A One Act Tracking Tale
A winter tracking tale following coyote, bobcat, red squirrel, snowshoe hare, deer mouse, and weasel in an Eastside Cascades forest. Continue Reading →
Category: Wildlife
Curious About…tracking rabbits and squirrels?
The Wenatchee Valley has been blanketed in snow this week, creating fresh opportunities for tracking wildlife in our neighborhoods. The edges of town are home to many small mammals, including Nuttall’s cottontail rabbits. Where trees dominate, we have both native and non-native squirrels. Continue Reading →
Stories in Place: Dog Rock Gorge
This “Stories in Place” post features a late-afternoon 2/9/21 trip report by naturalist Jenny Graevell, and the larger tale of how her conservation volunteerism has engendered a strong web of friendships. Continue Reading →
Curious About…tracking cats and dogs?
The Wenatchee Valley has been blanketed in snow this week, creating fresh opportunities for tracking dogs and cats, right in our yards and neighborhoods. Our towns are often travel corridors for wild Felines and Canines, like coyote, cougar, and bobcat. By learning to identify domestic dog and cat prints in snow and mud, we are training our brains to know when we see a wild member of these animal families. 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 … Western U.S. Migrating Mule Deer?
One reason that mule deer can thrive in so many varied habitats is their ability to be seasonal long-distance migrants. Mule deer follow the same routes, season to season, and year to year. Continue Reading →
12/6/2020 -Arctic NWR 60th Anniversary- Celebrate, then Advocate!
On Sunday, Dec. 6th, join polar bears, caribou, and myriad of migratory shorebirds and waterfowl to celebrate 60 years of protection for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Tragically, President Trump has just announced the sale of oil and gas leases on the Arctic NWR’s 1002 area of the coastal plain, the critical calving grounds for the Porcupine Caribou herd. This push is the result of Congress passing a controversial tax bill in 2017 that mandates leasing on the coastal plain, sacred lands of the Gwich’in people and vital habitat for caribou, polar bears and migratory birds. Continue Reading →
Kitchen Window Community Science
Becoming a Project Feederwatch volunteer can be one way to battle feeling gloomy all winter long, November to April. Consider becoming a community scientist making bird observations as you look out your window. You will join over 20,000 Canadian and U.S. participants during this is kick-off week for Project Feederwatch: Continue Reading →
Leaves are not Litter!
This week, my yard turned golden with maple and aspen leaf fall. It was perfect timing when my email in-box announced the The Xerces Society’s blog post “Leaves Are Not Continue Reading →
Curious About…Shrub-steppe, Fireworks, and Wildfire?
Fireworks are a main cause of human-started wildfires in sagebrush county. Invasive grasses are putting sagebrush country at risk of severe wildfires. This vibrant ecosystem is vital for people and wildlife. We need to do our part to protect it, especially with fireworks this weekend. Watch and share this new video to learn what we need to do to stop the spread of invasive grasses and restore degraded sagebrush habitats. Continue Reading →