La Quinta Cove

Michelle Hedgecock, the leader of last Saturday’s nature walk has made the last exercise available for us to share.  Each participant contributed a written line of thought and together, they made a poem-like composition that reflected on the mornings experiences. 

Michelle writes:Thank you each for sharing your morning with me and for sharing your creative experience so openly as a group, I found your creative expressions and spirit so inspiring!

I wanted to be sure to share these two wonderful poems created by participants on Saturday’s “Creativity Hike;” nature truly inspires:

UNTITLED

A fresh breeze brushing the winter desert.
A palette of natural color.
Calming colors –
desert seems still, but signs of motion everywhere
footprints, erosion, growth.

I saw life from all the holes in the ground.
Hundreds, maybe thousands of animals are burrowed there.
I enjoyed different perspectives of the palo verde tree –
up close it is large and grand,
from a distance, small and solitary.

UNTITLED

I wonder about the many forms of life has passed where we are –
Going into Nature today is going into the best art gallery in the world.
Nature is so glorious, I can’t describe it well.
Lizard watching me watching him. Peace.
Sun moving, revealing new crevices, homes to local residents.
And then rubble piles that look like ancient ruins that completes the cycle.

Not a creative bone in our bodies?  Not for long….  last SaturdayMichelle Hedgecock led a group of hikers through a series of creative exercises designed to give us a new focus to our walk. 

Exploring the desert’s color palatte:       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9zXxk6yrXc

Winding up the walk….view of the storm channel:       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeHWabMnSQ0

On Saturday, Franklin School teacher, Trice Healy and biologistKatie Barrows led about forty-five students, teachers and parents from seven desert schools, from preschool to high school!  The subject was rock walk, and an exciting time was had by one and all…  These nature walks are sponsored by the City of La Quinta and the Stewards of the Fred Wolff Nature Preserve.  Next walk?  On Saturday (January 15) at 8 a.m. for the grown-ups.    More on this later. 

Have you seen this plant?

This is the dreaded Sahara Mustard weed that is threatening our beautiful desert.  It is an invasive plant that is crowding out native plant life and limiting the food supply of native animal life.  Only by ALL of us searching out this invader can we put a stop to it in our city.  I found this  one in my yard!  Look along the roadways, in the Preserve, along our trails, everywhere.  The City is starting a campaign and will be distributi8ng brochures with more details.  After our big rains, NOW is the time to begin our hunt.  Pull the plants up by the roots.  Each plant can produce a THOUSAND other seedlings.

Plan ahead.  Here are some great excursions:

January 22 to Griffith Observatory   Call 777-7090 

January 29 to the Salton Sea and North Shore Yacht Club    Call 564-1283

February 12 to La Brea Tar Pits (right next to LA County Museum of Art)    Call 777-7090