The Living Landscape: A walk in a reopened park
- Kathleen Scavone
- Posted On
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – It was as sweet as sunshine to get out and hike the trails of Clear Lake State Park once again.
When everything was closed, the critter-cam activity that Clear Lake State Park Interpretive Association posted on their Facebook site was enriching with its copious wildlife sightings.
We may have missed nature, but it thrived without us, as evidenced by the numerous bear, bobcat, birds and other animal sightings caught on camera.
It was literally a day of wind in the willows as I breathed deep of the eutrophic waters of Clear Lake and two of its tributaries, Cole and Kelsey creeks.
The profuse willow trees were swaying to the music of the wind while distributing delicate fluff like a layer of snow along the trail.
The willows found in the park include some of the 84 species of willows native to California.
Willows are found growing along creeks, marshes and other wet areas throughout California.
Since willow spreads by root runners, it is a prolific plant that provides shade and habitat for birds and other wildlife.
Our lake, often criticized, is in actuality a healthy body of water rich in nutrients which provide it with dense fish and plant populations.
There are around 130 species of algae in our lake, and most are beneficial parts of the natural food chain that aid in the lake's health by reducing the sunshine from reaching the bottom of the lake, thereby decreasing invasive water weeds.
Since the lake is relatively shallow, it can warm up in portions, especially during summer months when bothersome blue-green algae gets trapped and forms mats.
These nuisance mats can be managed effectively by stirring up the water surface with aerators. Sometimes boat action through the mats or spraying water is useful in keeping the algae from becoming annoying.
The lively waters of Clear Lake teem with fish, while its shores are alive with prolific bird species and native plant life.
In no time at all, I witnessed the active osprey feeding their young, along with great blue herons, red-winged blackbirds, grebes, mallards, ravens, blue jays, swallows and more.
By taking a walk through the park it is easy to see why the Big Valley Pomo lived below the volcano, Mount Konocti for thousands of years.
The land here in what is now the park provided California buckeye, bay, black walnut, cattail, berries, ferns, elderberry, various pine nuts, a wide variety of acorns and a myriad of other nourishing foods for sustenance.
The willows here allowed for copious basket weaving materials, while the tule reeds gave them materials for boats, huts, mats and more.
The geologically active properties of the lake and its region were utilized by native peoples then, and later by those seeking wellness in the bubbling waters that rise up to the lake's surface.
While visiting state parks, California State Parks recommends hiking responsibly and to "Flatten the COVOD-19 curve at parks by: taking soap and hand sanitizer, maintaining social distance of 6 feet or more when walking, hiking, jogging or biking and to stay home if you're sick, along with covering mouth when coughing/sneezing with a tissue or your elbow."
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is a retired educator, potter, freelance writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.”