In December, the most recent class of Wenatchee Naturalists completed their course by presenting  final projects. Creativity ran high as participants reflected back on their personal growth over the 12-week class.  I know you’ll enjoy this sampling of stories by the class of 2017.  You can meet everyone by viewing my slide show.  I’ll be posting these in sets of three, so stay tuned for new chapters.

John Taylor’s weekly field site  in Cashmere was along the Wenatchee River, sandwiched between Highway 97/2 and town.  Locals call this habitat “The Juvie Pond.” John’s curiosity triggered his research into its origin as barrow pit for initial highway construction up through recent habitat enhancement work to benefit juvenile salmon.  His slideshow highlights the habitat types and the variety of wildlife he observed during his weekly site visits. Take a peek: JohnTaylor’s Cashmere Juvie Pond

Nina Carlson’s field site was the Columbia River, just a few steps from her East Wenatchee riverside home.  With a bent toward stand up comedy, Nina transformed into a mallard duck.  Check out her video here.

Nina’s final step was to bring a tasty smoked duck breast, mango, & avocado salad to our class dinner.

The Class of 2017 included an up-and-coming film maker, Mabel Bodell.

It seems that she can transform into a naturalist super hero after work, when she’s  observing birds in her Wenatchee yard.  She and her husband, Patrick Bodell, are co-owners of the newly opened Wild Birds Unlimited Store in Wenatchee, which explains her interest in bird identification.  Watch her YouTube movie:

Mable Bodell:  Wenatchee Naturalist Super Hero .