Let's take an Up and Down Walk

Wow, how do you like the rising and falling temperatures this winter? One day it feels like Seattle. The next day it feels like Minnesota. So I think we should take an Up and Down Walk. You don't need any hills for this.

Step into your backyard and see how many things you can find that go up and down. Start with the obvious. Are there any birds in your backyard? How does a squirrel move when it crosses your yard? If there’s a breeze, what does it cause to go up and down? Do any plants grow upright and then droop over a little?

Does the sun go up and down? Hmmm. You might want to think about that one. But when you have sunshine, you have shadows. Have you ever watched a shadow creep up or down a tree trunk? And what’s going on in that tree trunk, inside the bark? If it’s not sunny, is it raining? Rain soaks into the ground or flows into a creek or storm drain. But what if there’s a puddle and the sun comes out? What happens to that water? Oh, and what about the ground? Did you know there are kazillions of microorganisms living in the soil? Do you think the soil just sits there, or is there constant movement going on in that soil, up and down movement on a really tiny scale?

Lots of things are going up and down all around us. Send a comment below, and let us know what else you thought of!

(Okay, who’s thinking “Economy”? Yeah, well, we’re all feeling the up and down of that, which is why I’ve added a shiny new Donate button to the right. Consider giving it a test run. You’ll enable Homewaters Project to continue providing free science inquiry programs in Seattle and Shoreline schools, and you’ll help students’ grades go up -- and up and up!)

Hey buddy, check out those buds!

We’re surrounded by leaves all winter in the Pacific Northwest, because so many of our trees are conifers that hold onto their needles. But have you ever looked at what’s going on with those those quiet, unassuming, deciduous trees in the winter? They’re getting ready to leaf out when the time is right, and all that action is packed into those tiny buds.

Buds and twigs on different kinds of trees have different characteristics, so eventually you might be able to identify trees by their buds and twigs. How do you get started? Take a walk, or just check out the trees and shrubs in your own backyard. Bring a magnifying glass if you have one. Here are some things to look for:

• Are the twigs red, green or brown?
  
• Are the twigs smooth, bumpy or hairy?
  
• Do the twigs have stripes,dots or little lines?
• Are the twigs straight or zigzaggy?
  

And about the buds:

• Are the buds pointed, or rounded?
• How big are the buds?
• Do the buds stay close to the stem or stick out?
  
• How many scales do the buds have?
  
• Are they opposite, or alternate?

Sometimes it’s easy to knock buds right off, and then no leaves will grow there. So it’s a good idea to touch them gently.

What else do you notice about the buds and twigs you find on your walk? Let us know by adding a comment below!

Thornton Creek stories

It’s been great to receive your suggestions for Thornton Creek park names (see November 5 post), and I’ve been passing them along to those involved in the naming process. Here are some of the people and ideas you’d like to see represented:

• Nishitani family
  
• Ole Blindheim and LaVilla Dairy
  
• Seattle human rights activist Alice Franklin Bryant
  
• Slo'q'qed or hLooQWqeed (Bald Head or Peeled Head), Northgate area wetlands
  
• dxWXoobud (Silenced or Quieted Place), Thornton Creek’s mouth
  
• glacial history, glimpsed in Park #2
  
• Kingfisher Park for Park #2 (including Secret Beach) 
  
• Homewaters Park (!)

Each of these names tells a story, and stories strengthen our connection to our home places and to each other. Ten, fifty, or two hundred years from now, what stories would you like our descendants to remember?