Pumpkin Spice
observation by @chris_winchell
DATES: Wednesday | September 9 - September 30
EVENT DETAILS
The smell of fall is in the air! For many, that’s “pumpkin spice,” but for lots of field folks the pungent scent of tarplants or hedgenettles evokes the end of summer and a transition to autumn, when the leaves of poison-oak turn a brilliant red. For our last observation-based challenge of the year, we’re focusing on plants that represent the season, be they California smells or California-related versions of pumpkin spice species:
Madieae: Tarplant tribe
Stachys: Hedgenettles
Lauraceae: Cinnamon
Asarum: California ginger (true ginger is in Zingiberaceae)
Torreya: California nutmeg (true nutmeg is Myristicaceae)
Myrtales: Allspice (and a lot of other plants, including evening primroses)
Cucurbitaceae: Pumpkin
Poison Oak and Plant Based Milks: Anacardiaceae: Poison-oak (and cashews, if you put cashew milk in your latte) If you want to add additional plant-based milk, add Rosaceae (almond milk) and Fabaceae (soy milk) and Poaceae (oat milk) that works too! The more the merrier.
We encourage everyone to go out and make as many observations as possible! At the end of the month, the person with the most observations that fall within the categories above will win a Fire Followers Shirt! In addition to the first place prize, we will be having a raffle! Anyone that makes a single observation in the categories listed will have a chance to win a fire followers pin and sticker!
Good luck!
