We locals like to call it Wenatchee Rock Rose, and others call it Tweedy’s lewisia. In all the world, it only grows in our neck-in-the-woods, something botanists call an endemic species. It turns out, our Wenatchee Mountains have the highest concentration of endemic plants in all of Washington. Continue Reading →
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 →
Celebrate the 50th Earth Day and 25th National Poetry Month by attending a free event offered to the community by Wenatchee Valley College. Continue Reading →
Using native plants as home landscaping gardens can result in easy-care, beautiful displays that support native pollinators and use little water. Continue Reading →
Nature journal artist Jane Zanol introduces the practice of nature journaling using common backyard plants, a pen, a pencil, and watercolor paints. Continue Reading →
Leslie Bigos chronicle how starting to do a new exercies daily exercise has brough new joy to her life. Her daily hike became more than just self-improvement; as my fitness improved, I started enjoying how the light changed on Saddle Rock from one day to the next. Continue Reading →
biological soil crust is an essential element of healthy soil. A mix of moss, lichen, and blue-green algae form a thin cohesive layer providing nutrients and water to sprouting seeds. Continue Reading →
The Wenatchee Area Field Guide is light-weight, waterproof, and fits into your pocket. Use to help identify common native plants and animals Continue Reading →
The snow is long gone at Leavenworth Ski Hill where formerly white ski slopes are blanketed with green thickets and splashes of color. Each week in spring, a new wave Continue Reading →
Last summer on July 7, 2014, my husband and I landed in Fairbanks, Alaska after a 10-day wilderness river trip. We turned on our cell phones and found text messages Continue Reading →