Date: 3/24/2020

Location: Van Nuys Sherman Oaks

Topography:  Trail that circles around the baseball section of the park, small trails that go off the path but return to the main trail, very flat and easy

General Habitat: park – abundant in grass, dirt track and trails, trees surround park

Signs of Spring!!!

  1. Spotting of butterflies
    1. organisms were seen flying around me and my family as we took a stroll, inconclusive as to what specific butterfly very colorful, most likely a painted lady butterfly, as they were recently spotted crossing through my hometown

*Article about butterflies attached below

https://patch.com/california/shermanoaks/butterfly-crossing-sherman-oaks-show-us-your-butterfly-pics

 

  1. Bumblebees
    1. Bees spotted pollinating in the flowers, buzzing in my ear, their sounds indicate their return from hibernation to signify the start of spring

 

  1. Spotting of a Pine Warbler
    1. Seen chirping and singing in the trees, small songbird, believed to be an adult male, yellow in color, rare as they typically reside in the southeast region of North America

 

Leaf Descriptions:

 

  1. Trifolium repens, the white clover: found in surrounding patches of grass around the park, perennial plant, leaves are smooth, form somewhat of a shamrock shape or egg shape, leaflets

 

  1. Bromus catharticus, rescue brome: wide leaf blades, with long, flat and pointed spikelets, commonly known as rescue grass as they are helpful in harsh drought

       3. Quercus lobate, valley oak: endemic California, deeply lobed leaves,                  grows in interior valleys, long, roundish, covered in fuzz, leaves are                    aromatic if broken

Narrative: It was a very simple and easy walk, no hills, but a flat and circular trail I repeated the cycle 3 times, mostly observing and enjoying the time outside. It was sunny, but not unbearably hot. Perfect walking weather !