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It us

…actually

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After sorting and hulling the collected of the seeds from my dune-morning, I was able to take them to a friends place and spread them in the sandy-loam/dunelike “soil” of her back yard. Then I got to work inoculating some tree stumps with Reishi mushroom spawn. I’m curious if fungi will be able to colonize dead/dying eucalyptus in that environment; and I’m very curious about supporting the growth of that specific fungi for local bee colonies—it’s one species whos medicinal properties have been observed in use by bees (as well as humans) to aid in colony health.

Thanks NorthSpore for the plug spawn:)

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Collecting and sorting seeds is one of my favorite ways to learn about my surroundings. It allows me to get a literal feel for the ways that different plants have moved through their lifecycles alongside me, and especially the mechanisms they produce for seed dispersal. I’m currently fascinated by the structural capacity of seed pods that tighten and become spring-loaded as they dry. At some point of water loss or disturbance these pods can then explode open, sending their seeds flying in all directions for scattered germination.

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This week I took an overnight to ground down at the dunes—to start a new day immersed in that ecology. Currently, many of the unique plants that thrive in coastal dune landscapes have finished a round of flowering, so it was a great opportunity to collect seeds.

On this visit I also got to meet some new friends for the first time who thrive in summer mornings among blooming dune buckwheat: western sheepmoths. The birds hadn’t caught on to them yet, so they were evvvverywhere.

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© Nicholas DePaoli

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© Nicholas DePaoli

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© Nicholas DePaoli

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Sept’19

Julee+Cousteau

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Sept’19

Kate+Cousteau

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Jul’19

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Mar’16

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Nov’17

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© Nicholas DePaoli

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© Nicholas DePaoli

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Jul’19

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Jul’19

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© Nicholas DePaoli