Updates

Are you a beaver believer? I am. But dammit I wish they would leave my young cedars alone. https://sflonews.wordpress.com/2020/08/14/im-a-beaver-believer/

By Ken Bevis, stewardship wildlife biologist, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, ken.bevis@dnr.wa.gov We all have to believe in something, and I’m a Beaver Believer! We are a dedicat… ... See more

Cliff says we should go outside and that works well for us. https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-safety-of-outdoor-air-for.html

This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics

Pollinator week! Ground-nesting bees! Get some!

"In fact, seventy percent of native bee species in the United States are ground nesting. There is not a lot known about the specific environments that ground nesting bees seek (compaction, soil type, etc.), but they do seem to be drawn to sunny, bare soil. Regardless of the details, we know that providing nesting sites is key to supporting these vital pollinators."

https://xerces.org/blog/ground-nesting-bees ... See more

Interesting article on the economic impact of the ecological restoration economy...it's big!

"All included, we estimate that the ecological restoration economy generates ~221,000 jobs and ~$24.86 billion in economic output."

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0128339#sec010 ... See more

Did you know 18% of children in Whatcom County are considered food-insecure? And that was before this whole Covid-19 deal came down. Supporting essential local services such as the Bellingham Food Bank is more important than ever in these difficult times. ... See more

Bellingham Food Bank

These are some *amazing* scenes from the Great White North/Coastal B.C. A reminder to do all we can to protect and restore our forage fish spawning beaches here in the Salish Sea...no forage fish = no salmon = no southern resident killer whales. ... See more

Every spring, nature puts on a breathtaking display on the British Columbia coast.

First day on this new job site, an amazing property on Samish Island...perfect Salish Sea pocket beach with shell midden, chocolate lilies, Roemer fescue and my first Indian paintbrush of the year. This is also our last day in the field due to the Stay Home,Stay Safe order for what looks to be a long haul. Take care and be well my friends. ... See more

It’s good to be planting trees today.

Say yes to creating patches of habitat in our urban areas for bees and birds...it works.

"Flower strips are human-made patches of flowering plants that provide resources for flower-visiting insects and insect- and seed-feeding birds. Previous experiments have proved their conservation value for enhancing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes." ... See more

Many cities are introducing green areas to protect their fauna. Amongst such measures are flower strips, which provide support to flower-visiting insects, insect- and seed-eating birds. According to the first quantitative assessment of the speed and distance over which urban flower strips attract wi... ... See more

Welcome, meteorological spring!

"So why does spring start relatively early here in western Washington/Oregon, particularly compared to the northeastern U.S.?

Thank our mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

By the time we get into February, the sun is getting much stronger and the day is longer. Our air is generally coming off the Pacific Ocean, which is relatively mild (45-50F) all year round. So mild air coming in and protection from the cold air in the interior by two mountain ranges (the Cascades and Rockies), allows the stronger sun to do its job. In addition, the jet stream begins to weaken and move northward, resulting in weaker and less frequent storms." ... See more

This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics