On a recent early morning that required I be here before dawn, I had a chance encounter with a raccoon. I heard a rustling in our trash bin so I drew closer and watched it forage until it was watching me. Hhmm, two very different mammals in the same place at the same time just looking at each other. I stepped back, letting Procyon lotor go about its business.
Smiling, I walked up to the Barn when what I saw next confirmed my smile. Our resident 10-point buck was statue-still, looking back at me. The majestic destroyer of roses went back to browsing, not really bothered by my presence. As I looked around there was a doe nearby. I believe this buck to be a twin of the other one on the eastern side of our campus; however, this is unconfirmed.
I continued a slow walk with a wide berth. I wondered what I’d see next on my way around our little corner of Marin County. Our daily walks are something we (the gardeners) do to take account of our grounds, pick up litter and look for any safety concerns that need to be addressed.
The walks are also good for reflection. It brought to mind how much wildlife we have at Marin Art and Garden. I have seen the footprints of a mountain lion in the mud, watched a bobcat saunter by, swooped down upon by a redtail hawk and have been mocked by a gopher.
All around us lives wildlife. We do our best to ensure all fauna that live amongst our flora do so in an organic and sustainable manner. We want our wildlife to live out their natural lives uninterrupted as much as they can in this suburban environment that we share here in Ross. I hope we always have undeveloped and minimally maintained areas for wildlife to call home.
All around us lives wildlife. We do our best to ensure all fauna that live amongst our flora do so in an organic and sustainable manner. We want our wildlife to live out their natural lives uninterrupted as much as they can in this suburban environment that we share here in Ross. I hope we always have undeveloped and minimally maintained areas for wildlife to call home.
One tree, many leaves.
