The 2019 Wenatchee Naturalist class includes four skillful artists and authors who used their talents to create clever class projects spotlighting specific locations within North Central Washington.
Ruth Drewniany brought a lot of humor to our sessions. She began her end-of-class presentation by quipping that she is “now the oldest Wenatchee Naturalist at age 83,” as a way to describe the joy of being a life-long learner. She shared her poem, River Reflection, written while sitting on the banks of the Entiat River during the class field trip.
River Reflection
water moving, moving
the sound of its journey in the air
rocks beneath our feet
how far have they travelled
the sun breaking through the ridge
burned trees standing tall
yellow leaves along the bank
others floating on the ripples
dippers calling back and forth
gravel beneath the water
waiting for the natives of the river
the travelers from the sea. –Ruth Drewniany
Ann Essko is a newly arrived recent retiree to the Wenatchee Valley. During the class, she re-discovered her interest in doing art. She picked up her color pencils and created a compelling fall landscape and a still-life portrait of a ponderosa pine cone.
Since relocated to the Upper Wenatchee Valley last year, Laura Reichlin has been on the fast-track to learn as much as possible about the geography and biodiversity of her new home. As a parent, Laura has been sharing her new learning with her two daughters as they explore along Chumstick Creek, within walking distance of their home. Laura authored a non-fiction science book featuring plants and animals who use habitat along Chumstick Creek. Her plan to for this book to be the first of a four-season series about the rich biodiversity of this Wenatchee River tributary stream.
Class member Diane Young is a newly retired new resident to the Eastside of the Cascades, eager to get acquainted with the landscape of her new home. Each week, she took to the road to find a new habitat to use for her weekly journal assignment. Her travels took her to Peshastin Pinnacles, Icicle Gorge loop Trail, the Chiwawa River, Lake Wenatchee State Park, and Nahahum Canyon. Her artist gifts shine through her journal entries, often with a focus on plants.
