Our Natural History Society is celebrating April as Poetry Month with a poem by Oma Landstra, a member of our Guiding Committee, in the attached newsletter. Oma writes, “Madrona is a sacred tree to the Native Americans, and therefore they never burn it in their fires or at sweats. The etymology of ‘Tree’ and ‘Truth’ indicates they come from the same root. South of the Siskiyous this tree is called ‘Madrone.’ North of these mountains it is called ‘Madrona.’ British Columbia uses ‘Arbutus.’ ” In March, our Natural History book club read Passings, a new book of poetry by one of the members of our book club, Holly Hughes. Poet and naturalist Tim McNulty describes these poems of extinct birds as “elegiac meditations.” Noreen Parks writes, “Our discussion of Holly’s book Passings is so relevant to this moving collection of readings and music based on Kathleen Dean Moore’s latest book:”
https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/feature-story/music-save-earth-s-songs
April is also Native Plant Appreciation Month, and it’s a perfect time to visit one or all of our local native plant gardens: Kul Kah Han Native Plant Garden at H. G. Carroll Park; Kah Tai Prairie in Port Townsend (by the golf course); the Native Plant Garden at Buck’s Lake in Hansville; and Sequim’s prairie. Stop by your closest native plant garden every week to watch the new blossoms emerge.
During the Land Trust’s Conservation Breakfast, I (Wendy) encouraged everyone to use the free iNaturalist app on your phone (or sign up on your computer www.inaturalist.org/home) to post photos of species you encounter on your walks. The Land Trust’s Carrie Clendaniel created a project for the Quimper Wildlife Corridor:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/quimper-wildlife-corridor-preserve-area
We hope you will also use your iNaturalist account to participate in the Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s annual BioBlitz at Fort Worden on May 1. Help us identify as many plants and animals as possible. Contact AmeriCorps volunteer Meghan-Grace Slocombe for details: <mgslocombe@ptmsc.org>