On September 13, 2016, all were welcome to Join the Natural History Society for an autumn hike along the Spruce Railroad Trail, hugging the far side of Lake Crescent.
We were gone most of the day, hiking eight miles round trip, looking for signs of autumn.
We suggested: hiking shoes, layers, food, water, and field guides to plants or birds. There was no limit to the size of the group. Janell at jltnatural@saveland.org was the contact for carpool information and other details.
The Natural History Society book club will read The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt’s New World by Andrea Wulf in September. We will meet on Monday, September 26, from 3:30-5:00. For location, contact Jean at jltnatural@saveland.org
Andrea Wulf, the acclaimed author of Founding Gardeners , “reveals the forgotten life of Alexander von Humboldt, the visionary German naturalist whose ideas changed the way we see the natural world—and in the process created modern environmentalism” (quote from Amazon). Although Americans may have heard of Humboldt, through such names as the “Humboldt current” or other place names, few know that he was a celebrity scientist in his time. Wulf writes of his extraordinary accomplishments and travels, and details his interactions and influence on Thomas Jefferson, Simon Bolivar, Charles Darwin, Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and others.
On August 18, 2016, all were welcome to join the Natural History Society for a summer hike at Fort Flagler State Park on Marrowstone Island.
We hiked the five-mile loop along the beach and back through the forest. We were back in Port Townsend by early afternoon. A minus tide that morning allowed us to explore the rocky, slippery intertidal zone, and head down the beach.
Raccoon
We recommended: shoes with rugged soles that can get wet; dressing in layers for changing weather; field guides to plants, birds, marine invertebrates or insects; binoculars; and food and water. There was no limit to the size of the group.
Pat at jltnatural@saveland.org was the contact for carpool information and other details.
August’s book selection will take us to the Alaskan wilderness. For our Monday, August 22nd gathering, we will read Two in the Far North by Margaret Murie. We will meet at the Ilahee Preserve shelter, from 3:30-5:00. For additional information or questions, contact Jean at jltnatural@saveland.org.
Two in the Far North is an enduring story of life, adventure, and love in Alaska. Margaret Murie grew up in Fairbanks, was the first woman graduate of the University of Alaska, and married noted biological Olaus J. Murie. She embraced the remote Alaskan wilderness and became one of its strongest advocates. She describes several of her trips to that wilderness, including her honeymoon in the mid 1920s. She states her view of the value of wilderness in her detailed descriptions of travelling in Alaska by dogsled, boat, and later airplane.
Margaret Murie and her husband founded The Wilderness Society. Her work as one of the earliest female voices for the wilderness movement earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
On July 15, 2016, all were welcome to join the Natural History Society for a summer hike to Hurricane Ridge led by naturalist extraordinaire Ken Wilson. Ken recently served as lead naturalist for the JLT Northwest Naturalist course when they visited Hurricane Ridge. 
We hiked the Hurricane Hill trail beyond Hurricane Ridge, enjoyed the splendid views, and paused to identify trees, late wildflowers, and some endemic mammals and butterflies.
We suggested: dressing in layers for changing weather, and bringing field guides to plants, birds or insects, and plenty of food and water. There was no limit to the size of this group.
We carpooled from Port Townsend to the road up to Hurricane Ridge. Chris at jltnatural@saveland.org was the contact for details.