Cultivating awareness, understanding, and stewardship of the Wenatchee River region
Becoming a Project Feederwatch volunteer can be one way to battle feeling gloomy all winter long, November to April. Consider becoming a community scientist making bird observations as you look out your window. You will join over 20,000 Canadian and U.S. participants during this is kick-off week for Project Feederwatch: Continue Reading →
This week, my yard turned golden with maple and aspen leaf fall. It was perfect timing when my email in-box announced the The Xerces Society’s blog post “Leaves Are Not Continue Reading →
In 2020-topsy-turvy style, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised to find ice encrusted still-green leaves, on what I’d thought would be a fall leaf-peeping walk. We were hiking near Easton, just east of Snoqualmie Pass, on a snow-covered trail when sunlight suddenly lit up every ice coated surface. Continue Reading →
Have you made time to go “larching?” The word is a bit silly, but gaining popularity in Washington as more and more of us anticipate the turn-of-season by our two species of deciduous conifers. Continue Reading →
The onset of needed rain in Washington’s Cascades also brings gray skies and a monochromatic feel to our day. Last week, my family hiked to Easy Pass in the North Continue Reading →
The “Natives ‘N More Garden” contains a mixture of native and non-native plants that may be grown in our north central Washington climate. The plants are labeled with their common and scientific names, with additional designations of which are native and Firewise. Continue Reading →
Before 1850, our shrub-steppe plant communities were adapted to frequent disturbance, such as wildfire. The resilient native long-lived shrubs, bunchgrasses, and wildflowers were adapted to either re-sprouting or re-growing from seed, in a decades-long predictable pattern of succession. However, with the introduction of non-native annual grasses, primarily cheatgrass, this pattern was dramatically disrupted. Continue Reading →
I hope you’ll find something of interest in the Fall 2020 e-News that will provide joyful substance for your heart, mind and body. Life-long learning is like a map, guiding the hiker along rocky new paths to an unforeseen destination. Continue Reading →
What is it like to spend childhood nestled in a landscape filled with sagebrush? Today, I’m sharing stories of two women who put pen-to-paper to say how growing up in Wenatchee’s shrub-steppe made a lasting impression as they were coming-of-age. Continue Reading →
Fireworks are a main cause of human-started wildfires in sagebrush county. Invasive grasses are putting sagebrush country at risk of severe wildfires. This vibrant ecosystem is vital for people and wildlife. We need to do our part to protect it, especially with fireworks this weekend. Watch and share this new video to learn what we need to do to stop the spread of invasive grasses and restore degraded sagebrush habitats. Continue Reading →