Week 2
So it's the begining. Alana and I walked through our site and got aquainted with the plants, site and each other. We talked about what we knew and what we didn't, and what we would like to do. We decided to do research on openhillside and then came back to the site next week and talk some more about what we found and where we want to go with our site after we did a bit more research. 2.5 hrs
Went to the computer lab after work to do research on riparian area. Interestingly enough the study I found talked alot about buffer's around the stream to best benifit fish and wildlife. Never thought about how the life around the river act as some kind of filter protection for wildlife. Also lots and lot of information on plants found in riparian area, so I found a list of plants located in the nisqually area felt this had to be good enough. 5 hrs
Total 7.5 hrs
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Week 3
spent a couple hours out side doing journaling, went to my site to just sit with the plants Man I love that Red-oiser dogwwod! 2hrs
Total 9.5 hrs
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Week 4
Man I spent all day Thurs outside! what a wonderful day! At fisrt I attempted to just look at the plants all around me and see what plants were in our site and compare with those same plants that are in our site, all I really noticed was the creeping buttercup is in a very moist grouns right near another riparian area close to school, I also saw salmon berry, I keep forgeting it like the water. I also discovered this interesting plant, but I canot id cuz It's got no flower, something to think about when spring comes. Interesting I never thought plants could be that facinating with out there flowers but here I was spending a whole day outside. Also did some plant identification, I thought we had blleding heart in our sight but I wasn't sure so I spent the rest of the day doing idetification. Turns out it was herb robert. 7 Hrs.
Total 16.5
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I had fun this week, I got to use my dauben-myer stand info, and it took my back to the good times of scouring the land trying to step into the world of the plants as an ecosystem. This is when Alana so beautifully pointed out the differince in soil texure of the top of
hillside compared to the bottom of the hillside. I think it's funny how I tend to compliment my self on payin attention to detail, but no matter what theirs always a possibility to look over something. Just another circle of how there is always something exciting to discover and there is always a beautiful person who is there to help make things a bit better. 4 hrs
Total 20.5
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Week 6
Sat outside and just observed what it felt like to let the water fall on me. I became a plant (I think) and took in every drop of water that landed on my body. felt like a thousand kisses when I was done. 1.5 hrs
Total 22 Hrs
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Week 7
Wet feet with no place to go. So I went to the Deschuetes river to get a view of some further riparian habitat. My shoes ate water big time and I spent the rest of day squishing while I walked and wondered why in sam hell I never purchased rain boots! I observed the change in the river pattern after the harsh rain. I Saw alot of familiar plants, and also some that I don't even know, looked like a clover of some sort. Also discovered a very interesting vine I felt like it was really agressive Another project for spring time. I attempted to journal but the weather was so crappy I was afrain I would ruin my journal so I cursed the rain and tried to draw that vine quickly, and left the rest to memory and expirience. noticed some dead fish left over's and it made me wonder how adaptable all the plant were to onslot of water. 3 hrs
Total 25 hrs
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Week 8
I hate Creeping Buttercup! It's such a pain. I went on thurs and brought my dog. Bad idea. But I managed to pull some plants out, but my hands were freezing and the dog was driving me crazy so I went home after a while. 3 hrs
Then on sat Alana and I met to get the rest of the leftovers out. It's nice to see how much the sight has changed, I can't wait to see the plants that are supposed to thrive,do so. But while I was digging I found some horsetails in the ground waiting for spring to pop out there ugly heads. I hope not all that work was for 3hrs
nothing.
Total 28 Hrs
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Week 9
Tues spent all day at the prarie garden at the forestry research center. I was cold, but there is nothing like working outside. between my freezing hands the hard rain and sunshine I expirenced all the seasons today. Misty was quite lovely, I felt like she had accomplished alot with prarie retoration for the forestry service, sad that Fri. is her last day. She had alot of work to do and it was supposed to all be done by fri as well, outlook was bleek, I thought she would have to have thanksgiving on her work sight for sure, but then volenteers came from glacial hertage, and almost all of the work was done in less than 2 hrs. It amazing what alot of hands can accomplish. Went to a truck stop for lunch, Met some interesting people, I loved that day! I also learned about a rannuculus that looked alot like the repens. I thought misty was crazy when I saw her actually plant it in her sight, but then she explained that it was a non invasive, and non-rhizomatic plant, then everything was cool. 6 Hrs.
Thurs I felt pressed for time with my journal entries So I gathered some of the plants and took them to draw at my uncles house. There I met some cousins for the first time and drawing in front of them created a bonding expirience I canot begin to describe. Secretly I am planning on doing this at every family gathering so I may possibly enjoy this again. Not only did this allow me to get into a better relationship with complete strangers, but I also got to share the beauties of art and nature! My cousin who is 12 who was taking art had never drawn anything from real life. We also went for a walk, outside which I don't think the kids would have wanted to do had I not been there. Wonderful! Again amazing what you can expirience! Thanks To My Healing Gardens Teacher! I will try to scan Some of the pictures. Also my Uncle wondered if I knew what plants I WAS DRAWING I told him Im going to colleg for this stuff of course! it was interesting walking around his property and seeing how much i have learned. LOOK MOM! 3 HRS
TOTAL 37 HRS
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Week 10
Fri Spent the day working on tying everything together with our project RAP IT UP. I really love Alana I think her Really beautiful and I Am very excited that not only did I spend the days outside looking at the glorius world but also got to know a glorius person! 6 hrs
also there has been more research that was done on each plant and the medicinal properties for all the plants I would say alot more hours, and the reading! Geese no wonder I feel Like I'm tired!
Total 42 Hrs
I attached a scratchy document of notes on some of the info I got from Plants for a Future website. Warning They are scratchy I recomend going to the website and looking up the plants your self.
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