March travel notes
Published:
March was a good month for getting outside.
Zion and Bryce Canyon National Park
I camped at Zion and Bryce Canyon National Park, and the rock layers there were almost unreal in how stable and orderly they looked. Standing in front of those cliffs made me think about time in a way that fieldwork and papers usually do not. The best bird sighting of the trip was still a Stellar’s jay, which remains my favorite bird.
Malibu Creek and Malibu Lagoon
I also went bird watching at Malibu Creek State Park, then bird watching and tidepooling at Malibu Lagoon State Beach. The marine life was the highlight here: a black sea hare and a purple sea urchin made the stop especially memorable.
Debs Park and Peanut Lake
The last outing was a hike at Debs Park and Peanut Lake. I saw a wild American bullfrog and a milk snail. There were too many of them, honestly. They are invasive species, originally from the Mediterranean, which makes them interesting to notice but not exactly welcome.
That was the month: rocks, birds, tidepools, and a few reminders that ecosystems always have histories attached to them.