February 20th 2014
85 degrees
“One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds.”
It is significantly warmer today than my initial observation day in January. Similarly to last month, there were very few animals visible; however, I did notice that there were several larger bird species present overhead. After Austin’s few days of precipitation, the creek itself was slightly wider than last month. One of the most notable changes to Blunn Creek was the regrowth of the ligustrum that had been removed previously. Although the the ligustrum were removed before I began observing Blunn Creek, they were much less developed. The small trees were removed to provide nutrients for the native species. Because Blunn Creek was so overrun by ligustrum, when they were cleared from the area, it appeared that most of the greenery had been cleared. The regrowth of the ligustrum appears to be positive, but an ecologist must understand that it is not beneficial.
“A conservationist is one who is humbly aware that with each stroke he is writing his signature on the face of the land.” -Aldo Leopold
