Naturalist, Poet, and Writer
ERYTHEA: A
Journal of West American Botany
Edited
by Willis
Linn Jepson, Instructor
in Botany, University
of California
February
1897, Volume
5, Number 2, page 30
At the head of one canon there were several groves of Quercus tomentella situated where the trees could not fail to get the heavy winter winds. On Santa Catalina the groves of this oak are in deep and sheltered canons. These trees on San Clemente show the effects of their exposed situation, being twisted and round-topped, of medium size and somewhat crabbed. on Santa Catalina they are comparatively tall, over fifty feet in height, straight of limb, and majestic.
Blanche
Trask, a wonderful naturalist and writer, whose writing still
links Santa Catalina to San Clemente as two sibling islands, more than 100 years after her first visit to San Clemente Island, in 1897. For example:
1. Both Catalina and San Clemente are in Los
Angeles County.
2. Both islands have many trees in common, namely the Island Oak and the Island Ironwood.
3. The managers of both islands, US Navy & Wrigley Family (SCIC), have identical styles: Militaristic (i.e. both make their staff wear uniforms).
4. Both Catalina and San Clemente would make worthy additions to the Channel Island National Park, similar to the five other Channel Islands.
5. Both island managers, fight vehemently to not be part of the Channel Islands National Park.
6. Both Catalina and San Clemente Island have a nemesis that need to be removed. On Catalina, the Wrigley Family's Santa Catalina Island Company controls the City, Parks Department, Lifeguard, and Conservancy. On San Clemente Island, the Navy controls the island similarly.
7. LA County Sheriff Lee Baca has authority on both islands. Baca listens carefully to US NAVY and Wrigley Family on San Clemente and Catalina.