EEC Forest Stewardship

Or could it be a cow elk? Who what where when and why? Location- floodplain of the Rio Chama in north central New Mexico. Arroyo de los Frijoles. Desert, with sand, clay, locusts, elm, cottonwood, and surrounding irrigated agricultural fields. Rancheros with little herds of cattle, some horses, and a mowed orchard. Homesteading through generations, but outside work has to keep things propped up today. Like the carport roofs hanging off single wide rust buckets, tarp city on a rainy day. The garden was a half acre, tended with hand and hoe by one person, usually the eldest male relative, with the knowledge of vegetable tending. Many of the fruit trees need pruning, but look productive at the right time- which is not this year apparently, I saw nothing on the trees in early July. Peaches would at least be green nuts on the branches, apples would be golf balls, and cherries would be ripe for picking. Maybe the harvest had already come? Somehow, I didn’t think so.

Why am I fixating on the fruit trees? Because elk will know where fruit trees are in their wandering routs and lean towards the fruit at the right time of year. Wild roaming cattle might do the same thing. This area has both ungulate species, and either could have come through this barley fenced area next to a large flowing river for desert lands. Any cultivated crops- like fruit trees, need high fencing and protection from the large ungulates trying to find food on the move. During a wet period, more grassland would be available, along with low brush and forbs in the flood plain. Elk know where the larders are, and move up and down elevations, depending on weather and season. Cows are localized, being a domestic animal, they stick close to other cows and human protection. There are coyotes, bobcats, and perhaps even cougars to contend with. A lot of people in the area keep dogs, which do patrol around at night. Elk would be pressured off by these localities, while the cattle would be used to the noise, and less phased by dogs.

Elk are usually pushing through the area to reach the river and water, they will brows on surrounding brush and vegetation more predominant in the low lying valley in winter. Summers would be easy in the caldera to the south of this river valley and it’s surrounding desert crags. Valles Caldera National Preserve offers large herds of elk a sheltered grassland and sheltered pine forests around the edges. I’ve been up into this massive topography and seen the elk in late summer. It’s easy to follow the gullies running down the north side of the crater and into Rio Chama far below. Though the lush forest remains at elevation, far below in the cultivated valley, there is still a lot of edge space for the elk to chow down on, thus when it’s polar in winter, they can come down out of the snowed in rim, and down into more sheltered draws and bottom land. Sure enough, a migration map of elk corridors in NM show the concentration of herd activity in the caldera and surrounding National Forest give the elk a large habitat range, which includes quite a bit of the Rio Chama Valley.

Animals are often limited by human encroachment, and the elk of New Mexico are no exception. The caldera preserve holds precious space for the herds, but they are still isolated from a much larger historic range that would have seen elk throughout the west, where now, there are only limited herds held in check by highways, fencing, and suburban sprawl. Our extraction addictions also contribute to habitat disruption and division. Mining is a big part of western economies, and this overlay of industrial activity here’s just a little taste of the layers affecting wildlife and human habitat. As of yet untapped coal seams is brown, department of energy is pink, department of defense is peach, and the oranges and dark brown are active coal extraction. The elk ranges are protected by purple- federal land. All those little “Ns” are no government owned mineral lands- perhaps small claims by individuals before becoming a federal territory? I’m not sure. There are also a lot of tribal reservations around, and I’m not clear on their mineral rights in this map, they could be part of the “N” collections. Anyway, the comparisons between these three maps are fascinating, and can tell us a lot about wild places, especially in western context, because you’ll not find mineral maps quite this vast back in New England. You won’t find elk either.

Have you made a guess on elk or cow for these tracks? I have my own opinions, and the advantage of having been on site taking these less than ideal identification snapshots. If you want a cheat sheet, you can scroll down to the bottom of the page and have a clearer idea of what rolled through this back 40 maybe the night before. The animal walked through after the last rain, which was a few days ago. Some of the tracks were older (as seen in the picture at the top of this post. Aging can be difficult, but between the rain and now was recent, and those clear tracks disrupt substrate where the rain pattered across the surface, creating the general pimple pattern on the surface of the sand. There are also recent human tracks in the first picture that came through that day, and they look similar in crispness to the animal prints.

I’ve talked a lot about tracking in recent posts, and it’s always fun to throw in occasional mysteries to share with my readers. Though tracking by pictures on a screen is not the ideal way to learn, we can all stretch our brains a bit in the enjoyment of this guessing game. What animals stands in your mind’s eye? Where have you seen these animals before? Can you recall the tracks they made? What other animals might be leaving tracks in this area. You can see a local guide here. I love tracking because, even if I don’t get to see the animals of the area up close, I can see their tracks and sign- signatures across the landscape to learn from. Thank you to all who make these adventures possible, and the people reading my reflections and references. Let me know if you are learning in your own way from these tracking notes, and hope to inspire more dirt time for everyone- get outside!

Come walk with me through a garden of earthly delights! In a moment of 15th century grandeur, we’ll weave upon loom this comic tale of chivalric French pleasure gardens and romantic tales of botanical metaphor. It begins with such a humble root, a broad leaf plantain with seeds abundant and deep veined leaves of evergreen hue, yet spring bright in sunlight- all depicted in strands of wool, dyed organic gradients of plant based hues. Hoofed domestic stock and cultivar charisma hang the living images onto painted cave for us to delight in; while sheltered inside, separate from, and still struggling with dominion of, our nature. From searing the wool, harvesting the silk, building timber frame looms on a scale to hold these castle wall sized textiles, nature plays an undeniable role in all around.

I’m no expert in weaving or natural dyes, but I do know a bit about botanical shapes, and there are some classic species depicted in these rich tapestries. red clover and morning glory weave in to the first close up pictured above, seeing the purple flowers of the red clover blows my mind, and how the plantain is pictured with it’s tall seed stem- amazing accuracy in an otherwise imagined scene. The botanical representations were so accurate because of the symbolic nature of each plant; artisans wanted the viewers to see the language of flowers and know what was being said. It’s a sort of clear handwriting to make sure the message comes through. Floriography enriches the tapestry’s tale, adding context, hidden messages, and beautiful forms of color to a cold stone room.

How can this imagery relate to our modern times? I know we’re not all living in stone castles today, but floral arrangements are still quite the decadent way to lighten a room and bring outside in. In winter, this adornment might be more challenging, but if you happen to have botanical tapestries hanging in your house, you’ve got the summer garden year round. Remeber that much of the world at this time was illiterate, so having something nice on the wall to look at was like a little light reading on display for all. Wallpapers would be another way to cover the walls in flowers today, though the fashion is kind of out of style- with the exception of an accent wall. But enough about interior design- what are the flowers in these tapestries saying?

Below are a few close studies of different verities of botanical decor. Irises in France were a symbol of the king- hence fleur-de-lis. A blue iris reinforces this intention, but also stands for calm, faith, and communication in general. Standing next is the blue morning glory winding around a solid column could warn of toxic relationship. It can mean fleeting love, but also stands for spiritual growth. The combination of morning glory and iris could be a way of saying trust must build in new relationship over time. Or it could warn of desire and virginity being a fleeting virtue. The third picture along this top lineup caught my eye because there is an insect present- it’s far less articulated in this weaving, but might hint at the corruption lurking in any living place. Below the bug is a cluster of purple violets, a small ground plant that usually symbolizes fertility and love, a great foundation for any relationship leading to marriage and family.

Vegetables can also find there way into any garden scene, and the cracked open squashes above reinforce fertility and abundance. Cherries are grouped with them as a sign of good fortune, yet another trait any couple starting off in life together want for a good relationship. Lily of the valley springs up from beneath this collection of auspicious abundance, referencing happiness, sweetness, humility, and good fortune. This bouquet stands in a white column as well- more stability for the relationship. I can appreciate this collection of shapes and color and what it’s communicating for the time. One final image lay modestly at the bottom left of one panel, the daisy- innocence again, modest in the bottom corner, standing alone to affirm the truth of this couple and their love. Perhaps a sign for us all in our hearts, to remain humble and true to ourselves.

I would encourage you to view botanical tapestries in person, and two mentioned in this writing are both on The East Coast. Chateau and Garden Tapestry: Strolling and Seated Lovers, about 1585-1600, can be found in The Isabella Stuart Gardener Museum in Boston, MA- along with two other tapestry collections not pictured in this writing. My other favorite garden tapestries, with arguably the best botanical accuracy known, are The Unicorn Tapestries at The Cloisters Museum and Gardens, outside New York City. Both of these collections are partial, as finding complete tapestry collections is impossible- just think of how many hundreds of years the heavy hangings have been cared for and protected through wars, house fires, and unstable economies. Even the famous Unicorn Tapestries have whole chunks missing from a few of the hangings. Even without the full story, we can still fall into these garden scenes and forget our troubles for a few precious moments.

One image I picked up on very quickly was blackberry. This invasive to our region here in Western Washington, is endemic across most of Europe, even in medieval times. The leaf patter leaps out, then looking closer, I can see the sharp bramble spikes on the cane. There is no fruit on this plant yet, but the flowers are out in their white clusters that will, in late summer, turn to fruit. The weavers even get the yellow pollen heavy stamen in the center of these flowers. The vegetable dyes have faded over the past few hundred years, but I can still see the faint sun bright depictions. The petal counts is different. but that could the the variety, or more likely, the artists not wanting these flowers to be confused with another 5 petal white flower of another type. I know it’s blackberry without having to count petals on the flower, and the artists know this. Cherry and apple blossoms would also be 5 white petals, white periwinkle (a ground plant) would be another, the blackberry thorns and cane give you enough context to look past the four petal flower and still identify the plant represented.

In what other ways to flowers and the nature of botanical come into your life? Think of perfume, soap, paintings, sheets and bedding, patterns on your clothing, and corsages, what were once calls nosegay– a bright way to fend off bad smells in crowded cities without sewers. These small wearable bouquets were packed with scents like roses, lavender, and fragrant herbs. I still lay satchels of lavender on my truck’s dashboard to invite the summer smell of this much loved purple plant into the vehicle. It’s scent will remain through the summer, and into late fall. How else do you use the symbols of flowers in your life? How might you connect closer to the natural world by bringing botanical into your life? We can take a page from these tapestries to enrich ourselves through the imagery of nature in our homes. Hang photos of your favorite natural wonders- I usually have an annual calendar for this. Pick some roadside wildflowers to put in a vase at home. Take cuttings from your garden and make an arrangement- it does not all have to be bright flowers. How many of you deck your halls with bows of evergreen beauty in the dark of winter? I do. Think of all the endless ways you can invite the living world in. Gratitude to our connection to growing things- culture is cultivated, and our shared language of flowers and plants brings another abundant layer to this language with timeless charm.

As I walked into a wildlife escapement area at The Snoqualmie Tree Farm, I wondered at all the change in this space since I had been here last 10 years ago. The trees had grown up quite a bit, while the turn off to get to this place had been recently cut, so I missed the turn off the first time. This plantation area changes drastically with every cut, making the landmarks hard to follow, as they are often cut down or grown over. I was returning here, because it was the site of my very first deer harvest, and I wanted to pay homage to the space, my memories of an impactful experience, and to see what’s been growing on in my absence. What met me was a fascinating trialing exercise in bear activity, starting with this large stump at the main gate, standing as a sign post for all who enter. For a moment, I thought the excavation was bird induced, but, as I came closer, I could see the chunks of wood were far too big for any bird to be chipping off the main stump. Instead, subtle claw and bite marks of a large omnivore met my gaze. I was on a bear trail.

The tall grass on the old logging road showed where these animals had been rolling, laying, exploring, and stump digging for about half a mile. There were countless side trails, none of which I went down, to give the bears some space, and also to prevent accidental encounters. Sows and their cubs are out in these early summer months. There was enough evidence around to show more than one animal had been through, and short stumps are a great place to take the kids for a meal- and to teach. Animals that stay with their young for a period are always teaching. Young animals often mimic their parent as a way to take in knowledge. The trails a mother takes are trails her mother showed her, and her mother before her, and so on. Yes, established bear trails are ancestral. We often forget that wildlife has ancestral lineage, and the learning that goes with it. Salmon will follow the same rout home from the ocean, to the small family stream their ancestors have been swimming to for generations. That’s why, unless you put new fry in at the small stream, no new salmon will swim back there from the ocean. Imagine the impact our encroachment has had on habitat for wildlife.

Luckily, animals adapt, and these bears are learning new routs through an ever changing forest. I was experiencing some of this myself, as I came to the end of the logging road and found no more road to get to where I harvested my first blacktail deer. The road abruptly ended, and a torn up path lay before me, with plenty of replantings to block further site line to the older trees in the distance, where I had set up my tripod to wait for deer, on a huge old growth stump I had wanted to find. The landscape was far too dense for me to climb through that day, and with so much fresh bear sign around, I didn’t want to get too deep in the woods, hemmed in by all the overgrowth. Realizing I was not going to make it back to the exact spot- for now, I turned my attention back to the bear sign and really dove into what I could find there.

The old stumps were all cashes of food for these hulking, human like opportunists. Insects make up less than 10% of a bear’s diet, but it’s an important protein source when a bear can’t hunt. A sow with cubs would have a lot of trouble bringing down prey with her babes in tow. She would also then put her cubs in danger of running into another bear, especially territorial boars. that might try to kill young cubs. This area was full of stumps and berry bushes, along with plenty of thick cover to dash into at any hint of danger.

The grasses were great tracking substrate, showing a lot of action in recent days. How do I know the grass was knocked down by animals and not recent rains? Well, the grass stocks were bent in places where the edge of a paw had come down, or a leg swiped the tall grass aside. Bundles swirled around where a foot pivoted, or a body turned. This kind of sign becomes easier to notice the more you look. I could almost see the cubs tumbling around while mom pushed on to the next stump. The grass around each excavation showed a lot of tramped down action. It was great to form a pattern as I encountered more and more feeding stations. The bear certainly left a mark. One trial even went up a steep embankment, where the sow’s foot slipped and she kneed into the ground to hold herself up. This is what makes following animal sign so amazing, you can still picture images of the wildlife and its activities. Though having not actually observed the actions of these animals, I am forming a narration based on tell tale sign and observations to corroborate my story.

Bears use their claws and teeth to get into a log. You’ll find large chunks of the wood cast off the main trunk, along with bite and scrape marks from the body tools used in excavation. Though ants are a decent food source, the bears are actually targeting brood nests. Larva has the greatest calorie bang for the work the hungry omnivore must do to get at the meal. Of course, mamma bear does most of the hard work to get into the stump, but her cubs watch and learn the whole time, often getting into tighter spots within the log, once the outer layers are torn away. One stump was cracked open, but then left, probably because the sow had already left it, knowing it had no larva inside, a younger cub had mimicked what their mom was doing, but had not quite figured out which stumps were worth excavating, and which ones to leave alone. There was also a lot of clawing on either side of the shallow start, showing short arms and agitated paws trying to get at the tough bark. Note the size of the layers peeled back too- if an adult bear had ripped into this stump, there would be 6-8″ chunks breaking off, not 2-3″.

Still, I’m formulating a lot of assumptions out of my observations, so I could be wrong. As I always say of tracking- unless you see the animal actively doing it, you’re speculating from the sign. Tracking should be a most humbling art form, not something to brag about- because you might be wrong. That’s OK by me, I’m just having fun following out the sign and creating a probable narrative. Tracks would be a big help is narrowing my animal assumption down, but I could not find clear ones. However, years of tracking animals gives me confidence in what I did find, and I’ll give a good argument as to why. The biggest hint in these some what obscure tracks is size. There are not many other wild animals in this area that would have the dimensions of these tracks. Cougar, elk, and maybe a large deer could overlap, but not in hand with the location and activity going on. Scat can also be a big help, and the bear scat along this trail was regular, though at different states of decomposition. I share one picture of a great example- full of berry seeds.

It’s rare to get perfect tracks in the ground, but scat is probable if you know what you’re looking for. A cougar usually scrapes where it poops, often spreading the chunks around as they swipe with their paws- like your cat does in the little box, only wild cats are less about burying it, and more about announcing their presence by taking a dump in the middle of the trail, then scraping- like some dogs do too. Elk and deer do not make a show of where they go, opting to just pop a squat as they move along, and they poop in pellets, not segments, like the bear. Scat, tracks, and feeding sign are all parts of the puzzle when figuring out what animal you’re observing the habits of. My narrative is also taking in time of year, location, and a check through my animal lexicon to make sure there’s not another species lining up with the same traits. Human would be close when comparing scat and tracks, but the excavation of these stumps is something only a bear could achieve at this scale. We may have tools that can tear apart a stump, but our bear hands would be cut up and full of splinters.

Where I can share a love of larder with the bear, is berries. There were red huckleberries, trailing blackberries, and salmon berries ripe all around. What a great place to come and eat! At the same time- I was a guest in the bear’s kitchen, and kept eyes and ears open for my large predator friend. Though black bear encounters are rare- they can hear and smell you a mile off, and usually go the other way fast- a startled bear can charge, and even attack if provoked. It’s always good to be loud and proud in the woods during active bear seasons- especially when cubs are born. Never approach bears in the wild, they may look chill and tame, even letting you get close, but they are meat eaters, and might stand their ground if they feel threatened. Black bears do tend to avoid conflict, so you should also stand your ground if you suddenly come upon them. Stand tall and shout, wave your arms or your pack in the air, take a wide stance and look as big as you can. Keep yelling until the bear backs off and walks away. Stay firm, bears sometimes bluff change to test your nerve. Actual mailings are rare, and if you can hold your ground to call the bear’s bluff, it will most likely wander away, not wishing for an actual physical encounter, which could lead to it’s own injury. Again, to be clear, we’re talking about North American black bears- not grizzlies. Grizzlies are a whole other species, and I don’t want to get into it here, but in short- grizzlies stalk us, are not afraid of us, and can kill a person quite easily. Do not try to face down a grizzly in the wild.

Black bears, like the one pictured above, caught on my trail came on the land in 2018, can be large and in charge. This sow has lived in my neck of the woods of a long time, and has raised triplets in the past- a rare achievement for this species. She and her offspring will be around for a long time, and I am so grateful to this animal for it’s continued lessons in tracks and sign. Studying the natural world will continue to be a life long adventure, and when I happen upon such interesting material, I’m glad to get to write about it and share my learning with you reader. If you see anything in the pictures I’ve shared, please let me know. I’m a life long learner, and appreciate community reflections and shared knowledge. Thanks again to the bears that shared these signs, the habitat they live in, and the opportunity to be in the woods with eyes that can sometimes see the most incredible things.

Crossing onto the north side of Tscha-kole-chyduring around Solstice, I found myself reveling again in the beauty of The Salish Sea and surrounding islands. Some friends and I were on a quest for coastal views and beach fun for the young ones- and adults too. Deception Pass State Park rests among dramatic cliffs, gravel beaches, and arching steel bridges intersecting the landscape. Traffic congestion on the small, two lane highway, takes some of the observation magic away, but well worn trails to the beaches below invite numbers of people to hike up and down the shore cliffs; experiencing ocean and temperate rainforest as they converge over rare geologic formations.

Our outing took us to Rosario Beach- named by Spanish conquerors, a stretch of crescent shaped bay, an outer most part of deception pass, which in known as steuds or “dangerous” in Lushootseed. Currents near the narrow straights are quite turbulent, but in the sheltered bay of our afternoon enjoyment, tide pools and gentle waves lent a much calmer presence, with a subtle outgoing tide pulling lazily at floating driftwood along the shore. I watched with interest as a zodiac boat came into the bay, pulled the floating logs into a cable tow, then carry them out to a huge log booms being towed by a tug in the sound. We reported it to the local rangers in the park, and they too were concerned the wood was being taken. It’s against the law to take driftwood from parks, and floating wood creates important habitat for ocean life. However, they can also become dangerous hazards on busy beaches if not given proper distance and respect.

I had a lot of mixed feelings about this roundup of floating logs, but I’m not an expert, though if nature was to take her time, there would be massive floating log rafts all over the sound, bobbing and sinking through the storms and rotting away in time. We don’t comprehend how much habitat was lost with colonial influence over the past 300 years of white men dictating perceived control over nature. In BC, scientific studies point to floating logs as destroyers of shore line habitat, grinding over the rocks in the waves and breaking off important shell nurseries. Well, that’s nature at work, and she has intention in all she does, we may not understand it, but instead of managing it for our perceived needs, maybe we can study some of it in situ to let nature take her course. Log rafts would rack up along shore and eventually sink to create habitat we may not understand, because we’ve not let it build and grow. Navigation of ships takes priority, so perhaps the floating logs are being dragged off to prevent obstructions on more than one level. Still, at this state park, there are no shipping lanes, but there are diving and snorkeling classes, and floating logs could be a danger to folks in the water too, but when will we take a back seat to nature once more?

There were some well established tide pools at our beach too, so we followed an anchored yellow line around the rocks to observe living creatures in community at the tidal edge. You would think hammering metal into the rocks to make a trail might also be impactful to the habitat, but in a busy public park, it’s the only way to help guide eager feet away from sensitive areas. Though one could also say all the rocks are sensitive places, and allowing hoards of people onto them is more determent than it’s worth. I have more mixed feelings about all this, but I was out on the trail enjoying the sites like everyone else, and it was only one small trail, the rest of the rocky pools were off shore and inaccessible to tourists like me.

I did like seeing volunteer park interpreters at the pool trail to keep people on track through the tide-pool walk. Though one lady was being a little more in our faces about the rules then I would have liked. I watched a kid make a raft out of two logs and paddle out into the rocks for an adventure- with his Dad looking on. Upon his return to shore, the elder interpreter accosted the family and berated them about something. It put an uncomfortable feeling on the beach and people left to avoid the emotional confrontation. Eventually some rangers (officially paid park enforcers) came and broke up the argument, then escorted the irate family back to the parking lot without further issue. Still, it had been a major disruption to everyone’s day, and could have been handled with far less agitation- whatever the issue was. That’s where volunteers can be a hinder with the public, and more training might be needed to create a better public interface. A much younger volunteer was well balanced in her approach to guiding better conduct, through sharing knowledge and asking questions, she guided a group of young people off the rocks and back onto the path, helping them discover a new appreciation for the environment they were enjoying.

Ko-kwahl-alwoot has more than just tide pools and sunny beaches to explore. There are some incredible geological formations that I was eager to see again on my visit. Ribbon chert is found in this park, and it’s really rare and cool. This video by Nick Zentner, an amazing WSU geology professor shares more below.

My friends and I scrambled up the rocky trail to appreciate this formation, a rare piece of geologic history here in Washington. These rocks are over 100 million years old, and how! It’s amazing to see “basement exotics” on the surface and still together. Washington State has a lot of complex geology, a cake in layers that are often difficult to sort and understand, and this rock is no exception. It’s main formation can be found down in Baja Mexico. This is a theory about tectonic movement, and is gaining a lot of traction now that we have zircon crystal dating. Regardless of what theory you embrace, this rock is something to see, and quite the adventure at Rosario Head. We scaled around these formations and appreciated their unique composition- chert is a great fire making material too. Though I have not tried this type of chert to make fire, it could be used as a striking stone with steel to get a spark. Needless to say, we were not trying to start a fire in the park.

Along with all the cool sea life and rare geology, this place also has some special wildlife about. Cliff nesting swallows were busy feeding eager offspring in the sand cliffs of the shore. We watched a busy bird flying in and out of her little nest cave in the wall to stuff her babes with insects caught on the fly. Can you find the nesting cavities in the earthen layers below?

There is so much rich terrain to take in at this place, and all over Washington. In this seashore wall you can see the layers of ash, glacial till, lahar flows, volcanic eruption, and tsunami waves that have come and gone in this active landscape. I don’t quite have the eye or expertise yet in formulating which layers are which, but any eye can see there is a cornucopia of actions in geologic time here on display. There is so much diversity of all kinds here in Washington, from the rocks to the ecology, environments, and many people who call this place home.

Something else about this beach that may surprise some is it’s composition. There is no fine sand at the beach, but instead, fine round pebble makes up the ground all around. Kids were having fun burying themselves in the gravel, and it made a warm bed to rest in between cold swims. The water here is frigid, and not many people were in the water for very long. Admittedly, that day I chose to stay out of the water and on the beach to keep warm. Later, as the afternoon progressed, the sun warmed up the dark stone and kept us moving into shade to keep from burning. I always recommend broad brimmed hats when you’re on the beach to keep the sun off your face and neck.

We needed our coats when we headed up to the narrows for a look down from the bridges. There was quite the breeze whipping across the gap in the stone cliffs, and it made us chilly right quick. My nerves were also tested from the dizzying heights so I went off the bridge quickly to avoid any vertigo. Shaking trestles, a product of large vehicles coming over the bridge, put me on edge too. I knew we were safe on the steel bridge, but the feeling was unnerving enough to drive me back to solid ground quick.

From the edge of the bridge, I watched the churning currents push through the narrow gaps between the islands. I don’t think you would want to be swimming in that mess. It’s a notorious place to bring boats through, thus the deception part of its colonial name. sčud (Lushootseed), refers to hazardousness. The first Europeans to see Deception Pass in 1790 were Spanish, who gave it the name Boca de Flon. I looked up a translation and got Boca “mouth”, but Flon was more difficult, suggesting it was meant to mean “flan”- a caramel cream, which could be the suggested texture of the churning waters. The deception part of the name by English explorers, was a reference to the pass not affirming or denying Whitby Island as an island, which kept sailors guessing. Still, they did not sail through it because it was treacherous water, and still is today.

We stood above watching for a while, then the cold drove us back to the car, and back home to recount our adventures. From the visit to Ko-kwahl-alwoot and sčud, I took away a lot of history, naturalist knowledge, geology, and good memories with friends. It’s a place I would like to explore more in future, along with the other islands of The San Juans. There is not a native name fore the collection of islands as a whole, but there is a land acknowledgment you can read about here. As I have mentioned in my writings before, knowing, or at least hearing the native names of places helps us understand our own history better, so I strive to continue to introduce myself and my readers to these names where I can. I am so thankful for time on the seashore, observing the living world around me, and learning about the special places I call home.

Small adventures in local parks are always fun. Today I found myself in Black Diamond in a naturalist area full of trails through some plantation forests and along a small creek named after the colonial coal mining town of Ravensdale. Thanks to the robber barons tactics of railroad expansion, the town hosted a coal mine to fuel the trains moving through, carrying grail to a fast growing Seattle city, and coal to anywhere in need of fuel- which was everyone. In the 1920s, Ravensdale was disincorporated and most of the crews relocated to Arizona to mine copper. The open spaces left to walking trails and naturalist areas are a legacy of long term ecological genocide now in recovery. In fact, most of this green space will never fully recover, because there is too much coal ash, open pit scars, and other rampant toxins, like arsenic, released during mass extraction until 1975, when the last pit was dynamited closed.

In a map below, you can see the hydroelectric implemented, along with man made lakes, diverted streams, and city parks put up to window dress the mining devastation of the late 19th and early 20th century. Two cemeteries are also marked on this map, showing the dead buried in the watershed. The vast wetlands were once home to incredible biodiversity. The railroad barons bank rolled surveyors and mineral experts into these lands to find and mine rich coal seams along the Cedar and Green Rivers. Ravendale Creek is caught up in the middle of this extraction extermination, and helped run the railroads and heat the homes of many city dwellers who came west to seek a better life, only to find the mines and rail yards they left behind, well founded and still operating across the continent, ready to employ them as cheap labor, and bring in Chinese laborers and Black miners when the whites unionized for better pay and safer working conditions. Remember- wealth has always pitted poor whites against BIPOC communities to gain more wealth at the expense of everyone else.

The natural world is the biggest looser here, yet we all turn away from our legacy of extraction lifestyle, still well in play to this day. Your wild water has been harnessed into dams to fuel industry that lifted some out of poverty, yet today, continues to degrade the very natural resources we need to survive- like safe drinking water, clean soil, and pure air to breath. Sure, we’re not burning coal any more, so we’ve come a long way- or have we? The detriment our mining ancestors brought is still harming the environment, and surrounding communities. Ravensdale creek flows out of Ravendale’s Lake, a place that’s home to John Henry Mine. This site is still yet to be addressed, as it’s harboring suspected heavy metals and other toxins the state fears disturbing, because it’s all down hill from there into a lot of wild water and the aquifer for millions of residence down stream. Oh, and a local silica corporation is operating on the site, and offering clean fill dirt and a place to dump your unwanted soil on site. If you are wondering about your neighborhood here in Washington State, please explore this map.

When we enter green spaces, we are sometimes falsely lured into thinking the place we are is safe and full of thriving nature. We read about the return of salmon, new native plantings, and all the great public space we have access to. But when we dig a little deeper, literally, we can unleash the legacy of toxic fill and extraction abuses left by companies never intending to clean up after they took what they wanted. Countless small mining towns in this area faced the pollution, many children died young or were still born, many men lost their lives in collapses, or came home to die a slow death with black lung. Now, our children and grandchildren can suffer from all the microplastics in our water and air, breathing in the continued legacy of extraction industry and combustion technology that’s going to take us to mars. Or so we’re told. At the expense of ourselves and the last vestiges of the environment that keeps us alive. But beautiful naturalist areas to wander in now, so enjoy!

I took this picture of a red alder with what I thought was heart rot. It might be a canker of some kind- certainly fungal in origin. This young tree is sick, and it could just be environmental, but looking around at this establishing forest, I wonder how long it will take for the pollution of the groundwater to show through. I looked up alder heart rot- and this was one site I came upon. Don’t worry, these fugal infections are not a threat to economic gains, so we should not be too concerned with its presence in the forest. The article ended with ways to control the fungus in commercial stands, labeled “cultural control”. That sends a chill up my spine. Our culture is indeed controlled by industry and commercial earnings. The immeasurable costs to our environment keep stacking up. When do we think this will finally catch up with us? I think it already has. US women are continuing to struggle with getting pregnant, people are riddle with cancer, and ecological collapse continues. So, we should all go for a walk in the woods, pick a few berries, and stop worrying about what’s in the water we’re drinking, or the food we’re eating right? Order something else on your jungle account and stream some good screen time.

Or, get outside and start looking around at what’s going on. Get involved in local conservation movements, or invest in helping to clean up a toxic site. We the people have a lot of energy in us to mitigate what matters. I often write about taking little steps- like public transit, carpooling, or not buying online every day. A lot of my friends are now deeply connected to buy nothing groups online, that’s excellent. Invest local- especially in food. Find your local farmer and ask what you can invest in for them. CSAs are great, seasonal buying is crucial. I’ve got a great wait list of clients waiting to buy my lamb. That’s a big help in knowing my animals will sell each fall. I don’t ask for deposits, but knowing people are signed up and expecting is enough for me, I do get lambs to people within a two year period. If you go in with a group, you can get a lamb faster. Invest in pick your own establishments, and go pick your own. Food is my main vein of thinking, because it’s my chosen lifestyle- and it is a lifestyle. What’s yours?

Back in the nature park, birds are singing, creek water is flowing, and the trails abound. There were nice foot bridges established to cross the creek back and forth, and some well marked signs to help you know where you are walking- or at least the trail names. There were no mile markers- because you can enter the trails from almost any direction. Some of the longer connections will hook you up across country lines, and into the deeper wilds of The Central Cascades. Other trails loop you around your neighborhood and back to the blacktop in no time. I saw evidence of horses, so trail riding is possible, and some paths lead to major lakes, where you can swim, boat, canoe, or fish. Just make sure the fish are safe to eat. I’m a little concerned about all the mining history of this area, even the abundant berries I picked and ate were probably contaminated, but that’s the human body for ya, contaminated. But at least today, the walk was relaxing, and the access to so much open space divine. Gratitude for nature’s resiliency, our awareness of it, and the acceptance of our ancestor’s actions in polluting our homes today. Go find a green space and get out.

The fruit is on here at EEC Forest Stewardship, and we’ve picked cherries, harvested plums, and await the early summer peach and apple harvest that’s still developing on the branch. Pears and quinces will come in the fall, but young fruit there is also looking good. Overall, the orchards are developing nicely. There is enough fruit for me, a few friends, and a little for the wildlife too. The birds got about half my cherry crop this year, as I delayed in getting my ladder out there to pick the high stuff, so the birds helped themselves. I’m not mad about it, as the wildlife needs some fruit too. I will regret letting them have so much, because I won’t have any to freeze for winter enjoyment, and I’ve taught the birds to come in now- which is hard to stop once they know the timing on ripening fruit.

Industrial orchards use netting to protect cherries, and we won’t do that here, so I have to dissuade the birds by getting to the fruit first. Starlings are the worst pest bird in the orchard, and a flock of them can empty your trees in hours. Luckily, I don’t have enough cherries here to call them in. The woodpeckers go for the pears and apples in late summer, early fall. Again, I can’t fault them for taking advantage, but I am motivated to pick the fruit fast to avoid ruined flesh still on the branch. The woodpeckers peck into the fruit, but leave it hanging, so then a lot of bugs and other opportunists move in. I cant say enough about timing- keep an eye on things as they start to ripen, and pick a lot before it’s fully ripe for best harvest numbers. Most fruit can finish off the tree, so plan for ripening inside if you can. I also pick up all the dropped fruit from the ground to avoid leaving an alluring odor around to entice bears. This is crucial to prevent bears learning that your orchard is a good larder to come check on in the Fall.

The grapes are also doing well this year, especially our white wine verities from Austria. The wine grapes are neglected, but that’s what makes them thrive somehow. My table grapes get watering and a lot of babying- it’s time for another pruning already. Grapes need pruning to let the energy of growth go to the fruit, rather than the vine. I’ll drag the ladder out for that work too- but why am I hesitant with the ladder? It’s one of the most dangerous activities on the farm- or anywhere. Ladders are a fall risk- a big one, and I’m usually alone when in need of them, so I don’t climb high up- which is sometimes what’s needed to reach the top tier of the plant for proper pruning. Who said orchard care was easy? Not me! I tend to fall behind in my pruning, it’s a lot of work on the older, well established trees, but worth it to keep production up. Most fruit trees also have good years, and bad ones, but that rhythm is somewhat unpredictable. This year, the cherries were less productive, but last year they were amazing. What will next year bring?

My Asian pear tree looks like a modest harvest this year too- but it’s still putting on fruit for the next few months before harvest, so a lot could change. The apple trees are already dropping some of the load- shedding weight to keep their branches from breaking. I’ll still have to do a lot of pulling before the mature fruit comes on, but it’s what I would call a mast year in apples here. That is, if they hold on till they ripen. Sometimes, my apples shed too much fruit in anticipation, and then I’m let down a bit. But the trees know what’s going on, I’m the one needing to catch up.

There is so much to learn about fruit trees, and I’m still quite the novice, so thanks to the trees for continuing to show me the way. Sometimes I’m blind to what’s happening, like drought stress. I don’t usually see it till the tree sheds all her fruit in one go- and that’s usually the older, well established trees that don’t get watering help. My young orchard is irrigated in the summer, which keeps the fruit on and the young trees developing nicely. Sometimes I loose my harvest to a bear- once so far, but it’ll be back again to check each year now, so I have to be ready and ahead of it with the harvest. Other challenges like leaf curl, aphids, bacterial bark infection, and apple moths can put a dent in the harvest, the possibilities are endless, so I keep a good record of which verities seem to protect themselves well- I don’t use any sprays on my fruit trees, which makes their cultivation a little more challenging. In the end, you get what you put into your fruit trees. Mine are productive, healthy, but sometimes temperamental about water, weather, and pests.

One fruit shrub I’m not yet having any luck with is thimble berry. The fruit starts to set, then dries out before maturing into fine red clumps of deliciousness. I think they need more water at a crucial time in their development, and I have not gotten the memo yet. I know this native plant will one day produce, but it might need a little more help form some watering at the right time- which I have yet to fully understand. Sometimes, it’s a mistiming on pollination too. Cherries bloomed early this year, before most of the pollinators were out- so there were not many fruits. Sometimes there is a late frost, which kills off the buds throughout the orchard. That’s not the case this year- thank goodness! The key in keeping an orchard is having a diverse planting of different verities. That way, if one or two are having an off year, a few others can make up the difference. It’s working here so far, and I’m about ready to make another investment in new plantings based off the knowledge and observations I’ve made over the past decade and a half. With any luck, we’ll be picking fruit on this landscape for generation to come.

On Monday, I was tracking elk in baqʷab. The sign in this very active area offers lots of learning. Fertile loam from the river produce excellent substrate for capturing the hoof morphology from this giant land mammal so brilliantly. There are around 400 animals in this herd, which seems to keep at this population limit naturally. Though elk were historically present though the last 10,000 years of human settlement, the current herds were introduced. It helps to understand context of animals and how they got here to make it clear that this herd was imported, but to also understand that before colonial mass hunting, there were kʷagʷičəd living in sdukʷalbixʷ valley. When we use the indigenous language of the place we are in, we find even more deep context. If you would like to learn more about Lushootseed and how to pronounce it, you can go deep here.

The landscape where these animals abound is overtaxed in some ways, yet strangely manicured, like a stage set complete with live animals on display. The elk are here, but wolves are missing, this lets the herd stay in the valley without fear of predation year round. The habitat can’t fully sustain such concentration of large animals, and people who choose to develop and live amongst the large herbivores struggle with damage from wild animals moving through. The novelty of local elk still abounds, and attempts are made to mitigate conflict, but the herd is going to be here, so get used to it. The wording is not ideal, but the message is clear enough- the elk are a tourist draw, and also play some part in ecological restoration, but no wolves, and no, we don’t have to pull up stakes and give land back to the native people- I mean, wildlife.

Luckily, there is enough park land to keep the elk fed and wed to place. Enter, “elk land” or as our colonial tongue calls it, Meddowbrook Farm. The baqʷababš once lived here, and managed the open plains that might have been camas prairie long ago. Now there is white clover, plantain, and other colonial introduced forbs and grasses to feed the introduced elk. Why is this a thing? All these introduced species? Well, my colonial ancestors brought them here, shoved themselves into this place with rail and cable to perpetrate ecological genocide on the landscape and just plain old genocide on the people already living there. This is part of tracking folks, and if you are just now hopping onboard- welcome.

I might be leaning too far into the weeds for some of you- after all, you might be reading this blog for entertainment alone. Naturalist entertainment will feature, with some nice plant knowledge- in English so you know the names and understand the plants as things, not beings like ourselves. There is no name for clover in Lushootseed- it has no cultural relevance. For Lushootseed plant names go here.

baqʷab is a place that sums up our world so beautifully. Walking the gravel trail, we passed the remains of a yearling elk, run over by the mower, which keeps the walking trails maintained and accessible year round. There are sign posts to guide walkers around the edge of the fields- they are all in pastəducid (English). To be fair, this 460 acre preserve is owned jointly by two colonial towns. Though it is recognized publicly that the land remains the home of The Snoqualmie Tribe, we the people own it now, and that’s that. Unless you’re actively participating in the land back movement and supporting the sovereignty of local tribes. But hey, walking around in their ancestral lands to check out nature is cool right?

Talk about ancestral, these elk rubs on red alder tell of generations in communication here. The red patches are fresh rubs form this year, where as, the ashen scars are healed over many years. All the ground plants are waist high, manicured down by forging mouths with too little space to feed. Or maybe this is fire suppression at work? The only studies on elk browsing involved aspen in Colorado, so perhaps some money could fund such a study here in The Pacific Northwest some time? I look at the forest floor here and see a lot of missing species, but that’s also more likely due to generations of logging, so let’s not get too hasty to blame the imported elk herd yet. Though I will say, ungulate browsing in one place will prevent new diversity from growing over time. That’s evident here on my own land, where I let the sheep graze. You won’t find trillium or hooker bells in a silvopasture under-story, but you will find them reintroduced in fenced off forest restoration groves.

The habitat where these elk roam remains denuded of many species- and the spruces are being hit hard! I thought black bear cambium bark feeding was rough on trees, but the elk take the prize for continued calamity on a tree- just look at these wounds on the trunks.

I really don’t know how these trees will survive. But that’s concentrated grazing for you. Without predators to pressure the herd, they stay in the candy store as much as possible, until all the sugar goodness is gone. How do the forests survive at all? I’m not sure they will, in time, the trees will be girdled, and there were several standing dead snags in the woods to demonstrate what’s coming down the pipe. Maybe that’s how this prairie was formed originally? Maybe fire played a role too. It’s hard to make clear statements, as there’s not a lot of research out there on these things locally, and might not ever be without curious minds thinking aloud- and funding for the studies. Anyone up for some grant writing? I think I’d much prefer wandering through wetland edges witnessing the changes first hand. These pictures and reflections add to compiled information for the future generations. That can be enough right?

I know you can bring your kids to see the elk in Snoqualmie, and maybe even get close enough for a selfie. Even in hunting season, these elk hang in the valley and know they won’t get shot- unless a master hunt is called after they parade through the local golf course and the country club gets mad. That’s when action against the elk invasion comes to light. I’m not a master hunter, so I won’t be on those country club hunts. To “bag” one of these elk, you have to be lucky enough to find one wandering in the tree farm, and have your proper permits, or around public land near q̓ilbəc̓. I’ve set intentions in the past to harvest one of these outliers, but no luck yet. That’s a lot of meat, and a lot of work for a single person to carry out. I’d rather plan a base camp gathering so I have the extra hands on call if we harvest something. Please know there are laws protecting the hunting of animals, and qualifiers to earn the privilege to hunt- at least here in Washington. Most states have hunting laws, so be informed before you plan a hunt. There are some nice elk in this park, but it’s a park, and the animals are protected. I’m writing this because, once, while observing the elk from a designated viewing site, a man walked over and asked me how he could hunt those elk. It was apparent that he believed he could just bring his gun next time and shoot one. I gave him the fish and wildlife website, along with a few pro-tips for legal harvesting, and left hoping some of what I had shared sunk in.

baqʷab is where the elk sleep, and you’ll find lays all over the place in the field. Wildlife has to have safe places to sleep, eat, drink, breed, and give birth. Colonial development has taken away most of that space, and it reflects in the number of wild things left. None of these elk are from here originally, those herds were hunted to extinction. That does not mean these animals are not playing a part in restoring nature’s balance today. It just means, we have artificial on artificial, and that means a lot of management on the part of people to keep the elk healthy and sustainable. There are several surrounding parks with restoration projects on show. Forests that were fenced off as saplings, are growing into maturing stands now. Some native understory still exists, and will continue to recover if people stay out. Unfortunately, not all the restoration land around this valley is well protected, and some areas are being denuded by careless human habitation.

Near baqʷab, there is an area known as tucuwaʔdəb, it’s a naturalist area now, but was home to five houses know as “dying of tuberculosis”. Need I say more? No, I should. Colonial manifest destiny often sites lots of open, pristine land, ripe for tilling homesteads. No, that land was not just open and empty, there had been millions of people living all over North America before colonial genocide began. Due to other introduced living things, mainly viruses, millions of people died. This was long before small pox blankets, the Spanish conquerors landed in small villages and spread their plagues like wildfire. The cultures and people who had tended the land for thousands of years are still here, and many are trying to share some deep ancestral knowledge about how to better live with the earth, be lived by it in fact, to survive and thrive. Who is ready to listen and learn?

Lots of replanting has happened in tucuwaʔdəb, restoration of the natural world takes time, but is happening there. Elk are coming in, moving through, and people too- maybe too many people. I can see the compacted trails there, trails compacted by many hundreds of people, their dogs, and bikes too. It reminds me of the trails in Central Park, NYC- where I worked for a couple of summers in the late 90s. We would put up hard fencing to keep people out of areas in recovery. It felt like this place needed some hard fencing. On the south side of the river, under a bridge, I used to find all kinds of great tracks in the sand. The bridge protected the sand from rain, and saved weeks of wildlife walk through. Now, people are living under the bridge. That’s a big change for the environment. Wildlife can’t move through now, and trash is piling up, all sorts of junk being hauled in. There is even a spot where a fire is evident, with massive digging up around root balls to stop the fire going into the ground, traveling along the root highways and starting new fires throughout the forest. The whole area was wrecked by people who were already marginalized from somewhere else. People without an understanding of what this intrusion does to them and the ecology the live in. These people may not have grassy parks to lay down on, they may not have protected habitat to survive in. Restoration for all please.

Access is crucial to maintaining successful habitat. The elk have established their own highways through the parks and forests of this valley. They carve out their own space, and show us where the wild edges are. Tracking was sometimes too easy, a hard cut in the soil with so many tracks, the two toe pattern was lost on itself. All the trees were blazed with antler rubs, red gashes, like cuts in the landscape, bleeding for lost ecosystems from long ago. When the dense evergreen forests towered over us, biding only owls and antlers into the woods. The people were in canoes traveling waterways between modest villages full of incredible crafting people with abundance all around. I’m sure there was still discourse and distress in complicated tribal exchanges that sometimes led to war. I don’t think any place was or ever will be perfect, but I do think the people who have lived here since time began, are still the best fit to lead us towards abundance and thriving in balance in this place. For me, that looks like ending colonial cycles of genocide by planting back forest and ending a long line of extraction based wealth madness.

There is still a lot of good life in this colonial legacy to live, and spending time in the last fragments of nature feeds this bright soul, and teaches connection, survival, grounding, and context in this great big world. After many hours of observing and trailing, the kʷagʷičəd revealed themselves and grazed contently on some private land nearby. From the truck, I watched them for almost half and hour, giving thanks for their lessons in adaptation and resiliency. We could all use a little tracking time in our lives, time set aside to be out in nature looking at what’s there, learning from it, and having some deep inward tracking moments that help us better understand place.

I had one of the best visual flights from Seattle to Boston on June 1st, 2026. Above is Snoqualmie Falls, a signature of glacial legacy as The Snoqualmie River travels along from upper to lower valley, fed by The Central Cascades. The small creek that runs through EEC Forest Stewardship runs down to join this great river, highways for salmon in the Fall. On this trip, it was the first time I flew right over this incredible water feature, and what a view. My home is the ancestral home of The Snoqualmie Tribe. They have shared a map with place names to help us colonial legacies better understand the deep history present in this valley. It is important to recognize First Nations and the legacy they continue to hold in connection to place. Wherever you live in North America, there are tribal histories present. Take time to learn about the people who have lived where you are since time immemorial.

q̓əlbc (Lushootseed)

The next icon of my home region is the looming outcrop bulging forth from the foreground. q̓əlbc is a popular hiking destination for determined folk looking to see what summiting the top of Tahoma might feel like in 3100′ of elevation gain. Yes, I’ve climbed the switchback hell- and got a spectacular view, along with plenty of friendly faces and stunned ones. People seem to think a full parking lot means easy. My experience was expected- lots of stops along the way to hydrate, enjoy off trails to boulder fields, old growth stands, and a longer rest at the top to enjoy looking about. Since it has become quite the tourist trap, and no sane person would approach parking in the area during a fine sunny day- or any of the warmer months, I tend to avoid said place, but the view today was that of a soaring metal eagle, appreciating the jet fuel burned thus far for such spectacular appraisal.

Of course there are some elegant looming peaks in most skylines of Western Washington. Tahoma is the most well known in our area, with her white cap and glacial aura year round, projecting up from sea level, a white cap colossal in the sea of blue-green. cʼilíləɬ watches from behind the sister’s right shoulder, another great strata volcano, a 12,276′ monument to our chain in The Ring of Fire. Still a third mountain, blocked in these photos by Tahoma, is Loowit, the sister that threw her fire in jealousy at her older, more good looking sister Tahoma. Yes, they were fighting over modest, but no less handsome cʼilíləɬ. Not a love triangle I’d like to get caught up in, especially when the sisters start throwing fire.

Mountains Tahoma and cʼilíləɬ (Cowlitz)

The less dramatic ridges of evergreen are my most beloved places to wander. I’m not looking to summit a grand peak, just a stroll with mother nature from time to time, her waters sometimes granting me a fish or deer to fill the larder. Mushrooms and berries are still plentiful for those who take the time to mingle a little deeper into the woods. With so much gratitude for the worlds continued abundance in some places, it is good to live here and partake. At this time of year, the mountain peaks should be blanketed in a bit more snow, we had a bad winter, with later storms still lacking in abundant melt water to fill our creeks and streams. Fire season will start soon. Then any flights from this area will remain blind in a blanket of thick brown haze.

The Yamakiasham Yaina (Klamath) Range with Lake Tsi – Laan (Salish) in the Background

For this writing, you might have noticed unfamiliar geographic names, the original names of places where I now live. Though I use Cascades throughout other writings, in this reveal, I try to offer a taste of how foreign we colonial legacies really are to this place. Our English sounding interpretations may be what’s used today, but the language cannot harness what is known by people who have lived in the area for over ten thousand years- before time was recorded and measured by academic intentions. The millions of years in geologic time push us back further still. To the formation of these mountains, the volcanoes, and subduction that local oral histories have warned of for generations before any Europeans sailed in. That’s how we first intruded, in tall ships that ignored already settled coastlines. Cook came here after his first Hawaii genocide. I say this because illness came off the ship and into the villages of the native people. This bumbling captain then sought out the northwest passage and wandered all over the west coast and what is now Alaska, seeking any hint of short cut from even obscure Russian maps and Spanish rumors. I can’t imagine how the crew felt, being so far flung from home, but the short cut was not to be, and Cook returned to Hawaii, where he was killed for being so obtuse.

How had Cook avoided sailing inland to The Salish Sea? Passing it in the night, he denied its existence, because he didn’t see it in person- good thing too. My history classes growing up taught me the marine explorers were amazing people that went on epic adventures. I now know better, and strive to assimilate the knowledge that Colonial invaders were not helpful, or welcome in the wild places they explored. Though metal tools were compelling trade, disease and casual murder of native people who were seen as animals, and not people, will forever haunt the “lasting achievements” of pompous white men. Today, the majority of old growth forests in The Pacific Northwest are long cut and gone, with the pollution of generations bent on extraction now poisoning our very earth, water, and soil, without any consequence to investors and the robber barons that paid for such inductions.

Oniaagarah or Ochniagarah known to First Nations Canadians as “the thunder of waters”

Meanwhile, on the opposite coast of this vast continent, America was taking shape. Cook sailed his Northwest Passage Quest around 1778, but would most likely not yet gotten the news that The Colonies had separated from His Majesty King George a few years earlier. In Upstate New York, on the boarder with Canada, there sits another famous waterfall- Niagara. It is also a sacred place to the many tribal people that have always lived there. Though today the area is heavily built up for tourism, tribes still come to pay homage to their sacred waters. These cultural activities remain unseen by the majority of colonial legacies, out ancestors made sure to destroy evidence of tribal people where ever they went. After all, if you can see evidence of those who lived there before, you have to think about what you did to them to get their land, and that may not feel very good to us, or our future generations. But it’s not about guilt, it’s about naming the truth and saying it out loud. Acknowledging the past preserves the future for all. If we continue to ignore the past, we’re bound to keep repeating it.

How can colonial lineages make a difference? Start by learning about who lived on your land before you. Are the tribes still around and present? Can you find a way to support them? This can look like volunteering to support restoration projects, learning some of the language- especially place names, and understanding what happened to remove them in the first place. If you can, plan to will your property to local tribes in reparation for our ancestors who stole that land in the first place. Giving the land back is the best way to heal trauma and return this land to it’s original stewards. If you don’t own land, how can you still work to make the land healthy and productive? What can you do to serve wildlife and restore habitat? How can you share knowledge with others, helping fellow colonial legacies to see what has happened and learn the full narrative of American History? Doing this good work will free all of us from our haunting legacies, and make space for healing and recovery for the land and all the people. Even if you just take the time to learn the name of the tribe that lives where you are, that’s a first great step in naming place and people.

Gratitude for all life on earth, for our original instruction to tend the living world, and be lived by it. Thanks to all who share in each breath we take, hearts open, minds receptive to the great change that is needed for our very survival. May the adaptations happen gently, may the people come together in celebration at the wholeness of this earth.

The flock of geese grows well and good here at Leafhopper Farm. Eight goslings are now loosing their baby down and sprouting fine feathers. The markings of saddle backs continues to come through on the piebald, while the solids brighten into their pure white down. They have adapted to life behind electric mesh fencing, and try to climb into the water buckets, which they can get stuck in, so I’ve had to really watch certain mundane objects that can be lethal to these young ones. Last year one did drown in a trough, so the threat is real. Geese do not spend all their time in water, and will become hypothermic if swimming for an extended period of time. I also found one the other day on its back with no way to turn back over, it was uneven ground, but it had been struggling for a while and seemed quite stressed by the experience. I was concerned about the mesh netting, but as long as it’s hot, the birds seem to feel the energetic boundary and keep well away.

Have I mentioned how much I love Cotton Patch geese? Yes, it’s true, they are wonderful poultry to keep, and do a lot for the land, but, you have to keep them well fenced to prevent garden wandering and pond scumming. With 10 now, the pond turned green after only a few days of summer use, so we’re fencing the geese out to keep things cleaner. Cotton patch are quiet, calm, and attentive. They listen to me when I ask them to “go inside” their stall, and will keep to themselves when amongst the other animals. I can approach them without being attacked, in fact, unless it’s nesting season or the birds are cornered, they avoid and shy away. Anyone familiar with geese will be shocked to hear this. It’s true though, Cotton Patch geese are mild mannered. They do occasionally honk though- which is loud. But my neighbors on the other side of the creek have African geese that are very loud a lot of the time, so I can see why many people avoid keeping geese, but these geese are mostly quiet. They are also great eating, and provide a good amount of grease for cooking and other needs. The down is soft, and can be collected and used to make bedding and winter wear. I’m saving my down up for a comforter.

These animals excel at grazing, but are not a replacement for lawn mowers. Our sheep do the main cutting, then the geese follow behind cleaning up, and maintaining the lawn until it grows back in and needs another grazing down. I can understand why many people keep mowing between grazing to keep certain vegetation down. Here at EEC Forest Stewardship, we rarely mow- and would need someone to bring in equipment when we do. I have a weed wacker to keep stuff off the buildings and gate entrances, but all the rest is done by the animals, which saves on gas and grows more meat for the table. That’s smart husbandry in my book. Speaking of husbandry, the goose plan is to keep just the breeding pair, for now. So this young lot will be sold or slaughtered- if you are in the market for a good pair of geese, contact me at escocrain@gmail.com. We’re asking $75 each for this rare and amazing breed, and you must take at least two, as they are social creatures who need friends to feel safe and happy. I can’t say enough about how easy and gentle these geese are, so if you are new to the species, this is the breed to start with for sure.