Do you like to walk our beautiful Puget Sound beaches at low tide? Do you slowly stroll up and down the docks, staring into the water to catch a glimpse of the sea life lurking beneath the depths? If you do this with any regularity, you are probably familiar with the usual intertidal suspects such […]
wildlife
Posted inGardeners Corner
The Top 10 Ways to Make Your Community Bee-Loved (Mason Bees, Part 3)
Editor’s note: Now that we know the benefits of mason bees, here’s what we can do to make West Sound bee-friendly. This is an excerpt from “Mason Bee Revolution: How the Hardest Working Bee Can Save the World One Backyard at a Time,” a book by Dave Hunter and Jill LIghtner recently released by Seattle-based […]
Posted inAround West Sound
How to Help Keep Our Streets Litter-Free
About half the litter along Kitsap County roadsides is “intentional” litter, meaning that it was the intent of the litterer to litter. The other half of the remaining litter is the result of passive or “unintentional” littering. Unsecured/undersecured vehicle loads, windblown debris from car windows or pickup truck beds, and other unnoticeable actions contribute to […]
Posted inGarden
South of the Border Visitors
After a long, gray winter, spring’s color is a welcome tonic. Not only are the plants and trees bursting with color, the birds are doing the same. Migrants that will nest in the Pacific Northwest bring “south of the border” color into the West Sound region. They began their migration journey from as far away […]
Posted inThe Outdoors
New Local Book Focused on Puget Sound Region’s Birds
“Birds of the Puget Sound Region — Coast to Cascades” by Dennis Paulson, Bob Morse, Hal Opperman and Tom Aversa is a new edition of the popular field guide, “Birds of the Puget Sound Region.” The changes, rewrites and additional photographs reflect the authors’ dedication to their subject. Their combined talents have enhanced and enlarged […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Why Keep Gentle Bees? Part 2
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from “Mason Bee Revolution: How the Hardest Working Bee Can Save the World One Backyard at a Time,” a book by Dave Hunter and Jill LIghtner recently released by Seattle-based Mountaineers Books. Read Part 1 to learn about the types of gentle bees and how mason bees are different. […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Why Keep Gentle Bees? Part 1
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from “Mason Bee Revolution: How the Hardest Working Bee Can Save the World One Backyard at a Time,” a book by Dave Hunter and Jill LIghtner recently released by Seattle-based Mountaineers Books. In Part 2, learn about the benefits of pollen in the garden as well as reduced chemicals […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Herron Hill Dairy — Goats, Cheese and Family Fun
The wooden sign on the side of Herron Hill Road — “Chevre” — points toward a meandering drive that disappears over the top of a low hill. Horses graze placidly in a pasture on one side of the drive, paying no mind to the intruder unfastening the latch on the gate and motoring up the […]
Posted inAround West Sound
Gardening with the Health of Puget Sound in Mind
The temperate weather of Western Washington and the long growing season create a gardener’s paradise. This year, due to unusually warm temperatures, I have found myself out in the garden early, visiting with my plant friends that have lain dormant all winter. I spy a young asparagus pushing up, masses of rhododendrons in bloom and […]