Author Archives: jltnatural-admin

A Waterfall Day

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOn November 16, 2016, the Natural History Society explored two spectacular waterfalls: Murhut Falls on a mountain trail near Brinnon, and Rocky Brook Falls close to the  Dosewallips River.

Ferns and mosses decorate the sides of both trails.  Local naturalists were on hand to share what they knew about mushrooms, plants, and wildlife we encountered.

We suggested: hiking shoes, dressing in layers, field guide to plants or mushrooms, binoculars, food, and water. There was no limit to the size of the group.

039Dave at jltnatural@saveland.org was the contact for carpool information and other details.

 

November/December 2016 Book Selection

winter-brothersThe Natural History Book Club book selection for November/December 2016 is Winter Brothers: A Season at the Edge of America by well-known Northwest author Ivan Doig.  We will meet on Monday, December 5, 2016 from 3:30-5:00.  E-mail Jean at jltnatural@saveland.org for location.

Ivan Doig describes this book as a “journal of a journal.”  James Gilchrist Swan was one of the first Europeans in the Pacific Northwest.  He kept extensive daily journals of his activities.  We previously read The Northwest Coast, which was Swan’s journals of his first three years in Washington Territory in the mid-1800s in what is now southern Washington State.  Winter Brothers is a fusion of Doig’s winter of 1978-79 in more northern parts of Washington State with Swan’s journals of 1862-1898 in those same locations.  Two prominent locations are Neah Bay and Port Townsend.

This book is a unique blend of modern author (Ivan Doig) with historically important Pacific Northwest pioneer (James Swan).

 

Duckabush Outing

duckabush-1On October 13, 2016, the Natural History Society joined for an autumn hike on the Jefferson Land Trust property along the Duckabush River. It was an easy hike over uneven terrain.

The Duckabush River provides spawning and rearing habitat for trout and salmon of several species. Many large and small mammals and birds inhabit this rich forest, such as elk, beaver, owls, dippers, ducks, and woodpeckers.

duckabush-2We suggested: hiking shoes, dressing in layers, a field guide to plants or birds,  binoculars, food, and water. There was no limit to the size of this group.

duckabush-3Janell at  jltnatural@saveland.org was the contact for carpool information and other details.

 

October 2016 Book Selection

mushroom-huntersThe Mushroom Hunters by Langdon Cook is the book selected for October.  We will meet on Monday, October 24, from 3:30 – 5:00.  Contact Jean at jltnatural@saveland.org to RSVP and find out location.

A timely book, as fall is “mushroom season” in the Northwest, when the rains begin.

Author Langdon Cook embeds himself in the underground world of “frontier-style capitalism” to reveal the shadowy subculture that brings the highly valued culinary ingredient–-wild mushrooms–-to the tables and restaurants of modern America.  Part science, part suspense, part culinary history–-who would have ever thought an adventure book could be written about wild fungi?  The setting of the book is the Pacific Northwest, including the Olympic Peninsula.

The Hoh River Trust – Preserving a Last Great American River and its Corridor

hoh-river-1On October 6, 2016, the JLT Natural History Society sponsored a presentation on the remarkable history and stewardship efforts of the Hoh River Trust. Executive Director Mike Hagen explained how the trust was formed to obtain and manage lands along the Hoh between the Olympic National Park and the Pacific Ocean.

Of the roughly 250,000 rivers across the continental US, the Hoh is arguably one of the most unspoiled. It flows virtually intact for 56 miles from its source high in the Olympic Mountain range down to the Olympic National Marine Sanctuary. The river corridor contains what many consider the world’s richest old-growth and temperate rainforests. These ecosystems provide critical habitat for endangered and threatened species including marbled murrelet, spotted owl, and bull trout, along with diverse other wildlife, such as elk, black bear, and cougar. The river itself supports some of the healthiest native salmon and steelhead runs in the “Lower 48.”

hoh-river-2Within the lower reaches of the river, 30 miles beyond the Olympic National Park boundary, some 10,000 acres encompassing a mile on either side of the river are designated “at risk.” Over the last century, much of this area was managed for commercial timber harvest, and it is now in various stages of regeneration. Restoring the vitality and resilience of these lands for the benefit of fish, wildlife, and humans is the mission of the trust. In its short, twelve-year history, the trust has already acquired nearly 7,000 acres.