… but our field trips and other group gatherings are not, due to COVID-19. If your local park is open, now is a great time for a solo field trip to see what’s emerging. Here’s a sample of what you might find on Albany Hill (all photos by Margot Cunningham; click on the photos to see the full-size version).
Little hill
A bump on the east bay shoreline
Covered in a eucalyptus haircut
Go under the coif and find treasures
Native plants
Search for them, count them, map them, photograph them
Over a hundred kinds of them
Paradise for pollinators
Retreat for human respite
In a busy urban area
Walk from the bottom
To the top
From creek and meadow
Through oak woodland
To the euc-studded grasslands atop
Surprises hidden away
Sierra plum, California huckleberry, California sagebrush
Straight-thorned rose, chapparal currant, mallow-leaf phacelia
Among many others…
— Margot Cunningham
For more info on the native plants of Albany Hill:
https://tendancienthill.org/plants-animals-albany-hill/plants/
