Mauna Kea and Hawaiian Blueberry

One of the places I absolutely *had* to visit when I was on the Big Island was Mauna Kea, Hawaii's tallest mountain, reaching a height of 13,900' above sea level. Technically, it's the world's biggest mountain, measuring 30,000' from the base, which is at the bottom of the sea, to the tip.


It's also the site of the world's largest astronomical observatory, with 13 telescopes representing 11 different countries. The air in this microclimate is the some of the driest on earth, second only to Antarctica. This, in addition to the absence of cloud cover and light pollution, makes for excellent astronomical viewing conditions.



Warned that going to the summit individually is quite difficult (you definitely need four-wheel drive) and reluctant to bring a bunch of winter gear with me from the mainland (it's a chilly 32° at the summit) I signed up for a tour with Mauna Kea Summit Adventures. The tour picked me up at 4pm, and along with about 12 other people, we had a picnic dinner at the visitors center (elevation 9000') before going to the summit for sunset.


After the sunset, we descended back to 9000' for some stargazing. I saw Saturn and its rings, the Omega Centauri, constellations Sagittarius, Virgo and Leo, as well as the beautiful binary star, Albireo. We also learned a fair amount about night viewing and general astronomy. It was an excellent tour and quite educational. By the time I got back to the hotel, nearing midnight, I was more than a little awestruck by how truly insignificant we are and by the incomprehensible age of the galaxies. (Light years, as a concept, always trips me up. The Omega Centauri is around 15,000 light years away. I see it, but because of its distance, it may not really be there anymore. Only in 15,000 years could someone know if it existed in 2010. Discussing this brain-bending concept with the tour guide, he quipped, 'I think that's why insanity is more common among quantum physicists and astronomers.' ...I can't verify that, but can imagine that the sense of profound insignificance, combined with the fact that - in such a profession - you ask questions that can never be truly answered, may be a bit maddening at times.)


I suppose that's why I prefer plants. There aren't a lot in this biome, but there were enough. I saw the plant below when we stopped for a photo-op at around 11,000'. Does it look familiar to any east coasters?


Those bell-shaped flowers are a clue, perhaps. Also maybe the reddish hue to the foliage...But who am I kidding, you read the post title so you know it's a blueberry, or Vaccinium reticulatum. In Hawaii the plant is commonly called the 'ohelo. There are two species of Vaccinium in Hawaii, and both have some subspecies, too, varying slightly among the different Hawaiian islands. V. reticulatum is found in open woodlands and high elevations, while V. calycinum is found in wet, wooded areas.


The plant's berries, like our more local V. corymbosum, V. caesariense, or V. angustifolium, make wonderful jams or jellies or can be eaten fresh. They can be picked by visitors and locals but the maximum takeaway is 1 quart when picking in parkland. That's because the plant provides habitat and food to two endemic moths as well as the endangered nene, or Hawaiian goose.

Veggie Garden, Rockaway Beach

I went to Rockaway Beach last week for the first time ever -- I was participating in a beach clean-up sponsored by the Surfrider Foundation. On my way from the subway to the beach, I fell in love with this garden.


It's completely ramshackle, but replete with ornamental perennials and vegetables.




The net fences indicated that, though the garden looked like it may have been abandoned, its owner is still actively involved. It has all the great bones of a potager; it just needs a bit of finishing school.



It's also a safe bet that the gardener in question knows a thing or two about natural pest control. Marigolds (or Tagetes species, most likely T. erecta, though Tagetes minuta also works) like the one below, have been planted throughout the garden. Marigolds are believed to have chemicals that deter pests such as aphids and have been a popular companion plant to tomatoes and other vegetables for years.

Bagworms

I pass a billboard at the corner of Houston & Lafayette each morning that displays the time and temp in the lower right hand corner. Each day, I check for the time and each day, I find myself visibly scowling as I see the temperature has yet to surpass 20° or 25°. February really is the cruelest month.

Anyway, while facing the cold over the weekend and performing all the regular Saturday errands that render most of us New Yorkers into pack mules (hauling bags back from Trader Joes, or Bed Bath & Beyond or wherever it is we need to buy something bulky and find ourselves wondering what would it be like to actually have a car), I noticed this bagworm hanging from a Hackberry (Celtis).



Bagworm is a common name for Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis, a moth that overwinters in these descending 'bags' built by tiny silken hairs that wrap around twigs and leaves from the host tree. Bagworms are ubiquitous defoliators of junipers and other evergreens, but also afflict hackberries, honey locusts and other deciduous trees. If you encounter them in your garden you should pluck them off and dispose of them. As you can tell from the angle of the shots and the grainy quality of the photos, this particular chrysalis was far beyond my reach.


Despite their destructive habit, they are pretty amazing insects. If you see one up close, you would probably discount it as a tangle of leaves or a remnant of a bird's nest.

Here are some drawings from my alma mater that illustrate the bag itself and the larva constructing a new bag.