Angelo Reserve

16 May 2018 - Kelly

• • Today we drove from Santa Cruz up the beautiful Highway 1. Some of us saw whales from the road. We drove through San Francisco and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, and after a short six hours we arrived at Angelo Coast Range Reserve. We drove down a dirt road that passed through the mossy old growth forest along the bank of the Eel River to reach our campsite.  

    There were deer grazing in the meadow at Fox Creek Cabin when we arrived. Eric was also there to greet us. We unloaded the vans and cook crew started cooking a delicious spaghetti dinner. Then the rest of us set up our tents and started exploring. By the time we regrouped for dinner, people had seen all sorts of exciting wildlife. After dinner, we presented our Natural History Team field guide, and Sofie and Deanna gave an in-depth and thought-provoking presentation about the human history of the reserve.

17 May 2018 - Lacey

• • Our first morning at Mendo! This morning we woke up to the birds singing and the deer roaming through our tent city. We had a nice breakfast with cereal and fruit and then got ready for a big day! The first thing we had to do was orient ourselves to our new home. We looked at maps of the reserve and found all of the places we were going to visit on this trip. Then we headed out on a hike. We went down the Eel river and made our way to the “River Bench,” where we spun the wheel about what rivers need and how they move. Then Danielle gave a presentation on Lampreys, the accidental namesake of the Eel River, a weird fish that has no bones, jaws, or scales. After her presentation we crossed the river and made our way to Sprague Meadow for lunch. That area was full of surprises - Eric found 14 different plant species among the meadow grasses without even trying, and Chris brought over a dead Lamprey that was found in the river! After lunch we walked a little further on the Walker Meadow Loop trail to the Lower Walker Meadow. We stayed there for about an hour and a half doing some DIY naturalizing. Some people went birding, some keyed plants, and others went exploring. When our time was up we packed up our stuff and kept moving down the trail. We passed by many beautiful flowers, trees, and meadows full of irises. The trail eventually led us back to the Eel River. Some people crossed right away to get back to camp, and others stayed behind to swim around and check out the river habitat. We found many frog eggs, a yellow legged frog, and a huge Redwood tree right by the river (it was 200 ft tall!)

    Eventually it was time to head back to camp. We walked through a field of ferns, passed by the Angelo homestead, and got back just in time for dinner. Cook crew set up a Ramen bar which was delicious! After dinner we gathered around the campfire to hear presentations from Olivia and Sierra S about the endangered marbled murrelet and the impacts of illegal marijuana cultivation on the landscape, respectively. After their presentations we were OHO, off to key plants and journal about our day.

18 May 2018 - Zohe Slack

• • The cool morning fog greeted us, ushering us into Fox Creek Cabin for pancakes, oatmeal and hot drinks. We ate with some extra funk in the air, some golden jumpsuits and galactic cats roamed around. We hopped in the vans as the fog burned off, and listened to David Bowie on a bumpy ride down Wilderness Road. We arrived at Conger trail, where Elder creeks meets the Eel river. Rachel gave a dope presentation about Epiphytes and the canopy ecosystem, highlighting the importance of old growth forest in providing habitat for crevice and water loving epiphytes. Cactus introduced old growth forests and the unique niches that are created.

    This laid the framework for the main activity of the day; characterizing and reading the stories of the forest! We split into small groups, and each picked a few different distinct spots along the Conger trail to compare. We delved into forest ecology, determining species composition, looking at the layers of forest from canopy to understory, and thinking about disturbance and fire dynamics. I was surprised to learn about and see large old growth Douglas Fir fallen…. I noticed charcoal in the leaf litter; evidence of fire!

    We walked back down the Conger trail with a deeper understanding and curiosity about the old growth forest that is has been preserved here. We dipped in the cold Eel River, where Chris caught a Foothill Yellow-legged Frog! We also saw a teenie baby garter snake hiding in dry rocks. We made it back to camp for a delicious dinner of … Purple! Then Maddie shared the natural history of the Flying Squirrel, giving us hope of seeing it at night. Jordan talked about crazy parasitic plants that don’t photosynthesize and tap into extensive underground networks of mycelium to feed. Lastly, we filled our tummies with smores and hit the hay.

19 May 2018 - Courtney

• • A chilly fog blanketed Fox Creek Camp, but the smell of breakfast burritos wafting down to our tents and cabins coaxed us from our warm sleepinging bags and into the lodge. After a delicious and hearty meal, we all met Rozy at the Fire Circle for Part I of our lessons on bird language. The fog had cleared as we listened to the songs and calls of the birds around us, heightening a sense sometimes lost in such a visually stimulating environment. Afterwards we moved into the meadow where the morning sunshine warmed our bodies and Jessica presented on the threats to the Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog. Then it was Chris’s turn to present for the morning.

    We did a crash course on aquatic ecosystems and learned that the presence of certain animals within a food web can be used to determine the health of a creek/river. It was then time to see for ourselves! Down to Fox Creek we went, fishnets, waders, and plastic dishes in hand to catch and observe all the aquatic critters we could. And we found so many! Frogs, newts, fish, larva, etc! We even found a dragonfly larva emerge from its exoskeleton and witness its birth into adulthood, it’s delicate wings fanning out to dry and fly for the first time!

    Too soon we returned to camp and found a special treat waiting for us: Ryan was back! And he had brought with him the Chairwoman of the Cahto Tribe, Aimie. She spoke to us about the connection her people have to this land, shared the working dictionary of their language, and shared with us a glimpse into the lives of her and her people. It was a beautifully grounding experience and we were all so grateful she came with her grandchildren to teach us about her tribe.

    After such a busy morning, it was time to chill and naturalize! We hiked up to Elder Creek Falls, where some of use swam, others hunted for rare orchids, while the rest of of us explored the creek upstream. Eventually we made our way back to camp where we were greeted with burgers, brownies, and a presentation on Spotted Owls from the birthday girl (Hoppy Birdy Amelia!). We ended the night learning to square dance and waltz next to the campfire!

    Photo by Sierra Kohls

20 May 2018 - Aurora

• • 

    Our mornings all started at various times,

    6:45 is when I started mine

    I rose from my sleeping bag, rubbed at my eyes,

    whispered my pillow a solemn goodbye

    I thanked cook crew for breakfast and collected my things

    (not quite in time for 8 am birding)

    By 8:40 we gather, teachers beckon us hither:

    We will walk down this trail right along the Eel River

    We turn down a side path and we’re quiet there;

    We’re approaching a meadow and there might be a bear

    We get there and (sadly) no bear seen or heard

    Just one very old house and a chorus of birds

    A pioneer home, this white house looks ancient

    With rats nests, olds dishes, windows boarded, and paint chipped

    We sit on the porch and Colleen teaches us about fire

    Then we spread out in the meadow, pencils out to acquire

    A map made of bird calls, then set off again with force:

    The next leg of the journey is an obstacle course.

    Scaling fallen trees and boulders, we clamber along for a peek

    At the confluence of the Eel River and Ten Mile Creek

    Once we finally make it, some eat lunch, others are keen

    On stripping down to their swimsuits and jumping in the stream

    We see an eagle and lampreys, fish, snakes, and frogs,

    We lay about on boulders and float along on logs

    Then Kelly tells us about salmon, and Chris Lay delivers

    A lesson on the rules and the movement of rivers

    And we scramble back home, hiking like winners

    To enjoy some tasty grilled cheese for dinner

    Reserve manager Peter joined our merry band

    To tell stories about the history of the land

    Then some stay by the fire, some talk with their friends,

    And we go to bed so we can do it again

     

    Photo of the White House by Sierra Kohls

21 May 2018 - Sierra

• • Today was the second niche hunt day of the quarter, thanks to our instructor Ryan. He always says that he loved his niche hunt day in Big Creek when he was a field quarter student so much that he wanted to implement two opportunities, and I’m glad he did! We had a “relaxed” start to our morning (breakfast was still at 7:00 am, done by 7:30), everyone trickled out of camp at their own pace, some earlier (6:30 am!), and some a little bit later than usual, spreading out around the Angelo Reserve, chasing whatever drew our attention. I think that’s the beautiful thing about niche day, is the ability to self-structure and motivate, instead of the classroom-like environment we usually have, we are free to naturalize individually, and curate our experience to our interests. We were not expected back at camp until 5:30 pm (dinner’s at 6:00 pm), so everyone had up to 11 hours to immerse in their niche!

    I decided to watch the baby steelhead trout that seem to be everywhere in the stream and rivers around the reserve. I like watching animals, vertebrates specifically, because there is always a lot of action! I chose these guys after I spent the better part of an hour one afternoon staring at a group of them in a small little section of a creek, watching them interact, and what even looked like play (I know, anthropomorphizing)! I focused on a small area along 10 Mile River near where Fox Creek (the creek that ran behind our campsite) runs in. For seven hours I observed their behavior, watched how they fed, and (attempted) to count how many were in my small area. I learned so much about fish behavior today, but as usual, I walked away with more questions than I started with, that’s just the nature of the niche day.  

    Photo of 10 Mile River by Sierra Kohls

22 May 2018 - Kelly

• • Today was “DIY Day,” our day to explore and naturalize in the reserve in whatever way we wanted.  Some people hiked to the top of Black Oak Mountain, while others chose to hike the Walker Meadow Loop Trail, hangout by the river, or spend time with the deer in the meadows.  

    I wanted to soak up as much of the Eel River as I could before leaving, so I went on a peaceful morning swim down the river. Then in the afternoon, a group of us drove upstream to look for the elusive Southern Torrent Salamander which has never been seen on Field Quarter. We scoured Skunk Creek, flipping every rock in sight, but didn’t find any. We did see a lot of juvenile Pacific Giant Salamanders, and we may have found a clutch of Pacific Giant Salamander eggs which was really exciting because they are extremely rare to find. Back at camp, we ate dinner outside and watched two precious little deer fawns nurse from their mother in the meadow. Then we all sat around the campfire to share some of our most exciting observations from the week and to roast marshmallows for s’mores. After s’mores, a small group of dedicated herp nerds drove back to Skunk Creek to look for adult terrestrial Pacific Giant Salamanders in the dark. Just like our earlier visit to Skunk Creek, we didn’t find exactly what we were looking for. Instead, we were lucky enough to see eight Southern Torrent Salamanders, practically glowing under the light of the moon —a great finale to a magical trip.

    Photo of Southern Torrent Salamander by Courtney Golts

23 May 2018 - Lacey

• Today we said goodbye to the Eel! We woke up to the birds singing and packed up all of our things bright and early. After breakfast we broke camp down and managed to have everything all cleaned up and ready to go by 9:30 - a record! We spent some time saying goodbye to Mendo and then got in the vans to drive home. Off to our next grand adventure!