I went to the Chumash Indian Museum with the Channel Island Nature Journalers. There is a replica pictograph cave inside — so these are copies of copies of actual Chumash pictographs.
pictographs
Month: February 2024
Lactarius deliciosus
Some quick sketches done while tagging along on a hike with the latest docent class at Malibu Creek State Park.
We have saffron milkcaps galore! Are they edible? Yes, but … it’s complicated. Our local ones may or may not be delicious. Please don’t eat foraged mushrooms unless you‘ve received expert instruction!
Tachinidae
We didn’t identify this fly down to the species, but we figured out the family. Some tachinid flies parasitize pest species, which has allowed them to be used as biological control agents by farmers. For instance, Istocheta aldrichi only attacks the Japanese beetle. But some are generalists; Compsilura concinnata uses at least 200 different hosts, and so is not safe to be used as biological control.
Adult tachinids feed on flowers and nectar from aphids and scale insects. As many species typically feed on pollen, they can be important pollinators of some plants, especially at higher elevations in mountains where bees are relatively few. So don’t be hating on them, just because they’re flies!
Fiona
I just started a life drawing course, and I’m loving it. So many firsts: working large, working in charcoal, being in an actual art classroom, having a live model. So much to learn! I’m stoked.
rosa
People in the US and Canada allegedly spend billions of dollars on Valentine’s Day to celebrate their loved ones, and roses are considered the gold standard of romantic gifts. Together, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are responsible for nearly 40 percent of annual flower purchases among top U.S. florists.
Here at Casa Hashiworks, we felt no need to contribute to this floral consumerism. We are still enjoying the daffodils Georgia gave us eleven days ago.
Scolopendra polymorpha
Our most common centipede around here is Scolopendra polymorpha. Their bodies generally reach 4–7 in (10–18 cm) in length, so this one was not a particularly large specimen. They can vary a lot in colour; I loved this guy’s turquoise legs!
Centipedes, including this one, can inflict an intensely painful pinch. They puncture the skin with a powerful pair of modified, hollow, clawed legs called forcipules located on the first body segment, immediately behind the head. Venom glands run through a tube, from inside the head to the tip of each forcipule. The venom may cause an allergic reaction in some people, so best not to pick one up with your bare hands.
Centipedes are carnivorous and nocturnal. They eat silverfish, cockroaches, spiders, crickets, bed bugs and moths, so maybe don’t be too sad if you find one in your house.
Charmlee
Our sixth nature journal club meetup was our biggest and (arguably) best yet! Certainly our best lunch spread—we are totally rocking the picnic buffet. Seventeen of us enjoyed perfect winter weather (70° and sunny) at charming Charmlee Wilderness Park in western Malibu. Such a joy.
Ricinus communis
Castor oil plants are having a field day around here this year — they’re crowding the roadsides and spreading in vacant lots. The plant is invasive, as well as highly toxic, and I’m not happy to see its proliferation in the Santa Monica Mountains.
However, castor oil itself has many medicinal and industrial uses. I remember it from childhood (stories, not direct experience) as a nasty laxative/purgative. Castor oil was used as an instrument of coercion under the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, and by the Spanish Civil Guard in Francoist Spain. Dissidents and regime opponents were forced to ingest the oil in large amounts, triggering severe diarrhea and dehydration, which could ultimately cause death.
On the less sinister side, modern uses of natural, blended, or chemically altered castor oil products include:
• A non-freezing, pressure-resistant lubricant
• A raw material for some varieties of biodiesel
• A component of many cosmetics
• An anti-viral, -bacterial or -fungal ingredient in many ointments
• A modifier that improves the flow characteristics of cocoa butter in the manufacture of chocolate bars
• A repellent for moles and voles in lawns
Castor seeds have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 4000 BC; the slow-burning oil was mostly used to fuel lamps. Herodotus and other Greek travellers noted the use of castor seed oil for lighting, body ointments, and improving hair growth and texture. Cleopatra is reputed to have used it to brighten the whites of her eyes.
So there you have it. An extremely useful (and quite pretty) plant — just not one I want growing around here.
stolon
Annette noticed that these two cliff-aster-y looking plants were joined by a runner, the way strawberry or spider plants propagate. (A bit of googling led me to the botanical name for this joining structure: it’s called a stolon). I’ve seen a lot of cliff asters and other related Asteraceae but have never observed this growth habit. I don’t have a positive ID on the plant, but I’ll certainly be looking for other examples while I’m out on the trails.
happy new year
hashiworks 