Curious About … Serviceberry?

For just a short week in early April, the ravines in the Wenatchee Foothills are bursting with serviceberry blossoms. Continue Reading →

Curious About … Blooming Balsamroot?

Arrowleaf balsamroot is a long-lived perennial wildflower that blooms in the shrub-steppe. Many animals and insects use it for food and it is adapted to re-grown after wildfire. Continue Reading →

Neotropical migrants raising their young in our canyons

Hanging clothes on my backyard clothesline gives me a chance to look west, up into the V-shaped Number Two Canyon, where steep sagebrush-covered slopes plunge down to the brushy canyon Continue Reading →

Curious About … Western Meadowlark?

Western meadowlark males have arrived to the Wenatchee Foothills’ shrub-steppe. They use songs and postures to establish breeding territories. Continue Reading →

Big Sagebrush Haiku

I am thankful for a particular stately sagebrush that I walked by on January snow walks in the Wenatchee Foothills. Each time I arrived, I wondered what lesson this sentinel Continue Reading →

Curious About … Local Wintering Mule Deer?

What brings so many deer to our valley? How are they doing? Why do I see more deer during wintertime? I reached out to WDFW biologist Devon Comstock to find out about current mule deer research that is underway locally. Studies are designed to help biologists learn more about wintering mule deer habitat needs. Continue Reading →

Curious About … Growing up in Sagebrush Country?

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 →