Author Archives: Marisela De Santa Anna

May 2, 2022 This time of the year many types of plants are flowering including trees, wildflowers, and grasses. For people with pollen sensitivity, it can be a difficult time especially since the spring winds are so efficient at carrying and spreading that pollen far and wide. Cattle grazing occurs on the grasslands throughout the…

April 19, 2022 The oak woodlands and riparian corridors in the valley are full of a variety of trees and shrubs that provide food and shelter for many species of birds, mammals, insects, and other invertebrates. As these ecosystems grow and mature, the older trees begin to die off. Some fall over, literally coming right…

April 14, 2022 When Little Lake Valley gets significant rain in April or May (at least two or more inches), especially after having dry months of winter, I breathe a sigh of relief. The creeks fill up, the ground saturates, and we get some inundation in the north end of the valley. This is important…

April 4, 2022 Having been out of town for the entire month of March it is very exciting to return to find spring is well on its way here. There are flowers blooming along the roadsides such as Lupines and Buttercups. The vibrant green of the Willits Valley is soothing to my eyes and psyche.…

February 22, 2022 While out in the valley I am always astounded at the sheer volume of lichens hanging off a variety of trees. Some of them actually look “cloaked,” blanketed with foliose lichens. In the past I have talked about the fishnet lichen, Ramalina menziesii, also called Lace lichen, which is one of our…

February 9, 2022 In the oak woodlands of the Willits Mitigation Lands southern piece of property, called Plasma, the deciduous Valley Oaks are full of much life and sounds. Besides the entertaining ‘waka waka waka’ of our resident Acorn Woodpeckers, the churring of our new winter migrants, the Lewis’s Woodpeckers, is still a delight to…

Each cold icy morning reminds us that winter is still here, but by midday the warm sunshine and the clear blue sky makes it seem as though spring has already arrived. We know better than to put away the winter gear. In Little Lake Valley, the green fields and budding plants can fool us, yet…

There have been clear skies this entire month and the sun has been shining all week. It has been wonderful to walk out in Little Lake Valley and appreciate the quiet, mid-winter days. The grass in the fields has grown tall and lush while the White alders are full of male catkins that have begun…

As winter progresses and we continue to have the gift of decent rainfall, Little Lake Valley has flooded and filled with the familiar sound of waterfowl. We have many species that are found in the wetlands and ponds including Canada Geese, White-fronted Geese, American and Eurasian Wigeons, Northern Shovelers, Cinnamon Teals, and the ducks I…

At the end of December and just before the new year, I chanced upon an unusual midday drama. It was a cloudy wet day, and I was at the north end of the valley to check on the flooding in the wetland area. As I was walking west towards our inner gate, I noticed there…

Winter is a time for the Bryophytes which includes the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Recently when I was out evaluating the inundation on the northern end of the valley, I discovered an area where all three of these plant types are growing. This blog is mostly about hornworts, since it is the first time I…