Native Plants Fuel the Hummingbird Highway

North Central Washington is on the map for migrating neotropical Rufous, Calliope, and Black-chinned hummingbirds, as they fly thousands of miles from their wintering habitats in the mountains of Western Mexico northward, as far north as southern Alaska. During migration they fly during the day, and use early mornings and late evenings to fuel up on nectar, insects, and sugar water in feeders. Abundant nectar-producing flowers on early-blooming native shrubs like Serviceberry and Currents offer critical calories that fuel long-distant flight. Continue Reading →

70 Days in the Life of One Balsamroot

As I walk, I often think about this resilient and wide-spread native plant, that is found throughout the western U.S at a wide variety of elevations. You can still find fresh flower blooms on plants growing at 3000″ in mid-June in the Wenatchee Mountain while the mid-June Wenatchee Foothills plants have already shed their ripe seeds. Continue Reading →

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 →

Curious About … Shrub-steppe Lithosols?

I wish we had a more endearing term that “lithosols” to describe Columbia Basin habitats of thin, rocky soils!. Here, the wind deposits has deposited bits of soil in-between a pavement of lichen-encrusted basalt rocks. Each spring, a diverse display of native wildflowers create splashes of color worth exploring. Continue Reading →

Sense of Place: Surveying Raptors on the Waterville Plateau

This week’s guest post by Marilyn Sherling includes stunning photos taken this winter during monthly community science surveys on the Waterville Plateau. Marilyn and her daughter, Amanda, are monthly volunteers for the East Cascades Audubon Society’s Winter Raptors Survey Project. This winter, over 300 volunteers across five states participated, surveying 451 routes. 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…Why Cheatgrass has changed everything?

Before 1850, our shrub-steppe plant communities were adapted to frequent disturbance, such as wildfire. The resilient native long-lived shrubs, bunchgrasses, and wildflowers were adapted to either re-sprouting or re-growing from seed, in a decades-long predictable pattern of succession. However, with the introduction of non-native annual grasses, primarily cheatgrass, this pattern was dramatically disrupted. 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 →

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 →