We’ve lived on the Kitsap Peninsula for 45 years now. When we moved here from Seattle, this land on traditional Suquamish territory was zoned rural, and the timber company Pope, owned vast swathes of land where it clear-cut the timber, and replanted mostly mono-cultures of Douglas Fir. Over the years, Pope morphed into Olympic Resources, converting … [Read more...]
Vine Maple
Bear Grass is Blooming
In the Pacific Northwest, this perennial herb has been utilized by basket weavers for a long time. With great care and delicacy, individual leaves, and only a few from each plant, would be pulled from near each stem. It had, and still has, value to First Peoples cultures for decorative work on baskets and hats, and was and still is used as a … [Read more...]
Western Red Cedar
The forest is a special place, and each plant has it's own story. Once tall, thick forests covered the land surrounding the Salish Sea, or Puget Sound, region. Since about five-thousand years ago, among these tall conifers, there is a pollen record of the existence of the Western Red Cedar. This slow-growing, water and shade-loving plant, became … [Read more...]
