Blog
Handbook for Not Owning Land
I step off the gravel road onto a trail hidden by undergrowth. Sword ferns and cedar branches close behind me like a curtain, and my breathing subtly changes. My senses tune to nature’s frequency and I begin to hear them: The high chiming of golden-crowned kinglets;...
Volunteers keep an eye on stream health–Salmon watchers 2013
A version of this article also appeared in the January 1st edition of the Vashon Island Beachcomber as an invited series on citizen science. When John Martinak signed up for the Vashon Nature Center Salmon Watcher Program last fall, he wasn’t convinced he’d actually...
Sea star wasting syndrome
By Adria Magrath A shorter version of this blog article appeared in the Christmas issue of the Vashon Beachcomber. It seems that you can always count on seeing sea stars when you visit a rocky beach - the Pacific Northwest boasts the largest diversity and numbers of...
Citizen Science Connects Students with Real-World Lessons
A shorter version of this article recently appeared in the November 13th issue of the Beachcomber. “I got another one!” “Look at this!” “It’s a mayfly — see the tails!” “I don’t understand why kids don’t like science… This is the best lab ever.” These comments echoed...
A magical weekend at Fern Cove Bioblitz 2013
A huge, heartfelt thanks to all of you who made the 2nd Annual Vashon Island Bioblitz a success in every way. Even with our raw count we found more species than last year at 386 (compared to 354 at Neill Point in 2012). We identified 159 plants, 75 shoreline species,...
Salmon Watchers Toast Big Year
The 2012 Salmon Watchers gathered for soup and stories last weekend to celebrate the best salmon return since 2003. A grand total of 202 live and dead fish were recorded by 23 enthusiastic volunteers of all ages (from 4 years old to over 65). The fish were mainly coho...
A Salamander Valentine
If you find your flashlight and take a moonlit walk to one of Vashon’s forested ponds or wetlands tonight you might witness the incredible way nature celebrates Valentine’s Day. This may not be your partner’s idea of a typical romantic evening, but it will be...
An Interview with Naturalist/Author/Inspiration Robert Michael Pyle
Vashon-Maury Island Audubon Society is hosting a talk and book signing with the inimitable naturalist and nature writer Robert Michael Pyle next Thursday, Jan. 17 at 7 pm at the Land Trust building. It’s hard to know where to start when introducing Bob—his talents are...
Paying attention to subtle changes in nature
The following piece was published as a guest editorial on the environment in the November 28th Beachcomber issue. It discusses the subtlety of environmental change and why the Vashon Maury Island Groundwater Protection Committee's newly released environmental report...
Header Photo: Bianca Perla