Journal - 27 Mar. 2012

Location: A small area surrounding the Hansee residence hall on the University of Washington Seattle campus. The areas in particular include Whitman Lane, Wahkiakum Lane, and Jefferson Road. I observed the plants between 18:14 and 18:29.

Route: From Red Square, head up past Kane Hall and through the Quad. Head up the stairs at the end of the Quad and toward the street. Cross the street, turn left, and head towards the building on the corner of the first intersection. Turn right at this building and walk to Hansee (there are signs indicating the building names). The Helleborus orientalis can be found in the gardens near the back entrance to the residence hall. From Hansee, walk down the street that is bordered by Hansee on the left and the grassy recreational area on the right, head down the stairs and walk past McCarty Hall. Walk down this road and follow it as it curves around past McMahon Hall. Next to the Hall Health building, one will find the Rhododendron and the Mahonia aquifolium I observed, though plenty of the Mahonia can be found all over this route.

Weather: The sky was overcast and the wind was blowing moderately hard. The temperature was about 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Habitats: The area I surveyed the plants in had plenty of tall trees and large bushes perfect for animals to hide in. There were small birds in the bushes on the sides of the paths and squirrels in the trees. There were no smaller trees on this route, only tall trees with thick trunks. There were both evergreens and deciduous trees present in the area. The ground ranged from asphalt or concrete to grass and to bark chips. Human influence in this area was obvious as the school's buildings ran all along this route. The animals' habitats mingled with the buildings, though by the time we reached Wahkiakum Lane the terrain was predominately buildings and there were only smaller bushes or wildflowers left. Most of the animal life lived in the areas near Hansee since this was where the greatest concentration of plant life was and where there were no cars to disturb anything.

Vegetation: Most of the thick vegetation was near Hansee and the other residence halls and there were plenty of interesting plant species that I did not get to survey but will at a later date. One path in particular that runs along the street near McMahon and McCarty was teeming with all sorts of different organisms and will be a good place to look for animals as well as plants. There is plenty of vegetation to hide in including thick bushes, ivy, and moderately tall trees. This area is mostly populated with deciduous trees and most of them have grown or are in the process of growing their leaves back at this time. The flowers along this route have mostly started to bloom and only a few are still buds. Most of the flowers present are on flowering trees or bushes and wildflowers show up as one gets further from the residence halls.

General Comments: Few cars and people pass through this area later in the day when I was out there, so it is a good spot for surveying. This place will be especially good for looking for nocturnal species as I know animals like raccoons call this area home (I've run into them many times walking in this area late at night). I was surprised to find such plant diversity in one small area, especially on a college campus in the middle of a major city. My next entry will most certainly contain plants from this part of campus as it is so easily accessible. I am curious as to what kinds of insects can be found in this area as we head into mid and late springtime as I did not see any at the time I observed these plant species.

Species List:
Helleborus orientalis
Genus Rhododendron
Mahonia aquifolium

Posted on March 31, 2012 04:49 AM by tessaf