Native American Science Kids Visit Preserve

On a cold March morning, a boatload of nine Native American high school kids interested in science came over from Canoe Island. They are visiting and doing field work in the San Juans for about a week. We talked about Cedar Rock Preserve and some of its natural history as we walked up from the Squaw Bay orchard into the small woodland behind the house. There was a lot of talk about the role of deer and we spent time looking at the level of browse on different types of vegetation. A great group to host!

More Hidden Garbage Gets "The Bag"

This pile was covered up with branches and was very dificult to see from the path. I've hauled off 4 bags already and it looks as if I'll need about 3 more. I'm also noticing a lot of old pilings (creasote!) and chuncks of pressure treated wood on our beaches. Yuk! Toxic stuff!

Waldron Grasses Find Home on Shaw

Sam and I had some extra Elymus glaucus and Bromus sitchensis plugs left over from the Disney restoration project. Not wanting to let them dry out and die, we decided to find some suitable places to plant them. An obvious spot was the bare ground around the disturbed area were the septic repair had taken place.

The remaining 1/3 of the grasses were planted in an area of exposed soil between the driveway loop and the house garden. In this location Sam had recently dug up some exotic yucca.