Our class "ELITE BIO 102" field trip to "Walker Nature center" was a fun way to end the semester. It wasn't exactly the perfect weather that morning. It was quite cold and not everyone was excited about walking between the dried up trees. However, we managed to find different living things that we studied in class. The center was split into two main trails,so we ended up splitting into two unorganized groups that went to each one. The first thing I noticed as i was walking through the trail was that all the berry trees had the spiny green leaves while all the other trees didn't have much leaves left. We talked about evergreen shrubs and how those leaves adapt to the cold weather. The other interesting thing that caught my eye was the Oyster mushrooms that grow on trees in a shelf-like pattern. I liked how when the sunlight hit them they had a little glaze that sparkled on top of the white part. I discovered later that those mushrooms can be used in different types of foods, and they are pretty good. The moss on the bottom of the trunks is something we all see every time we walk in a park, but this time it was more appealing since I actually know what it is after talking about it in class (its nature and the need for water to reproduce.) As we walked further we noticed the presence of some small animals such as birds(woodpeckers) and some squirrels,which are really common in this area, running and flying around to find resources (plants, insects.etc...)

One of the nice supervisors that works there talked to us briefly about the center and told us how they have the area,in front of the main building, designated for specific plants that they put there. She also mentioned how they count the birds that come for food in that area ,and use it for research purposes. We didn't really find any interesting life form in the streams or the lake, beside the ducks. 

Finally, the trip came to an end where we met with the other group of students that went to the MORE interesting trail and got some shots of deer and other exciting living creatures. Dr. Fitzgerald however told us that even though it was cold and not a lot of animals were present. It's better than coming in the summer where all the bugs are hovering around our heads and the leaves cover everything in sight. I guess I can't say I'm sad for not coming on a hot summer morning. because i really don't like bugs.

Squirrels

FACTS:

- They are over 200 species of squirrels in the world.
- The tiniest one is only 5 inches long ( African pygmy Squirrel )
- The biggest one is the indian giant squirrel, which reaches up to 3 feet.
- They have four front teeth never stop growing so they don't wear down from the constant gnawing.
- They eat seeds, leaves, roots, nuts, and other plants as well.
- Some of them catch and eat small animals like insects and small caterpillars.
- Sometimes groups of ground squirrels work together to warn each other of approaching danger with a whistling call.

Moss

General Description:

Moss, a fuzzy or sometimes minutely leafy, non vascular plant, is classified in the group of plants know as Bryophyta. Moss plants will grow on most moist shady surfaces like rocks, trees and soil.
They prefer not to be exposed to direct light and therefore are most often found on the north side of tree trunks. Moss plants need free moisture to complete there life cycle but will survive for long period of time in a dry desiccated state.
If they receive sufficient moisture they will “green up” and come to life with in a short period of time, seemingly overnight. Moss does not have the waxy outer leaf layer known as the cuticle that prevents most higher plants from drying out.
Moss are able to survive on what amounts to essentially dust and rain drops. They do not harm trees and do not digest the bark they are attached to.

Life Cycle:
Most kinds of plants have two sets of chromosomes in their vegetative cells and are said to be diploid, i.e. each chromosome has a partner that contains the same, or similar, genetic information. By contrast, mosses and other bryophytes have only a single set of chromosomes and so are haploid. There are periods in the moss life cycle when they do have a double set of paired chromosomes, but this happens only during the sporophyte stage.

Habitat:
Since mosses have no vascular system to carry water through the plant, they must have a damp environment in which to live, and a surrounding of liquid water to reproduce. And since mosses are photosynthetic, they require enough sun to conduct photosynthesis. Mosses grow chiefly in areas of dampness and shade, such as wooded areas and at the edges of streams; but they can grow anywhere in cool damp cloudy climates, and some species are adapted to sunny, seasonally dry areas.

Nevin's Barberry (Mahonia nevinii)

General Description:


Nevin's barberry is a large evergreen(a plant that has leaves in all seasons) shrub with green, spiny leaves and bright red edible berries. They bloom in March through April.
It's a Rhizomatous plant( a plant that has an underground horizontal stem that puts out shoots above ground and roots below).
The leaves are pinnate, which means that they are arranged on opposite sides of the stem.
The flowers are clustered with six petals in two rows.

Symbol: MANE3
Group: Dicot
Family: Berberidaceae
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Shrub
Native Status: L48N

Habitat:

Nevin's barberry is found in sandy or gravelly areas. The two largest populations of Nevin's barberry are found near Vail Lake southwestern Riverside county (Containing about 200 individual plant.)
Mahonia nevinii is cultivated by specialty native plant nurseries, and is used in habitat and drought tolerant gardens and parks.

annelids (Earthworms)

Anatomy: The earthworm has a shape of a tube. The digestive system is within the tube. It also has a muscular,slimy and moist outer body.
Circulatory system: Earthworms have simple closed circulatory system. They have two main blood vessels which extend to the end of their body. A ventral blood vessel which leads to the posterior end, and a dorsal blood vessel which leads to the anterior end.
Reproduction: Earthworms are Hermaphrodites, they have two pair of testes, surrounded by two pairs of testes sacs. There are 2 or 4 pairs of seminal vesicles, which produce,store, and release the sperm via the male pores, and ovaries and ova pores that release female eggs via pores.
Digestion: The process of digestion in the earthworm begins by the mouth where food is sucked by the pharynx and then passed down through the esophagus where it is store in the crop. which retains food and has the ability to expand. Then it enters the intestine where the food is absorbed. After that the rest leaves the body through the anus.