Author Archives: jltnatural-admin

Cappy’s Trails Nature Walk

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOn February 15, 2017, JLT Land Stewards, Cheryl Wallace and Lee Merrill Join our Natural History Society and , for a winter walk through the heart of Quimper Wildlife Corridor in a special area known as Cappy’s Trails.

This was an easy walk on well maintained forested trails (approximately 3.5  miles) through mostly undeveloped land, open space, and wetlands, where the lives of people and wildlife overlap within the city of Port Townsend.

Chestnut-backed chickadee

Meeting place was the Cook Avenue Cappy’s trailhead; we parked on Elmira Street, just off Cook Avenue, about 1/2 mile from Hastings. We suggested wearing light hiking boots, dressing in layers, and bringing water, snack, binoculars, and field guides.

There was no limit to the size of the group. Lee at jltnatural@saveland.org was the contact for carpool information and other details.

February 2017 Book Selection

astoria-cover

Astoria: Astor and Jefferson’s Lost Pacific Empire by Peter Stark is the book selection for February 2017.  The Natural History Society book club will meet on Monday, February 27, from 3:30-5:00.  Contact Jean at jltnatural@saveland.org for location.

Astoria, a true adventure tale of the establishment of Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River,  describes incredible hardships experienced in the wilderness and at sea over the course of three years, 1810 to 1813.  John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson were attempting to found a colony like Jamestown on the West Coast, to transform the United States into a Pacific trading power.  The members of the Astor Expeditions battled nature, starvation, and madness to establish the first American settlement in the Pacific Northwest.  The colony opened American eyes to the potential of the Western coast and its founders helped blaze the Oregon Trail.

 

 

Urban Bestiary Neighborhood Nature Walk

deerOn January 12, 2017, the Natural History Society took an Urban Bestiary Neighborhood  Nature Walk.

Naturalist extraordinaire Ken Wilson led a search for squirrels in treetops, hummingbirds and woodpeckers at feeders, seabirds in the  marina, and other animals dwelling in urban Port Townsend.

We walked a loop that included Chetzemoka Park, Point Hudson, and a bit of Uptown.

goldeneyeWe met in front of Chetzemoka Park; dressed for the weather; and brought binoculars. Michele at jltnatural@saveland.org was the contact for information.

January 2017 Book Selection

The Natural History Society Book Club will read Elizabeth Gilbert’s book The Signature of All Things in the month of January 2017.  We will meet on Monday, January 23, from 3:30 – 5:00. Contact Jean at jltnatural@saveland.org for location.

signature-of-all-things-paperback

The Signature of All Things is a fictional tale of Alma Whittaker, daughter of the richest man in Philadelphia in the early 1800s.  Alma becomes a gifted botanist who investigates the mysteries of evolution.  She falls in love with Ambrose Pike, a talented painter of orchids.  The book takes place all over the globe, from Philadelphia to Amsterdam to Tahiti to Peru.  It is set in that extraordinary moment in human history when all the old assumptions about science, religion, commerce and class were being challenged by new ideas.

 

Winter Whidbey Walk

Barrow’s Goldeneye p.91

Barrow’s Goldeneye

On December 6, 2016, we walked on the ferry and joined the Natural History Society for a hike on Whidbey Island.

Naturalist Ken Wilson accompanied us, and he recommended bringing binoculars to watch for seabirds from the ferry. He said, “One of the treats of the day is the ferry crossing across Admiralty Inlet. Especially in the middle of the channel there are sometimes many hundreds of birds of numerous waterbird species.”

We explored the Fort Casey campus and looked for interesting plants, checked out the marshes for birds, found a warm place for lunch, and walked down the beach back toward the ferry. Ken says, “Within the forests, along the shores, and in the wetlands are quite a diversity of species of birds and plants.” It was a fun-filled day outing and a delightful opportunity to travel just a short distance from Port Townsend to experience some new scenery.

What we suggested bringing: hiking boots, warm jacket, rain gear, backpack with lunch and drinks, ferry fare, binoculars, camera, reference guides such as the trusty Plants of the Pacific NW Coast. Oma at jltnatural@saveland.org. was the contact for details.