Nature Journal Club was fabulous as usual. We had 18 attendees, five of them first-timers. Our potluck picnics are always something to write home about, and we all enjoyed spending a few hours exploring and observing both micro and macro natural phenomena, from aquatic insects to towering yucca flower stalks. These meetups are one of the highlights of my month.
After my shift at the Visitor Center, I sat by the creek and sketched the view.
I love these delicate little chalice-like seed pods.
Thanks to blogging, I know that the last time I hiked this trail was in March 2024, as part of the whole Backbone Trail. I saw a striped racer that day; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a snake, now I come to think about it. But it’s sure nice to witness the return of the wildflowers.
I’m preparing to lead a Welcome Walk at Malibu Creek State Park, so I created this graphic to explain the creek action. It gets a bit confusing as you walk the main trail because at first the water is flowing one way, but then it’s suddenly flowing the other way. They are actually two different creeks!
Good to stretch the legs on a 9 mi / 14.5 km hike.
The squirrels are happy. But the acorn woodpeckers are going to have drill bigger storage holes!
hashiworks 