Naturalist-at-Large

Day 296: In the truest sense of the word, I was literally wearing a different hat today, although still functioning in my role as a naturalist. Today I conducted a small group of associates from the Nisqually Land Trust on an interpretive walk through my Ohop Valley stewardship property. The theme of the easy hike was "How Restoration Benefits the Critter Community," and covered topics including species-specific use of plants for forage and habitat, successes and failures in the restoration process, forest succession and the human history of the area. I devised a "nature bingo" and awarded wooden Audubon bird-calls to the first two participants who completed it, and handed out consolation prizes to the rest. I took guidance from an interpretive system called ACE ("Audience-Centered Experience"), and was happy to find that this group was easy to engage in discussion when I drew them out with questions. It was a bit of a change-up from my usual (and rather pedantic) recitation of scientific facts. The group's responses were well thought-out when asked to give their opinions on what constitutes "old-growth forest," an arbitrary human definition which varies from agency to agency but even moreso from a critter's point of view. The Nisqually Land Trust is a private non-profit organization, and therefore will not be affected by the prevailing anti-science sentiments in high-level government. Here, I can speak science freely, helping to educate people who, hopefully, will secure a future for our Earth.

Grass-of-Parnassus, Parnassia Fimbriata

Day 308: Strikingly beautiful and lace-like when observed closely, Grass-of-Parnassus is not a grass at all, but a member of the Saxifrage family. It was first described by Dioscorides, a Greek botanist, as found growing on the slopes of Mt. Parnassus but how its kidney-shaped leaves could have been called "grasslike" is a mystery we may never solve. It is a plant of springs and seeps, preferring to have its roots cool and damp. Thus, its specialized growing requirements limit its range. When it flourishes, it may line a streambank profusely, but only in a narrow band along the margins of the flow.

The species may be found in Mount Rainier National Park if you know where to look. A friend recently reported it to me along the 4th Crossing Trail, so today I set out to find it. My uniform and the camera around my neck often draw questions from visitors, so much of my afternoon was spent in interpretive discussion of Parnassia and other less common plant species in the Park. About two dozen people now know more about Grass-of-Parnassus than they did when they left home this morning. I love my job!

Identifying Mount Rainier's Violets

Day 196: I thought I'd share with you a little piece of interpretive material I put together yesterday. Enjoy!

"Oh, I know that one. It's a violet." Ah, but Mount Rainier National Park hosts quite a number of different species of Violas and they can be very difficult to tell apart unless you know what identifying features separate them.

First of all is COLOR. Contrary to the name, many of our violets are actually yellow, but we have pale purple ones as well. The next identifying feature to check is leaf shape. Does it look like a heart? Is it round or pointed? The leaf margin (edge) will tell you a lot. Is it smooth or serrated? Or is it deeply incised and composed of separate leaflets? Once you've determined these things, narrowing down an identification gets a little stickier.

For the sake of this discussion, I plucked a specimen of Viola glabella (Stream Violet) from my own yard so that we could examine some of the finer points of separation. All of these observations can be made without picking a flower (which, of course, is not allowed in the Park!). It is helpful to carry a small magnifier with you for closer examination.

Some of our Violas have fine, dark lines on one or more of their petals. Some have petals which are pointed rather than rounded. Some have tiny little furry "beards" similar to those found on iris falls (you'll have to put that magnifier to work to observe them). Some have a structure called a "spur" on the reverse side of the lower petal. This spur may take the form of a pouch-like sac or a slender "tail" like you would see on a domestic Nasturtium, but much smaller. All of these points help us determine the true identity of those little yellow faces smiling up at us from the streambanks and beside the trails.