Black Lives Matter and the resurgence of the Civil Rights movement after George Floyd’s senseless murder at the hands of Minneapolis police have resonated nationwide. Nearly every organization has been affected. The bird-watching/ornithology community has not been immune. Christian Cooper, a New York Audubon board member was subjected to racist, […]
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In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, most of us have been house bound for months. During this time when we cannot travel out of the county, let-alone to other countries, it is nice to recall the opportunities we once had and hope to have again soon to experience international […]
Today we should be celebrating Arbor Day and cherishing trees. Instead we are still hunkered down trying to survive the deadly Covid-19 virus, as we should be. But let’s take a look outside for a moment with our masks on and consider the marvelous trees that still remain in our […]
Darkness and rainfall prevail during Pacific Northwestern winters and this year has been no exception. More than four inches of rain fell during a 48-hour period this week. Following this two-day deluge, the air smelled dank and musty like a giant worm bin. It’s hard for humans to endure this […]
The Overstory, a recent best-selling book by Richard Powers, profiled militant forest activists in the Pacific Northwest. In contrast, just northeast of Seattle in Bothell, Washington, a kinder, gentler approach was employed by the Friends of North Creek Forest for a more than a decade. It worked! This month, […]
Birds are a big draw for visitors to the magnificent Billy Frank Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, but frogs also put on a show there that is not-to-be missed. And I am not just referring to the loudest, largest, most boisterous (and invasive) American Bullfrogs. I am referring to the tiny, […]
Recently while hiking across a pedestrian/bicycling bridge over a wooded ravine in Seattle, we heard a hissing call. Leaning against the bridge guard rail, we came face-to-face with a juvenile Barred Owl 15 yards away. Perched in the crotch of a Big-leaf Maple, it was staring intently up an evergreen […]
Tucked away in a thinly populated part of Southeastern Arizona lies a national treasure. Chiricahua National Monument comprises over 11,000 acres of mountainous terrain filled with rock hoodoos, standing/balancing rocks and lovely pine/oak/sycamore canyons interspersed with cacti and mesquite from the surrounding desert. An attractive natural rock visitor center […]
Naturalist Journey to Patagonia and Antarctica Punta Arenas, Chile on the southern tip of South America along the Straits of Magellan, is known as the city at the end of the world. It was our point of departure for two fantastic journeys: One to nearby Torres del Paine and another […]
Small world connections add magic to our lives. Such was the case last week when out of the blue I received an e-mail from Sam, a person I have never met. He kindly authorized me to share his story and photos: “My name is Sam and I live in Manhattan […]