This week, I took my students on a field trip to one of my university’s nature preserves. Our primary goal was to survey some trees for Sudden Oak Death, but I never go to the preserve without the supplemental goal of making wildlife observations, especially since there are always at least a few students who tell me that this trip is the first time they’ve ever gone hiking in some sort of “natural” or wilderness area. I’ll combine photos from both days (I have multiple classes, so came out on two days).
The star of the show was this Rough-skinned Newt (Taricha granulosa), which I was able to locate on both day. I also loved this Southern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria multicarinata), Giant Wakerobin (Trillium chloropetalum), Pacific Chorus Frog (Pseudacris regilla), and Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis). I also found some gorgeously-colored Golden Ear (Naematelia aurantia) that appeared to be growing on False Turkey-tail (Stereum hirsutum).
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