Vashon is a rural island in Puget Sound (Washington state). Its windswept beaches, thick stands of second-growth conifer and madrone forest, open farmland, and thickets are home to 251 species of birds. Naturalist Ed Swan helps readers learn about the Island's bird species, especially where and how to find them. He illuminates the connection between birds and the conditions of land and water, especially related to human alterations of the landscape over the last 160 years. First published in 2005, this new edition includes new sightings, updated species accounts, all-new maps, seasonal abundance charts, and birding hotspots.
In this updated edition of their best-selling field guide, renowned bird experts Tom Aversa, Richard Cannings, and Hal Opperman illuminate the key identification traits, vocalizations, seasonal statuses, habitat preferences, and feeding behaviors of bird species from British Columbia to southern Oregon. - Compact full-page accounts feature maps and more than 900 color photographs by the region's top bird photographers - Comprehensive revisions to taxonomic structure and sequencing of avian families to align with the most current print and online resources - Territorial range covers much of British Columbia; all of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho; and parts of western Montana and Wyoming Spanning a vast, distinctive region rich in protected wildlands and iconic national parks, Birds of the Pacific Northwest is a superlative, complete resource for enjoying the many bird species found in the region.
Reachable only by ferry, Vashon Island is a breathtaking rural retreat from the bustling activity of nearby Seattle and Tacoma. The island's first inhabitants, the sx???bab", took advantage of its evergreen forests and rich marine resources. In 1792, George Vancouver was the first Anglo to discover the island and named it after Captain James Vashon. By the late 1800s, the first white settlers had established farms and greenhouses that supplied nearby cities with berries, tomatoes and cucumbers. Ferries drove development in the later half of the century, introducing new industries and tourism to the area. While both influenced by and isolated from the mainland, the island developed its own unique character treasured by locals. Merging human and natural history, author Bruce Haulman presents the rich heritage of this thriving community.
An easy-to-use and beautifully illustrated guide to help you identify and understand the feathered strangers nibbling at your backyard feeder or singing from a nearby tree. Lavish, full-color illustrations and clear, enjoyable descriptions on 125 common and interesting species around the Seattle area. This book includes quick ID tips, songs and calls, notes on habitat, nests and food, similar species listings, birdspotting checklist, bird feeding hints and tips on how to find the best birding spots in the area.
Throughout their bountiful history, Vashon Island farmers have faced weevils, frost, hailstorms, war, internment, and other catastrophes by turning adversity to advantage. They survived to pass down a legacy of exciting oral history to coming generations. Now for the first time ever, their stories have been collected into a book by Seattle writer Pamela J. Woodroffe. Read what these farmers say about the following: —the urgency to produce healthy food —leading the standards for raising strawberries, chickens, roses, and fruit trees—losing farms to war and prejudice—the peaceful work ethic of life on a farm—the history and future of sustainable agriculture on a tiny isle in Puget Sound, Washington “Residents of Vashon Island should count themselves lucky to have this painstaking oral history of their agricultural heritage.” Michael Pollan, author of The Botony of Desire: A Plants-Eye View of the World. “A very instructional piece on the history of agriculture and the major changes that agriculture has encountered on Vashon Island over the last several decades.” Eric K. Nelson, King County Agriculture Program Coordinator. “It's good to hear the stories of the new generation of Island farmers who are carrying on the tradition of connecting their community with the land.” Mark Musick, a founder of the Tilth Association, Farmer Liaison with Seattle’s Pike Place Market.
From a "born storyteller" (Seattle Times), this playful and moving bestselling book of essays invites us into the miraculous and transcendent moments of everyday life. When Brian Doyle passed away at the age of sixty after a bout with brain cancer, he left behind a cult-like following of devoted readers who regard his writing as one of the best-kept secrets of the twenty-first century. Doyle writes with a delightful sense of wonder about the sanctity of everyday things, and about love and connection in all their forms: spiritual love, brotherly love, romantic love, and even the love of a nine-foot sturgeon. At a moment when the world can sometimes feel darker than ever, Doyle's writing, which constantly evokes the humor and even bliss that life affords, is a balm. His essays manage to find, again and again, exquisite beauty in the quotidian, whether it's the awe of a child the first time she hears a river, or a husband's whiskers that a grieving widow misses seeing in her sink every morning. Through Doyle's eyes, nothing is dull. David James Duncan sums up Doyle's sensibilities best in his introduction to the collection: "Brian Doyle lived the pleasure of bearing daily witness to quiet glories hidden in people, places and creatures of little or no size, renown, or commercial value, and he brought inimitably playful or soaring or aching or heartfelt language to his tellings." A life's work, One Long River of Song invites readers to experience joy and wonder in ordinary moments that become, under Doyle's rapturous and exuberant gaze, extraordinary.
Define your individual style. With their colorful leaves, sculptural shapes, and simple care, succulents are beautiful yet forgiving plants for pots. If grown in containers, these dry-climate jewels—which include but are not limited to cacti—can be brought indoors in winter and so can thrive anywhere in the world. In this inspiring compendium, the popular author of Designing with Succulents provides everything beginners and experienced gardeners need to know to create stunning container displays of exceptionally waterwise plants. The extensive palette includes delicate sedums, frilly echeverias, cascading senecios, edgy agaves, and fat-trunked beaucarneas, to name just a few. Easy-to-follow, expert tips explain soil mixes, overwintering, propagation, and more.
