Fin

Thus the end of an inspiring experience.

January 13, 2010 was the first Introductory to Fieldcraft class and I had no idea what to expect. The course listing had described using a field guide and journal to catalog different bird sitings and as well as learning about the region in which I was currently living in. Still, I was a bit unsure for what this class had in store for me, I knew it would be a relatively small group of students and that it would be an honors course. I had chosen to take this course because not only did it seem like it would be fun, I love being outdoors and studying the environment and its creatures. Luckily I knew I would know at least one person in the class, my suite mate Melanie. Overall I figured that I would both enjoy and benefit from this class.

It was the first day of class and I could already tell that our professor was someone special, a lot of students seemed to already know her and many confessed to taking the course solely because she was teaching it; a good sign I thought. We went outside after introductions and began looking for birds. Easy enough stuff I thought, most of these birds I knew from back home; apparently this was not the case for others though. It took me a while to realize that it appeared that I knew these birds better than many others in the class, perhaps that was because I readily spoke out or that others merely did not know; I am still unsure. However, I am one to retain information (especially regarding wildlife) and therefore I thirst for knowledge on anything and everything concerning animals, that is the way I have always been. These attributes are what helped me to already have previous knowledge of the birds that we saw. I was not trying to be a smartalic or show off, I was truly excited that I knew the answers to Dr. Tomlinson's questions.

During the first couple of classes we focused on the basics of a field journal, maps, insight, sketching, etc. The way in which Dr. T had us perceive a map was drastically different from any other way I'd ever imagined before. A map was more than purely a piece of paper that directed someone from one place to another, a map could tell a story, could demonstrate the passage of time, or the impact that one makes on the world. Reading The Mappist helped me to better understand these perceptions of maps and how they can catalog pretty much anything. Dr. T also taught us about giving insight in our journals, telling how we are feeling at the moment, what are senses are telling us and so on. I enjoy that kind of writing because it is very detailed and personal. As far as learning how to draw goes, ya right! Maybe can do a sketch every once in a while but it is not me. For some reason I have the hardest time converting what I see and how I picture it in my head to manually applying it to paper. It is almost pathetic how poorly of a drawer I am, but oh well, that's just something to cross off my list of things I want to do in life...become an artist; I'll pass, thanks. This is not in anyway to condemn Dr. T's teaching abilities, drawing is just not my forte. I did enjoy however attempting to sketch "Bird" the ever changing Styrofoam model.

We then began going to the Lubbock Lake Landmark, a historic site that is deceiving by name. In my opinion, they use that name because they hope that it will one day come true-there will be a lake in Lubbock. Two words: keep. dreaming. While at the Landmark we began learning about the North American Prairie and the plains biome in which Lubbock is situated. Through these lectures I was able to understand why this region is so dry, why trees are so scarce, and why it is an important ecosystem. Personally, the prairie is not my favorite ecosystem; I, like many others, prefer trees to grass and large mammals to small mammals. It is difficult to explain why this is so. Is it because green represents life, or that to live in such an open area is unnerving? I'm not quite sure. However, these lectures enabled me to gain more knowledge about the prairie ecosystem and more respect for it, but I still do not view this region as one of my favorites.

Along with the prairie we also learned about the bodies of water that are a part of this biome. The Yellowhouse Draw is a key component of this ecosystem and the L^3 is located in it. In the 1930s the Draw had numerous springs but when irrigation became terribly popular, the springs began to dry out. The Clovis Point was discovered in the 1930s as well. This arrowhead is extremely important because it is evidence that people lived in this region over the last 5 periods or for the past 12,000 years. That's another reason why the Landmark is important, it is a major archaeological site. The Landmark's mission is to make the land they own as it once used to be before white settlement without disturbing the archaeological sites. It takes true dedication and perseverance to be a member of the L^3 team but they make it seem effortless. With the use of prescribed burning and ridding the land of non-native vegetation, they are slowly allowing the land to become what it once was hundreds of years ago and to reach its full potential.

Weather was another topic that we covered in class and oh what a joy our weather was this past winter! There were very few times in our class that the weather was actually enjoyable; it has only been in these past couple of classes that we have not been freezing to death or been brutally assaulted by the wind. Learning about the weather in West Texas was helpful because now I can predict whether or not straightening my hair would be wise.

Preparing for and actually attending the Lesser Prairie Chicken Festival was quite an experience. As far as preparation goes, getting a tour at the Texas Tech Museum in the Natural Science Research Lab was quite a treat. I truly enjoyed seeing all of the birds and learning about the preservation efforts exerted at the lab. The actual Festival was much more interesting than I had anticipated. All of the movements and calls that the male chickens preformed amazed and astounded me; they are quite a dedicated bunch of birds.

The past few class periods we have been studying and classifying wildflowers at the Landmark. It has been a lot of fun because not only has the weather been relatively nice, the flowers have been beautiful and in full bloom.

I would have to say that the Introductory to Fieldcraft course has been a very enlightening experience for me. In this class I have learned about multiple species of birds and wildflowers and how to identify and classify them. I have also become much more appreciative and aware of the prairie ecosystem and its necessity in the world. Dr. Tomlinson was the perfect professor for this course because she is so knowledgeable and passionate about all that we have learned this year. I would highly recommend this course to anyone passionate about the prairie and birds, especially if Dr. T is teaching it.

Wildflowers at the Landmark

April 28, 2010

L^3

2:20-5:00

The following week, we went back to Lubbock Lake Landmark to identify and learn about even more wildflowers. This time I remembered to bring my camera so I was able to take pictures of all the flowers!

Evening Primrose (pg 172)

"butter cup"

yellow (4) petals

hairy stem
8 stamen

WWP: Appears shrubby and can range between 4 and 18 inches in height. The stems are stout, hairy, and many-branched from the ground. The sepals are streaked with red in the bud stage but upon blooming, the petals are bright yellow.

Feather Dalea (pg 136)

long stems

multiple leaves

small purple flowers

WWP: It is a shrub that stands 1-3 1/2 feet tall. The branches have bark that is a dark gray coloring. The flowers grow in clusters on short spikes (2-10 in a cluster). The calyx has feathery lobes 1/4 inch long and grayish-white in color. The corolla is a vivid rose-purple. Feather Dalea is a shrub that usually grows in colonies on hills.

Threadleaf Groundsel (pg 90)

14 yellow slender petals

almost looks like a bush

lots of stems

stems look "squishy"

numerous leaves

WWP: Perennial with several spreading stems from the base that branch towards the top. It grow 1 1/2-3 feet tall. The stems are covered in numerous small hairs. There are 6-8 slender yellow ray flowers per flower. The Threadleaf Groundsel prefers drier areas of the Western Plains.

Spiny Aster (pg 81)

multiple, yellow, pointed petals

orange center

small "spiny" leaves

max of 20 inches tall

WWP: Another member of the Compositae family, Spiny Aster is a rough plant, branched in the upper part and covered with minute hairs. Each leaf has a bristle tip on each tooth. Both the disc and ray flowers are bright yellow and there can be 20-30 ray flowers per flower.

Unknown

long stems

5 yellow petals (maybe 6)

sporadic leaves on stem

multiple leaves around flowers
flowers have tubular bases
resembles a Puccoon but petals are different

Notes

To try and figure out what this was, I first looked in the Solanaceae family because of the discription of 5 fused petals but I was unsuccessful. Next, I checked in the Snapdragon family and found the Pink Plains Penstemon which appears to closely resemble the plant we found but the coloring is white and pink, not yellow. I still am unsure of this wildflower's classification.

Fleabane Daisy (pg 62)

daisy family

yellow center

thin white numerous petals

4-12 inches tall

buds and bottoms of petals have magenta coloring

WWP: Short-lived perennial. Many narrow oblong to lance-shaped leaves, less than 2 inches long. Numerous flowers heads each with 30-70 white ray flowers, very straight and narrow. Fleabane Daisy prefers sandy soils and open plains.

Purple Ground Cherry (pg 208)

potato family

flat, purple flowers

4 connected petals

low growing

WWP: The stems and leaves are sparsely covered with microscopic bubbles that have a crystalline look and texture. The flower petals are a blue-purple shade and are flat and wheel-shaped. The flower has 5 stamens and yellow anthers atop purple filaments.

Studying flowers again was fun but my favorite part was seeing the baby Horned Lizard as we were walking back to the class. It was adorable, and as I said before, I love animals so it made it all the more exciting. Also, I have never gotten to see a Horny Toad before and am therefore truly ecstatic about this siting. We were able to capture multiple shots of it and I was even able to touch it. Yay!

Wildflowers Galore!

April 21, 2010
L^3
2:20-5:00

I am absolutely loving this weather! It was 74 degrees with clear skies with some and a light air. Any whoos, WiLdFlOwErS!

Notes:
Wildflowers are tied to the region in which they reside
It helps to have a check list to classify different characteristics of the flowers
Books can categorize the flowers by colors or family
Family categorization is the best way to classify wildflowers because it narrows the list down by specific characteristics

Dr.T had us look at two different types of wildflowers before we went off on our own. They turned out to be a Prairie Verbena (pg 214) and a Bladderpod (pg 107).


Prairie Verbena
small purple flowers in a cluster
fanned leaves
close to the ground

According to Wildflowers of the Western Plains the Prairie Verbena is a characteristically a low, much-branched, hairy perennial wildflower. The flower petals are umbrella like and range from pink to purple. It is a very abundant flower.


Bladderpod
4 petals
long stem
long thin leaves
close to ground
early blooming annual spring flower

WWP: It is an early-blooming annual spring flower and has horizontal stems that curve upward. The leaves alternate on the stem. The petals are in clusters of 4 and are characteristically yellow. It is a part of the Mustard Family (Crucuferae (Brassicaceae)).

From there we went on to find a multitude of other wildflowers some of which were difficult to identify.


Tansy Mustard (pg 106)
4 yellow petals that make a cross
small flower petals
tall stem
thin, multiple leaves

WWP: An annual with several stems growing from the base and branching above. The stems and leaves are grayish-green in color with small hairs. There are 6 stamens and 4 petals forming a cross-shaped structure. Blooming period: February-June.

Notes
The Daisy is an iconic flower of the Compositae Family that consists of Daises, Sunflowers, and the Aster Family. Compositae means that the flowers are made of more than just one flower. the petals are ray flowers and the center consists of disc flowers.


Wild Onion (pg 148)
long stems
white petals pointing upwards (6)
yellow in middle- 6 stamen

Notes
Closely resembles "Crow-poison" but when observed at a closer range one can tell the differences. The Crow-poison can range in height from 4-15 inches and the Wild Onion from 4-9 inches. The W.O. produces an onion smell when crushed whereas the Cp. does not have a distinct smell.

WWP: The Wild Onion is a part of the Liliaceae or Lily Family. Each bulb (usually found in pairs) produces a solitary hollow scape that has an umbel of 10-25 flowers. Each flower in turn has 6 stamens, 1 pistil, and 6 spreading petallike perianth parts. Color ranges from white to a deep pink.

Side note
I always used to see these flowers around the elementary school that I would ride my bike around. My parents taught be that they were called "Onion Flowers" and that when you broke them that they would smell like an onion-very true. Needless to say, when we saw them at the Landmark, I was pleased to be able to identify at least one wildflower on my own that day.


Scarlet Globe Mallow (pg 161)
Mallow Family
pale orange petals (5)
relatively large petals
clusters of buds

Note
It was very difficult to decide if these flowers were Scarlet or Orange Globe Mallows. The way we finally figured it out was to compare the pictures and descriptions in our books to the actual flower we were looking at. We decided it was the Scarlet because the stamens form a column through which the 5 (or more) styles emerge. Also, the leaves are shallowly lobed at the basal end with a much longer mid lobe and they range from 3/4 inches to 2 1/2 inches long.


Scrambled Eggs (pg 114)
tubular flowers
4-14 inches tall
leaves are pinnate
bright yellow flowers

WWP: Scrambled Eggs are a part of the Bleeding Heart Family which characteristically have 2 tiny sepals, 4 petals, and 6 stamens. The S.E. have 2 minute sepals about 1/8 inches long. The upper petal has a saclike spur at the base and is slightly incurved and blunt on the end. The flowers grown in a spikelike arrangement.


Puccoon (pg 15)
pale yellow flower
5 petals
thick, tall stems
flowers have a "feathery" appearance
base of flowers are tubular
multiple stems

WWP: The Puccoon is a member of the Boraginaceae Family also known as the Borage or Forget-Me-Not Family. The basal leaves usually dry up before the plant blooms. The stems can reach 1 foot tall and the leaves get smaller as they come up the stem towards the flowers. There are 5 united sepals and 5 petals united to form a 5-lobed tube that flares at the end. These plants bloom twice in a season the first time with a pretty yellow that "shows all but won't grow" because the blossoms are sterile and the second time with "no show but will grow" tiny blossoms that produce fertile seeds. In my opinion, we saw the flowers in their first bloom because of the size of the blossoms.


Wreath Aster (pg 49)
small white flower petals (lots)
Compositae family
small leaves
stems covered with minute hairs
appearance of a daisy

WWP: Stems are much branched and can either be erect or bent over. The plant can reach a height between 1 and 3 feet. There are many crowded smaller leaves at the base of the longer leaves. There are numerous flower heads on the upper portion of the stalks with each flower has 15-18 white ray flowers about 3/8 inches in length. This type of wildflower lives in grasslands and dry lands-perfect for Lubbock.


Yellow Daisy (pg 78)
tall, thin, redish stems
yellow petals (around 12)
orange center
thin green leaves at the base
3 notches in each petal

WWP: The leaves on this perennial plant alternate up the stems and are crowded basally and are also linear in position. Each flower has 12-25 yellow ray petals and each is 3-toothed. The disk flowers are also bright yellow and fertile. The Yellow Daisy grows best in rocky/ gravelly hillsides and canyon breaks in the Western Plains.


Bitterweed (pg 78)
almost exactly like the Yellow Daisy just the petals are more spread apart
it categorized with the Yellow Daisy and therefore the notes above apply to this wildflower as well


Pink Paintbrush (pg 200)
member of Snapdragon family
grows in clusters
shaggy hairs

WWP: The Pink Paintbrush is perennial herb that grows from 4 inches to 1 foot in clusters. The shaggy hairs on the leaves give the plant an almost woolly look. The flower is subtended by 3-5 lobed floral bracts which are broader and shorter than the leaves. The bracts are tinged with pink or red and are covered in fine hairs. The flowers are in dense spikes standing out from the bracts.


Unknown
thin stems
thin leaves
tiny flowers (5 petals)
white/blue coloring on petals
relatively short

My guess
The Dwarf Senna (pg 145) because the description says: it is a small flower that grows only 3 inches tall at its maximum. There is only 1 flower per stalk and each flower has 5 petals. It blooms in May and June on rocky hillsides and pastures. The only thing that made me unsure if this was the right flower was that the flowers we saw had blue and white coloring yet it never mentions that and the description says that they are a pale yellow.


This was a good introduction into the world of identifying wildflowers and I enjoyed it more than identifying birds. Most likely because I am more of a mammalian-liking kind of person and therefore birds do not hold my interest as much. They are very majestic and entertaining to watch and I admire most of the species but I have enjoyed learning about wildflowers.