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A Day At Tecolote Canyon
On the class’ Tecolote Canyon trip, we went to Tecolote Canyon. It was quite interesting to trek deeper into the canyon. The first time the class went, we didn’t get very far into it because we focused on worksheets more than collecting data and admiring the landscape. The first thing we did when we arrived at the canyon was to split into groups and check our resting heart rates. I was in Ms. JJ’s group with Jenny, Carlos, Tiana, and Cameron. It was a typical, beautiful, sunny day in San Diego.
After walking on the trails for a while, the JJ group, the Burgess group, and the Graham group went separate ways to record and look for data. We marked waypoints along the way and gathered various samples of plants, rocks, and water to take back to test in Biology. We collected many kinds of beautiful flowers and lush plants, someone even picked up some fresh feces.
We saw many plants that we usually wouldn’t be able to see outside of the canyon. There was a giant dormant poison oak, dead hemlock, curious castor beans, and blooming jimsonweed. All of which are known to be poisonous plants. There were edible plants lining the trails as well such as lemon berries.
Unfortunately, there were many places where there were examples of urban drool. There were power lines and poles all over the canyon. There was even a golf course right next to the park. There were many houses on the side and wire fences. Invasive species were found everywhere as well, such as ice plant; it was all over the place… It looked as if it was a metal disease spreading, invading into the lush green of the park.
My group met a dedicated hiker along the way back and he told us about some interesting things about the canyon. He told us about the snakes, poison oak, and other ominous things to watch out for. The JJ group was the last group to get back to the meeting place but we were the only ones that successfully found the opening into the riverbank. Although a person can hardly consider it a river, for it had no water running through it and there was no beauty to it. It seemed dead, covered in concrete and with graffiti scrawled all over the sides. Houses lined the other side of it, as if it were a line between nature and city.
After exploring the canyon, the groups reunited and had lunch together under the shade of the trees. The slight breezed pleasantly rustled the trees and stirred up a gentle of grass. My friends and I rushed to the playground, feeling the old memories from the innocent childhood days resurfacing. Settling down on the small, plastic bridge we eagerly opened our lunches. A sweet aroma from my sliced strawberry and peanut butter sandwich wafted around only to be overpowered by the salty scent of tuna from Jackie’s sandwich. Trading half of our sandwiches, a pleasant flavor clashed with the other. It was a satisfying lunch, followed by some playing in the sand and finally returning to school.
After walking on the trails for a while, the JJ group, the Burgess group, and the Graham group went separate ways to record and look for data. We marked waypoints along the way and gathered various samples of plants, rocks, and water to take back to test in Biology. We collected many kinds of beautiful flowers and lush plants, someone even picked up some fresh feces.
We saw many plants that we usually wouldn’t be able to see outside of the canyon. There was a giant dormant poison oak, dead hemlock, curious castor beans, and blooming jimsonweed. All of which are known to be poisonous plants. There were edible plants lining the trails as well such as lemon berries.
Unfortunately, there were many places where there were examples of urban drool. There were power lines and poles all over the canyon. There was even a golf course right next to the park. There were many houses on the side and wire fences. Invasive species were found everywhere as well, such as ice plant; it was all over the place… It looked as if it was a metal disease spreading, invading into the lush green of the park.
My group met a dedicated hiker along the way back and he told us about some interesting things about the canyon. He told us about the snakes, poison oak, and other ominous things to watch out for. The JJ group was the last group to get back to the meeting place but we were the only ones that successfully found the opening into the riverbank. Although a person can hardly consider it a river, for it had no water running through it and there was no beauty to it. It seemed dead, covered in concrete and with graffiti scrawled all over the sides. Houses lined the other side of it, as if it were a line between nature and city.
After exploring the canyon, the groups reunited and had lunch together under the shade of the trees. The slight breezed pleasantly rustled the trees and stirred up a gentle of grass. My friends and I rushed to the playground, feeling the old memories from the innocent childhood days resurfacing. Settling down on the small, plastic bridge we eagerly opened our lunches. A sweet aroma from my sliced strawberry and peanut butter sandwich wafted around only to be overpowered by the salty scent of tuna from Jackie’s sandwich. Trading half of our sandwiches, a pleasant flavor clashed with the other. It was a satisfying lunch, followed by some playing in the sand and finally returning to school.