About the Author

I have lived in Marin County my entire life.  For the first few years I lived in an apartment in Mill Valley, and since the age of three I have lived on the same exact street all my life.  The furthest I’ve ever moved in the last 15 years was across the street to a different house.  I live in Kentfield, right next to Bacich Elementary School.  I am sorry to admit that I don’t add much to the ecology in my town.  All I do is detract from it.  Aside from the small compost and garden that I help my family maintain, all I do is harm the environment I live in.  I drive a car instead of biking, and I produce quite a bit of trash.  Putting that aside, I love my community.  Kentfield is a beautiful place that has amazing views.  Until I came to Marin Academy, every single thing I did was in Kentfield.  My middle school, elementary school, preschool, sports teams and friends were all located in Kentfield.  My favorite thing about Kentfield is its great views and its abundance of nature.  There are so many trees and plants in Kentfield that I feel like I’m living as a part of the environment, not just on top of it.  I love going on hikes and looking out over my entire life all at once.  From one hill, I can see where I spend 99.9 percent of my time, which is pretty amazing for me.  I can map out most experiences I’ve ever had, from the age of five to eighteen.  I also like how small Kentfield is.  Since I hate insects altogether, I don’t have a favorite one.  My favorite animal in Marin is the deer.  I enjoy driving by them at the side of the road, and always feel awful when one is lying in the middle of the road.  My favorite plant is the Oak tree.  If you’re coming to visit Kentfield and Marin, make sure to go on a hike.  The mountains in Marin are unbelievable, and the views they give are also beautiful.  

This is a picture of me and my twin brother, Sommer, in Evolution Valley, CA.  It's up near Yosemite.  My dad and us went backpacking there last summer, and it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.  It was also THE most untouched ecosystem I've ever been in.  

Maps of Where I Live

My Strawberry Journey!

Strawberry Challenge

I am proud to say that I have cared my straubs and kept them alive!  I used to really like gardening with my mom, so it was nice to return to it.  I liked the anticipation of seeing how my plant fared through the storm, or how much it had grown.  I documented the entire process by taking pictures every so often.  The strawberries have grown the most in the last few weeks due to all the sunshine. 

During spring break, and the weekends, I constantly was moving my pot of strawberries all day to allow for them to soak up the most sunlight.  I was pretty responsible about watering the plants with the exception of a few slips.  For a while, the rainy season helped me out.  The plant was slow to grow for the first month or so.  I didn’t see any strawberries sprout until April.  Once one started to bud, a few more followed, and finally my plant looked like a healthy strawberry plant.  I considered using plant fertilizer to speed up their growth but decided to keep them all natural.  I likened myself to a mother giving birth: I was choosing not to use pain killers, and instead was enduring the long, painful process of strawberry birth. 

Once they started to grow, the berries themselves remained green.  They were not perfectly shaped strawberries like the ones at the store.  This made them more authentic.  The biggest change the plant went through was that the leaves turned a different shade of green.  They gradually turned a lighter shade over the last few months, which was interesting.  I was also pleased to see that flowers grow on strawberry plants.  There were bright white and yellow flowers to accompany the berries. My biggest challenge was dealing with my cats.  I was always finding new places to hide my plant from my cats.  They continued to find them and knock the container over, which was frustrating.  What I learned from the process is how hard it is to produce food.  Even just a few strawberries took a lot of attention and discipline to keep healthy.  I will probably eat these strawberries in ten seconds: only a fraction of the time they took to grow.  It makes me realize how much we take food for granted.  I never think at all how much work went into producing my food, and how much water and gasoline went into each bite I’m taking.  Growing my strawberry plant has made me realize how beautiful food is.  The process, the science behind it, and the end result is all purely beautiful.  I will never look at food the same way again.

The Finished Result: Triplets!

My Kentfield Ecology Story

http://www.marinij.com/rosskentfieldgreenbrae/ci_17668387?IADID=Search-www.marinij.com-www.marinij.com

This article was published March 21st, 2011, in the Marin Independent Journal.  Last December there were sewage spills in Ross Valley along the Corte Madera Creek in which 2.6 million gallons of raw sewage were spilled into the surrounding neighborhoods.  Much of the spillage found its way to the creek.  People were advised to not use the creek for a few weeks.  Personally, I felt the effects of the spill, as my rowing team was unable to practice on the water for over a week.  Beyond that, the spill increased eutrophication on the creek, which is detrimental to fish and plant life under the water.  The visible increase in this effect was obvious in the months following the pollution.  Human feces contains nitrogen (amongst other nutrients), and too much nitrogen causes an excess growth of fungus-like plants on the surface of the water.  These plants suck up all the oxygen in the water, creating a dead zone below them where nothing else can live.  The article says that the spill was a result of 'human negligence', which makes me wonder how someone in charge of such a serious thing can be so careless.  Vandalism is also being investigated as a cause for the spill.  I also am curious as to why anyone would vandalize a sewage line.  This spill, along with the PG&E natural gas blast were both a result of poor piping.  I think that companies that posses serious pipe lines like sewage and natural gas should be forced to do more routine checkups and maintenence by the government, as the results of a bad pipe are huge.  They effect the environment very negatively, and they can even take human lives.

Works Cited

Richard, Halstead. "Ross Valley Sanitary District Renews Call for Criminal Investigation of Sewage    Spills." Marin Independent Journal. 3 Mar. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2011. <http://www.marinij.com/rosskentfieldgreenbrae/ci_17668387?IADID=Search-www.marinij.com-

Interview With Longtime Marin Resident, Grandpa Stein

Interview with Grandpa Stein

My grandpa, Jim Stein, has lived in Mill Valley for 22 years.  He has also spent a lot of time in Kentfield and knows both areas well.  (some off topic rambling from the interview was cut out)

Greig: What kinds of changes have you seen in the environment of both Mill Valley and Kentfield?

Jim: Oh, well I don’t really see any.  There haven’t been any big changes to what you see.  Things definitely look different now but most of the big changes happened a long time ago. 

G: Have you seen a decrease in plant and animal life?

J: I’ve never seen a lot of animals.  You know, a lot of trees on my street have been cut [down].  Same with yours, that big tree was cut last year.  That’s the biggest change I’ve seen over the years.

G: Has there been a lot of urban development since you came to Marin?

J: Most of it happened before I came, I would guess.  There has been a few new housing areas built on top of unused land.  A lot of places have expanded to take up the land around them.  Your old school built a new building. 

G:  Have you seen an increase in street traffic?

J:  I want to say there has been, but it’s really hard to tell because it was so long ago… I think there are more cars out there these days.

G:  Do you wish that there were less?

J:  I don’t really mind.  Of course I don’t like traffic.  But I don’t care.

G:  Do you support more development of buildings and houses and things like that?

J:  I think that its fine to build more buildings.  I don’t think it would be good to ruin the good looks of the town [Mill Valley], but more businesses means good things sometimes.  Since I’ve come it’s [Mill Valley] really gotten to be a busy place, which I like. 

G:  What is your favorite thing about Mill Valley?

J:  Oh, I like downtown.  It’s fun. 

G: Why do you like it?

J:  I like that it is busy and I enjoy the restaurants.  It’s a beautiful place as well. 

G:  If you were to have the choice of building three new restaurants on top of Old Mill Park, would you do it?

J:  No.  I think the park is important to the town and there are already enough restaurants. 

Community Info: Come to Marin, Squirrels!

Community Information

There is no better home a squirrel than Marin County, California.  There is already a large squirrel population due to favorable conditions for squirrel life.  There are many trees to provide both protection from predators and nuts for food.  Squirrel predators such as large predatory birds and wildcats have been reduced in numbers because of human development, so there is much less of a threat these days.  Marin is a very relaxed environment for squirrels.  There are very few squirrel deaths due to cars.  Humans also leave waste for squirrels to munch on when they cannot find enough food.  Sometimes, they even try to feed squirrels for fun, offering a healthy bonding experience for the two species and a win-win situation.  Humans have brought many types of trees to Marin County.  Now squirrels can enjoy all the nuts of the world in just one location.  Come to Marin, squirrels!

Air Quality in Marin

The air quality in Marin County is as good as it gets.  There isn’t a threat to anyone, even babies are people with allergies, and it is healthy to go outside and excersize in the air.  The main types of pollutants in the county are very small.  They are called ‘PM 2.5’s’, which means particulate matter that is 2.5  micrometers or less in diameter.  Because these particles are so small they cannot be accumulated in the lungs. 

            PM 2.5’s are generally emmited from cars and industrial sites.  The main way these particles are emitted in Marin is from gasoline combustion in cars.  There are not many factories, if any, in Marin, which means that there are much fewer harmful particles in the air.  In marin the PM 2.5 level is usually from 0-50, which is very healthy.  Although as many as 800,000 people can die per year due to outdoor pollutants, and many organisms have difficulty surviving with low oxygen levels or high particulate levels, Marin County’s air does not pose a serious threat to anything. 

http://www.wunderground.com/health/airpollution.asp

Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulfur Cycles

Carbon Cycle

Carbon is one of life’s most essential elements.  It is needed in everything living.  It also dictates the temperature of our earth.  The carbon cycle is very delicate, as a slight offset can drastically change earths temperature, like in global warming.  Plants and other living things on the producer level of the food chain remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and convert it into glucose through photosynthesis.  Through a process called aerobic respiration, this glucose is then converted back into CO₂ by consumers and decomposers.  Decomposers also convert CO₂ stored in producers back into CO₂ once producers are dead.  Other natural occurrences like forest fires

Today, most CO₂ is released back into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels.  Fossil fuels are formed over the course of millions of years as dead organic matter, like animals and plants, is trapped and compressed under earth’s surface.  Usually, the CO₂ in these deposits are not released into the atmosphere unless exposed to air.  Humans, though, are offsetting the natural carbon process by digging up these deposits and prematurely releasing the stored carbon, causing too much carbon in earth’s atmosphere and thus an increase in it’s temperature.  My family offsets the carbon cycle because of our automobile use and our natural gas use to heat our stove and our home.  We contribute to it by having an abundant garden and by leaving trees on our property so that they can absorb our atmosphere’s carbon dioxide.

Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen is important in many living structures, such as DNA.  The largest deposit of nitrogen is in earth’s atmosphere where it is stored as an unreactive gas.   Animals and plants cannot use naturally occurring nitrogen until it is processed.  One of these processes is when bacteria converts nitrogen into a form that is usable by other organisms.  This process is called nitrogen fixation.  Hydrogen and nitrogen are combined to create ammonia, which is released by the bacteria into the environment and is then converted yet again into ammonium ions, which are consumed by plants.  The left over ammonia goes through nitrification, which creates a different form of nitrogen that is able to be consumed by plants.  As the plants are eaten, the nitrogen is brought up the food chain.  Nitrogen is released through two bacterial processes, called ammonification and denitrification, as well as through animal and plant waste, and animal and plant decomposition.  Humans alter the nitrogen cycle through the burning of fossil fuels, the destruction of forests, waste runoff, unnatural nitrogen removal and the destruction of forests.

Sulfur Cycle

Sulfur, though less important than nitrogen and carbon, stills plays a large role in earth’s ecosystems.  Most sulfur is stored beneath earths surface in soil and fossil fuels.  It is absorbed by living things as plants extract it from the soil.  Sulfur then makes its way up the food chain, and is deposited back into the ground as the living things that consumed it are decomposed by bacteria.  Large quantities of sulfur enter the atmosphere through volcanic eruptions.  These eruptions release hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide.  Small amounts of sulfur can be released through dust storms, forest fires, sea spray and other natural occurrences.  Marine algae produce dimethyl sulfide, which is a form of sulfur that acts as a building blocks for water condensation and the formation of clouds.  Excess sulfur in the atmosphere leads to acid rain.  Acid rain and volcanic eruptions return sulfur back into earth’s surface, where it becomes a part of soil, completing the process.

Phosphorus Cycle

The phosphorus cycle is unique because it does not involve the atmosphere at all.  Most phosphorus is stored in phosphate salts, which occur in rock formations and ocean sediments.  Phosphorus is released from these rocks and sediments when water flows over them.  These phosphate ions are then excreted by plants, and thus it makes its way up the food chain.  Phosphorus is essential to the formation of nucleic acids and other types of molecules, as well as bones and teeth.  Phosphorus can be stored in the ocean for long periods of time.  Phosphorus is essential to plant life, and an absence of it can halt any from happening. 

Nature Walk in Kentfield

Nature Walk: Creekside Wetlands

4/29

My place of choice to walk to and observe the nature in Kentfield was the wetland area of Creekside Park, which is right across from Marin General Hospital.  I chose this area because it is diverse both in geography and life.  It was a very sunny day and there was a good amount of wind.  I could hear the kids playing at the park, and I could even hear tennis balls being hit at the local Ross Valley tennis club.  Of course, there was a constant buzz of cars flying by the path.  Bikers and runners came by occasionally.  I noticed a lot of bird life by the creek.  There were a lot of birds on the side of the Corte Madera Creek that were picking at food on the shore of the water.  Unfortunately, aside from the birds I noticed little animal life.  The only weather I noticed was the beating hot sun and the wild winds, which came in sporadic gusts.  It was a very lively scene, though, with kids playing on the field and park. 

5/4

This time, there weren’t kids playing in the park.  There was still the bustle of cars, but even that seemed fainter.  This time I had chose to go at around seven thirty in the evening.  The skies were clear and blue just like last time, and as I sat there for a while the sun began to set.  This time the insects in the area were making most of the noise instead of the cars, which was soothing.  I noticed that there were a few people biking home from work, which was also something to be positive about.  I looked along the horizon as the sun set and there wasn’t much discoloration from smog.  This was a great thing to see, because in some places (like Los Angeles) there is so much smog that the sky turns colors.  It was a very healthy looking place.  Here are some pics from my place of observation!

Marin Ecology

Ecological Services

In Kentfield there are a few different land formations that offer an environmental benefits.  The Corte Madera Creek offers a runoff for rainwater coming from the surrounding hills and mountains of Marin.  It is a place for fish and other organisms to thrive (when not polluted), and offers Kentfield a whole new ecosystem.  It is a place home to many different types of birds, which feed of the creek’s insects and small fish.  The creek also provides a runoff for pollution.  When chemicals are used in things like fertilizers and laundry detergent, they find their way to the Corte Madera Creek and then travel down to the San Francisco Bay.  While the pollution ends up in the creek and bay, it is removed from homes and other private properties. 

There are also many dense forest lands in Kentfield and Marin.  They play a key role in the carbon cycle by removing CO₂ from the air.  This offsets some human pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide we emit from our cars, but is not near enough, especially as we continue to cut down trees for urban development.  The forests also act as a preserver of soil and prevents erosion.  The intricate roots from the trees hold the ground together and keep it healthy.  The forest ecosystem also provides a home to many critters that can’t survive in Marin’s urban areas, like owls, wildcats, monkeys, flying squirrels and the dangerous poisonous Brown-throated Three-toed sloth. 

There is one major wetland area in Kentfield, located by the Marin General Hospital along the Corte Madera Creek.  This wetland is a safeguard against floods, as it can absorb large quantities of water in the case of a large rainfall.  Wetlands are also a breeding ground for many plants and animals.  They provide a safe place that is less affected by human life.  The wetland is also a filter for water in the Corte Madera Creek.

Marin Biodiversity: Native vs. Non-native

Native vs. Non Native

In Marin, there are many non-native plants that have made their way into the environment.  In the 1900’s there was large movement into the San Francisco area due to the Gold Rush in the 1940’s and 50’s, and overall a big surge of population in this once empty land.  These events brought many foreign plants to the land as outsiders brought in non-native organisms both purposefully and on accident. A few obvious non-natives include the Palm Tree and the Eucalyptus Tree.  There are many smaller plants, such as the Ice Plant that we spent so much time rooting out, that interfere with the ecosystem.  When a non-native plant makes its way in, it takes food and space from other plants, and greatly offsets the environmental balance. 

http://www.marinij.com/ci_8331223

This article highlights the fact that the San Francisco Bay Area is home to an immense population of non-native organisms.  There are crabs from Asia, clams from Russia and shellfish from the Black Sea. 

Some trees that are native to Marin are the Redwood, Oak, and Willow.  There are many wildflowers that are native, such as the California Poppy and the Douglass Iris.  These are affected by invasive like the Eucalyptus and the Ice plant, which is why removing non-natives is important.  Native plants provide habitat for native animals.  The more native plants in an ecosystem the better.  Native plants compliment each other, like squirrels spreading the nuts from a native tree, and non-natives don’t fit into the ecosystem, and can be invasive to natives.  Some native animals include the California Condor, the Salmon and the Tule Elk.

Local Food Web

Food Web

In Marin there aren’t many natural food webs still present that include mammals and other animals.  Humans have pushed out most animals except for small rodents, deer and snakes.  One food web that still exists includes small plants and vegetation, insects, mice, squirrels, snakes and birds.  At the producer level, the plants capture energy from the sun.  Insects like spiders then eat these plants, which are then eaten by small mammals like squirrels, mice and rabbits.  These small mammals are then consumed by on by snakes, large birds and even bobcats.  Bacteria and fungi then decompose dead organic matter and dead animals, returning their nutrients (such as nitrogen and carbon) into the environment.

Vegetation in Marin

Vegetation

Marin County is home to a few different types of ecosystems.  The most common one, which is also present in Kentfied, is the woodland ecosystem.  There are still many trees in Kentfield and used to be even more.  Before modern development Kentfield was covered in trees, with a few swamplands and grasslands in valleys. 

To test the soil in Marin I took a hike up the hill I live on to find soil untouched by humans.  The area was dense in trees and shrubs.  I began to dig, but found it very difficult to go any further after only about half a foot.  There were so many tree roots that the soil was hard to surpass.  I picked up and felt the soil I had dug up, and it was very dry and thin.  It feel through my fingers easily.  There were many types of materials in it, including roots, small rocks, clay and dirt.  It did not look very healthy because of how dry it was, but because of the abundant plant life around the area I drew the conclusion that it was.

Marin County Climate

Marin County Climate

Marin County has a temperate climate.  In the summer, highs are around 85 degrees and in the winter they are around 56.  It is never cold enough to snow, and rarely hails.  In the winter the temperatures are in the mid 50’s and it rains almost ten inches per month.  In spring and autum there is only about two or three inches of rain per month, and temperatures are in the low to mid 70’s. 

The average rainfall for the last thirty years in Kentfield, Marin County has been 47.47 inches per year.  In San Francisco, though, there has only been an average annual rainfall of 23.36 inches in the last ten years.  Likewise, oaklands average from 1971-2000 was 22.94 inches per year, and San Jose’s was only 15.08.  Kentfield and Marin County as a whole receives a lot of rain compared to its neighboring cities, which contribute to its many healthy reservoirs.

Marin County Population

Map of California