Cancelled.
According to Sarah Spaeth, Director of Conservation and Strategic Partnerships for Jefferson Land Trust, “The corridor is important for managing storm water and keeping our local water clean. It also creates an urban wildlife refuge that provides natural habitat and safe passage for mammals, birds, and amphibians. For Port Townsend’s growing population, it provides open space and recreational trails.”
2020 is a Leap Year! So the Natural History Society offered a choice of two dates for the monthly outing, either Friday, February 28 or Saturday, February 29, for a three-hour stroll in Port Townsend with expert naturalist Ken Wilson.
Arbutus menziesii (Madrona aka Pacific Madrone)
In any neighborhood, there is much nature to discover when we look more closely. This leisurely walk through Chetzemoka Park and up Morgan Hill was an exploration of plants, animals and ecology that we hope will enhance your enjoyment of any neighborhood walk anywhere.
Marcia at JLTnatural@saveland.org provided meeting time and place, what to bring, and additional information.
The books in the list below are recommendations from book club members. This list is in alphabetical order by author. If you’ve read a natural history related book that you would like to add to this list, please e-mail your ideas to Linda at linda.rhines@gmail.com. We also have a list of more than 100 books we have already discussed in this group on the first page of the Book Club website, so make sure your suggestion is not already there.
Deborah Cramer, The Narrow Edge: A tiny bird, an ancient crab, and an epic journey (2016). The Narrow Edge offers unique insight into how the lives of humans, red knots and horseshoe crabs are intertwined, and is an inspiring portrait of loss and resilience, of the tenacity of birds, and the courage of the many people who bird by bird and beach by beach, keep red knots flying. (Recommended by Peter)
Charles Fishman, The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water (2011) Excellent information about water, with information also about other parts of the world, particularly the water crisis issues in Australia. (Recommended by Dave)
Chad Hanson, Smokescreen: Debunking Wildfire Myths to Save Our Forests and Our Climate (2025) Scientist and activist Hanson makes a powerful, evidence-based case for rethinking fire—seeing it not as a disaster, but as an essential part of forest health and climate resilience.
Thor Hanson, Close to Home: the wonders of nature just outside your door (2025) “A fascinating look at interesting creatures going about their business in the most mundane habitats, demonstrating that observing nature is available to all. For readers who relish accessible scientific studies and lyrical nature writing.” ―Library Journal
K. David Harrrison, The Last Speakers: The quest to save the world’s most endangered languages (2010). The author is a linguist who is documenting languages in danger of disappearing. Barry Lopez recommended it in his book Horizon. (Recommended by Andrea Woods)
Kurt Holting, Apprentice to the Wild (2025) Long-time wilderness guide and meditation teacher Kurt Hoelting charts the evolution of his path from his early encounters with wildness and risk on commercial fishing vessels in Alaska to his embrace of Zen practice as a gateway to the wild within. (Recommended by Jackie)
Tom Jay, The Blossoms are Ghosts at the Wedding, expanded ed. (2019) This is an expanded edition since the one we read in 2021. (Recommended by Oma)
Ada Limon, You Are Here: poetry in the natural world (2024) “Contemporary American poets were asked to reflect on their relationship to the natural world in this evocative anthology of poems edited by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón . . . The poems range from meditating on planting flowers in a garden to flora and fauna in parks and the wild, and express how each poet has their unique—frequently surprising—relationship to nature.” Seattle Times. (Recommended by Peter)
Tim Low, Where Song Began: Australia’s birds and how they changed the world (2016). This eye-opening book tells the dynamic but little-known story of how Australia provided the world with songbirds and parrots, among other bird groups.
Robert Macfarlane, Is a River Alive? (2025). “Like its subject, Is a River Alive? is a work of flow and counter-flow. It is lyrical, evocative, closely observed and deeply moving. Robert Macfarlane offers new ways to think and, just as importantly, feel about the majestic and mysterious non-human world.” Elizabeth Kolbert. (Recommended by Peter)
Lynda Mapes, The Trees are Speaking: dispatches from the salmon forests (2025). In a bicoastal journey, environmental journalist Lynda V. Mapes connects the present and future of Pacific Northwest forests to the hard-logged legacy forests of the northeastern United States. (Recommended by Nan)
Trish Okane, Birding to change the World (2024) Each chapter features at least one species of bird that O’Kane has learned from. She recounts the astonishing science of bird life, including migration and survival strategies, along with many compelling stories about birds and the humans who love them. (Recommended by Noreen)
Marina Richie, Halcyon Journey: In Search of the Belted Kingfisher (2022). Marina takes us along with her as she turns citizen scientist in pursuit of kingfishers along a Montana riverbank and, over time, around the world. Part memoir, part scientific investigation, bird lovers will comes away with a new understanding about this species and their extended family. (Recommended by Holly)
Marc Reisner, Cadillac Desert: The American west and its disappearing water (2018 edition). It was originally written in 1986 and was made into a four-part television documentary in 1996. It is a classic, well written historical account and provides a lot of insight about water management and law in the western US. The 2018 is not a revised edition but has a 50-page Postscript to the revised edition. (Recommended by Dave)
Mary Roach, Fuzz: when nature breaks the law (2022) A humor filled investigation into the unpredictable world where wildlife and humans meet. What’s to be done about a jaywalking moose? A grizzly bear caught breaking and entering? A murderous tree? As New York Times best-selling author Mary Roach discovers, the answers are best found not in jurisprudence but in science: the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology. PTLibrary Book Club Kit
Lee & Michele
On Tuesday, January 14, the Natural History Society examined old growth stumps and discovered what they mean to forest health. We walked approximately four miles at Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park on old logging roads and moderately maintained trails with little elevation gain. This is one of the largest lowland forests remaining in West Puget Sound.
Inspiration for this outing came from the Natural History Society Book Club’s October 2019 selection, Wintergreen: Rambles in a Ravaged Land, by Robert M. Pyle. The author wrote, “… a good stump is a wonderful thing to teach the watchful naturalist.” This gave many of us unexpected insights. We encouraged everyone to share 2-3 sentences from Wintergreen on this walk.
stump
Many community partners launched a visionary campaign in 2011 to conserve Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park and surrounding forestland and coastline from the timber industry and over-development. There’s a new vision and hope for the forest, restoring it as a more natural ecosystem. What better place to share thoughts and new hope for 2020?
Lee at JLTnatural@saveland.org provided meeting time and place, what to bring, and additional information.