what is nature...

For several class discussions we talked about the difference between nature and natural. To answer this question we decided to spend a full 24 hours outside, with no food and only a water bottle full of water. The night started off all right, we climbed trees, laid out in Jackson Plaza, and played a few games, finally we decided to go to sleep under the star trees. Later in the night we were disturbed by a stranger who had decided to circle us, we quickly left and wound up spending the night in the basement of Belknap, breaking our 24 hour goal. When we went back outside Sunday morning I really started to notice the difference between nature and natural. We spent the day lounging in our sleeping bags by the Mill Stream watching passersby stare and give us strange looks. I came to find that while the area we were in was natural, there was grass, trees, flowers, plants, it was by no means nature. Nature, to me, is an environment completely free of modern day conveniences. Nature is a place where you can go and not hear the constant roar of traffic, but instead hear the faint trickle of a stream, birds singing, branches creaking in the wind, or the soft rustle of grass. I think that for a habitat to actually be nature there can be no human manipulation, plants and trees grow on their own accord in one giant ecosystem of symbiosis. The Willamette campus has none of these qualities, you will always be able to hear the train no matter where you are on campus, there will always be the temptation of a warm dry building instead of the outdoors, and plants do not grow of their own accord, but instead have been manipulated to grow in gardens that we may or may not find aesthetically pleasing.

Planet Willamette Nomads

Rose: What is (N)nature? This is a question I have been asking myself ever since our discussion in class a few weeks ago. At first, in attempt to answer this limitless inquiry, me and a few friends were planning on spending a night exclusively in the outdoors, not going to get food, or even going inside to pee. We were attempting to live off the land for a day, in a completely urban environment. After this experiment, I realized that all together it was more of a journey and process of developing my answer than an answer to the question itself. After freezing in my sleeping bag, starving of hunger and nearly getting beaten by a bum, I came to the conclusion that it goes against nature to intentionally slide so far against basic needs. We were attempting to live a completely natural way of life in a completely unnatural setting and this is not nature. Nature is all life forms working together, manipulating and changing to fit one’s own basic needs. Humans have taken this manipulation of the environment into the age of industry and technology and however unnatural, this is still part of natures creation and development.

Eloise: I believe that our campus and the surrounding area can be considered nature, because everything there came from nature at some point. However, while it is nature, I do not think that this way of living is completely natural. A natural way of living would be living completely off the land, and being able to provide for ourselves. As we discovered, it is very difficult to live off the land in the setting of our campus and the city. If we had stayed outside longer than twenty-four hours, we probably would not have been able to find enough of the right food to stay alive. It would also have been near impossible for us to find shelter and warmth without our sleeping bags and clothing. In a more natural setting, we would have an easier time living off the land, however, I still consider our campus to be nature.

Tyler: During my natural (?) immersion experience, I had a lot of time tocontemplate the questions, “what is nature, and what is natural?” It wasinteresting to attempt to carry out an immersion experience in such anunnatural setting. Despite being outdoors, we always knew that we hadcomforts such as food and shelter in case of an emergency, such as thesecurity of a building in the case of a creepy stalker staring at us whilewe sleep, or a meal in Goudy awaiting us after our time was up. Thus,although I believe we stayed in Nature, we were not by any means natural. I accepted the idea that all things derived from Nature are a part of it;however, I drew a distinction between Nature and what is natural. To me,something that is natural is something that would endure without humanmaintenance. We were surrounded by preserved gardens, bright lampposts,and large buildings, all remnants of human influence. To be in a trulynatural setting, we would have to be surrounded by the true, naturalassets of Nature. I also was able to observe how unnatural we humans are. While we were outside curled up in our sleeping bags, various peoplepassed us by. They were always trekking from unnatural building tounnatural building, only braving the outdoors to go be served a mealprepared by intensive human manipulation, or study or go about their dailylives in unnatural, heated, secure buildings. It is evident that humansno longer act naturally. However, the danger of this unnaturalness isthat we will neglect our natural settings, allowing them to be destroyedby our manipulation and apathy.

Emma: I believe that nature is a place free from significant influence by man,like a forest miles and miles away from civilization. While what we havearound campus, like the trees and grassy areas, is natural, it is notnature. Nature has true ecosystems and is not tended or cared for byhumans. So, during our staying outside experiment, the outside settingalmost worked against us. Because we were in man-made nature there wasnothing to forage and no where to burrow, where as in true nature boththose things would be somewhat easier.

17 November 2008: Spiderweb

Rose Dickson

17 November 2008

2100 – 2120 hours

On the main stage of Kresge Theatre on Willamette University campus, Salem, OR, USA

42 degrees, clear

            All this week I have been staying up late having dance rehearsal in preparation for the dance recital coming up this weekend. We are working in the Kresge Theatre and the booming lights create indescribable heat that is almost unbearable. As I was waiting for my piece to begin I looked up onto the ceiling and noticed right next to one of the radiant lights was a spider on a spiders web. If I can barely stand the heat from this distance, how can a being so much smaller and more fragile than I handle that kind of heat? Is the spider even alive? How long has it been living up there, watching all the shows go in and out of production stage? The web looks new and perfectly in tact, not at all like an ancient cobweb so I assume the spider is alive and well. I wonder how it gets its food? Are there really that many bugs available in this kind of space? Will the spider die soon due to lack of food? I wonder if by performance time he will still be there, as an extra audience member! 

15 November 2008
all day
around the Willamette university campus
It has been sunny for the past two days. It is unexpected and weird. I no longer know hat to do with myself. This is Oregon, I have already dealt with the fact that the sun does no live here. I cannot reprocess something like this!! But I do love it, I can wear dresses for a few days and it is not trompy mud for a few days. Unfortunately humans cannot photosynthesize, that would be really nice and probably solve world hunger.

Tyler Starr: 11/16, UPS Arboretum

Tyler Starr

16 November 2008 from 1340-1355

Location: The Arboretum of the University of Puget Sound

Weather: 53 ̊ F, slightly hazy, partly cloudy skies, no wind

General: The Arboretum is very similar to the Quad, but with a greater diversity of trees, including coniferous and deciduous trees. All of the deciduous trees have changed colors, and many have lost most or all of their leaves. Leaves scatter the ground, and in many places have been raked up into large piles. It seems that the process of fall is farther along here than at Willamette. I wonder if the north-south difference between the two would actually cause a distinct difference in phenology between the two regions. There was a group of perhaps 5 crows cawing in a tree a little ways off. At one point, one took off, and all of the other crows in the tree followed. I wonder if they were frightened off for some reason, or if they all just choose to stick together. I can hear the twitters of what seem to be small birds, but other than that, wildlife is pretty scarce at this time. There is moss growing on many of the trees, and several of them have a white residue on them, but I do not know what it is or what it is from.

(Sorry it's posted after sunset. I had it typed up before sunset but I didn't have Internet all day because I was traveling)

9 November 2008
1600-1615
On the grass between the mill stream and the University Center.
Luckily these are our classes’ last nature observations. The mill stream looks the same as it always dose. Where there is water in it at least. To be honest it was not really that interesting after the first made second post. So there are rocks and the ducks that have not gone south yet. It is interesting, that these ducks are not in Mexico or something like that yet. Perhaps the just don’t want to or are helping along natural selection, I really don’t know. Anyway as usual there are a few people also on the bank of the mil stream with me. And all the trees around the mill stream are now completely leafless. It is quite sad and skeletal looking but there will be leaves in the spring so no real issues here.

November 11, 2008
1100-1200
All around the Willamette university campus.
The nicest part of my outdoor experience this week was yesterday night I tromped around in my rain boots for more time than most other people my age. It was absolutely fabulous. The ground was incredibly wet and sloppy from the two days or rain we just got. There was also and abundance of large puddles especially in the sparks parking lot. It was really nice to be around in that time of night just appreciating the aftermath of rain. Usually I do not wear rain boots, therefore the mud and puddle are usually just an obnoxious burden. But last evening it became a time of glorious mud trudging.

13 November 2008
1130-1145
Lawn by the chicken fountain.
On the way to my French class today I got very distracted and ended up being about fifteen minutes late. Anyway the reason I became distracted in the first place was there were all these fallen leaves in the grass. First I notice one that had five arms of all different lengths. But what was most interesting was how this particular leaf did not completely change from green to red. Instead it got caught up in the transition and ended up somewhere in the middle with some of it still solidly green while other parts were glowing ember colored. The other nice leaf I found was of the same shape so perhaps the same tree, but this one had three red prong arms, while the other two were still yellow. What made this leaf super interesting was its abrupt change from red to yellow, it was like there was a curvy line defining the two part of the leaf. My final find was a smaller had three arms but had many jagged fingers coming off. It was pure red but I you look closer there was a darker red border all around it.

Foggy day

H.Waller
Date: 16 November 2008
Time: 1130
Location: All of Salem, OR
Weather: FOGGY, 52 degrees

Today I awoke to a sky that was entirely white. Upon further inspection I noticed that it was not only the sky that was this color, but everything was cloaked in a sheet of translucent white. In Montana, this would mean that it was snowing and likely blizzarding or close to it, so I bundled myself up in layer upon layer, including a scarf and mittens before heading off to brunch in the late morning. However, when we stepped outside I realized that though it looked freezing compared to the last two sunny days we have had, it was really about the same temperature, and I was way overdressed. The fog stayed all day long, and now at 2036 it is still just as foggy. Walking back from sectional an hour ago was creepy because all you can see of the people ahead is their silouette and it's even hard to tell if they are coming or going. I also think the fogginess makes people move slower. I wonder if it has any effect on other animal life?
Photo courtesy of Google Images

Moss

H.Waller
Date: 15 November 2008
Time: 1700
Location: In front of the TIUA entrance in the parking lot
Weather: Cool, sunny, 50 degrees

As I was walking back from working on a project in Gatke I decided to mix things up and run across the street rather than take the sky bridge home like usual. It was strange going a different way that I normally do from the building, and everything looked different from this new angle. When I got to the parking lot in front of TIUA I noticed on the concrete several patches of bright green moss growing up through the blacktop next to where the sidewalk creates a ledge. How peculiar it is for there to be life growing up out of such a man made and synthetic surrounding. There are plenty of trees nearby that it could be on instead, but it is here. I can't imagine how it gets its nutrients from this location, or how it got there in the first place.
Photo courtesy of Google Images

10/15/08

Location:Mill Stream
Date: 10/15/08
Time: 1600 hours
Weather: Cold and foggy

The mill stream is really quite dirty. I'd expected that with the increase in running water it would wash some of the dirt that accumulated during the shallow "season" to get picked up and carried downstream. I thought that it would have at least settled to the bottom anyways. However, I was wrong. The water is brown and murky and you can barely see the bottom. But the ducks were back earlier this week and that's always a good thing in my opinion. They did increase the water flow which is what I assume made them come on back but I can't be certain. Maybe they were just stopping by before their long journey. I want the mill stream to be back to what it was when I first got here and how pretty it used to be.

H.Waller
Date: 14 November 2008
Time: 1600
Location: bush park
Weather: chilly, but sunny, 52 degrees

I forgot how much I love to run. Today a friend asked me if I wanted to go running around Bush park, and though I was somewhat reluctant at first, I agreed to go and ended up loving it. There is something about getting a good workout while being immersed in nature itself that gives me a sense of satisfaction I haven't found elsewhere. We ran about a 5 mile loop and during much of the run my feet were crunching upon trails covered fully in leaves of red, orange and yellow. Up higher into the park is where all the humungous leaves are that are now dried up and more shades of dark green and brown and have curled up their edges forming bowls to hold the rain that has fallen here recently. I also spotted a squirrel that struck me as unique because he was the same size and color as all the other tons of squirrels around, except that this little guy had right red-orange coloring on the end of his tail and the top of his head.

10/14/08

Location: Capitol Grounds
Date: 10/14/08
Time: 1300 hours
Weather: Sunny and brisk

On our way to view the protest going on at the capitol building and then to the speech thereafter, Dave spotted a sight that I was waiting to see. A peregrine falcon had perched itself upon the top of the building itself and was scoping out the terratory around it. From where I was the bird still looked magnificient. All I could see was its back but I could easily see its shape and deep gray feathers against the contour of the white walls of the building. I wanted to see it in action so badly but alas, it merely sat there, almost pondering the reason as to why so many had gathered. Maybe even annoyed that so many would scare off the food. Or perhaps delighted that more people would entice more food to arrive.

Chestnuts!

Time: 1807-1825

Date: 15 November 2008

Climate: Not too cold out, brisk and refreshing

Location: Walking around campus and towards Salem City Center

As I walk around campus and towards the Salem City Center with friends we are walking under a good amount of Chestnut Trees.  The chestnuts are falling off of them still and this is shocking to me.  They seem to have been falling for forever now.  One dropped right behind me and came so close that I could feel the vibration on the sidewalk in my shoes when it hit the ground.  It is slightly unnerving to walk under them because I always fear that they are going to fall on me.  There are so many chestnut trees around and so many chestnuts on the ground.  I definitely thought that they would not be falling as much anymore but lately I’ve been noticing it more that ever.  Maybe it is just me finally realizing it but I do think more have been falling that were before.  

http://www.kitchengardeners.org/pics/chestnut12.19.05.JPG

ducks

Time: 1135-1155

Date: 14 November 2008

Climate: Sunny, cool air, a bit breezy

Location: Mill Stream next to the Botanical Garden

So I love sitting at this one spot by the Mill Stream.  It is on a tree stump with a little bridge to my left and the Botanical Garden behind me.  Once again I am facing Matthews Hall and Belknap.  The water is up to its normal level again and I see ducks! I rarely see ducks here especially when there is a normal amount of water.  The water flows a bit faster here, and it is a bit noisier as a result.  I don’t usually see ducks here and I thought it was because there us faster louder water but today was different.  They were just relaxing and hanging out on the side of the stream.  They didn’t move much or make much noise.  After about 10 minutes they left their little area and flowed down the rover with the water.  They had been in the same spot for what seemed like a long time but then they left like it was nothing.  It was like they just let go of where they had been staying and just moved with the water.   

Star Trees

Time: 2308-2335

Date: 13 November 2008

Climate: Very Chilly, Overcast, windy

Location: Star trees, Willamette University campus

I decided to take another late night walk around campus.  I wandered all over past the library, across the quad, through the Japanese garden and some other places ultimately ending up under the star trees.  I sat down and the ground was damp and soft.  I looked up and saw the star made by the trees but what caught my eye first was the sky.  The clouds were moving so fast that I couldn’t keep my eye on a single part of the sky.  The moon is showing through the tree closest to cone chapel, which is diagonally to the left of me.  The star trees are really nice to sit under because there is nobody around me right now and I am alone but I feel safe.  Something about these trees allow me feel comfortable because they are so big and relaxing.  It is something that I can’t really explain, but for some odd reason they are captivating.  I get up and realize that my pants are all wet from the ground and have thin pine type sticks stuck to them and dead leaves.  I pick them off and I look up again.  They sky looks completely different from when I first got here.  I spin around and closed my eyes and I had no idea what direction I was facing when I opened my eyes.  It was such a strange feeling because the star trees look so much alike at the tops.  I began to walk back to my dorm and the grass was much sloppier than the ground under the star trees.  This was surprising to me because the star trees are shaded so I would expect the ground to be wetter but it was not.  As I walked back to my dorm I walked through the Japanese Garden again and down Winter St.  There were no students out and barely any cars on the road.  For some reason campus was particularly dead tonight, and seemed almost empty.  The trees are beginning to become bare and the sidewalks and roads were empty.  But it didn’t feel that way under the star trees.  

http://www.2librarians.com/family/willamette/StarTrees.jpg

High Mill Stream

Time: 1304-1325

Date: 13 November 2008

Climate: Chilly, slightly windy

Location: Mill Stream as a whole, no particular point

Today the Mill Stream is back to its original level! This makes me happy because it was SO low and so gross looking.  It was almost painful to look at.  The Mill Stream doesn’t look completely back to normal because it is so dirty still but at least the water level is back to normal and it is moving along nicely again.  It was just so shallow and dead before that it wasn’t doing anything.  I am happy to see it back to almost normal and I am eager to see when tit will not be as dirty as it is now.  

Tulip!

Time: throughout the week

Date: 10 November 2008- 16 November 2008

Climate: Room Temperature

Location: My dorm room, Shepherd House

A Tulip was left on my door the other day.  It was put on my corkboard on my door with pushpins but carefully so that they did not hurt the stem.  I left it out of water and after about a day it began to wilt a bit.  The stem and petals became soft and droopy. I soon put in a glass of water.  When I woke up the next morning the flower had become turgid again! I was glad because I was worried that I had perhaps killed it by not putting it in water early enough.  I kept it in water for a few days and then took it out because I was afraid it would die from too much water.  I went and alternated for a bit.  Then I decided to change the water and when I picked up the tulip, all of the petals fell off!  I barely even touched them and they fell off.  I was shocked and sad because it was such a pretty flower.  The petals were orange and then going towards the center it was green and then turned yellow.  But it was perfect.  It looked like there were no marks or anything on it.  It almost looked unreal but it wasn’t.  

Tulip!

Time: throughout the week

Date: 10 November 2008- 16 November 2008

Climate: Room Temperature

Location: My dorm room, Shepherd House

A Tulip was left on my door the other day.  It was put on my corkboard on my door with pushpins but carefully so that they did not hurt the stem.  I left it out of water and after about a day it began to wilt a bit.  The stem and petals became soft and droopy. I soon put in a glass of water.  When I woke up the next morning the flower had become turgid again! I was glad because I was worried that I had perhaps killed it by not putting it in water early enough.  I kept it in water for a few days and then took it out because I was afraid it would die from too much water.  I went and alternated for a bit.  Then I decided to change the water and when I picked up the tulip, all of the petals fell off!  I barely even touched them and they fell off.  I was shocked and sad because it was such a pretty flower.  The petals were orange and then going towards the center it was green and then turned yellow.  But it was perfect.  It looked like there were no marks or anything on it.  It almost looked unreal but it wasn’t.  

10/12/08

Location: Fine Arts West front steps
Date: 10/12/08
Time: 1230 hours
Weather: Sunny!

Just as I thought! The crows are out and about having the time of their lives picking up the worms like there's no tomorrow! They're rather interesting to watch actually. The strut around moving leaves and grass and just *Pick! Pick! Pick* their way through all the mess. I counted fifteen seconds off and one crow had eaten almost 8 worms. I didn't even know there were that many in the grass! It's rather excited actually to see how this little game is getting played out. What an easier time in these crow's life this must be. Time to get cozy for the winter though I guess.

10/11/08

Location: Fine Arts West front steps
Date: 10/11/08
Time: 1130 hours
Weather: Cold and rainy

I was walking out of my class when I came upon a rather familiar sight. The rain had lured out some aliens of the open air. The earthworms were upon us. Although I only saw a few, I'm sure that all over campus the worms were popping up. The rain would certainly make them wake up a little. The poor little buggars would drown and all that banging might stir up quite the ruckus downstairs. The birds are going to have a field day with this one. The worms look so helpless. Just blindly squiggling around not know which way to go. I do feel almost sorry for them.

10/10/08

Location: Baxter Hall
Date: 10/10/08
Time: 1000 hours
Weather: Cold and Rainy

I awoke this morning drowsy as usual but with a slightly more painful surprise. I had received during the night a visit from a certain spider that gave me a "pleasant" reminder that we aren't alone in the world. I only assume it was spider bite of course because of the two very closely spaced puncture marks, the redness and swelling, and the undoubtable pain that pulsed from the epicenter of my problem. While I sleep the visitors may enter through my window. They feel the warmth and must be drawn to it. I would be too. So alas, either I close my window, or learn to face the wrath of my intruders.

16 November 2008: Fog

Rose Dickson

16 November 2008

1800 – 1809 hours

Facing the Millstream, with my back about 30 yards from The Bistro on Willamette University campus, Salem, OR, USA

41 degrees, fog

            Walking back to my dorm from the art building on Willamette University campus, I feel like I’m lost in a cloud. My vision extends only as far as the nearest lamppost, about 10 yards away, and all else disintegrates into haze. Fog has covered Salem today creating an ominous Sunday evening. My parents came out to dinner with me today and were shocked by the difference of Portland weather to here. My mom described Portland as being beautiful, clear, blue skies. I would be happy if I could even see the sky today. The fog chills my body as I anxiously await the entrance to Matthews and I note that if it weren’t for the freezing temperature, this entry and observation would be a lot more in depth and clear.  The increasingly cold weather makes spending time outside harder and harder, I need to buy myself a winter jacket!

photo courtesy: http://www.yeltzin.com/photos/2006/09/foggy/On_A_Foggy_Day__1__by_YELTZIN.jpg

Leo Castillo
16 November 2008
Location Doney
Climate 39
Time 300-330
Early in the morning when none is awake the fog creeps in the night as in the evening. The fog seems to be like evaporation in the night that raised from the mill stream. As I look out the window now there is fog everywhere on campus. You could walk out side and get lost in the mist and wouldn’t be able to see you. It seem that a giant ghost just attacked the campus and all you can see is the lights. The color of fog seems to deride from the city lights and give it a light red and orange color.

Leo Castillo
15 November 2008
Location: Bush Park
Climate: 50
Time 1200-1239
Warming down after a painful day of running as we go by a tree there is a squirrel that laying down dead. This squirrel was just laying their life less. They tried to hide his dead body over a pill of leafs but failed to do so later the dead squirrel was discovered.
This squirrel seems to be in shock and more like if it froze over night and dead. just a dead squirrel.

Leo Castillo
14 November 2008
Location: Tree Next to Smullin
Time 100-130
Climate :55
The class of naturalist 2.0 head’s out for there last walks of the year and in doing so toddy’s objective was to clime a tree. As we scouted the perfect tree to clime we walked about past tree building and found the right one. Once we arrived at the right spot many tried to clime the tree freely, but failed and fell. Until one of the students came up with an idea of how to get everyone to clime the tree. We manage to get a chair and a able and clime everyone who wanted up in the tree. For some it was there first time they ever climbed a tree in their life. After all we had the majority of the class up in the tree and a couple down and had a Kodak moment. After that we headed to the clear-cut protest. There was a lady who had been in the three for the past three-days living in the tree with a point to make to the community. There were a large number of people in her side supporting her claim and giving her aid. Later after she came down the city police gave her a citation. Then went on to give a speech on why she did what she did.

Leo Castillo
13 November 2008
Location: Spagetti Factory, Salem OR
Climate 43
Time 6:00-630
After the dinner as we are headed back to are car’s I can’t help notice the full moon in the sky. As we walk in the chilly afternoon as you exhale you can see your breath coming out of your mouth. The moon hides behind a tree that is leafless and you can see the branches of the trees are seen as the light hits it. The moon shines bright in the sky like the sun and with a bright outside. Sometime you can see the structures n the moon as where and where the crater hit on the moon sometimes it seem to be close to us and it all depends on the time of year. You can see it more and up close this time of year the especially in a night like this that is cold out and low temperature. Not always will you find the moon in such place like behind the trees. Other times it maybe in the middle of some clouds that just flow along the clouds sand gives the clouds some light. Most of time during the spring you don’t see it much at night. More in the morning and bright blue like the sky and it’s far way not even close.

Leo Castillo
12 November 2008
Location : Minto, Salem Or.
Climate: 49
Time: 400pm-430pm
Going on my daily thirty-minute run I as usual check the river and admire the outdoor scene. I head down the trail the river today the waster has rises and you can notice if you look at the backs. Along the river you use to be able to see the dirt on the side of the bank and now it’s nowhere to be seen. You could go down to the bank and do some fishing and even jus site and enjoy the view of the river. There was a little tent at one point and now that the water has risen; it has flooded the tent. This mostly occurs because of the rainy season at this time of year. Even the mill stream has risen and other part have also stopped pumping water to avoid a flood.

10 November 2008
12:13 PM
The Adirondack chair beneath the maple, across from the library, Willamette, University, Salem, OR
So today as I was walking to the library I took note of the maple tree that always has an Adirondack chair sitting below it. I have made several observations on this tree, and each has been unique in different ways. Several time I have sat in this chair and observed the same things, but even within that moment of observing, everything seems to change, let alone observing them at different periods of time all together. Today as I sit in the Adirondack below the maple, I sit below an entirely skeletal tree except for the few leaves that still cling to the outskirts of the tree on the finest twigs as the branches thin out. The leaves that remain are gnarled and brown and probably only have a few more days left in them. As opposed to the other times I have come to make observations here, the ground is entirely bare, the blanket of leaves that usually covers the ground has been removed by some man made force or another. I wonder what the campus would be like if all the leaves were left behind to decompose and rot as they do in an actual nature setting, the grass may die out for the lack of sunlight and fresh air and earthworms and night crawlers would thrive in this situation. It seems as though instead of snow, leaves accumulate on the ground. When December rolls around, I think I’m going to really start to miss having the snow around. People who live here year round say that they love the rain and can not wait for this time of the year. I can’t even begin to imagine replacing snow with rain.
11 November 2008
10:34
Sidewalk near the Star Trees, Willamette University, Salem, OR
It seems as though ever since November began, so has the rain. Tonight my friend Hannah and I decided to go outside and save the night crawlers that had wandered onto the sidewalk by picking them up and placing them back in the grass. We had been doing this for about ten minutes and a group of people walked by, I cannot even begin describe how confused the people looked, one of them even muttered “what the hell?” as they walked by. It is definitely interesting to see how people react to the unusual.
12 November 2008
1-4PM
The Slough, Salem, OR
Today in bio lab we’re going on a field trip to a slough a couple miles away from school. During this lab we are to be measuring the density and richness of different species. My particular group was measuring and investigating mosses and lichens. Each time we set up the 10 by 10 area for measurement our group would throw rings at random for measurement, we would then gauge how many species were present within the ring and how much, percentage wise, the species collectively took up. During our first measurement we found absolutely nothing in each ring. Since we had extra time while everyone else was finishing up their observations I started looking around and found a small, round, hard object that was cream colored with reddish dots all over it. I handed it to the professor and he identified it as something we had already once seen in lab. A certain species of wasp can manipulate oak leaves to form a hard spherical case that holds its offspring. Our teacher opened the small case, expecting to find nothing, but was surprised to find a tiny wasp, alive and well. The walls were reinforced with what looked like pneumaticized bones. Later on we found several more of these wasp “eggs” of varying sizes, but when each was opened we found there to be nothing inside.
12 November 2008
1-4
The Slough, Salem, OR
During our lab we had to different stages to go through, at one point we were out in the grass lands, but during the second part we went into the forest to get a view of a different type of habitat. When we entered the forest it was immediately different, it cooled off and there was a definite air of moisture. It was quite clear that within the forest there was a much greater richness for diversity, for every tree was absolutely covered with different species of moss, rotting trees lay on the ground providing excellent microhabitats for thousands of different beetles and night crawlers. At one point we found a lichen that looked just like piece of seaweed with sand coating its leaves. On the top of this particular species there were white dots covering every inch of its top coat, but when flipped over, the bottom was riddled with tiny little dimples, each slightly different from the next. During our observations in the forest our professor came up to us with a rough skinned newt, the newt had a chocolate brown back and a vibrantly bright orange stomach. Our professor tried a couple times to aggravate the newt so that it would stick its tail in the air to show off its coloration, but it never did. This newt is apparently the most poisonous newt in the pacific northwest, so of course I wanted to hold it. So after holding the newt we were told that if we were to get the newts secretion anywhere near our mouths we could get very sick. Overall it was a pretty amazing trip.
13 November 2008
11:37PM
Jackson Plaza, Willamette University, Salem, OR
For a week or so now the Mill Stream has been so shallow that it has been little more than a couple puddles stashed here and there between the rocks. Tonight the stream is at the extreme opposite of the spectrum, instead of barely flowing the Mill Stream is winding and curving through campus at a high rate of speed. This came at a perfect time, for my friend Hannah’s Birthday is tonight and we are definitely planning on throwing her in. The leaves have finally been washed out of the way by the new surge of water just like someone clearing a gutter.

Observer: Eloise Bacher
Date: 16 November, 2008
Time: 1136-1150
Location: Outside Kaneko.
Weather: Foggy, no wind, cold.
As I walk toward the west back door of Kaneko, on my right high in the air is an enormous spider web. It’s covered by tiny water droplets and is lacking a spider. It’s hard to believe when webs are like this that they are traps; it doesn’t seem like traps should be beautiful. There’s no way my camera can do it justice, so I leave it alone and continue on. Behind it, there is a drop of water on the tip of every single pine needle.

Observer: Eloise Bacher
Date: 16 November, 2008
Time: 0123-0139
Location: My balcony (Kaneko).
Weather: Dark, some clouds.

There are some sounds of distant traffic, but not much else. Maybe I should stake out the Nutria like I planned…no, it’s too late, and it’s really cold out. My breath forms small momentary clouds in the air, which probably means it’s not a good idea for me to go sit by the Mill Stream. Plus, it’s the middle of the night. Would we be able to hear the owls in Bush Park here? I still have that feather in my nature journal. The birds are all probably asleep, and I should be following their example.

Observer: Eloise Bacher
Date: 15 November, 2008
Time: 1002-1010
Location: Skybridge.
Weather: Sunny, very cold.

It’s extremely cold out, but that’s what we get when there aren’t any clouds at night to hold the heat in. At least it’s warmer in the sun. It feels like the middle of winter when there’s snow or frost but there’s also not a cloud to be seen and you can see your breath. I almost expect to see frost, but it’s probably not getting cold enough at night for that. It might have already melted if it had been here in the first place; the sun’s been up for a while. It should get warmer this afternoon.

Observer: Eloise Bacher
Date: 14 November, 2008
Time: 1935-1950
Location: Sparks Field.
Weather: Few clouds, dark.
The field lights aren’t on yet, although they will be in a few minutes. For now, I can see a few scattered stars, and the moon that hangs over the Mission Mill. It’s starting to wane; there’s a small, almost insignificant, sliver missing. It’s a light yellow/orange color and seems bigger than usual. A few wispy clouds move over it’s surface, and it makes them glow until they leave and become flat white again.

Observer: Eloise Bacher
Date: 13 November, 2008
Time: 1330-1350
Location: Baskett Slough Wildlife Refuge
Weather: Partly cloudy, sunny, windy.
Our Biology 125 lab went to Baskett Slough for a field trip to count plants, and our first survey site is in the grassland high above the parking lot. I can see all the way to the coast range and the cloud shadows moving across the valley. A few of the deer we watched by the parking lot are still visible, but most of them moved into deeper cover when we walked up the path. There is a Red Tailed Hawk soaring above us, the red tail only evident when s/he turns just right and it is highlighted by the sun. S/he is screaming, over and over, and soon is joined by another, and they move through a complex dance through the clouds as we watch.

Obs Nov 16

Phil Colburn
16 November 2008
Location: In front of East House
Time: 11:40-1200 hours
Weather: Cloudy

In front of east house, the grass is very sparse. Mud pokes up through the grass in several places, and the yard is slick. There is a meager barrier of hedges and trees dividing East house from the street. As such, the yard is probably drenched in exhaust and other pollutants resulting from the many cars that drive by every day. This could be a major facton in the grass growing so little in the yard. Exhaust and pollutants from cars are a factor that is impossible to ignore, because they so often kill plants and animals that are exposed to it.

Obs Nov 15

Phil Colburn
15 November 2008
Location: Capital Grounds
Weather: Partly cloudy
Time: 1410-1420

Today I went to go visit the Capital Grounds, mostly because I was curious to see if the sign on the tree where the protester stayed for 3 days straight to prevent clear cutting was still there or if they had taken it down. It appears that it is gone. I also find it very ironic that in the name of protecting trees from harm, the protester climbed the tree using climbing spikes. While this is of course not lethal to the tree, it sort of undermines the whole point of protecting the tree.

Obs Nov 14

Phil Colburn
14 November 2008
Location: Chicken Fountain
Time: 10:15-10:35
Weather: Sunny

Today I went to the Chicken fountain to relax and make my observation immediately after multivariable calculus class. All the sound I can hear is the chicken fountain gurgling and streaming. The grass around the fountain is a bright green, and there are bushes that are a darker green on the other side facing the Putnam University center. I see several small birds flitting around in the space between the bushes and the UC, but I was unable to get close enough to identify them. They were probably some type of swallow, because they were so small and they had the same flight patterns as a swallow.

Picture courtesy of http://lh5.ggpht.com/_ci5p8pnN1ZU/RtJCVvogqWI/AAAAAAAAAG4/YRNERjJjptc/DSC00818.JPG

Obs Nov 13

Phil Colburn
13 November 2008
Location: Rose Garden Behind Eaton
Time: 1020-1040 hours
Weather: Partly cloudy

When I found that the snapdragons at the Garden behind Collins were still alive, I decided to check out the rose garden behind Eaton. Apparently, roses are significantly more fragile than the snapdragons. Many of the roses have lost their blooms entirely or the plant has simply died. However, the few roses that are still there look wonderful. They are a soft pink color and have the perfect shape and size of a rose. However, the fact that many of the roses have died still reflects little on the state of the world. Roses are fragile plants, and they usually die because of the cold that comes with winter.

Picture courtesy of http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flowers/images/rose.jpg

Obs Nov 12

Phil Colburn
12 November 2008
Location: The Garden Behind Collins
Time: 1110-1130hours
Weather: Cloudy

Today I went to look at the garden full of snapdragons behind Collins. I was amazed that the snapdragons were still alive. We had had several cold days, and the frost usually kills plants like that early in the onset of winter. I also heard the harsh caw of what I think might have been a Stellar’s Jay, but I could be wrong, because they usually migrate south for the winter and any sane jay would have gone already. More likely, it was just a raven fooling me.

Picture Courtesy of http://kaweahoaks.com/html/raven01.jpg

Last Blog Post for November 10-16

Observer Name: Kaitlyn Rice
Date: 11 November 2008
Time: 1405 Hours
Location: West end of Skybridge, south side of Sparks
Weather: Overcast, in the 50’s temperature-wise, light rain



Not All is Brown for Fall
After my 5 hours of ivy removal last Sunday, I have never looked at ivy the same. That’s why I am here now, just at the base of the Skybridge on the west side of 12th street. Again, I was on my way to a different spot when I glanced to the ivy that I had passed so many times before. There is a cool wind blowing about under the cloudy skies. It is not raining now, but I am sure that it will not be long before the clouds release more rain down onto us.
Okay, onto the ivy though. Unlike most every other plant that grows to be some shade of brown for fall, the ivy is still a rich green. There are some spots of brown though on some leaves: I noticed that these leaves with brown are usually found near the edges of the patch, all of the larger and more healthy leaves are in the middle of the patch. The shapes of the leaves have 3 primary points. Like a writer who does not complete the strike across their “t’s”, the ivy’s indents only go in a little bit and are content with that. I suppose this would be beneficial for the plant as it increases surface area and therefore more sunlight can be absorbed. The vines are invading everything around them—the trees and even now the bricks on the side of Sparks. It truly is an invasive species, but I wonder now if Willamette is not using it to their advantage, covering Sparks with it on purpose.

Date: 12 November 2008
Time: 1430 Hours
Location: South side of Mill Stream
Weather: Warm, partly cloudy, high 50's to low 60's
Full Mill Stream = Happy Ducks
I have just finished eating lunch after class and was headed back to my dorm when I noticed that the Mill Stream was running with water again. No longer low, almost to the point of being dry, I make note of the murky brown color that now rushes swiftly past. I then remember the construction that was being done on it across 12th street and figure that might explain the coloring. Walking by it, I did not want to make a nature observation at the Mill Stream because then it is just another Mill Stream observation. When I saw the ducks though, I could not resist. They all just looked so very happy to be there with the water flowing swiftly again. In fact, I knew that they were happy when I witnessed one thing. Well, I guess it does not have to mean that they were happy, but I am assuming that it did. While they paddled about on the bend of the stream, I noticed that two of the ducks were acting abnormally. It was a male and a female and they were facing each other. The male would dip his beak into the water and then the female would do the same and they copied each other for just a minute or so. Watching this, I was wondering what they were doing and that is when the male climbed onto the back of the female. What? At this time of year, are they mating, or are they just enjoying themselves in the rushing water? Well, I am certainly no bird expert and this completely threw me off.

Date: 13 November 2008
Time: 1235 Hours
Location: Under a spreading tree on the north side of campus, just to the east of Eaton.
Weather: Overcast, but with patches of blue, 50’s



I Finally Made It!
After being stopped so many times before getting to this location, I have finally made it here. It is mostly cloudy today, but a patch of blue skies is over my head. I am located at one of, actually probably my favorite tree on campus. I am on the very north side of campus on a bench in front of Eaton Hall. The tree to my back is great: it is weathered and has great knots on its tremendous trunk. The branches all twist out sporadically and fan over me. Most of its leaves are gone and are on the ground at my feet. Of the leaves that are left on the tree, there are only a few that are not a golden-brown color. Under this tree I find peace, even though there are numerous distractions around me. To the east of me is the construction site that builds the new hall and there are bulldozers that beep as they back up. By the roses that line the sidewalk on campus across the street from the capitol building, people man leaf blowers. Under here though, none of that matters too much.
Looking down at my feet, I notice that the bench was built on top of a concrete foundation. The reasons for this, primarily prevention from ground erosion from the rain, go through my head. However, what I thought about the most was that whenever this bench was installed, people spent much more time on things and were not in such a rush.

Date: 14 November 2008
Time: 1505 Hours
Location: Inside of an airplane, at PDX, destination Seattle, Washington
Weather: Goes from beautiful, sunny day in Portland (50’s) to an overcast and little bit cooler weather in Seattle




Observation Sans Nature
Well, okay, I know that this is not a legit observation, but the things that I am seeing are fantastic and I am afraid that I have spent half of my day in classes and the next half is to be spent inside of the Seattle airport.
The past few days here in Oregon have been overcast and on the cool side. Today however is brilliant. The sky is clear and, as I am driving up the Portland airport, Mount Hood stands tall and proud, pristine to my east. I was not going to make an observation out of my travels, but I thought that it might be interesting to see the contrast between Portland and Seattle, only a 30-minute flight. Waiting our turn for take-off, I look out the window, to the northeast and straight towards Mount Hood. On the window is a small insect, smaller than a gnat and on the inside. It flings its legs about in a desperate attempt to find an escape from its pressurized cage. It does not use its delicate wings, but continues throughout the flight to try to breakout. As we lift off into the atmosphere we tilt directions from east-bound to north-bound and as we do so, I notice two new mountains in view. However, their entirety is not visible like Mount Hood was. There is a cloud cover over Washington and the two mountains peak over the top of it. As we leave the hills surrounding Portland and I am looking down, I spot a reservoir, its dam on the very west end of it, tiny in comparison to the amount of water it holds back. As soon as we pass over that though, we are flying over the top of the clouds and all that I can see is what seems to be an ocean of cotton balls.
Only a short while later, as we descend into Seattle, I realize that it is not the perfect blue skies of Oregon that I am about to experience. The cloud cover is low and fairly dark. After we lower through it, the city comes into view, as does an extremely dirty harbor. I take a glance backwards, to the west and notice the beauty in the horizon there. The islands west of Seattle are various shades of blue and fade away with the distance. The cloud cover meets them and there is only a thin layer of blue skies visible. Now that we are on solid ground, I just have time to sit around until the next leg of my journey is complete.

Date: 15 November 2008
Time: 1000 Hours
Location: Moscow, Idaho, University of Idaho Campus walk
Weather: partly cloudy, cool and crisp air about 40 degrees

A University of Idaho Stroll
It’s game day! I am here in Moscow, Idaho with my best friend, Lauren and I am here on campus to watch the Boise State Broncos dominate the University of Idaho Vandals (they did: 45-10). It is a beautiful day here, but cooler than back on campus in Salem. As I walk out of Lauren’s sorority house, there is a Maple tree down at the bottom of the path leading up to the door. It is all very picturesque, just how a sorority should be. As we walk down the sidewalk, Lauren leaves bits of squirrel food on the barrier keeping in the landscaping. There are other people who feed the squirrels! It’s not just the Willamette Naturalists!
So anyway, it is certainly time for winter here. The leaves are all falling and for the most part, the trees are barren. Weird little side note, there was cabbage planted outside of the ATM that I used. It was not really normal cabbage though, it was multi-colored and very pretty.

Tyler Starr: 11/15 pm, University of Puget Sound

Tyler Starr

15 November 2008 from 1535-1550

Location: The small Quad on the western side of campus, surrounded by dorm buildings, of the University of Puget Sound

Weather: Mostly sunny, no wind, 53 ̊ F

General: I can see Mt. Rainier from where I am sitting. It is a gorgeous sight, a colossal, white-capped mountain emerging from behind the various buildings of Tacoma. Apparently I am lucky that it is a clear day today, because it is not always visible. In front of me is a large tree, very reminiscent of the Star Trees on the campus of Willamette University. It appears to be the same type of tree, the Giant Sequoia. I believe that it is slightly taller, and according to the person I am with, it is very old and was here before UPS. This causes me to think that it might be a different species, since it is not much bigger than the Star Trees despite being much older. However, it is also possible that my source was incorrect. Like Willamette, all of the buildings on UPS are brick. Many of the buildings have ivy or some other sort of vine crawling over them in very cool patterns. Some of the vines have lost their leaves for the winter, and so only their roots remain. It is strange—the roots of the vines are woody like the branches of trees, and yet somehow they cling to the bricks with no problem.

Tyler Starr: 11/15 am, University of Puget Sound's Quad

Tyler Starr

15 November 2008 from 1130-1145

Location: The main Quad of the University of Puget Sound

Weather: Sunny, no wind, 55 ̊ F

General: It is very interesting to do nature observations of another campus and compare the natural setting to that of Willamette. UPS’s campus, to me, seems much more rustic than Willamette’s. While both have extensive landscaping and gardening, UPS’s campus resembles a forest much more than Willamette’s campus. One place where this is evident is the Quad, where I chose to do my first nature observation. While Willamette’s main Quadrangle is a large, open, grassy lawn, UPS’s has a great number of very tall coniferous trees scattered about (see picture). This gives it a much more natural feel than a large area free of life forms above three inches off the ground. At the same time, I feel like this makes the Quad of UPS less of a gathering point than that of Willamette. Obviously, one doesn’t see many Frisbees or footballs being thrown around. However, the large trees make the Quad an impressive sight. There were many small birds flitting about through the trees, including several chickadees, which are also prevalent on Willamette’s campus. I also saw 4 crows. There is a small garden next to the bench I am sitting on. Purple flowers surround small bushes with white flowers.

13 November 2008: Possum

Rose Dickson

13 November 2008

2246 – 2305 hours

Willamette Riverbank in Riverfront Park, Salem, OR, USA

41 degrees, partly cloudy

             I’ve noticed over the last few months that sitting around all day at class makes it hard for me to feel tired at night. So, my friend Thomas and I decided to go for an adventure. I told him about Hannah and my walk to Riverfront Park the other day and we decided to go, since he had never been before. On our walk, we saw so many different animals! It is so strange how many more animals come out when all the crowds of people are in bed. As we were approaching Riverfront Park we both heard a scurry in front of us and to my shock it was a possum! Yuck. Those are probably the grossest animals on the face of this earth. We both quickly ran away and as we were going to go look out over the river we saw another one! Why do these animals decide only to come out at night?  Are they like cats and have night vision? Well luckily I’ve never seen one of these on Willamette campus before, and I hope I never do!

photo courtesy: http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/recipes/possum.jpg

11 November 2008: HUGE raccoon

Rose Dickson

11 November 2008

2234 – 2250 hours

Facing the Millstream, on the bridge near the library on Willamette University campus, Salem, OR, USA

57 degrees, overcast

            Walking back to my dorm from a long night of homework, my eyes looked out onto the shallow Mill stream. To my surprise there was a HUGE raccoon wading in the water. This raccoon, unlike the others I’ve seen around campus, was all alone and looked like he had a long journey ahead of him, if he was planning on walking all the way down the stream.  As I watched him, I was wondering where he was planning on getting out to return to land because the edges of the stream seemed too high for the animal to crawl over. To my surprise however, the raccoon jumped onto the highest part of the ledge and pulled himself over. This was shocking to me because he looked like a big fat ball and I couldn’t figure out how he got the leg power to maneuver himself like that. Not only did he jump up and grab on to the land with his claws, but also pulled himself safely onto land. It looks like raccoons are stronger than I would have guessed, I hope I don’t run into this guy again alone at night! 

photo courtesy: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Procyon_lotor_2.jpg/199px-Procyon_lotor_2.jpg

12 November 2008: Hannah's Birthday

Rose Dickson

12 November 2008

2345 – 0000 hours

Facing the Millstream, with my back about 30 yards from The Bistro on Willamette University campus, Salem, OR, USA

55 degrees, overcast

            After noticing the high water level of the Willamette River at Riverfront Park in an earlier blog post, I realized that the Mill Stream is also back to its regular water level. This is perfect for my friend’s birthday, because at Willamette there is a tradition of throwing people in the stream on their birthday. The rocky ledge of the Mill Stream makes it hard for us to dip her all the way in, but we decide up to her neck is good enough. When we took her out I noticed how much colder I was from being splashed a little from the stream and instantly the chilly weather became almost unbearably cold. I remember back in August and September lazily dipping my feet in the water between classes and I can’t even imagine how cold that would be now. I’m definitely not looking forward to feeling how cold the water will be on my birthday, all the way in December.