Field Trip to the Spruces
June 28, 1997
On a beautiful cool Saturday morning, about 20 members gathered in the
parking lot at the mouth of Big Cottonwood canyon. We carpooled up to
The Spruces campground in the canyon. Since there is a Day Use Fee now
in effect, some of us parked out on the road. Tony Dietz, the leader,
gathered us all at a group of picnic tables, and the information began
to flow. The big mistake I made on this day was to forget a notebook and
pen, because Tony, an Urban Forester, had so much to teach us in his
humorous and lively manner. He had examples of different types of conifers
and cones spread out on the table. With the help of handouts he had
prepared for us, we learned to identify firs, spruces, pines (not all
conifers are "pinetrees"), and junipers.
Conifers are trees that keep their (generally)
needle-shaped leaves all year round. Junipers and cedars are, thus, also
conifers.
Each type of conifer has its own unique cone. When the branches are too
far off the ground to identify a conifer by the needles, you can look on
the ground around the tree for its cones, and identify it that way. Tony
also taught is the different types of bark. We were all fascinated to
learn of a tree with bark that smells like vanilla! For the rest of the
outing, the children in the group had fun sniffing bark.
We strolled through the campground with Tony leading the group, pointing
out the things we had learned. He showed us rare and unusual trees that
had been transplanted by Walter Cottam, founder of the State Arboretum,
trees that had been scarred by lightening, and trees that recently had
been hurt by careless construction workers at the campground. He told us
how the damage would probably kill those trees, but it would take some
years for them to die. We also saw aspens with fungus causing large deep
wounds. Tony said this fungus can spread from aspens to other types of
trees.
We learned the names of many of the wildflowers, shrubs, and berries we
found in the campground that day. Dot Platt is so knowledgeable, it is
a real pleasure to walk in the mountains with her and learn so many new
things. Tony gave us a handout that shows how different types of trees
grow at the different elevations and according to the south or north
exposure of the slope on which they are growing.
This was a great field trip, one that was enjoyed by all the age groups
present. It was the kind of morning that reminds us why we are members
of the wonderful Utah Nature Study Society, where we can
have fun, learn fascinating things, and make new friends while enjoying
an outing with the whole family.
Those attending were the Abrahams (Britt, Allen, Naomi, Rebekah, and
Miriam), Beverly Elieson, Brooke and Drew Gordan, Barbara and Kay Huyster,
Marian Johnston, Dot Platt, Sandra Bray, Bona and Bethany Rose, Andrea
Dalton, Debbie and Daniel Skidmore, Mera Steger, Marian Young, and of
course our leader Tony Dietz. Thanks to Tony for an interesting and
knowledgeable morning.
Schedule of Future UNSS Activities
Nature Notes -- Thoughts and Observations
Birds and Bees, Flowers and Trees
Projects and Activities to Try
UTAH NATURE STUDY SOCIETY -- HOME PAGE