Here’s a cut on the Grey Canal Trail in Vernon, that was planted into blue bunch wheatgrass about 15 years ago. Bluebird boxes were installed on the fence (you can see one […]
The Dance of Eye and Mind
Humans are visually oriented, and have a love of the bright colours, blue, yellow, gold, blonde and white that catch the eye at a distance. It is easier to notice the pollen […]
For Bees’ Sakes, Let’s Grow Up
When the world of summer flowers is blasted by neglect, bees have it hard. There really is nothing, for mile on mile on mile. Even planting a calendula helps. It’s up to […]
The Only Hope for the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys in a Culture of Fire
I hate to say it, but the dream that has kept my family tied to the land for 91 years in this trough in the Columbia Plateau is over. Instead of a […]
Dancing in a Fur Coat
Sure, the picture is not precisely in focus, but what the heck. The bee is the star here. Look at her answer the call of the balsam root. Look at the balsam […]
Life and Death and Cottonwoods on the Similkameen River
Rivers flood. It’s one of the things they do. They’re pretty good at it. The Similkameen River, with a minimum flow of 65 cubic feet per second at Nighthawk, an average flow […]
The Sacred Mountain of the North Okanagan
I went down to the lake to read the news. Terrace Mountain was pretty free with it. This old stratovolcano showed me a bird feeding something, or about to devour something. Note […]
Climate Resilience 3: Self-Fertilizing and Self-Watering Islands
That’s right, islands in the grass. They’re not just sitting there. They are creating nitrogen and releasing minerals from the rock into a form that plants can use. In fact, instead of […]
Magpie Makes a Mistake
It is a rule of magpie society that no-one gets a picture. Absolutely not allowed. I got lucky!
Murdering Geese for Tourists. It’s What We Do.
These geese. Come June, they will be herded with kayaks, put on a truck, killed, and dumped in the landfill. These geese: On a beach that has silted in with road sand […]

