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| *Our Stations* 1: Animal Behavior 2: Moss & Lichens 3: Ecological Disturbance 4: Invertebrates 5: Plants 6: Edibles 7: Land use 8: Invasives 9: Ecological Interaction 10: Birds 11: Water Quality 12: Geology 13: Urban Ecology and UBNA
Station 1: Animal Behavior
Hello and welcome to the first stop on our
lovely walking tour of the Union Bay Natural Area! In this station, you might
just be able to observe some animal behavior, in particular the behavior of a
raccoon. Raccoons are furry, middle-sized mammals native to North America and
originate in deciduous or mixed forests. However, due to their adaptability,
they can be found in coastal marshes, mountainous areas and even urban areas,
serving as pests to many people. These creatures are omnivores and have an
interesting diet that usually consists of insects, worms, fruits and nuts.
However, they sometimes do prey on small mammals and birds but usually go for ones
they can catch such as fish, amphibians and bird eggs. Be on the lookout for
raccoons in this station because they like areas with oak trees for climbing,
especially when they feel threatened. Also, look out for bird nests because I
have definitely seen raccoons running about scavenging for food. If you stay
for a little while, something is bound to pop up! 
Photo courtesy of: http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/raccoon.htm
Station 2: Moss & Lichens
In this station, we take you an area where you can see moss growing on branches of various shrubs and trees. Moss are
non-parasitic, plant-like organisms that colonize bark and other hard surfaces
and may form large green tufts. They usually are found growing on the trunks or
branches of trees and shrubs.
Lichens are also found growing on trees and shrubs and may form as crusty patches, hanging growths on wood, or leafy mats. They do not need moisture for growth or reproduction as they are very adaptable to harsh conditions. Lichens have the capability of existing where nutrients and water are very scarce. However, they grow slowly and are slow to colonize unlike moss and algae. Although there aren't any lichens in this particular station, you can find Xanthoria parietina on Pacific Willow in station 9 to learn more about it.  Look at the lovely moss on the bark of this Quaking Aspen shrub!  More moss scattered on the branches of Snowberry.  Moss on a Bitter Cherry tree.  Something cool here, leaf mold! Leaf mold is the fungal breakdown of leaves so I thought this could definitely relate. I've read that leaf mold is an excellent soil conditioner therefore it is used very often as a form of compost.
Station 3: Ecological Disturbance
As you continue walking down the path, you may notice on the left an enormously large field of grasses and sedges. In the early spring, the grasses are only about six inches tall and they are a lush green color. But as the weeks go by, you will notice that the sedges and grasses just keep growing taller and taller. They are now at least four feet tall and when I walk through them, it makes me feel like I'm some secret explorer looking for exotic plants and animals in a safari. Maybe you'll also feel that way if you walk through them but be careful not to walk through too many spiderwebs! And obviously, beware of spiders unless you are very fascinated by them and other bugs of those sorts. In that case, station 4 would be a great one for you to look into.
Excuse the little tangent for the point of this station is to discuss ecological disturbance. When I returned to this field of grass a few weeks ago, I noticed that one area of it was completely stripped away, as if some mysterious person had shown up late at night and hacked away at a large chunk of sedges and grasses. And for what purpose? I cannot tell you. To be honest I thought it was strange especially because it was a random section that was removed. Regardless who the culprit may be, this is an example of a small ecological disturbance. There is now a temporary change in the environmental conditions of this area as a result of some type of ecological or anthropogenic disturbance. Disturbances can have a profound impact on the communities that live in the affected area, so in the case of this particular spot, certain invertebrates such as spiders may have been affected and their habitats destroyed. Eventually, the grasses and sedges in the damaged area will grow back because that is what nature does. All is good.  This is what the grassy area looked like before ecological disturbance hit. 
This is what happened after. Notice a large chunk stripped away.
Station 4: Invertebrates
For those bug lovers, this is the station for you! If you stand still long enough and look hard enough, you will be able to spot a few flying critters here and there and they are definitely worth taking the time to see. The Mourning Cloak butterfly, or Nymphalis antiopa can be seen flying around, sometimes even with a friend or partner. I spent a lot of time watching these butterflies interacting with each other and humans as well. They seem to be fearless and love flying as close to your face as humanly possible before flying away. What a tease! Besides these butterflies, you can also spot lots of crazy looking spiders hidden in the grasses and sedges. In the spring time on warm days, there will also be swarms of gnats flying around everywhere. You cannot walk even two feet without having to duck your head down or sway your body aside to avoid these little flying insects. I am always scared one is going to fly straight into my nose or mouth. Also, if you keep an eye out, you may just spot little blue dragonflies. I have only seem them once because they are very small and fly extremely fast so be on the lookout!
These butterflies are native to North America and Eurasia and like to lay eggs in clusters around twigs of willow, poplar, elm and birch trees. The upper side of the butterfly is a dark red color with a bright, yellow-whitish border around the wings. There is also a darker band with bright blue spots between the dark red inner side and the border.
I apologize for the poor quality of this photo but you can see a small brown blur on the center right and that is a cool looking spider.
This here is probably my favourite invertebrate at this spot! Spittlebugs!!! One day there was a ton of froth scattered throughout all the plants and shrubs. At first, I actually thought it was spit and that someone probably had to release some saliva while on a jog but because there were so many, I knew it couldn't have been that. Instead, this is a froth created by spittlebugs to protect them and their egg sacs. The froth also provides insulation against heat and cold and moisture control because the insect would quickly dry up without it.
Station 5: Plants
Please be prepared for you have now come to the fifth station, which is probably the biggest station on our walking tour and my personal favorite. Plants!! As you have already noticed, this area is filled with various species of plants, trees, and shrubs. Simply by walking down this path, you will be able to identify a very good amount. Here are some listed:
Nootka rose (R. nutkana)
The Nootka rose is a type of wildrose that contains large round green leaves with wavy edges. Each rose hip contains a crown of 5 sepals and there are large thorns located all over the branches. It is not hard to locate these because of the dark colored rose hips and the big sharp thorns, and there are quite a lot of them bunched together in a certain area. 
During late spring, the flowers start to bloom and they are so gorgeous. They are not hard to miss and don't forget to smell them!
Baldhip Rose (R. gymnocarpa)
The Baldhip rose is another type of wildrose like the Nootka rose except that the rose hips do not retain the crown of 5 sepals. Therefore they look "bald" which is how they get their name. The Baldhip rose also contains thorns but they thorns are smaller and weaker, therefore it is easy to pick the thorns off with your finger. The leaves, compared to the Nootka rose, are also much smaller in general. 
Oregon White Oak (Garry oak, Quercus garryana)
The Garry oak is a tree with opposite branches and leaves. The leaves are lobed and are clustered as buds on the tip of every branch. The bark is a grayish color and the limbs are long and gnarly. 
Wild Blackberry (Rubus ursinus)
Wild blackberry, also known as dewberry, consists of compound leaves usually grouped in 3 or sometimes 5. The leaflets are pointed, toothed and elliptical. They can exist as small dwarfs in the ground or flowering stalks up to 16 inches tall, containing long trailing stems covered in prickly thorns. These plants are invasive species and one the most abundant weed blackberries in the Northwest is the Himalayan blackberry, R. discolor. 
Grass (Gramineae)
Grasses are herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. Unlike sedges and rushes, grasses are connected in nodes at the bottom and have sections where they split into different blades. They are a successful plant family due to their rate of genetic diversification over time.
Closer look at grass and how it divides into sections:
Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
Quaking aspen contains many broadly heart-shaped leaves with a pointy tip. Each leaf is attached to a leafstalk which is about 1-2 1/2 inches long. The Aspen leaves flutter, or quake in even the lightest breezes, which is how they get their name. The flat leafstalks are very flexible and flattened sideways. 
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)
Honeysuckles are shrubs belonging to the Caprifoliaceae family, which is native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are opposite, oval and range from 1-10 cm long. Most honeysuckles are deciduous but some can be evergreen. The species contains bilaterally symmetrical flowers that are sweetly-scented, produce an edible nectar, and are usually in clusters of two. 
Rush (Juncus)
Rushes are a type of grass that are round, tough, and dry. The leaf blades are tubular, which resemble the stems. They are usually in dense clumps and have a hollow cross-section. 
Bitter Cherry (Prunus emarginata)
There is a big Bitter Cherry tree where station 2 is located and in the early spring, you can watch the flowers blossom and they are very beautiful. The leaves are elliptical, pointed at the tip and fine-toothed. The flowers are also grouped in clusters and the bark peels in horizontal strips similar to birch bark. The wood is dark and contains a delightful aroma when split open or while burning.  
Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa)
Cottonwood is a common broadleaf tree that can be seen throughout wetlands since they rarely grow far from water. The leaves are green and arrow-pointed, almost slightly heart-shaped but do not confuse this with Quaking Aspen, as the leaves of Quaking Aspen are much more heart-shaped and rounded than Cottonwood. 
Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)
Serviceberry is another type of flowering shrub with beautiful white flowers. It was the bright white flowers that first caught my eye and made me curious. The leaves are broadly oval and only toothed at the tip, not at the base. The petals are narrow, long and spaced apart. When I spotted Serviceberry here, the flowers were still growing therefore they don't look as long and narrow in the picture. The berries are red but ripen to black and are edible. Lewis and Clark, Northwest tribes and birds have all eaten them.
Snowberry (Symphoricarpos)
Snowberry can also be called waxberry. The flowers are bell-shaped and a pinkish to white hue. The berries are also white but beware because they are poisonous. Do not eat them! The leaves are opposite and usually oval to elliptical. 
Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera)
Also called Creek Dogwood, the Red-Osier Dogwood contains leaves that are opposite, elliptical and slightly pointed. Many tribes used these for drying stretchers for salmon and roasting racks which give their food a nice salty flavor. The interesting thing to point out about this shrub is that the twigs are a deep red or purplish color.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
I have always been fascinated with dandelions for as long as I can remember. They are common everywhere you go and I was glad to see that there were some in this area.
Pacific Willow (Salix lucida)
Pacific willow is a deciduous tree that bears alternate leaves, simple and narrowly elliptic. The leaves are about 2 to 6 cm in length. The leaf surfaces are usually shiny and glossy while the undersides have very soft hairs. I love touching willow leaves because of how soft and silky they feel. The flowers consist of catkins with hairy yellow or brown scales.
Station 6: Edibles
Now this here is a fun station. For those of you that have a passion for food (okay, who doesn't love food?) this station will tell you about a few edible berries that can be snacked on. As you make your way through Union Bay, you can grab a couple berries to help fuel your journey. Doesn't get any better than that.
 Red huckleberry has a sweet/tart taste and is also high in Vitamin C. This berry was traditionally used as a fish bait. 
This is Black Twinberry, or Lonicera involucrata. It is also known as bush honeysuckle or inkberry. The twinberry plant has opposite leaves and each bear a pair of flowers which will turn deep magenta. The berries also come in pairs, but are bitter so would probably not be very satisfying. However, they are edible so why not?
The Bitter Cherry is an interesting one. They have a bitter/sour taste when raw but do taste a little better if cooked. They can also be crushed or dried whole for storage. Why not give it a try?
 Himilayan Blackberry is very sweet when the berries are mature but there are lots of thorns so pick with caution.
Station 7: Land Use
Montlake Dump, 1958. Photo courtesy of : http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/uwcampus&CISOPTR=150&CISOBOX=1&REC=1
Continue along the gravel path, and pause at the
bench on the hill. Take a look around from this viewpoint. Today, joggers,
naturalists, birders, the young and old enjoy this preserve. Yet it wasn’t
always this way. Until about 1916, the entire area was covered with water. In
1916, with the construction of the Ballard Chittendon Locks, Lake Washington’s
level dropped about nine feet, exposing an underwater delta, on which
UBNA and some of the surrounding parking lots and athletic fields lay. The areas
around began to vegetate, and Union Bay was used as a dump for construction
debris, and eventually public dumping and a City of Seattle garbage landfill.
Dumping stopped in 1964, and the area lay fallow for a few years. Faculty
members from the University of Washington proposed that it become a part of the
new Center for Urban Horticulture, and become a new research and restoration
opportunity. The area was filled, graded and seeded, finishing in 1971. The
methane content was so high that it had to be burned off for several years. The
land continued to change; it was suggested that ponds and islands should be put
in. Further documents stated that the lands would serve an educational purpose,
and passive recreation would be put in, and the area would be lightly managed.
Various trees and shrubs were planted. The land is managed by few staff;
volunteers and classes are the main caretakers of the area. In fact, my first
experience at UBNA was pulling the invasive Himalayan Blackberry from the
shrubs. What was exposed through human engineering and dumped upon as a result
of further projects is now a restoration area that provides habitat for many
bird species and an educational resource for the University and community.
Consider the history and human development of the area as you continue along
the gravel path to the next station.
Station 8: Invasives
Now, you will turn off of the path
to the left, into the large clearing. Stop and look around at the tall growth.
Can you tell what shouldn’t be there?
Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus discolor)
It’s actually much harder than you would think. UBNA suffers largely from invasive plant growth- plants that were somehow introduced, and gained control over the landscape. These plants often don’t have natural enemies in their new places, and are able to grow unchecked, often choking out the other native plants. The biggest problem for UBNA is the Himalayan Blackberry. 
Young Himalayan Blackberry
The
Himalayan Blackberry is most easily recognized by its course, serrated, palmate
leaves and its nasty red thorns. You will often see it overtaking shrubs, or
lying close to the ground, waiting to snag your pants. From personal
experience, it is difficult to pull from the ground, and once the struggle has
ended, it is likely that more blackberry will await you. It will grow edible
blackberries. The Himalayan Blackberry is so widespread in King County that
property owners aren’t required to control the species, although it is
recommended in protected and natural areas. (1)
Another
unexpected invasive is the Yellow Flag Iris.
Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus)
Station 9: Ecological Interaction
Pause here, and observe all of the
different organisms around-the trees, grasses, sedges, and birds. If you stand long enough, you will notice
birds swooping in and out of the area, and eventually, you will distinguish the
relationship between bird species with one another. You may see the smaller,
bright-shouldered Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) chasing after the larger American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos).
The male blackbird is defending his territory, and the noisy crow is infringing
upon it, potentially endangering the female blackbird harem and their eggs. One
red-winged blackbird has a group of females he mates with, who nest in his
territory. The blackbird will watch over it, acting aggressively against
anything that interferes. You may also witness a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) scattering
Mallards (Anas platyrhychos), perhaps in competition for a food source. Content that he will be
able to get enough for himself, the heron goes on to hunt for dinner in the
water. Still as ever, he is poised and snaps at the water, catching a small
fish. Meanwhile, the crow and blackbird watch on from their respective trees.
Follow them
there. Another interaction may be more difficult to see. The Pacific Willows (Salix lucida) to
the left and right have small patches of a bright orange foliose lichen, the Xanthoria
parietina. The lichen is a symbiosis of fungi and algae, and does not harm the
tree. Lichens are a good indicator of air quality! Xanthoria parietina does
well in areas with lots of nitrogen. (3) What do you think that says about this
area?
Xanthoria parietina on a Pacific Willow
Speaking of nitrogen, look to the
ground for our final ecological interaction. Bird droppings seem gross, but
actually are beneficial to the ecology of the area. They contain high amounts
of nitrogen and other natural fertilizers. As they decompose, the nitrogen is
released into the soil and available for use by plants. If you look closely,
you might even see one other beneficiary of this “waste”- a fly, order diptera.
Flies feed and lay their eggs on these droppings. Everybody wins!
As you can
see, there are a large diverse amount of interactions going on in just this one
area!
Station 10: Birds
Now venture over to the pond, but
stop about a yard or so away. Again, you will have to wait a while for birds to
accept your presence and show themselves, but it is worth it. People have seen
nearly 200 different species of birds (4) in UBNA- it is a great habitat for
wetland species, a perfect inlet from Lake Washington. The diversity ranges
from the large Great Blue Herons and noisy Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) to various tiny
sparrows and swallows. Before they are visible, take time to notice the
birdsong around you. Close your eyes even; can you begin to distinguish
different calls?
Listen:
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
American Widgeon (Anas americana)
By now,
Mallards and Gadwalls, in couples this time of year, may start fly overhead
noisily. Watch their landing sequence- they tend to cruise flat in, upright
themselves with several flaps, and splash noisily into the water. Yet once in
the water, they’re able to float gracefully around the pond, leaving triangular
wakes. Speaking of noisy birds, if you notice splashing sounds beyond the
ducks, you may see a crow bathing itself, splashing around in the shallow water
on the other side of the pond.
Foreground-Canada Geese and Goslings
Back left: Gadwalls (Anas strepera)
Back Right: Mallards
My favorite
sight, however, is the air show given by the sparrows and swallows. At first,
all you can is one distinctively triangularly shaped bird swooping up and down,
low over the water, high over land, up and down. More may join it, swooping
around one another playfully, and daringly close to you. You may be able to
distinguish the amazing color of the Violet-Green Sparrow, the blue of the Barn
Swallow, and other shades ranging from metallic green to black of countless
other species. I once saw up to 15 of these birds, and was stuck in the middle
of a playful air ballet, mesmerized by their moves. Take a minute to notice
their flapping patterns-sparrows fly up with a fluttery and almost frantic
motion, crows fly with smooth up and down but noisy wing movements, and herons
glide in with hardly any wing movement. The birds here hold such diversity in
their behaviors and looks, its amazing to think they are all apart of the same
family and share the same space.
Station 11: Water Quality
Now you can venture to the edge of
the pond. Is it still, a light brown, clear enough to see through it for about
a foot away? Or is it covered with a thin film of green close to shore,
bubbling to any response in its movement? For the first 7 weeks, the pond was
brown or reflective; it seemed relatively clean. For the last few weeks, when
the sun emerged, rain subsided, and warmer temperatures reminded us it was
spring, the green film developed. This is pond algae.
Pond Algae
Algae are simple, primitive plants
that can float freely in water. They reproduce through spores, and reproduce extremely
quickly.
The algae
seems to stick around with the stagnation of the pond. On one day with heavy
bird activity, the middle of the pond was kept moving, and the area stayed
clean, while closer to the bank, the water was still. Tossing a stick into the
muck disturbed the algae and produced large slimy bubbles. I noticed a trail of
such bubbles, and deduced that some brave bird must have recently swum through
the muck, leaving a trail behind.
Pond Algae catching Black Cottonwood tree cotton
Runoff filled with fertilizers
makes its way into ponds, and ironically damages the ecosystem. The increase in
nutrients fosters algae so much that it begins to choke out other species. When
it decomposes, it sinks to the bottom, creating a space consuming sludge, and sucks
up oxygen and kills fish. With no more fish, birds will soon have to leave to
find other sources of food. Even though UBNA is a natural restoration area,
it’s water is subject to fluxes in quality. (4)
Station 12: Geology/Geomorphology
Now head to station 12. Just past the bench, you will notice
two large boulders, and if you look closely, a third covered in vegetation
between them. Any idea how they got there? Without considering Union Bay’s
history, I may suggest that they could be small erratics. An erratic is a large
boulder that gets caught in a glacier, and is dragged with it as it advances or
retreats. Ravenna Park, about 20 minutes away from UBNA, has a huge granite
erratic potentially sourced all the way from Canada!
  Both boulders looks like granite- an igneous rock (made from lava.)
Speaking of
glaciers, look out onto Union Bay and observe the landforms. The Seattle area
is hugely influenced by past glacial movement, which carved out valleys and
caused drumlins around Washington. On a clear day, you can see Mount Rainier.
Rainier is actually a massive active volcano, and is one of the most dangerous
volcanoes in the country if it erupts again. It last erupted over a century
ago. It is 14,410 feet tall, and has 25 major glaciers on top of it. You can
often also see the rest of the Cascades stretching out to the left of Rainier (6).
Post-glaciation, Ravenna Creek flowed out of Green Lake and
deposited an underwater delta of sediment into Lake Washington. This flow
stopped in 1911 with the lowering of Green Lake. When the Ballard Locks were
created, Lake Washington dropped 9 feet, and exposed this delta, which would
later become the site of University Village, the E-1 parking lot, UW playing
fields, and UBNA. Because of this, the soil type of UBNA is made up of peat, or
mainly organic matter from plant debris. This is the exposed delta- what you’re
walking on used to be the lake-floor (7)!
Station 13: Urban Ecology and UBNA
Now fast forward to the modern day. Seattle has sprawled, and
much of the surrounding area is developed. UBNA is a small haven among a highly
developed community, and if not for the suggestions from UW faculty, this plot
of land may have been turned into another neighborhood or collegiate ball
field. Part of the reason this area is so rich in bird diversity is because of
its location and native habitat. Much of the shore of Lake Washington is filled
with boat docks, houses, and non-native plants; UBNA provides a native wetland
habitat refugium. In turn, UBNA is a large and widely successful restoration
project. While it is still a work in progress-continuing down the path, you
will see newly planted growth with bright green tags-many who go there wouldn’t
even be aware of its dirtier past. The area is still surveyed and sampled to monitor
remediation efforts. And, UBNA may expand to cover what is currently the E5
parking lot, due to the 520 construction’s destruction of Marsh Island.
By
providing public access and a gravel path through the park, UBNA allows humans
to interact with nature, and observe it without damaging it. It can be argued
that experiencing natural areas can build a conservation or environmental
ethic. Simply walking in a natural area has been proven to be a helpful break
from work and even improves information retention. You should be able to
remember a lot from this walk! Seattleites are lucky to have many natural parks
within reach. UBNA is also a great resource for education, of college students
and the community alike. A wide variety of classes are brought to UBNA every
year, and often get hands on experience, pulling blackberries or bird watching.
UBNA is a unique place in the U-District area that draws people and nature
together.
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We hope you have enjoyed your walking tour of the Union Bay
Natural Area! Perhaps you will be encouraged to come back during different
times of day or seasons to observe the changes of the area and become familiar
with a few species yourself!
Vicki and Allyson
Citations/More Info
More Bird Calls- http://www.xeno-canto.org
1) King County. (2013, March 04). Noxious weeds. Retrieved from http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/animalsAndPlants/noxious-weeds/weed-identification/blackberry.aspx
2) Wa St Noxious Weed Control Board. (n.d.). Yellow flag iris. Retrieved from http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/detail.asp?weed=78
3) Natural History Museum. (n.d.). Lichens and air pollution. Retrieved from http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/plants-fungi/lichens-pollution/
4) UW Botanic Gardens. (2013, March 27). Union bay natural area. Retrieved from http://depts.washington.edu/uwbg/research/ubna.shtml
5) Natural Environmental Systems, LLC. (2006, July).Understanding algae. Retrieved from http://www.naturalenviro.com/Article.php?ArticleSKU=Understanding-Algae
6) National Geographic. (n.d.). Mount rainier national park. Retrieved from http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/mount-rainier-national-park/
7) USGS. (n.d.). The geologic map of seattle-a progress report. Retrieved from http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1252/of2005-1252.pdf
8) Northern Bushcraft. (n.d.). Edible Berries of the Pacific Northwest. Retrieved from http://northernbushcraft.com/berries/ Downloadable PDF of our walking tour! *****We apologize for some mixed-sized type- We were experiencing a lot of formatting issues with the blogging software and it wouldn't save our type preferences!********** |
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
A walking tour of the Union Bay Natural Area
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