Diario de mdiversityreyes

I explored the Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail beach’s ecosystem for our final field trip assignment. There were harsh winds upon arrival although it was a very sunny day. I noticed numerous differences between this ecosystem and the previous ones I visited. For example, many new plants and flowers coexisted near one another creating this stunningly vibrant ecosystem. The grasses flowed beautifully with the wind, the ocean sounds, bright flowers, and sparrows that basked within this sight. Being raised in Southern California, I adore the beach and coastal trails that embody the energy of spending the summer in Santa Barbara. Engaging in this course this semester has taught me to take the time to notice the biodiversity of California and admire the natural beauty that surrounds us in the state.

For our second field trip assignment, I traveled to the Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve where I hiked along the North Ridge Trail. Upon my arrival, there were cautionary signs of the area being a mountain lion habitat, so the signs advised what to do if you came across one. This frightened me because the destination was deep and high within the mountains of San Mateo County. However, this hike was a beautiful and challenging experience that allowed me to walk within the natural world.
Because of the recent rain, portions of the trail were slippery causing the terrain to be more of an exercise to walk on due to the steep terrain. The mud, the scent of the trees, and the distant water whooshing from a distance made this experience very healing. There were numerous redwoods, different species of plants, and banana slugs that I came across! My favorite part of this hike was reaching the midpoint where a landscape view of the mountains and distant ocean was revealed. It felt incredible to be so high up in the mountains because this brought me a new admiration for the beauty of biodiversity.