Changing Seasons
The last week of February brought sunshine and new creatures. There has been a shift recently as the days are slightly warmer and longer and the air has a tinge of sweetness that was absent during winter. While walking around the ranch this week with programs and staff, we were graced by many critters!
In the intertidal - Early in the week a group of National Park Service scientists spent their day at Slide Ranch. They shared some of the work they are doing within the parks with us and specifically highlighted Slide Ranch’s unique and healthy marine ecosystem. As we carefully maneuvered around aggregating anemones, barnacles, and mussels, we explored the tide pools at South Beach discovering blue-banned hermit crabs, nudibranchs, oystercatchers, and so much more!
New Blooms! - The sunshine has welcomed back many old friends and it’s nice to see the ranch painted in fresh color. Forget-me-nots, yarrow, mugwort, footprints of spring, and douglas iris have all begun to emerge. Sour grass, technically a weed, has dispersed throughout the garden but students have enjoyed snacking on it and our team enjoyed harvesting some to test as a natural dye for our upcoming Natural Dyes workshop. Sour grass creates a magnificent bright yellow color!
Snakes!! - Goose, a fellow Outdoor Instructor (OI) here, spotted a larger rubber boa on the Owl trail. This was an especially unique observation because we rarely see them! Robin, another fellow OI, caught a little garter snake. So cute and cool to interact with! Nearby, we spied a large cluster of garter snakes mating, another sign that spring is near and creating new beginnings.
Birds! - Our resident Great Horned Owl, Hunter, has reappeared after not being seen or heard from in a few months. He returned to his cypress tree nestled among the spanish moss with another Great Horned Owl. They have both been leaving us owl pellet surprises! I caught a glimpse of a juvenile sharp shinned hawk perching in the sun, a less common accipiter here at Slide Ranch. We’ve noticed a recent uptick in western bluebird sightings! They seem to enjoy perching on the fence post overlooking the pasture. It feels really nice to be more acquainted with our avian residents.
