Guided Tour

Welcome to the Virtual Tour Guide!

Feel free to print this guide or follow along on your smart phone

Ravenna Park Tour (PDF)
Map of Ravenna Park Tour (PDF)

Make sure you don't miss out on any of the hidden treasures that Ravenna Park has to offer all along its commonly trodden paths. Use this Field Guide as you take a Walking Tour through Ravenna Park to view the site in person! You can do this by following the main entrance into the park and down to the creek. When travelling west along Ravenna Creek, stop just beneath the 20th Ave bridge. You know you have arrived when you see the large glacial erratic, right along the water's edge. If virtual exploration is more your style, you can also use this online guide to learn about the science and history behind my personal findings at the site. 

Let's get started!

The Stations:

1. Land-Use History
2. Ecological Interactions
3. Birds
4. Animal Behaviors
5. Geology/Geomorphology
6. Plants 
7. Lichen/Fungi
8. Invertebrates 
9. Ecological Disturbances
10. Human Experience 

Station (1): Land-Use History
At Station 1, we are located just underneath the bridge of 20th St. NE. Its concrete imprints on the ravine walls may draw wonder from your weary mind. What did all of this look like before the bridge?

Dating back 50,000 years ago, melt-off from the Vashion Glacial Ice Sheet that once formed Lake Russell worked to cut and shape a giant ravine through new glacial fill. After Lake Russell receded northward, various elements, like the ravine of Ravenna Park, were left behind. Today, Ravenna Creek flows through the ravine into Lake Washington, being fed by brooks and springs that flow from Green Lake.

Peter Blecha, on Washington State History has claimed Ravenna Park's current state to be "A ghost of its former self," and likewise, "A weed patch in comparison to the magnificent forest it once was," (Ravenna Park (Seattle)). What does this all mean? Who has scarred the undergrowth of this beautiful habitat? When I learned this information, my brain was filled with questions. 

Ravenna got off on a lucky streak as its steep canyon-like topography made it too difficult for loggers in the early 1800's to 'do their job'. Luckily, huge old growth Douglas Fir trees were spared in the mass eradication of forest life. However, they could not remain safe forever. When Seattle bought the park from a private owner in 1911, city management took a "turn for the worse" in the words of Blecha, when Superintendent J.W. Thompson hollowed out the forest for his personal gain, cutting down loads of old growth trees and falsely claiming their diseased nature in a sordid lie to the public. 

Today, however, with the addition of play-fields and open park spaces, tennis courts and covered picnic areas, the park is protected by the Ravenna Creek Alliance. This group works to restore the park back to its peak condition, beautifully landscaping the trails and repairing some of the damaged habitats from their long abuse along Ravenna Creek.

They work to restore the park, and faith in society. 

Citations:
Blecha, Peter. "Ravenna Park (Seattle)." HistoryLink.org. N.p., 23 Jan. 2011. Web. 10 June 2013.

"Ravenna Park." Seattle.gov Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2013.

Station (2): Ecological Interactions

Nurse Log 

As you continue Westward, you will find stairs that lead straight down to Ravenna Creek (the heart of this observation site). Just as you reach the stairs, to your right sits one of the most fascinating interactions in all of the natural world. What may have once been part of the old growth forest, this Douglas Fir stump is the backbone of new life. 

An ecological interaction can be seen here, labeled as facilitation. This process describes how species interact together for the benefit of *at least* one and the harm to neither. The Douglas Fir stump has become a nurse log, a host plant to the positive interaction that encourages new life, with little to no negative counter-affects. Grasses, ferns, and even small shrubs have began their slow emergence from the sturdy root. In such an active forest environment, it may be difficult for plants to holster enough strength and seniority to establish themselves on the forest floor. For this reason, a nurse log is the ideal place to gain a leg-up from competitors, physically raised off of the forest floor and placed in further proximity from predators. 

If I had been born as a plant in the wild, I would definitely want to be born on a nurse log. 
Station (3): Birds

*Top 5 Highlighted Species*

1. Song Sparrow

   

   http://www.inaturalist.org/photos/174068

   Song Sparrow Song *Click the link to listen!*
   
   
2. Black-capped Chickadee

   

   http://www.inaturalist.org/photos/3250

   Black-capped Chickadee Song *Click the link to listen!*
3. Bewick's Wren

   

   http://www.inaturalist.org/photos/1875

   Bewick's Wren Song *Click the link to listen!*
4. American Robin

   

   http://www.inaturalist.org/photos/904

   American Robin Song *Click the link to listen!*
5. American Crow 

   

   http://www.inaturalist.org/photos/950

   American Crow Call *Click the link to listen!*

Amidst my numerous, fruitful explorations, never did I hear more birds than when I sat on the edge of my little wooden bridge, and silenced myself. At Station 3, you will find the shyness of birds in their animated nature, as soon as you are eliminated from the scene. On an day when the weather was particularly boisterous, and torrential downpours threatened my every move, I decided to brave the elements within the rare ten-minutes of clear skies and run to my observation site. When I arrived, the park looked to have been washed clean by the Mother Nature's purest tears, inviting all of her children to come out and play. Three small birds danced across the small wooden bridge, while other hurried beneath the safe coverage of the sword ferns, and more still, namely, American crows, took control of the air space as they scatted amongst the Bigleaf Maples.

The meekest of all were the Bewick's Wrens, their churr resonating throughout the echo of the creek. They hopped along the path with distinct raised, pointed, and flicking tails. As I approached the birds on the bridge, with each step closer, they retreated fervently into the safety of the sloping forest walls, once again camouflaged by the muddy terrain.

The easiest bird to spot on a clear day at this site are the American Crows, who seem to think they own the forest. With glossy wings and heavy black bills and fingered wingtips, they remain distinct from their relative, the common Raven, through their obnoxiously loud call, the falling sound of a klaah that they repeat incessantly, without provoke. 

Station (4): Animal Behaviors

http://www.inaturalist.org/photos/93440

Seen here, running down a Bigleaf Maple Tree

Apart from domesticated dogs on leashes, the only mammal I have observed, thus far, in Ravenna Park, have been the tree squirrels. These bushy-tailed creatures are highly active, looking like a mixture between rodents and cats, and then given rabies. They make small squeaking noises and are not shy when it comes to approaching humans in the park. The squirrels in Ravenna are fairly small, about six to eight inches in height when standing. Their diets consist of pinenuts, acorns and fungi, which are in ample supply at Ravenna. 

On my last trip to the observation site, I witnessed two, particularly friendly squirrels at the base of a large, Bigleaf Maple tree. As one squirrel (a female I presume) relentlessly tried to climb the moss-ridden bark structure of the Bigleaf Maple, the other (her male counterpart) continually tried to jump on her back, mounting her, while attempting sexual intercourse. The female squirrel would continue to climb the tree trunk, proving impossible with the weight of another on her back. They would fall off of the tree together, tumbling down to the soft, swampy ground where the process ensued. This process lasted for at least 30 minutes as I made other phenological observations at my site. Each time I turned my attention back on the squirrels, I felt like watching the attempted rape of a small, innocent creature, yet I was powerless and had no control over the situation. After a needed reminder to myself that these things have been happening in nature since the beginning of time, and that I have no rightful part the fate of two squirrels, I was able to walk away from the tragic affair, forever scarred by her begging squeals for help. 

Station (5): Geology/Geomorphology

Glacial Erratic 

This erratic sits calmly on the water's edge, the pinnacle of excitement at my observation site. As a deposit from the Vashon Glacial Ice Sheet (as referenced in Land-Use History), the ice that carried this stone would have had to swallow up one of the major rivers, such as the Nooksack, Skagit or Skykomish, in order to move down and meet up with the main glacial lowland lobes that carved Ravenna's ravine. Made of granodiorite, this stone resembles granite but is darkened in appearance by other types of minerals. The pockets of surface that emerge between the moss show crystalline features that shimmer in the sunlight. 

In the same generally vicinity as the more famous, "Wedgwood Rock," located in a nearby residential area, this glacial erratic has at home in the heart of Ravenna, serving as a facilitating structure for an abundance of mosses and lichens, and an exciting challenge for children in the park who favor climbing and adventure. Although the erratic has been partially normalized by my numerous visits to the site, it is a definitive marker on the surface of park, not quickly forgotten by any of its visitors. 

Citations:
Tucker, Dave. "Northwest Geology Field Trips." Northwest Geology Field Trips. N.p., 06 May 2011. Web. 10 June 2013.

"Your Local Guide to North Seattle Neighborhoods." North Seattle Guide RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2013. 

Station (6): Plants

1. Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)
   
   This species is most easily identifiable by its dark green, sword-like, leathery, pinnately compound leaflets. The leaves are tapered at both ends and are opposite, in two rows, all the way down the stalk. The stalks are a light brown, and some are light green. They grow fresh, new stalks out of the center and have no flowers or berries.This species grows close to the ground, as the leaflets emerge directly from the dirt. This can be found growing in the more muddy, swampy areas, especially along the banks of Ravenna Creek, primarily at Station 6. Sword ferns can, however, also be found on hillsides and at the base of large trees.

   

   
   

2. Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)
   
   One of my favorite plants, the Lady Fern is identified for its curvy, lady-like, and delicate shape. The individual leaflets are bi-pinnately compound, meaning that that leaflets themselves are pinnately compound ('twice-pinnately compound'). Like the Western Sword Fern, the leaflets come straight from the ground. It stands no taller than 2-3 feet in height, and shares a similar habitat to the Western Sword Fern, on the wet ground. These ferns cover the sloped walls of the backyard at my parent's home and as child I would often pick off the small bundles of seeds that hid underneath the curving leaflets. These seeds sit around sets of five seeds per leaflet. The stalks are blackish, scaly and stiff to the touch. At Ravenna Park, they can, again like the Sword Fern, be found in the muddy swamp along the banks of Ravenna Creek, at Station 6.

   

   
   

   

   A studied drawing of the Lady Fern 

3. Licorice Fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza)
   
   Out of the four fern species that exist within Ravenna Park, the Licorice Fern is by far the smallest. Characteristic of its epithetic nature, it lives and grows off of the branches of existing trees (such as the Big-leaf Maple featured below) using it as a host, but not in a destructive way. It takes on water from the tree's roots deep in the ground and can easily find sunlight as they climb up tall trunks toward the sky. It's stalks are often separate, rather than clustered in a star-like shape like the Sword and Lady ferns. The roots are edible, giving it the name of 'Licorice Fern', and they have the strong, perfumey taste of black licorice. The stalks are a light green with shiny, fine-toothed and broad-based leaflets in two rows. The Licorice Ferns I have seen at Ravenna Park are featured either on the highest visible branches of the Bigleaf Maples, or on the lowest, mossy, sprawling branches of a Pacific Yew, almost touching the water. These ferns are only featured West of the Cascades in Washington, we are lucky to find them at Station 6! 

   

   http://www.inaturalist.org/photos/8302

   

   Licorice Ferns growing on a Bigleaf Maple tree 

   
   
4. Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus)
   
   Although it is part of the Rose Family, this shrub lives without a spiky stem, having no thorns or bristled-leaves. The leaves are soft and fuzzy and appear maple-like in their 5-lobed, star-like appearance. The leaves start out very tiny, some at not even 0.5" in diameter, but have grown up to six inches in diameter. The leaves are toothed and rounded with deep wrinkles. Between May and June the shrub blooms small white flowers, characterized by their round and crinkled petals. The stem is a light brown and it can grow up to five feet tall, just under eye-level. This shrub can be found just off of the beaten-trail at my observation site, hugging the coastline as Ravenna Creek flows past it, clearly visible from Station 6. 

   

   
   

   

   Studied drawing of the Thimbleberry

   
   
5. Pacific Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa)
   
   One of my favorite flowers of Ravenna Park is this small, fern-like plant that looks like mere ground-cover when devoid of their distinct purple flowers. These flowers are very small, less than one inch long, and nod over, drooping toward the ground in small clusters of two to three flowers per bundle. The flowers are heart-shaped, giving it the name of 'Bleeding Heart'. It has elaborately pinnately compound leaves with very sharply defined leaflets. They can be found directly on the ground at no more than one to two feet in height and like to hang out in moist forests by stream-side. This specific plant is the only one of its kind at my observation site and was hiding behind a Western Sword Fern when I stumbled upon it. It is visible at Station 6 if you look past the erratic, looking plainly at the southward facing slope.

   

   
   

Station (7): Lichens

1. British Soldier Lichen (Cladonia cristatella)

   

   
   

2. Oakmoss Lichen (Evernia prunastri)

   

   http://www.inaturalist.org/photos/77181

   
   
3. Beard Lichen (Genus Usnea)

   

   http://www.inaturalist.org/photos/49715

   
   
4. Shield Lichen (Parmelia sulcata)

   

   http://www.inaturalist.org/photos/7596

   
   
5. Felt Lichen (Peltrigra neopolydactyla)

   

   
   

Ever since my early days of Girl-scouting, I have had an inherent love for lichens. Whether it's breathing the pure air they follow or feeling their cool, smooth fruiting bodies beneath my finger tips, I love everything about them. I ventured with nature-enthusiast Cindy Luskus to my observation site, who provided an ample amount of lichen knowledge to my sponge-like, eager mind. She laughed at my inexperience with identifications, and the lack of options in my field guide. It is no wonder I had identified almost every species wrong. However, Cindy took the time to show me that on a single fallen branch from a nearby Grand Fir tree, we could find a plethora of species, all with individual characteristics and special qualities. 

The Oakmoss lichen is one of the coolest-looking species in all of Ravenna Park. Commonly found on the bark of deciduous trees, these small lichens only grow to 3-4 cm in diameter. In a conglomeration of deer-like antlers, the branches range in color from dark olive-green, to a light-yellow when wet, primarily an off-white, eggshell color. Oakmoss is known to be used in perfumes as a stabilizing agent, both manufactured and harvested naturally.

When visiting this station, make sure to look down at your feet to find fallen lichens from trees above, and look closely around branches as foliose lichens, such as the Shield Lichen, like to grow around an object, latching onto its host.


Station (8): Invertebrates

1. Clover Stem Borer (Languria mozardi)

   

   
   

2. Millipede (Class Diplopoda)

   

   
   

3. Bumble Bees (Genus Bombus)

   

   
   

4. Deer Fly (Chrysops atlanticus)

   

   http://www.inaturalist.org/photos/133840

   
   
5. Crane Fly (Family Tipulidae)

   

   
   http://www.inaturalist.org/photos/11070

When looking for invertebrates at Ravenna Park, I suggest you start by giving yourself plenty of time. Whether you are fascinated by insects, or live in perpetual fear of their existence (like myself), this site will surely provide in terms of invertebrate sightings. 

My first intentional sightings occurred as I wandered my site, continually distracted by changes in new growth on nearly all of the plant species, I found myself looking closely at leaves and fresh foliage. In this venture, I stumbled upon a Bumble Bee and began to follow its every move. With a large, fuzzy body, covered in black and yellow bands of hairs, and attached, a pair of slow moving wings, the bug appeared rather fair-natured. From the genus Bombus and family Apidae, this bee was looking for nectar and pollen to gather for its young. Interestingly enough, it crawled upon moss structures and burrowed its way into small cavernous holes, at time simply sitting, like a bird in its nest.

By pushing myself out of my comfort zone and into an unfamiliar realm of the natural world, I was able to become more in tune with my surroundings and find an appreciation for how hard invertebrates work, especially bees, in their short-lived existence. This turned out to be a positive experience, apart from the mosquito bites that then covered my legs. I suggest to do your bug-explorations either early in the morning, or wear a heavy amount of OFF Bug-spray.


Station (9): Ecological Disturbances

20th St. NE Bridge

An ecological disturbance can be defined as a temporary change in the average environmental conditions that results, in turn, with a profound change in the ecosystem. Outside disturbances, like that featured above, could be the eradication of a man-built bridge, immediately affecting the sloping sides of the ravine it rests on, and all inhabitants that find shelter under and flock to its coverage.

Natural changes in the ecology, however, are spurred by weather conditions, natural disasters and any other impact on the natural world that is untouched by human hands. These include events such as forest fires, flash flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, and the like. In our seemingly small, intimate home at Ravenna Park, however, one would think that are free, out of reach from the dangers of the world. However, from the viewpoint of a squirrel, a small change in the ecology would make a big difference your life. After the heavy spring rain that came in mid-May, this lowland site experience massive amounts of flooding. Ravenna Creek, normally calm and clear, turned a dark and murky brown, with lapping waves that intruded the shoreline, swirling tidal pools that engulfed all of the land it could touch. The normally muddy swamp that surrounds the wooden bridge was filled like a saucer of milk. It is times like these that such squirrels would have to change their daily lives. Their normal eating and sleeping spots may be engulfed in water, forcing them to flee higher onto the forested sides of the ravine. Twenty minutes of rain and an entire life of work is washed away by the stream.

Citation:
"Disturbance (ecology)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 06 Dec. 2013. Web. 10 June 2013.

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Station (10): Human Experiences 

Evidence of human interactions at Ravenna Park is inevitable. This can be beneficial, with help from groups like the Ravenna Creek Alliance, ever-working to restore the creek and the park to its natural state, and also deteriorating, where run-amok crowds take control of the park (since they have lost it in every other aspect of their lives) and think they have the right to trample through the undergrowth, rip branches off of trees, and litter the serene land with '40s', 'Taco Bell' and ratty old blankets. Despite this combatant culture, the park has become a rare refuge in the midst of the hustle and bustle of city life in the University District of Seattle, WA. Known as the "Evergreen State", Ravenna Park holds its own as a representation of our state as a mystical forest land, the perfect escape for nearby college students who become suffocated by white plaster walls and drowned by the artificiality of fluorescent lighting. 

When students finally make it to the park, whether it be for a mental break, a daily jog, dog-walking or a romantic stroll, their interactions with the park are short-lived and impersonal, almost without fail. It was not until I took this course, ENVIR 280: Natural History of the Puget Sound Region, Knowing our non-human neighbors, that I became entirely enamored with my surroundings and closer to consciousness with my surroundings than I had ever been before. 

Every week that I visit my site, the dog-walkers, joggers, and casual strollers alike, all seem to look at me with suspicion as I become absorbed in exploration. Some may ponder, What is she looking at? Why is she looking at that? Did she lose something in there? Others, however, may not notice me at all. Here, I believe, is where we find the problem. 

Located less than a mile away from the University of Washington, the comparison of students on campus (40,000) to the number of those who even enter the park are slim to none. And when people finally do make their way to the sanctuary of heavily wooded ravine walls, Bigleaf Maple ceiling coverage, and a solid dirt ground, they fail to look past the path, and listen over Macklemore playing on their iPod. People are missing out on all of the wonders nature has to offer simply by turning a blind eye. In just one quarter I have found more beer cans than squirrels. That is not okay. We have a responsibility to make a difference, whether it be through word of mouth or written blogs. Changes in culture, and nature are inevitable, we might as well go down fighting.