If you lead an environmentally conscious lifestyle, every day is as good as any to celebrate our planet. But Earth Day is especially meaningful because it’s an occasion to celebrate Mother Earth as well as spread awareness. Did you know that Earth Day was founded by Gaylord Nelson, who was a governor and senator from […]
northwest
Posted inThe Outdoors
Owls and Outdoor Toilets
The Teton Raptor Center in Wilson, Wyoming, is attempting to contact as many people as possible who have an interest in the outdoors. The organization’s goal is to increase awareness of a little-known problem: Outdoor toilets can entrap cavity-nesting owls. Other birds that nest or shelter in tree cavities are also at risk. The problem […]
Posted inThe Garden
Bainbridge Bounty
On a quiet street in the middle of Bainbridge Island, Darren and Kari Murphy have sprouted a garden filled with fruit trees, grapes and vegetables of all sorts. While not a rare sight, theirs exudes an underlying passion for heirloom and unusual varieties and community service. Many of the plant varieties they grow are rare […]
Posted inThe Outdoors
Trail Etiquette Tips for Hiking Around West Sound
We need to be sensitive not only to the environment surrounding our trails, but to other trail users as well. Some of the trails are also open to mountain bikers and equestrians. When you encounter other trail users, whether they are hikers, runners, bicyclists or horse riders, the only hard-and-fast rule is to follow common […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Changing Lives through Music
It’s said that music changes lives — United by Music North America changes lives in profound ways. Based in Gig Harbor, the nonprofit organization works with musically talented people who happen to have intellectual or physical disabilities and helps them become performing musicians. United by Music was founded in the Netherlands in 2006 by Joris […]
Posted inAround West Sound
The Meditation Labyrinths of Kitsap County
Overlooking a bluff with a view of Puget Sound, Bainbridge Halls Hill Labyrinth and its Community Tibetan Prayer Wheel is a peace-filled oasis of Asian-themed landscaping complementing an artist-built labyrinth and hand-cast bronze prayer wheel. Not easy to find if you don’t know the island’s backroads, it’s one of six labyrinths accessible to the public on […]
Posted inThe Outdoors
Trails for Fun and Fitness in Your Big Backyard on the Kitsap Peninsula
Let’s face it: Whether you’re a hiker, walker or runner, life can get in the way when it comes to putting time in on the trail. Far too often, it’s hard for most of us to set aside an hour — never mind a day or even longer — to hit the trails of our […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
What West Sound Landowners Need to Know About Noxious Weeds
As a gardener and homeowner, I consider myself a steward of the environment, and with that comes the responsibility of choosing plants for my home landscape that are not invasive or noxious. Noxious weeds are non-native plants that were introduced in the State of Washington by individuals who planted them as ornamentals, and they now […]
Posted inThe Garden
Garden Capers
Some homes nestle quietly into their surroundings and appear as if they have been there for centuries. Tudor-style architecture is neither particularly rare nor common in the Northwest, and occasionally one stumbles upon a home that simply speaks to the heart. Such is the case with the stone-fronted, half-timber-style Fox Island home owned by Jerome […]