Walking Tour

Welcome to a Walking Tour of my site!

Google Maps

Where many of the plants and animals I observed and recorded on my weekly blogs are located in Lincoln Park, Seattle Washington. Lincoln Park is a great place to visit whether it is for Barbecuing, Swimming, Running, Strolling along the beautiful beach, and or to enjoy all the nature that it has to offer.



Lincoln Park is located in West Seattle and close to where I spent my middle school and high school years, in a small town called White Center. Here is a map (google maps) of where it is located in perspective to the University of Washington Campus.

Station 1:  Plants! Although there are many plants throughout the whole entire park I thought that this was a great place to start identifying plants. To get to this spot, you should park your car or enter from the North Parking Lot and follow Trail number 11 shown on the Lincoln Park Facilities and Trails map. But where my red line and marked station number 1 is, should place you in a smaller trail. 

Station 1 

At this station it is easiest to start identifying trees! These trees are fairly tall and can be difficult to tell what the leaves or cones of the tree look like. But you can still be able to identify these trees without having to break you neck looking high into the canopy. First look at the bark and observe the texture of it. At this site and throughout the park and the pacific northwest there are 3 abundant coniferous trees, Douglas fir, Western Hemlock, and Western Red Cedar. All three have different characteristics. The Western Red Cedar's bark has vertical lines running up and down the trunk, it is easy to strip some of the bark off. It has scaly leaves that are not needles and run opposite from each other. For Douglas fir, the bark is also a good way to identify the tree. For this tree the bark is very furrowed and its leaves are flat needles that lay all around the twig. If you can find a cone of this tree it also is a good way to identify it. The cones have 3 bracts that look like the ends of mice. For Western Hemlock, it is easiest to identify this tree by looking at the tops of the tree, if the top seems to droop than it is a Western Hemlock! 

After observing trees, you can start observing all the plants underneath and around the trees! My favorite to find at this site in particular is Indian Plum, it is a small shrub/tree.  The leaves are elliptical in shape and has a dark brown to purplish color bark. When you kindly take a leaf off of the plant and crush it, it smells like cucumbers! Two other favorite plants at the end of this station are Salmonberry and Thimbleberry. Salmonberry has leaves that are 3-5 lobed and has thorns on the branches and stems of the plant. In the Spring the flowers start to bloom and have a very pretty fuchsia color on its 5 pedals. Later in the spring the berries start to form and they are a crimson to yellow color and are very edible. Thimbleberry has 5 lobes of its leaves and on top and underneath the leaves are very fine hairs that make the leaves so soft to the touch. In the Spring the flowers bloom as well, they are white rounded 5 pedaled flowers. Other plants in this station includes, red huckleberry, sword ferns, and dull oregon grape. 

Indian Plum

Salmonberry

Thimbleberry

Station 2: Invertebrate(s)! This next station takes you to a nearby fallen log where I had my luck on finding invertebrates. If you follow along the continuing red line (marked on map) after station 1 you will reach station 2, but be careful it is easy to miss this station. It should lay to the right of the trail if you are facing south, walk onto the grass and off the trail and you should be able to spot a log.

At this station, look on the ground for small rocks or big rocks pick them up and flip them over and see what you find. I usually find worms underneath these rocks, but I did find a weird almost translucent tiny worm once at this station. I was not able to identify it, it might be larvae too, but it was really interesting. If you are looking for something more promising try the big log, you can remove small pieces of the bark to see who or what is hiding underneath them. This log has been here for quite sometime and it is relatively dry on the outside of its bark to it is easy to remove small pieces of it. Here it is common to find a lot of pillbugs in this log, and if you're lucky a banana slug. A pillbug is very interesting, I loved playing with them in my childhood and I would call the Rollie-Pollie-Ollies because of they way their body segments allow them to curl up into a ball and roll around. It is unclear but they are known to like more damp or shady habitats. A Banana slug has a yellow color to is body and have dark black spots on its body as well. 

Pillbug

Banana Slug

Station 3: Mushroom(s)/ Fungi
To get to this particular station, continue south on the same trail as station 2, to the right of the trail there should be a smaller trail leading you into a darker forest. As you enter the trail you might want to look close to the base of the trunk of trees, because you'll most likely find Artist's conk / Artist's fungi here! Artist conk is a type of fungi/mushroom, but not like your ordinary mushroom that you are used to seeing and feeling. For any mushroom you should observe and feel the texture of the cap or the reproductive structure of the mushroom, the color on its cap and what kind of spores and color does this mushroom have underneath the cap. Also note what kind of trees does this fungi/mushroom like to grow on. You can also taste the mushroom but do not eat it, and make sure to smell the mushroom as well, some mushrooms have a distinctive smell which is helpful when identifying them. An Artist's conk has various brown to gray colors on its cap and than a white colored outlined that continues to it's white colored spores. It is flat to somewhat convex in shape and this mushroom was very hard but felt smooth to a tad wrinkly in texture. On the spores, when you take a twig and scratch the surface with it, it will turn to a brown color, thus artist's conk! At this station there are artists conks that are growing on Douglas fir trees and big leaf maple trees.

Artist's Conk

Station 4: Example(s) of visible ecological interaction between species

At Lincoln Park, Artist's Conk is not the only organism that grows on another species, many organisms and species interact with each other. Really close to Station 3, Station 4 encompasses a Big Leaf maple with Licorice Fern growing on it's trunk!

Licorice fern are a lot smaller then sword ferns or other ferns. You can tell the difference between other ferns and Licorice ferns because of where they grow! They tend to grow on top of logs or stumps and or on the trunks of trees. The root of this plant is edible and has a taste of black licorice. But why does Licorice fern grow on other trees? Licorice ferns are epiphytes and need to feed on other plants or organisms to survive. They usually prefer deciduous trees like Big Leaf Maples and also favor damp/ wet/ foggy forest types.

Nearby another organism has a similar interaction. A small Western Hemlock has grown on a snag or log, sometimes the roots of the Western Hemlock has reached the soil and is able to grow stably. But at other times Western Hemlock trees are at a "race against time for survival" for it's roots to reach the soil to establish a stable nutrient source. Western Hemlocks, like other organisms like to grow on these fallen slags or logs because as they decompose they offer a lot of nutrients for other plants and trees. It is also an ideal survival technique for plants. Because the log or fallen snag is off of the ground where other competing plants are, it gives these plants an opportunity of lower competition for food and nutrients. 

Licorice fern growing on a big leaf maple

Station 5: Birds  There are many places throughout the park to sight some amazing birds. You would often hear a lot of song calls in the canopy above you while you are walking through the park but never be able to actually spot one in the trees. So having a good spot to watch and observe birds was tricky but I have frequently came to this station and was able to see many types of birds. 

Any portion of this trail is a great place to spot and hear birds, I've been able to spot Anna's Hummingbird here as well as black capped chickadee, american robin, american crows, and a Dark-eyes Junco I believe near the Salmonberry at this site. There is also a great over look of the beach and the puget sound near the "5" marked on the map. With this overlook you can see over the tops of Madrone trees and be able to observe birds. It is also a cool overlook for watching birds fly by and pass by. I've been able to spot a coulpe of seagulls fly by multiple times. I was also able to spot Mallad ducks near the beach and other birds that are using the shore and water, without having to make a trip down to the beach. To find birds at this site you must be quite and listen carefully to the calls and songs that are around you. I usually find it easier at my site to follow the song or call that is the most closest to me and then start to look for the bird. Usually they are high in the trees at Lincoln Park, but you can find smaller birds near bushes or shrubs, they are usually collecting their nesting material or food!

Dark-eyed Junco

Station 6: Geology/ Geomorphology 

From where station 5 is located walk turn around and walk towards north on the trail, there is another overlook by the trail number 2 marked on the map, this is Station 6! At this station, the view blows me away. You can also view birds from here too, but what is more important is the Puget Sound that you see and Vashon Island. But how was Vashon Island formed?

There has been at least 4 glaciations in the last 2 million years, and the Cordilleran Ice Sheet occurred only about 18000- 12000 years ago, which affected much of the Puget Sound area. Modern Vashon Island, Bainbridge Island, and Lincoln Park lie in the Puget Trough area, where the Vashon Ice Sheet has covered much of Washington State about 14,000 years ago. Part of the Ice sheet that covered the Puget Trough area was called the Puget Lobe that was about 3000 feet thick. When the Ice sheet retreated, a lake was left and deposited sediment that can be found at Bainbridge Island and Discovery Park, which lays along the Puget Sound. Vashon Island can be assumed that it was carved out by the Vashon Ice Sheet and other Islands alike in the Puget Sound region. When you look across the water at this station and see Vashon Island it is hard to picture all of this region was once covered with an Ice Sheet about 3000 feet, that created/ shaped the land that we live and see everyday in front of us.

View from Station 6 of Vashon Island.

(A) Lincoln Park's Location relative to Vashon Island and Brainbridge Island.
GoogleMaps

Station 7: The Beach

Station 7 is my favorite station, you can choose any path or trail that can lead you to the beach area. There is not one particular bird or plant that attracts me to this site, but rather all the aesthetics of the view that keeps me coming back to the beach area. From when I was small my parents would always take me here and I would always bug them to take me to the beach area after we explored around the trails, and I hope many of you enjoy this portion of the park as much as I do. 

The beach stretches pretty far and gives you different perspectives as you stroll or run or jog along further. Whether you go on a rainy day or a bright sunny day,  the water and the waves just makes me more relaxed and lets me reflect on my day. Just being by a body of water for me seems to slow down time and my busy life to think and just give myself time for myself. I usually sit out on a piece of drift wood and listen to all the sounds around me and watch the water as the waves come in and out. The birds chirping and (sometimes I can Id them), the horn of the ferry as it arrives to the terminal, kids playing in the midst, joggers, dog walkers, and the wind that seems to take you away.

Station 8: Animal Behavior

From wherever you at at station 7 on beach, walk towards the ferry terminal and stop around "shelter 4" marked on the Lincoln Park Trails Map. This is Station 8! I chose this spot in particular for animal behavior because in mid spring, I was able to observe birds and their interaction with marine food sources when there was low tide. Also I was able to see a Mallard mother and her ducklings for 2 weeks.

I usually sit on a drift log here or at one of the shelters and just observe the birds around me if there is any. Usually you will see crows near here, but it always starts with one crow first and the rest come following. At low tide they like to eat some of the marine animals or algae that are found. But what is interesting is that crows are aggressive to each other. One day when I was done with my observations for my weekly blog entries I came down to this area and two crows amongst the group where constantly cawing at each other. I thought maybe they're fighting over food. But there was a lot of food laying around, so why fight about that particular piece? I never understood it.

This is also a great place to observe a Mallard mother and her ducklings around mid spring. The first time I saw them, I didn't notice how close I sat next to them. I was surprised that the mother didn't threaten me to move away further. The mother mallard was on alert with her duckling right next to her, there was about 6 ducklings at the time. After about 15 minutes they moved across the strip of concrete towards the grassy area next to shelter 4. It seemed like the mother was gathering food for her and her ducklings. There was a crow that flew near and landed a couple feet away from her ducklings. But that Mallard duck with all she could scared away the crow from her little ones. The next couple of weeks it seemed that there were only 5 ducklings left and then 4.. I've learned that Mallard ducks and other alike try their best to do what they can to keep their ducklings alive but there is always going to be some kind of loss.

Mallard mother and her ducklings 

Station 9: Visible effect of ecological disturbance

Follow the black line 

From station 8, get back on the trail labeled # 2 on the trails map and than continue on the trail, than take a right on to trail # 10 un till you have reached a meadow looking area on the right side of you. This area has no trail for you to look at the plants that are there but you can work your way through it carefully. At this part of the park is only one example of many invasive plants or plants that indicate a disturbed area. There is Himalayan blackberry in some places as well as bull thistle or canada thistle and a couple foxgloves as well. Himalayan blackberry is a small shrub/bush that can get tall, they have stems that are red and prickly . The flowers are white and 5 petaled and grows in clusters. These blackberry are easily spread and very hard to get rid off. How you can identify bull thistle or canada thistle is by the ball or disc shaped base that the flowers bloom on. They usually grow in disturbed areas. Foxglove is easily spot out, they flowers are tubular looking but has 5 lobes, in the inside of these flowers on the pedals, they are splotchy with pink or white, but they are poisonous. There wasn't many animal life around this area and at first I wondered why, but maybe because these plants do not offer much to animals that are native here. I am worried that because there is not a lot of invasive plants, but there are a few areas of some that later down the road there won't be animal life at all in these areas and if these plants to spread, maybe non at all throughout the park. One day a man on his bicycle stopped me, when he saw that I was using the Audubon Society Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest. We had a great conversation about plants and he brought up an orchard called the Phantom Orchard that would come and bloom here at Lincoln Park maybe every other 2 years. This year he was able to find one single Phantom Orchard blooming, but his fear of the orchard being trampled on by joggers or runners or dogs came true, and in a way he was sad but still had hopes for next year. 

Himalayan blackberry

Station 10: Land Use-History

To get to this station from station 9 use trail marked #10 and continue un till you reach trail #11 and take a left onto this trail and take a right onto a small trail that will lead you to the Horseshoe Pits. When you have reached this spot your are now at Station 10!

 Lincoln park encompasses "4.6 miles of walking paths, 3.9 miles of bike trails, five picnic shelters, acres of playfields, and an outdoor heated saltwater pool and bathhouse"(Seattle Parks and Recreation). This multi-purpose park makes it very enjoyable for many types of people to enjoy in the Seattle area from runners, bicyclers, swimmers, to families, barbecue - ers, and to those who just want to enjoy the aesthetics of the park. But how did this park came to be the way it is now?

Up till 1922, Lincoln Park was known as  Fauntleroy Park, after the Lieutenant George Davidson who left his fiance Ellinor Fauntleroy in 1857, to take soundings off the bluff. This Park was put together after a number amount of years and additions to the park included: "Shelters in 1925, Parking areas in 1928, Playground in 1930, Seawalls, trails, fireplace, and a horseshoe pit during the Depression"( Seattle Parks and Recreation).

When many people came to work at the Boeing Aircraft plant in the Duwamish Valley after World War II, a lot more additions were added to the park to accommodate people. Since then the public has been enjoying this great park for many reasons. But because of the Land-use at this park, may be the reason why not a lot of plants or animals are thriving here and along some trails you can see invasive species thriving or species that grow well in disturbed areas.

You Have Completed the Walking Tour of Lincoln Park!