Walk through Whitehorn- a botanists delight!

We met the botanists at the gate, spent the afternoon @ Point Whitehorn 30 miles north of here, looking at and identifying forest plants walking through the loveliest park in the area! It was formed by massive glaciers long ago, became  native land shared by two tribes,   Scandinavians boated in and a tiny village of six families developed until fish traps became a problem. Mennonites moved into the area , a church , a school a small town at the beginning of the great depression. British Petroleum bought them out to build a huge refinery as well as an aluminum plant.

The lush  plump ground cover is false lily of the valley.  Grows so well as the conditions at the point are favorable. Impossible to grow elsewhere- too bad, I would love to have it cover our yard!

There is a 75 foot drop to the beach, mostly rocky, must be sure footed. Steep steps made of earth and wood lead down to the long beach. Dogs are not allowed- that rule seems to be ignored.

Flowers are vibrant and are very tiny throughout the forest.

Herb Robert

Bleeding heart

 

 

Thimble berry

 

 

Tiny bleeding heart with the tiny traveler on it. 

Ocean spray hangs like shredded something and smells like dirty socks. Missed it at its prime obviously.

Solomon blooming nicely, getting a closer look at tiny things using a magnifier.

 It is a small park- But took us four hours to get to the steps on  descent to the beach. Looking at  plants, listening to  birds,  full blast testosterone , blaring out their  mate seeking  territorial songs- their testes descend in spring and fill - they can not help themselves!  In summer they nest and feed offspring- then they molt and that is why songs diminish.   Bird facts I just learned yesterday! No photos of birds in the forest- too much ...forest- but there was a little Douglas squirrel , curious about us and the possibility of nuts in some one's pocket? He has a golden underside.

 Cedar trees are shallowly rooted, the wind blows them over but leaves one root in the soil, thus the tree continues to grow side ways and eventually back up toward the sunlight. Cedar are the most remarkable trees, used for shelter, clothing , boats, pest repellent , medicinal, poisons, soil nourishment-  furniture-the list is endless . Native tribes using it for everything, it is sacred.

This is   fallen cedar still growing with a  healthy sister growing  in between its downed  trunk. 

 

NOT a nurse log, Cedar only grows from cedar roots, Hemlock grows from nurse logs, through 10 inch  thick detritus. (composted forest)

Add that to things learned yesterday. 

Tiny fringe cup, Dennis heard "French cap"  so that made it slightly more difficult to research when we got back to computer civilization. 

Anyway, the park is lush and rich and full of interesting plants. Few are non native- like buttercup, impossible to eradicate.  The solomon is not native either. Here is another invasive species-

This species is the worst but without it and the  sad tragedy of the gas line explosion in 1999 , this park would not be so lovely and well thought out, cared for.  Humbled and respectful -  visiting a memorial.
 

The land was gifted to the land trust , later given to  state or county  land management . Some of the law suit $$$ went into this park to preserve it and keep it healthy.

skunk cabbage.

leaving you with a vacated wasp gall in stem of thimble berry bush. the wasp burrows into the stem, lays an egg or two,  wasp dies, larvae grow , escape as fully formed wasps who then find another stem , crawls inside lays more babies, dies, the larvae escape and start the whole pointless cycle again.  

And a look out over the big water on a sunny day-

 Bitter cherry

Currant

Loads more but that is enough for one blog post don't you think!!