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 … Long-toed Salamanders?

Herpetologist, Torsten Watkins, introduces the lfie history of long-toed salamanders. This species is native to North Central Washington and spring is the season when adults migrate to breeding sites. Continue Reading →

Curious About … Arriving Turkey Vultures?

Turkey vultures are arriving to North Central Washington from wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America. Look for groups roosting in tall black cottonwood trees. Continue Reading →

Shrub-steppe Plant Adaptations

  Compared to mobile animals, plants can’t walk away when the weather gets severe and water is scarce.  Plants employ several strategies that allow them to cope with water shortage Continue Reading →

What’s in a Name: Why Our Region Has So Many Names for the Plant Communities

Depending on who’s talking, our landscape is called by many names:  the Columbia Plateau, the Columbia Basin Eco-region, Arid Lands, the Shrub-steppe Ecosystem, or simply, the sagebrush grassland.  Surprising, all 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 →