Pack Forest area when I observed this specimen, please see the written journal for March 31, 2012. Red alder trees are abundant in Pack Forest and it is one of the dominant deciduous trees in the area. This particular object I have taken a picture of is a male catkin from a red alder tree. This male catkin is about an inch long and catkins like this one grow on the red alder trees in early spring. The female catkins are erect and develop into small cones. Red alder trees are often found in forests with Douglas fir or western hemlock and bigleaf maple trees. This particular specimen was found in a Douglas fir and bigleaf maple tree forest. The tree itself was 10-15 ft tall and had many lichens growing on it of various species and was located just off of the path on our second foray into the forest. Red alder trees can be used as environmental indicators in that their leaves develop purple or red splotches in the presence of high ozone levels.

For more information on the habitat, vegetation, and weather of the Mt. Rainier National Park area, please see the March 31, 2012 entry for this forest in my written journal (note that this observation pertains to the entry for Mt. Rainier, not for Pack Forest even though they are both from March 31, 2012). This tree lungwort lichen caught my eye because it looked like lettuce growing right out of the bark of a 10-15 foot tall red alder tree. The tree had plenty of other types of lichens growing on it as well, but those are in separate entries. The thalli of this lichen were about 2-3 centimeters long and they were bright green, leathery, and lobed. This lichen cannot reproduce until it reaches 25 years of age and its propagules take the form of reddish-brown discs that release spores. This specimen did not have its propagules.

For more information on habitat, vegetation, and weather of Mt. Rainier National Park, please see the written journal entry for March 31, 2012 (note that this observation pertains to the entry for Mt. Rainier, not Pack Forest, even though they are both from Mar. 31, 2012). This specimen is also known as tree moss and it is a true moss that grows on rocks and trees. This specimen in particular was growing on a red alder tree just off of the path on the Trail of Shadows near the bridge along with a bunch of lichens that I documented in other entries. Tree moss prefers to grow on deciduous trees rather than conifers.

For more information on habitat, vegetation, and weather of the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge when this observation was made, please see the written journal entry for April 1, 2012. This species was observed in various places along the path in the forest. This specimen in particular was growing on the edge of the path in the area overlooking a couple small ponds and it was about 5 feet tall. Salmonberry flowers in early spring to early summer and the berries ripen in mid-June to late July. These plants flourish under stands of red alder in coastal forests, as this specimen was. Salmonberries are edible and look like orange raspberries.

For more information on habitat, vegetation, and weather of the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge when this observation was made, please see the written journal entry for April 1, 2012. These song sparrows were abundant in the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge and made their nests on the ground in the grass and bushes. They made sharp, quick chirping noises when we got too close to their nests near the path. These sparrows were light brown with black and white flecks on their feathers and long tail feathers. Of the sparrows in North America, the song sparrow is one of the most abundant, variable, and adaptable species with many different subspecies.

For more information on habitat, vegetation, and weather of the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge when this observation was made, please see the written journal entry for April 1, 2012. These geese could be found in the forest itself on the path, floating in the ponds on the left side of the path, and wandering in the large clearing outside of the forest. I never saw one of these birds on its own, they were always in pairs of, I'm assuming, male and female. I make this assumption because Canada geese are monogamous and stay with one mate all of their lives. These birds were all foraging for food when I encountered them.

For more information on habitat, vegetation, and weather of the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge when this observation was made, please see the written journal entry for April 1, 2012. These robins were yet another of the extremely abundant species in the Wildlife Refuge forest. They were all over the path and in the trees and are extremely common all over the country as well. This bird is migratory and spends its winters in northern parts of the United States and southern Canada, leaving for the southern United States and northern Mexico in late August where they will breed. It eats invertebrates like earthworms, and this one I spotted was likely searching for some food near this puddle in the picture.

For more information on habitat, vegetation, and weather of the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge when this observation was made, please see the written journal entry for April 1, 2012. This Pacific chorus frog was found hiding in the grass and dead leaves on the observation deck at the end of one path and the beginning of the path leading through the open clearing at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. The brown streaks under its eyes gave it away as a Pacific chorus frog. This frog was about 5cm long and it was unusual to see one during the day, as they are nocturnal. Some interesting facts, this frog is the official state frog of Washington and it is the only frog that actually goes "ribbit".

For more information on the habitat, vegetation, and weather of the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge on the day I observed this willow, please see the journal entry for April 1, 2012 in my written journal. This willow was about 10 feet tall and was growing on the edge of the observation deck area next to the Nisqually River. Willows like this one are native to northwestern North America and prefer marshes, riverbanks, or swamps, which explains why it was thriving along the Nisqually River. The catkins in the picture are male and about 5 cm long. Female catkins are longer by a few centimeters.

For more information on habitat, vegetation, and weather of the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge when this observation was made, please see the written journal entry for April 1, 2012. This snake was found by some other of my classmates in the tall grass of the clearing area just off of the path. Its black with the green stripe identify it as a garter snake and I assumed it was the subspecies Puget Sound garter snake because we were in the Puget Sound area. This snake was about 22 inches long and would be the perfect prey for the bald eagles and hawks that inhabit that clearing area. These snakes are most active in the warmer afternoons in cold areas like here in the Pacific Northwest. They have a great range of habitats from forests to plains and are commonly found near water, which makes sense since the clearing had plenty of large ponds and was near the Nisqually River.

For more information on habitat, vegetation, and weather of the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge when this observation was made, please see the written journal entry for April 1, 2012. Great blue herons like this one were all over the clearing area at Nisqually Wildlife Refuge and we even spotted one on the other side of the Nisqually River looking for fish. This bird in particular may have been the same bird we saw fishing as it flew in from the direction of the river. It landed next to a pair of geese and it was amusing watching the male snap at the heron until it wandered away from them. This heron had a head to tail length of about 3 feet and a wingspan of about 5 feet. These birds are always found near rivers or bodies of water and they make their nests in trees, as we saw at the University of Washington.