Mason bees are wonderful pollinators that are native to most of North America. They have been doing a magnificent job of pollinating long before the colonists brought in the honeybees from overseas. The mason bee is not a hive-dwelling bee, therefore there is … read more

Spring is alive in the Puget Sound! Soft, green sprouts of infant saplings are pushing their way through the damp soil, and round buds wait to explode in a firework display of colorful blossoms and new leaves. A myriad of birds gather around … read more

Plant Sales and Garden Tours Hopefully you’ve been getting in shape and building up stamina during the last few months, because May and June in the gardening world are packed with opportunities, activities and lots of time out in the garden. Be sure … read more

Leadership. Example. Educate. Stewards. Mentor. These are words you hear over and over when talking with the staff and dozens of volunteers who make Harbor WildWatch the first-rate, local, marine environmental, nonprofit organization it has become. In less than a decade, Harbor WildWatch … read more

I expect you’ve heard that the only way to protect your plants from hungry deer is a good fence. The deer in my neighborhood illustrate this point perfectly. Before I built my current fence, I kept my treasured deer “candy” covered in black … read more

Birds have almost as many strategies as people do for getting together. Avian mating styles have been a topic of recent research and ornithologists now recognize how subtle and diverse bird partnerships really are. Monogamy: The most typical type of partnership is monogamy, … read more

Every spring, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds moving up the West Coast make coastal birdwatching exciting. Some of these migrants will spill onto shorelines throughout the West Sound region. The headline-making numbers flood coastal beaches and estuaries, but there will also be interesting … read more

West Sound Beekeepers Association is a longstanding group of people interested in learning about bees. The members maintain an apiary as well as educational facilities, and meet monthly at Stedman’s Bee Supplies in Silverdale. Local beekeeper Frank Wilson’s story is very similar to … read more

Even before March arrived hummingbird enthusiasts were keeping an eye out for the first returning Rufous hummingbird. March is the month when these tiny bits of feather and bone return to the Pacific Northwest. They have spent the winter in the Southwest United … read more