I’m writing this from Inspiration Point—only a short hike from our beach camp up the nearby cliff. It looks out over the blue ocean to smoggy L.A. (just a faint outline in the distance). Seagulls, crows, and cormorants skim the water, occasionally slipping a treat into their beaks. My hands are cold from sea breeze, but it’s refreshing to be chilly in the heat of mid-afternoon.
The sea—about 100 feet down—is tri-colored: clear, light blue near the tide pools, rich indigo-blue in the deep water, and swirly brown where the kelp forest dances in the current. Tomorrow we’ll be snorkeling down there, and I can’t wait.
Today was the first of many work days. The lot of us split into two groups—one to work on the outdoor classroom, and one to beautify the tree and shrub gardens around camp. Either way, we were basically pulling weeds, but we learned a lot in the process. For instance, I learned that you can split an intertwined Bird of Paradise plant—vibrant with spiky orange flowers and wide palm fronds—into two lovely plants and they’ll be just fine. I learned that what we consider food “waste” (compost) feels fresh and smells fresher, especially when given to feed a potted plant. I learned that you can eat lots of weeds. Sky Rocket grows on the beach and has cute purple flowers—and its leaves and buds taste like wasabi. Cheese wheel grows everywhere here, but it’s wide leafy head tastes like spinach.
We also went on a killer hike this morning and learned that what is now a lush, green, canyon used to be a barren wasteland, thanks to goats, sheep and pigs brought by humans. Now there’s only one wild pig—aptly named “Ninja Pig”—left on the island, and no goats or sheep. There’s still tons of non-native species here though. 95 percent of grasses on the island are European, and fennel runs rampant and chokes out native plant life. In areas that have eroded, however, the CELP team will plant prickly pear cactus to discourage people and animals from the area, and eventually native species will start to sprout. That’s one of the coolest uses for cacti I’ve ever heard of, and it still blows my mind what a good idea it is.
So now I challenge you to open your eyes to the beauty of nature—even if most of it is still frozen. Pay attention to the tree buds when they come in, and maybe even taste one if the urge strikes. Take a walk, and notice the plants that will soon bloom into lively ecosystems of their own. Find color, and cherish it.
DEAL in Catalina 
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