Apparently I have been to Carkeek Park countless of times as a kid according to my mother, but I don't really remember it too well. My experience was wonderful, from the lesson we got about First Nations people and how their practices are tied closely with ecology, to the Dichotomous key, to the nature walk. The park is beautiful and is a perfect example of the wetlands in the Puget Trough ecoregion. It was a great way to introduce ecology because we were surrounded by so many real life examples, including a functioning salmon spawning stream (pictured above). I was impressed to find out that Carkeek Park has an area were hatcheries can acclimate their salmon fry before releasing them into Pipers Creek, facilitating more salmon. It changed my perspective on how the lower 48 is trying to preserve salmon streams, I didn't think there would be efforts of preservation that close to Seattle. I'm excited to go back for the return of the salmon!
1. Is the current biodiversity of the ecosystem still being affected by forestry practices from the past?
2. If a wetland acts as a filter, wouldn't wetlands be heavily polluted after awhile? Would chemical run off be a big threat to a wetlands ecosystem?
Carkeek Park seems to be a regularly visited park for many, though I did not know about it. I agree with you in that it is a great example of of the wetlands that are located here in our ecoregion.
ReplyDeleteWe will talk a lot about the affects of forestry practices on biodiversity- great question!
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