by Joy Stewart | Mar 14, 2017 | Native plants
This native plant is especially eye-catching during winter months when the beautiful red coloring of its bark is especially prominent after a freeze. A fan of moist soil, this plant is often found along streams and in forested wetlands. Besides being beautiful, this...
by Joy Stewart | Mar 14, 2017 | Goings on at SHADOW, Native animals, Wetlands
Herpetology is the study of reptiles and amphibians. Herping is the act of searching for these creatures in their natural habitats. Both of the words herpetology and herping come from the Greek root herpeton, meaning ‘to creep”. This Greek root is...
by Joy Stewart | Mar 14, 2017 | Goings on at SHADOW, Native animals
If you enjoyed an apple today, you have a pollinator to thank for your snack! In fact, if you ate a strawberry, a lemon, an avocado, or even a batch of French fries, you have a pollinator to thank. One-third of all of the food we consume requires pollinations to get...
by Joy Stewart | Feb 9, 2017 | Native animals
John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club and renowned 20th Century naturalist, famously said of the Douglas Squirrel, “He is the mocking-bird of squirrels, pouring forth mixed chatter and song like a perennial fountain; barking like a dog, screaming like a hawk,...
by Joy Stewart | Feb 9, 2017 | Local environmentalism
The Central Puget Sound Chapter of Washington Native Plant Society is offering a variety of free community classes around King County this winter. Whether you are a Native Plant expert or new to botany, these classes offer interesting information about the...
by Joy Stewart | Feb 9, 2017 | Wetlands
Wetlands- the kidneys of a watershed! Wetlands are responsible for filtering water and slowing it down. Wetland complexes like the one at SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve are among the most productive ecosystems on earth. Their unique combination of shallow water, high...
by Joy Stewart | Feb 9, 2017 | Local environmentalism, Watersheds
A raindrop falls in Howard Hanson dam. A raindrop falls in downtown Kent. Raindrops splatter across a Nature Preserve in Renton. How is it that all these raindrops - scattered across a diverse landscape - all make their way out into the Puget Sound? That is the magic...
by Joy Stewart | Jan 12, 2017 | Native animals
The black-capped chickadee is a common sight in Washington, even in the winter! These perching birds are year-log residents of Washington State. While other birds are heading south the avoid the cold, chickadees stick around and deal with the rain and snow just like...
by Joy Stewart | Jan 12, 2017 | Goings on at SHADOW
This winter, SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve challenged our community to help us make the most of an anonymously donated matching fund. The outpouring of support we received for the 2016 Matching Gift Challenged affirmed this community’s commitment to environmental...
by Joy Stewart | Jan 12, 2017 | Goings on at SHADOW
Volunteers braved the snow and rain this winter to help SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve prepare for our seasonal closure! Together, we raked leaves, frost-proofed pipes, pulled invasive weeds, and prepared for a quiet winter. Thank you so much to all of our volunteers who...
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