This was our first morning at the Angelo Reserve, and the naturalists were still settling in from the long travels of the previous day. However, the rain had settled in as well, and was greeted with the mixed enthusiasm one might give to a surprise visit from distant relatives. The morning was spent learning the secrets of the local river and stream systems, and a sojourn to the river was held with the intention of finding a relation between stream width, depth, and velocity. The afternoon was spent in a similar fashion, identifying the riffles and eddies of the nearby Eel River while keeping time to enjoy the old-growth forest we found ourselves in. As grey day faded into dark night, Liam led a presentation on historical land use of the reserve, and afterwards the class discussed their academic and personal goals for the remainder of the trip. After these festivities we retired for the night, prepared and energized for the future in this beautiful reserve.
This was the second full day of rain and everyone was getting a little antsy inside the Fox Creek Cabin. Our schedule was scrambled and the rain was messing with the plan. The instructors in the morning created an activity with sixteen different tree species ranging from douglas firs to a variety of oaks to oregon ash. While we were happily learning our trees the instructors came up with a wonderful plan to go on a critter hunt in fox creek to capture bugs, amphibians, pretty much anything creepy and crawly. Some dared to go in the cold water while others stood out on the bank in the rain while. We picked up rocks and had our nets ready to swoop anything up if it moved. others supported from the side and held terrariums for the critters to be put into. We caught a giant pacific salamander, slender salamander, rough skinned newt, macroinvertebrates, and many more little amazing creatures.
With all the spinning of the wheel, pouring our curiosity into the trees and critters, and keeping ourselves warm in the rain, we were tuckered out. We hunkered down and wrote nature notes and played cards to our hearts content and shared our wonders of the day.
- Today was an eventful third day at Angelo Reserve. Like the creatures that surround us, we felt invigorated by the much needed sunshine. We hiked the Ahlquist trail to the White House which is a historic homestead site about a half mile from Fox Creek Lodge. The scenery on the hike quickly changed from Redwood forest to south facing chaparral as we increased in elevation. As we descended down the trail on the other side of the peak we walked through a burn site from a 2014 fire before arriving in the beautiful meadow next to the White House. We saw many new species along the way that included birds, herps, and plants. The Warbling Vireo greeted us with its chattering gossip and the Black-headed Grosbeak told us how much it’s chattering sounds like that of a Robin. Garter snakes and Yellow Bellied Racers strung themselves through our fingers and prodded us with their forked tongues. The river sped around its bends and went from muddy brown to olive green as the sun scraped its surface. Those who visited the confluence welcomed a new adventure and those who chose to stay in the White House meadow soaked up its magic like a sponge. Our first exploration of this beautiful place left us feeling full of warmth, playfulness, and at its sweet end… cheese.
Today we were all greeted with another full day of rain. The sun was nice yesterday, but like all good things, it must come to an end! However we didn’t let this rainy day stop our adventuring. After breakfast and a few presentations, we explored some characteristics of the 15 common trees we can see in this reserve. This helped us prepare for our excursion to the Conger Trail where we would explore forest dynamics. We waterproofed ourselves and jumped into the vans.
Once we arrived at the Conger Trail, we broke into small groups to observe the forest and spin the wheel about the patterns we saw. Everyone made some great observations about the forest and encountered some neat creatures on the way! Some honorable mentions include the Slender Salamander, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and the FATTEST Banana Slug in town! After we finished our observations we headed back to the vans and traveled back to the lodge where we were able to snack it off and get dry.
After dinner we did some presentations (and interpretive dances) about what we learned during our hike. After that we were OHO and are currently ending the night like we usually do— warm drinks, plant keying, serenades, and great conversations. Let’s see what tomorrow holds!
We spent the morning learning about marijuana cultivation from Matt. On our fifth day here at Angelo Reserve, we spent our entire day hiking Black Oak Mt. Trail. At the beginning of our excursion, Chris led a meditation exercise. While he told us an old story of an old naturalist tracker, we imagined ourselves as foxes, walking quietly and intentionally. We also imagined ourselves as owls looking at our surrounding. This exercise ended with a game of trying to move slowly and quietly towards Emily. The first one who could get to Emily without being noticed would win. This game allowed us to test our ability to walk quietly. Chris reminded us to walk today and think about the noise we create and how the environment reacts to our presence.
We then hiked up the mountain, with an occasional group hiding along the trail to see if others could spot them. We hiked about 2-3 miles uphill (it was tough but we all made it) to the UFO landing site. We got to eat lunch, relax, and even take a small nap in the sun. Ryan led an optional additional hike to the top of Black Oak Mt., which was only a 30 minute walk up. Other (including myself) philosophized at the UFO landing spot. After a couple hours, we hiked back down and came back to a nice warm cabin. That night, we had purple dinner followed by some presentations. Jake presented on Northern Spotted Owls and Elena on Mycoheterotrophy. We also had a full day of sunshine!
- Expecting a break from the rain, it was announced that today would be Niche Hunt day! We dispersed across the reserve to the White House Meadow, the Conger Trail, the banks of the Eel river, and the Elder Falls trail. We were settling in for a day of getting to know a variety of processes and organisms such as bees, butterflies, lizards, birds and bird nests, flowers, oaks, moss, and even poison oak. Our day would involve eight hours of giving our compassionate attention to these organisms and learning as much as we could through direct observation. I had journeyed over to towards the white house in search of an organism to follow. I settled down to watch two banana slugs who I named Po and Liz. After observing them I discovered that Po moved about 59 inches an hour and munched on plants as he slicked around the duff. Liz moved about 27 inches an hour and pretty much wandered in circles and periodically ate the slime that accumulated on the back of her body. Around noon both slugs slowed down and I took this time to eat my lunch. After about 15 minutes I looked over and Liz was gone! How did I lose a slug that moves 27 inches per hour? I looked and looked but never found Liz the entire rest of the day. I continued to watch Po and asked many questions about the banana slug lifestyle and how they fit into the niche in the reserve forest. After dinner we circled up in Fox Creek Lodge and shared stories about our Niche Hunt adventures, questions and discoveries. Some of us had similar experiences and questions while others had experiences none may have had before. Whether the eight hours crept or flew by, we all came away with a better knowledge of a niche in the Angelo Coast Range Natural Reserve and a story to tell.
The morning greeted us with more rain, a departure from the radiant sunshine that defined the previous day. After so long in the Angelo reserve we were ready for the inclement weather! Considering these late-season rainfalls are a potential sign of changing climate, the early morning was spent in group discussion on the impact of the changing climate on anadromous fish and on a potential way to combat the lack of fire disturbance in the reserve through selective logging. After our discussion more of the class opposed the selective logging measure, but the majority was not total. Before moving on to the next part of the day, Chris Lay led a brief discussion of how essential nutrients enter and cycle through the stream ecosystem.
At this point, the class was split into two groups. The first would explore the rushing Elder Creek falls, with massive canyon live oaks suspended over the riverbank. The “mystery grove” of oaks on the path to the falls was a subject of many wheel-spins regarding its’ existence, with answers ranging from fire disturbances to the fey. The second group embarked on an adventure to measure the water flow in Fox Creek, measuring and wading through the water before returning to the lodge and analyzing their points of data. The groups switched places, and before long it was time for dinner. Following the heart meal, Ryan and Camille educated the class on two notable bird families in the reserve: Vireos and Thrushes. Of course this education took place entirely through song, and was a satisfying conclusion to the day. As the day drew to an end we prepared for the upcoming quiz, enjoyed each other’s company, and got ready for sunny days in the remainder of the trip!
DIY Day
Confluence hike
Beach day
Bald Eagle
Jello, Chili
Square Dance
May 15, 2019, by Griffin
May 16, 2019, by Ellen
May 17, 2019, by Georgia
May 18, 2019, by Jazmine
May 19, 2019, by Edgar
May 20, 2019, by Wendy
May 21, 2019, by Griffin
May 22, 2019, by Ellen
