Odonate Fall Fest

Odonate Fall Fest

I became fascinated by dragonflies by accident. I was swimming in a lake in Canada and the price due for the glory of floating weightless under an open sky was navigating the reeds along the water’s edge afterward. There is something singularly unpleasant about the...
Local Wildlife Rescue Runs on Volunteer Power

Local Wildlife Rescue Runs on Volunteer Power

I opened the box very slowly as I’d been instructed, mindful of the talons and beak within. As I loosened the last tab and opened the lid, I saw the bird for the first time. It struck me that the hawk was not much bigger than the robins and other passerines she preys...

A BioBlitz Retrospective: Why Everyone Counts

Six years ago, I met Vashon Nature Center’s director Bianca Perla at Vashon Tea Shop. I had read about the center in an article in The Beachcomber and I wanted to learn more. I was looking for a new volunteer venture and as a longtime naturalist, the organization’s...