Author Archives: jltnatural-admin

October 2017 Book Selection

The Natural History Society book club’s selection for October 2017 is The Olympic Rain Forest: An Ecological Web by Ruth Kirk and Jerry Franklin.  We will meet on Monday, October 23, 3:30-5:00 at the Pink House (next to the Port Townsend library).

Ruth Kirk and Jerry Franklin examine the unique ecological web of the temperate-zone rain forest that exists in the two thousand miles of coast from Coos Bay, Oregon, to the Gulf of Alaska.  The forest’s productivity and sheer biomass per square mile are among the world’s greatest.  The Olympic Rain Forest reveals the beauty and intricacy of the forest while summarizing scientific understanding of the components of this ecological web and their interactions.  Numerous photographs capture the grandeur of this magnificent forest.

Explore the West End of Our Larry Scott Trail

On September 27, 2017, the Natural History Society walked along the far west end of the Larry Scott Trail.

We hiked along this newest section of the Larry Scott Trail rarely  explored. One part feels like you’re in a treehouse looking down at a pond.

We stopped to notice birds, trees, shrubs, insects, mushrooms,  and many signs of autumn. A couple of years ago an enormous hornet nest graced the limb of a spindly tree in this area.

Sword FernWe suggested bringing water, layers of clothing, hiking shoes, binoculars, and field guides. Michele at JLTnatural@saveland.org was the contact for location and details.

September 2017 Book Selection

The Natural History Society book club’s selection for September 2017 is The Oyster War: The True Story of a Small Farm, Big Politics, and the Future of Wilderness in America by Summer Brennan.

The book club will meet on Monday, September 25, 3:30-5:00. For further information and location, contact Jean at jltnatural@saveland.org

The Oyster War is the story of a long battle about wilderness protection of land in the Point Reyes, CA area, including Drakes Estero.  Included in that area was an oyster farm first established in the 1930s. The National Park Service informed the owner of the oyster farm that its lease would not be renewed past 2012, and the rancher vowed to keep the farm in business, even if it meant taking his fight to the Supreme Court.  Environmentalists, national politicians, scientists, and the Department of Interior all joined in the long battle that had the potential to influence the future of wilderness for decades to come.

 

 

Elwha Dams Removal Tour and Hike

On August 15, 2017, the Natural History Society featured an overview of the largest dam removals in the world so far — the demolition of both the Glines Canyon Dam, which formed Lake Mills, and the Elwha Dam, which formed Lake Aldwell.

We started at the Glines Canyon Dam overlook, where there are extensive views of the Elwha River both above and below the former dam, and took the marked trail less than a mile to the riverbed. The trail passes through revegetated areas of the former Lake Mills and leads to terraces of sediment, now covered with lupine. It is not a steep trail, but hiking shoes and hiking poles were advised.

We then visited the Elwha River interpretive center, where murals and signage outline the history of human interaction with the Elwha River.

Finally, we drove to the mouth of the Elwha, where there is now a beautiful sandy beach, as a result of the Elwha River again being free-flowing.

Jean Mann kindly planned our visit to three sites; we met at 9:00 am to carpool and returned by 5:00 pm. Jean at JLTnatural@saveland.org coordinated carpool details.

August 2017 Book Selection

Product Details

Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean by Jonathan White will be the focus of our book club on Monday, August 28, 2017.  We will meet at the Ilahee Preserve from 3:30 – 5:00.  Contact Jean at jltnatural@saveland.org for directions or any questions.

We will have a special guest at our gathering–author Jonathan White will join us!

Writer, sailor, and surfer Jonathan White takes readers across the globe to discover the science and spirit of ocean tides. His book includes such diverse accounts as hunting for mussels under the Arctic ice with an Inuit elder, racing a 25-foot tidal bore in China, and the growth of tidal power generation in Chile and Scotland.  Tides is a combination of lyrical prose, adventure travel, and scientific inquiry into the elemental, mysterious paradox that keeps our planet’s waters in constant motion. Photographs, scientific figures, line drawings, and sixteen color photos dramatically illustrate this expert tour of the tides.