publication date: Jan 21, 2010
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author/source: Dan Corcoran
Mysteries, Questions, Challenges, Oh My!
by "Kamana Dan" Corcoran, Independent Studies Coordinator
What is it about the human brain that loves mysteries, challenges, and questions?
I was exploring around my sit spot when I noticed a few brown specs on the ground. Then I noticed that they were everywhere. There had been a recent wind storm and thousands of seeds decided it was time to break away from their comfy cones. Mid-January seems like an odd time to disperse seeds. And why was this the first time I had seen this massive dispersal?
Then I asked another question, "What tree is this from?"
I now had a challenge that proved to be harder to answer than I anticipated. I thought that I knew the seasonal progression of when seeds are dropped and what different tree seeds look like. But this outpouring of tiny seeds from a single tree species had planted many questions in me.
Narrowing down what tree these itsy-bitsy seeds came from baffled me at first. They were small; about half the size of a rice grain. Based on size it couldn't be maple (vine or big leaf), Douglas fir, bitter cherry, cascara, Western hemlock, or cottonwood. That left Western redcedar and red alder.
I was standing in a young alder forest, but there were several cedars around, too. Hmmm.
I was excited to have a fun mystery and I wanted to try and solve it without using field guides. I looked for cones of cedar and alder (even though alder is a deciduous tree it has modified male and female "cones") but couldn't find any. In looking for these cones I also noticed new things on a trail that I walk almost daily. This challenge was boosting my awareness!
After a little while I got distracted and forgot about my mystery. I scoped out some pileated woodpecker activity and noticed the buds of hazelnuts had fattened since I had last seen them.
Upon my return home I noticed how there were very few seeds on the ground in the young Douglas fir and cedar forest. I also thought about how it takes longer for cedars to produce cones than it would the fast-growing alders.
As I entered the spot where I had first seen the seeds I noticed a fallen set of alder cones. They had opened and released their seeds, but there were a few seeds left. I studied them and they matched the seeds that were on the ground. I had found my answer!
I went home and verified that they were indeed red alder seeds. I couldn't find them in any field guides, but google images provided a visual match.
I was definitely excited, but there is always a letdown after a mystery is solved. The adventure was over.
I guess I'll just have to go to my sit spot and see what else is out there. That's the beauty of the natural world: there is never a shortage of mysteries to solve.
Let me know what is happening at your sit spot. You can email me or do so in the Community forum.
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