Field Notes for May 2025

 Welcome back to Field Notes!

May 1, 2025 🧁

Today is the first anniversary of my retirement. Here are a few of my favorite things about retirement:

• Enjoying the birds and critters that visit our wildlife garden.
• Following my interests and passions.
• Researching and writing what I want.
• Striking a balance between structure and leading an unbusy life.
• Enjoying time with my family and friends.
• Taking hikes with the Over-the-Hills Gang.
• Going thorough all our stuff, reassessing, and decluttering. Letting go feels great!

Retirement is fantastic, and I don't miss work at all. I must admit to anxiety about the current political administration. Luckily, I have more time to keep up on the news, face it with historical knowledge and experience, assemble, and use my voice to speak up.

May 3, 2025

Today kicks off the Jazz and Classics Festival here in Juneau, Alaska. The festival is a bright spot on the calendar, after the long, dark winter. Musical venues and workshops are planned for May 3-17, all over Juneau. Some are free, others require tickets, and all focus on beautiful music. We already have tickets to see "Everlasting Classics" with Zuill Bailey & Bryan Wallick and "Strings at the Shrine" with the JACK Quartet. Several free "Brown Bag" and "Rush Hour" concerts are also available!

2025 Jazz & Classics Music Festival

May 6, 2025

Lots of rain and a few sunny periods have initiated the Western Toad (Bufo boreas) mating season at Fish Creek on Douglas Island. My brother Dave has been visiting the pond almost daily for the past few weeks and documenting the progress. Mom and I joined him on one of his excursions. In a shallow end of the pond we found quite a number mating toads, mating hopefuls, and long strings of eggs floating in the water.

Mating toads and streams of eggs

May 9, 2025

Every once in a while here in Juneau, Alaska, the clouds lift and a moment of sunshine appears. The rain is always welcome and supports the beautiful green forests and surroundings, but a glimpse of the sun brings a little joy!

A moment of sunshine between downpours

This is the usual view!

May 11, 2025

Happy Mother's Day! Mom, Dave, and I joined the Mother Day's celebration at the Jensen-Olson Arboretum, to view the garden and to listen to local musician, Tom Losher, on piano. The garden is just waking up, with primroses featured in full display. We visited the Jensen-Olson garden in spring two years ago (see the Jensen-Olson Arboretum post), and then in fall last year (see Field Notes for September, the September 11, 2024 entry).

What's in Bloom at the Jensen-Olson Arboretum

Primula (P. cachemiriana)

View of Pearl Harbor

While at the arboretum, Mom, Dave and I hiked through the forest out to Point Caroline. The deep forest, with mossy underbrush reminded me of our youth. Growing up, the forest behind our home was the playground for the kids of our neighborhood. We ran and played free all summer, with getting home for dinner on time being the only requirement.

Hike through the forest to Point Caroline

Point Caroline

Intrepid hikers

We took a drive, stopping at Eagle Beach, Eagle River, and Mendenhall Glacier. When leaving Eagle River, we spotted a bear and watched him from the side of the road as it enjoyed a meal of dandelions and other vegetation. What a thrill! We enjoyed dinner at the Canton Asian Bistro Restaurant, and then drove through town to see the cruise ships and up Blueberry Hill for a birds-eye view. We enjoyed being together and celebrating our mom on Mother's Day!

View of the Chilkats from Eagle River

Black bear munches its way through a salad of dandelions

Share the road (photo by Dave Harris)

View of Juneau, Alaska from Blueberry Hill

May 13, 2025

My husband and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary today - long distance. We've been travelling along the bumpy road of life together for quite a few years now. I'm grateful for his humor, creativity, kindness, and many other endearing qualities, which help smooth the way. When I return to Oakland, we'll celebrate together at one of our favorite restaurants!

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband!

May 15, 2025

Mom, Dave, and I attended the "Strings at the Shrine" concert at the Shrine of St. Therese. The shrine is located 22 miles north of Juneau, Alaska on a small island in a group of majestic spruce trees, with views across Favorite Channel. The grounds include trails, a labyrinth, gardens, and an outdoor columbarium.

The JACK Quartet played two pieces—"String Quartet in Four Parts" (John Cage, 1912-1992); and the world premiere of "Never and Always Becoming", String Quartet no. 9 (John Luther Adams, 1953-). Both pieces are quite modern, and I was glad for the overview before the program started. The explanation helped me to hear the musical representation of nature, such as the moods of the four seasons and the turbulent dust storms of the Peruvian desert. Audience reactions to the concert ranged from "that was interesting" to "I'll need to wrap my head around what I heard" to "that was terrible".

The Shrine surrounded by trees

Views of the trees from inside the Shrine

After the thought-provoking concert, we drove further out the road to Eagle River, hoping to catch a glimpse of the dandelion-loving bear. We saw several young deer foraging in the woods instead (they were wary of us, and moved into the trees to graze). We worked our way back via Leena Loop, Engineer's Cutoff, Dredge Lake, and viewed Mendenhall Glacier from the car. A wonderful evening!

May 17, 2025

Dave and I joined the Capital Killers True Crime walking tour, led by former Juneau criminal reporters Ed Schoenfeld and Betsy Longenbaugh. We met the group at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum for an overview, and then set out in the rain to visit key sites around town. During the tour, Longenbaugh and Schoenfeld brought to life historic cases in Juneau, Alaska from the first half of the twentieth century. Juneau’s most famous murderer is Robert Stroud, a.k.a. the Birdman of Alcatraz, but there are so many more!

Juneau-Douglas City Museum (Creative Commons, noehill)

We returned to the museum for a debriefing with delicious cookies, and then Dave and I spent some time in the museum to see the Tlingit art, gold rush, and natural history exhibits, and then walked downtown to pick up some fresh oysters at Alaska Probiotics. We spent a great afternoon delving into local true crime stories. Mom, Dave, and I attended the Longenbaugh and Schoenfeld's presentation "Death with Dessert: A Tenakee Shooting", which took place in Tenakee Springs in 1906, Alaska (see Field Notes for April, the April 23, 2025 entry).

May 19, 2025

My brother Dave (a retired marine biologist) has been monitoring the Western Toad (Bufo boreas) mating event at Fish Creek on Douglas Island for the last month or so. This photo captures the latest status. According to Dave, the white spots are eggs that died, with a fuzzy fungus around them. Some eggs are still relatively undeveloped. Others seem to be in the process of developing tail fins, which are characteristic of the tadpole phase. Click on the picture to expand and see the details.

Toad egg development after 12-13 days (photo by Dave Harris)

May 21, 2025

We recently had a whole day of beautiful weather (with days of rain forecast to follow)! I leaped at the opportunity to take a solo drive all the way out to the end of the road (about mile marker 54). I made a few stops along the way out and back, with quite a few "turnouts" to enjoy the view.

Chilkats from Amalga Harbor

Mountain view from way out the road

The islands of Sunny Cove

My wildlife list includes a young bear foraging along the road; an otter dashing across the rocks to the water (heckled by ravens); lots of eagles, Canadian geese, seagulls; and whales sounding way out in the channel.

Herbert Mountains from Eagle Beach

Chilkats from Eagle Beach

The labyrinth at the Shrine of St. Therese

A glorious day of flora, fauna, and spectacular mountain views!

Hiking through the forest

Dandelions among the rocks

Audubon Cruise in Southeast Alaska

My brother Dave and I joined an Audubon Cruise on Berner's Bay, a fund raiser for the local Audubon Society and a chance for locals to tour Berner's Bay before tourist season kicks into high gear. It was pouring rain when we arrived at Statter Harbor, but most Alaskans are undaunted by a little rain. A pretty good crowd of us boarded the catamaran, St. Peter, and found a place to sit. We headed out of the harbor, sipping mocha coffee and eating donut holes, ready for a morning of bird watching. The spring migration is just starting, so we could expect to see almost anything!

Audubon Cruise on Berner's Bay

Dave standing by the St. Peter (a seaworthy catamaran)

We weren't disappointed! Our species list for the four-hour trip includes Surf Scoters, White-winged Scoters, Pacific Loons, Red-necked Grebes, Arctic Terns, Canadian Geese, and Mallards, as well as Bald Eagles, Ravens, and Seagulls! The further north we traveled, the better the weather got. The cloud ceiling raised, and glimpses of sun and blue sky appeared.

White-winged scoters (Melanitta deglandi)
Click on any photo to see an enlarged version

These islands are food-rich for birds, seals, and sea lions

Cruising around Point Bridget on the way north on Berner's Bay

Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) relax on the rocks of a haul-out point

We didn't just see birds. We also saw seals, sea lions, and lots of whales! It was a thrill to see the sea lions at the haul out. The males arrive first and sort themselves out, and then the females arrive and breeding begins. We saw some pretty big males sunbathing on the rocks.

The catamaran is very nimble, so Captain Dan could bring it in close enough for us to see the wildlife, and then cut the engine so as to not disturb them. At the end of Berner's Bay, the captain pulled a U-turn for the return visit. Berner's Bay is fed by both freshwater and glacial rivers, so St. Peter left an interesting wake of silty brown water and nutrient-rich green water.

Turn-around point on Berner's Bay

Whale spray to the stern, viewed from the top observation deck

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) takes a breath

Humpback whale photo-op

On the return trip we saw many whales in the Bay. They seemed to be hanging out in small groups, and just lounging in the water. Periodically one or two of them would raise up for a quick breath. Captain Dan cut the engine, and we just drifted. From the top observation deck, we had a 360° view of whale groups. Lots of pictures and lots of smiles all around.

Big sky over Berner's Bay

St. Peter's wake on the way home through the mist

Scanning for birds and sea creatures

Approaching Statter Harbor at Auke Bay

On the way back, our Forest Service docent recounted tales of shipwrecks that have occurred in the area over the years, such as the SS Princess Sophia, SS Princess Kathleen, and SS Princess May. As we travelled south, we encountered a heavy mist. The cloud ceiling lowered as we entered Statter Harbor, and the rain resumed as we disembarked. What a wonderful cruise!

Ethnobotany: Muwekma Ohlone Basketry

Our theme this year is "Ethnobotany and Dyeing with Plants", with the goal to learn how several indigenous people groups use plants and natural materials to dye fabric or objects. To contain the scope, my research is at the survey level rather than a deep investigation. Our first group was the Tlingit people from Southeast Alaska (see Ethnobotany: Tlingit's and Dyeing with Plants). This time, I'm learning about a people group in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Muwekma Ohlone group (Chochenyo speaking). Their ancestorial territory extended from the Berkeley Hills to Bay Shore, from West Oakland to El Cerrito—covering all of Alameda, Berkeley, Emeryville, El Cerrito, and most of Oakland.

The Ohlone and nearby Coast Miwok people were organized into small, independent societal groups or tribes in the San Francisco Bay Area. They lived off the land, followed sustainable practices to ensure ecological renewal, practiced controlled burns to manage the land, traded, and intermarried. The land provided their needs for community, food and water, shelter, transportation, tools, and art. I chose the Muwekma Ohlone group because we live in the East Bay, which is within their ancestorial territory. The East Bay is a beautiful place. Sometimes I can imagine what the area would have been like before first contact, and it is magnificent!

Ohlone Basketry

The Ohlone are renowned for the art and skill of their basketry. Baskets were an essential tool for daily life. Baskets and woven mats were made in many shapes and sizes, and were frequently decorated or embellished. 

Ohlone baskets and implements - Santa Clara University's Mission Church
Creative Commons (Photo by Ed Bierman)

Baskets had many functions, such as gathering and storing food, transporting firewood or other heavy loads, catching fish, holding water, cooking, winnowing or sifting grains, gaming, and carrying infants. Although functional, the baskets were also works of art. I found that there are few examples of Muwekma baskets available for viewing, since many have been collected by missions, museums and private collectors around the world. I was able to find some examples on the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe official website and several others.

Winnowing tray made by the Costanoan (Ohlone).
Photo by John Alden Mason, 1912.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1930.

Coil tray made by the Costanoan (Ohlone) people at Mission San Antonio.
Photo by John Alden Mason, 1912.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1930.

Note that "Costanoan" is a Spanish word for "coastal". It was used by early explorers to refer to indigenous people living near the water, to distinguish them from those living inland. The term is descriptive and not a tribal name.

Basket Making

Basket material was gathered from nature, and included roots, rhizomes, grasses, reeds, shoots, sprouts, and even leaves. The materials had to be gathered at the right time of year and then processed and kept moist to ensure flexibility. The Muwekma understood plant growth cycles and knew when to harvest and how to harvest sustainably to ensure an ongoing supply. Following are some of the plants that supply basket-making material:

• Common Tule (Scirpus acutus) is woven into loose baskets to collect berries and eggs, and tight baskets to carry water.
• Cattail (Typha latifolia) is used to create mats, rope, and baskets.
• Willow (Salix spp.) shoots are peeled and used for coiled work, and the warp (the long vertical threads that provide strength) of some twined baskets.
• Sedge (Carex mendocinoensis and Carex barberi) rhizomes are used to weave baskets.
• Big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) shoots are split for the white element in some baskets.
• Bulrush (Scirpus spp.) is dyed with walnut or mud and used in baskets.
• Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) rhizomes supply two membranes used in basketry.
• Chamise (Adostoma fasciularis) is a chaparral plant used in Ohlone basketry.
• Common horesetail (Equisetum arvense) and Common Scouring rush (Equisetum hyemale) rhizomes are used as a black element in Ohlone basket design.
• Hazel (Corylus cornutta) is a preferred warp material and basket rim material in Ohlone basketry.
• Poison oak (Toxicodendron diversiloba) shoots can be used in basketry.
• Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) sprouts from burls can be used in basketry.
• Rush (Juncas, Juncus affaris) leaves can be woven into the basket design.

Tule grass growing by the reservoir at the Contra Loma Regional Park (Photo by Mari)
Grasses, reeds, and willow grow in riparian and coastal areas. They are harvested in season and supply basket-making material.

Baskets came in many shapes, sizes and designs. Coil baskets are a common and durable weaving style. A coil of willow shoots is wound tightly with sedge root and then the coil stitched firmly together with a stiff root or reed. The weave can be loose or tight, depending on the basket's use. 

Coiled willow shoot basket, Northern California, 19th century, Costanoan.
British Museum, London.

Many baskets include a pattern that is woven throughout the three-dimensional shape, which requires the weaver to use sophisticated mathematical and spatial skills to transfer a geometric design from mind to form. The pattern might be developed by weaving in dyed grasses, or by using a different type of root or grass. Different colors and textures were introduced by using a variety of plant materials in the weaving. Patterns were also developed using embellishments such as shells or feathers.

Linda Yamane's demonstration video "Ohlone Basket Weaver - Linda Yamane" provides a quick look at the process of gathering and preparing materials, weaving, and embellishing Muwekma Ohlone baskets. Likewise, did Corrine Pearce's video "Pomo Basket Weaver - Corine Pearce on Pomo Baskets". Pomo territory is also in Northern California but further north near Clear Lake. Many tribes use similar techniques but with cultural variations and adaptations for the materials at hand.

Dye Sources

Original dye sources included plants and materials such as mud and iron. For my own quick reference, the following table provides a summary of some of these dye sources with notes for any additional information. I was surprised to find that the Muwekma often used alternate material to incorporate color, rather than dyeing plant material. For example, weaving in the black stems of the Five-finger fern to add a design in black.

The Ohlone bury basket material, such as tule grasses, in mud to dye it black. Another technique is to harvest roots or shoots that grow in marshland that is heavy in iron, which naturally dyes or colors the plant material black.

Muwekma Ohlone Dye Sources - East Bay California

Color	Dye Source	Notes
Red Dyes	White Alder	The inner bark was pounded and the juices produced a red dye for basketry.
	Toyon	The berries produced a red dye for basketry.
Purple Dyes	California Blackberry	The berries produced a purple dye for basketry.
Brown Dyes	California Black Walnut	The hulls of the nuts produced a dark brown dye for basketry.
Black Dyes	Five-finger Fern	The black stems were split to remove yellow interiors, and then used for black overlays in basketry.
	Mud enriched with minerals	Basket material was buried in mud and dyed black.

Decorative Sources

Unadorned baskets stand on their own for beauty, form and function, relying simply on the materials and the craftsmanship. However, weavers also choose to express themselves or the group's identity with woven patterns and designs. This Ohlone cooking basket is a good example. The striking black pattern is varied and appears on both sides of the basket.

An Ohlone cooking basket, with a woven pattern.
This image is sourced from Muwekma.org, the "Customs and Traditions" page. 

Weavers also decorate their basketry with objects such as shells, feathers, and leaves. This Ohlone basket is from Santa Clara near San Jose and is part of the Smithsonian collection. According to it's description, the basket is embellished with olivella shell disc beads, remnants of red woodpecker feathers and quail topknot feathers on a background of sedge root weft (the horizontal threads).

An Ohlone coiled basket, with shell and feather remnants.
This image is sourced from Muwekma.org, the "Customs and Traditions" page. 

This contemporary basket was made by Ohlone weaver Linda Yamane. She is on a  journey to locate historic Ohlone baskets and to restore Ohlone basket weaving. The basket is decorated with olivella shell disc beads and red feathers. Traditionally red woodpecker feathers would have been used, but feathers from wild birds are typically protected and cannot be harvested. Yamane has improvised by using chicken feathers dyed red and clipped to shape.

A contemporary feathered basket by weaver, Linda Yamane.
Red dyed chicken feathers are substituted for woodpecker feathers.
Screenshot from "The Art of Basket Weaving" video (interview with Yamane)

Summary

That concludes another brief ethnobotany tour of sources used to create, dye, and decorate the beautiful Muwekma and Ohlone basketry from the San Francisco Bay Area. There is more to learn. I hope to seek out baskets in local museums and collections to see them first hand. While on our Over-the-Hills-Gang hikes in the East Bay Regional Parks, I'll be more attuned to noticing plant sources for basket making in the environment.

I'm curious whether the Regional Parks system has a sanctioned and sustainable process for indigenous people (and perhaps non-indigenous artists) to gather plant material for dyeing or basket weaving. Indigenous peoples used sustainable methods to harvest plant material, which ensured it would not be over-harvested. Perhaps a protocol could be developed for controlled access to plant materials for personal artistic use.

Learn More

• California Basketweavers' Association website (https://ciba.org/). Learn about events, conventions, and gatherings in California.

• Early Uses of California Plants (https://www.amazon.com/California-Plants-Natural-History-Guides/dp/0520000722). Edward K. Balls, University of California Press, 1962. Information from many sources has been compiled for the most important plants used by early inhabitants of both Northern and Southern California, as well as methods of preparing the plants for use. See the  "Fiber and Basketry Plants" and "Dye, Gum, and Tobacco Plants" sections.

• Muwekma Ohlone Tribe - official website (https://www.muwekma.org/). Learn about the culture, ethnobotany, contributions, and historical territory of the Muwekma people in the San Francisco Bay Area. Chochenyo is the language spoken in the East Bay. The "About > Tribal Culture > Customs and Traditions" page shows beautiful examples of baskets, ceremonial regalia, and adornment.

• "Native Peoples of the East Bay: Past to Present"  (www.ebparks.org/sites/default/files/Native_Peoples_Map_Brochure_2020.pdf). East Bay Regional Park  District. Native Peoples of the Region Now Known as the East Bay, 2019. The PDF contains useful maps showing the people groups and languages spoken around the East Bay area. 

•  "Ohlone Basket Weaver - Linda Yamane" (https://youtu.be/fPBuGZ6sbKw). Wood Culture Tour, 2015. Yamane describes her journey to locate historic Ohlone baskets and to restore Ohlone basket weaving. She demonstrates how willow and sedge root is gathered and prepared, coiled and stitched into a basket, and embellished with shells and feathers. Baskets were essential for daily life and were both beautiful and functional.

• Ohlones and Coast Miwoks: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods National Monument. National Park Service website (https://www.nps.gov/articles/ohlones-and-coast-miwoks.htm#:~:text=Park%20areas%20south%20of%20the,lands%20of%20the%20Coast%20Miwoks). Overview of the Ohlone and Coast Miwok peoples living in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

• Plant Life of the Puichon Ohlone: The Native Plants of Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve and Their Traditional Uses by the Muwekma Ohlone (https://muwekma.org/pdf/muwekma-plant-project.pdf). Compiled by Leon J. No’eau Peralto. Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve Docent Program, June 2008.

• "Pomo Basket Weaver - Corine Pearce on Pomo Baskets" (https://youtu.be/PiG5HbzDHuE, California episode). Craft in America, 2018. Compare basket weaving practices that cross tribal lines, and those that are unique to the Pomo. Historical Pomo territory is located in Northern California from the Pacific Coast extending inland to Clear Lake. 

• The Art of Basket Weaving (https://youtu.be/DAm1OaW84pM). PBS SoCal, Artbound. Season 9, Episode 8. Native peoples across the country are revitalizing basketry traditions, which marry art and function. California natives are leading the way, thanks to the work of the California Indian Basketweavers' Association (CIBA), founded in 1992.

• The Ohlone Peoples: Botanical, Animal, and Mineral Resources, by Susan Labiste. Primitive Ways website (https://www.primitiveways.com/Ohlone%20Peoples3.html, and https://www.primitiveways.com/Ohlone%20Peoples4.html). Describes the many resources that the Ohlone peoples of California used. Of special interest is the section on Basketry Materials and Dye Plants (the website uses old-school navigation).

• Time Has Many Voices: The Excavation of a Muwekma Ohlone Village Site (https://www.pbs.org/video/time-has-many-voices-the-excavation-of-a-muwekma-ohlone-vil-3kwrxl/). PBS Documentary, 2022. The Muwekma partner with archeologists in an intensive excavation in California. Note that the documentary will only be available to stream until November 5, 2026.