We found these on February 14 — the first tadpoles of the year.
Sprite was with her two best friends. The day was wonderfully warm, so they shed their shoes on the bank of the lake and waded in.
This was my first time seeing this lake, so I’m not sure what it looked like before. I was surprised to hear people calling it a lake at all. It was so small and shallow. But obviously it has shrunk over the years to its present condition. The construction equipment in the background makes me suspicious as well. I don’t know what this area will be in the future. I fear that more of the natural beauty of this park will be destroyed.
Sprite also caught freshwater jellyfish with a net. They were fascinating, tiny, white jellyfish! This park is a long yan (longan) park or orchard, with hundreds of these gorgeous, evergreen trees.
The scientific name is Dimocarpus longans Lour; the Chinese name long yan (longan in English). Can you see the double bike below this amazing tree? We had so much fun riding those along the paved trails.
I am so thrilled that I’ve found a spot for nature study in our city. It’s a long bus ride and a dusty walk to the park, but it’s worth it!
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