Just to be clear, the dam below isn’t what made the pond above. I did see a beaver once in the pond, one day when I was there late in the evening. The dam below is across a ditch that was left from building the dike which kept out salt water from the fields used by a dairy farm. That was back in the olden days before the dikes were breached to provide salt marsh as habitat for salmon.
I thought this was interesting algae that had grown on one of the beaver ponds at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Reserve (just east of Olympia). I like the bare branches of the alder and cottonwood in the background … a nice contrast. Sorry I don’t have a name for the Algae for those of you interested in such details.
The Kestner Homestead is near the Quinault National Park Ranger Station. Depending on your choice of route (there are several loops), the distance is a couple miles. It is a beautiful spot to appreciate the lush growth of this temperate rainforest.
These two images (taken within 20 miles of each other) show a dramatic difference in growing environments. The one above shows a stand of alders in marshy bottomland … I would expect their roots are constantly wet. The one below shows an evergreen growing in a rocky area that would certainly not provide any water during summer months. The adaptive ability of trees to grow wherever there is a chance to put down roots is amazing.
I have been posting a lot of views of the Olympic National Park and the big trees. I spend a lot of time there, mostly since it’s close to home. But occasionally I do travel to other areas and experience nature in other environments. The image above shows some open pine woods and grasslands down in California in Inyo National Forest. At least that’s my memory … my notes are sketchy on that trip.
On the other hand, the image below is back up in Washington, but down along the Nisqually River Delta area in a section of the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge that is no long accessible. What a difference in woods.
