Article by Susan Ballinger about Washington’s two native larch trees, Golden October.
Article by Susan Ballinger about a useful field guide, New Guide Points Out Our Native Shrubs, Trees.
Conifers of WA’s Eastside Cascades Susan Ballinger’s classroom presentation introducing conifer ecology and a photo field guide to Washington’s native conifers.
A narrative by Susan Ballinger, Native Conifers of Washington State- A summary of field identification traits
A summary table of needle characteristics for native conifer species within the Wenatchee Watershed, Needle Trails Wenatchee Watershed Conifers
An article by Sandra Strieby published in The Methow Naturalist (used with permission) Comparing Conifers and Broadleaf Trees: Why two completely different strategies for how to be a tree work equally well.
An article by Dana Visalli published in The Methow Naturalist (used with permission) The Beauty and Biology of Larch; Introduces our two native larch species with excellent life history details, maps, and photographs.
Oregon research ecologist and author, Chris Maser, explains the web of life within Northwest Cascade Mountain forests, and the interdependent relationships between mammals and trees, connected by soil fungi.
An article posted on 12/8/21 – The serotinous cones of lodgepole pine– and one posted 12/11/19 –Pine cones are like hangers for pine tree seeds – on the Boise, Idaho-based Awkward Botany Blog.
Whitebark Pine and Clark’s Nutcrackers
Wenatchee Naturalist blog posts, Take Action to Preserve Whitebark Pine, and Forest Foragers of Whitebark Pine Seeds.
The Clark’s Nutcracker Suite: A December, 2022 compiled list of resources to learn about conservation issues around this mutually dependent species pair, compiled by the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation (WPEF). WPEF is a science-based, non-profit organization promoting the conservation and restoration of whitebark pine and other high-elevation, five-needle white pines in western North America through outreach, research and collaboration.
Soul mates: Nutcrackers, Whitebark Pine, and a Bond that Holds an Ecosystem Together. An article by Gustav Axelson in the Autumn 2015 issue of Living Bird Magazine.
An artist at Cornell Lab of Ornithology created this image of the Clark’s Nutcracker’s ecosystem in the Western U.S. mountains.
Presentations
Susan Ballinger class presentation and photo field identification guide, Conifers of WA’s Eastside Cascades
Susan Ballinger’s photo field identification guide, Native Deciduous trees & shrubs Eastside Cascades
Glossary of Conifer terms
Glossary of conifer terms used in the readings.
Resources
Trees Pacific NW app (Free for Apple and Android)
Free app for Apple or Android to help users identify native conifers
Conifer identification resources A selected bibliography for the Pacific Northwest.
Trees of Washington WSU Publication – Keys to native conifers and broadleaf trees of Washington. Individual profiles of 32 native trees provide sketches of range, leaf and tree shape, fruit and bark characteristics. Washington State University Extension Free PDF download for 44 page booklet.
Washington Wildlife by Woodland Park Zoo, Montane Habitats (pg. 15-19) and Temperate Forest Habitats (pg. 27-28). Use this as general background reading, providing a big picture overview for the course.
Northwest Conifers: A Guide to Conifers of the Pacific NW. This photo field guide covers Oregon and Washington, with species grouped by area and elevation.
Oregon State University Tree identification Home Page. The purpose of this site is to help you identify common conifers and broadleaves in the Pacific Northwest.
The Gymnosperm Database is a source of information on conifers and their allies with in-depth species descriptions.