The 2018 Fall Wenatchee Naturalist class culminated with a lively December gathering where each person shared their own personal reflection about becoming a naturalist.  This is the first of several posts that will feature individual creative projects that will inspire us all to be curious explorers in our home watersheds.  Read  Carolyn Kinkade and Karla Gustafsson‘s narratives which together capture to spirit of both the course and the class members!

Karla Gustafsson composed a personal narrative essay -in the form of a thank-you note- describing her learning during the 12-week course and how she has integrated elements into her own life. She illustrated it with a GoPro Movie  photo collage Looking Back Wenatchee Naturalist’s  Adventures – showing highlights of our class in the field over the fall.  Karla writes:

It is the last day of our Wenatchee Naturalist Class. I had perfect attendance and I can confidently say that you can take the credit for that. You were a good THANK YOU NOTE role model and this one is for you. When I signed up for this course, my intention was to learn more about birds and to better identify conifers. I saw there were some field trips and I always love any kind of field trip.

Your energy, expertise and the wide variety have made this class interesting and so much fun. You have literally “widened my horizons”.
You have taught me about about different habitats- Shrub Steppe, Dry Montane forests and Riparian woodlands, of course I knew they were out there, but now I know what makes them tick and how to appreciate every inch of them. Stormy preserve and the work that is being done there is amazing and the community will benefit for years to come. I couldn’t wait to go up to White River and I have shared the Salmon spawning signage, the waterfall and the huge cedar tree with friends already.
Geology was not been one of my favorite subjects- but learning about the land masses and how they are formed, makes me look down from mountain tops and imagine the earth moving and changing so many years ago.

The Reptiles, well all I can say is that I have new respect for them and do care if they die- they are important to our ecosystem.
Birds, mammals and insects- The study skins lab was very interesting and getting up close and personal with all those birds and mammals was amazing. I cant wait to see a Clark’s nutcracker in the field and I am still wrapping my head around the anatomy of a salmon. The aquatic invertebrates were very interesting and I have bought a bug catcher and insect magnification viewer for my nephews and cant wait to go exploring with them.

Learning the plant and tree species are fun for me, similar to learning bird species. It is challenging, like a game or puzzle. My friends and family did not fully appreciate me reciting the names of all the trees and birds at first, but now when we are out hiking, I think they are warming up to that “game” and are joining in.
I have a lot of fun hanging out with this group, who all appreciate nature and enjoy learning more about it just like I do. I am looking forward to keeping up with your eNews and staying involved and volunteering whenever possible, the plant society and eBird counts (including the hummingbird project!) are ways I can stay involved and I want to keep up with journaling and will definitely go on some geology field trips with the museum.
My Christmas gift giving this year consists of journals, paints, binoculars, field guides and I bought 3 scat books! My field site is a popular one-and I plan on continuing to visit it- it is near the eagle nest, so it is fun watching them and now that I know the eaglets will be hatching in late March, I have something to look forward to.

Carolyn Kinkade used her photographs to illustrate her reflection as she spoke to our group. She wrote:

The Horan Natural Area has been a favorite of mine for a long time now.  You can visit there any time of year and be surprise by what you will encounter.  In Winter Bald Eagles come down to the river valley to feed on fish.  I have also come across Mule Deer using the Horan as their winter home.  With Spring comes warmer weather and new life for both flora and fauna, lots of activity in the wetlands.  My favorite time of year is  September and October with all the spectacular Fall colors. 

 

Because of its  proximity to town and being in a state park there is more and more foot traffic, which is good, but degradation can also happen i.e. litter, pets.  There is also the matter of the City of Wenatchee needing to address traffic congestion on the north end of town, which may affect the Horan due to additional roads and/or change of routes.  I will be sure to stay involved by speaking up when necessary and support efforts to protect and enhance this treasure. 

 

I plan to continue volunteering as a Trail Ambassador for Chelan Douglas Land Trust.  I look forward to helping out with the Sagebrush Songbird Survey coming up in Spring 2019.    Another fun volunteer activity I enjoy each year is Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count for Wenatchee.  We are fortunate to have so many great non-profit organizations in our valley that support the outdoors, plant and animal life and protection of our  environment.

Thank you Susan for teaching this class.  Your enthusiasm is contagious (in a good way) and you are a real inspiration. I appreciate all you do for our community.  It has been a pleasure getting to know you better and I look forward to collaborating with you in the future.