This is not a forest clearing: Weeds in the Grass, Ewing Pines and firs are invasive species here. This is not a forest: Young Trees There’s not a tree here older than […]
Ingrowth
Apple Hunting with Bears
Last fall, I was driving past Ewing, on the west side of Okanagan Lake, when I slammed on the brakes. This is what caught my eye: First Growth Apple Orchard Gone to […]
Wild Humans, Tame Horses, Brother Deer
In some ways of thinking, it’s not just humans who are persons. In ways that have worked well during the greater part of the life of our species on this planet, this […]
There’s Gold in The Hills
By accident, we have turned our hills into giant gold sluices. Road Gutter, Okanagan Landing Note how it very efficiently sorts gravel out from water. The water is lost to the ecosystem, […]
Pussy Willows and Land for All
Welcome to the road ditch: a prime spring habitat. First, to an Okanagan Indian Band ditch… Pussy Willow Preparing to Bloom Imagine the sound of cars roaring past behind your back, and […]
The Joke is On Us
It’s that time of year! An Old Tradition Hangs On Despite the infill of subdivisions, old habits of spring burning aren’t dead yet. The bigger the flames the better, it seems. Sun […]
Bad Green Good Brown
Somebody got the idea that plants filter water and stabilize slopes. That’s true, but it’s only part of the story. What plants are really doing is living. In terms of work, the […]
Hints at a New Science of Life
The science of botany got its start in plant classification and botanical gardens. Because of that, contemporary human understanding of plant communities largely revolves around species and their interactions. The results can […]
Hawthorns in Danger of Extirpation
Somebody read that hawthorns grow wild here. Domestic varieties show up in low-water gardening just about everywhere, with their pretty pink flowers and their red berries for the birds. Full marks for […]
Hi-Tech Water
Trees don’t always need much water. Here’s an apple tree that is doing very fine, thank you very much, without irrigation: Apple Tree Standing Like a Horse in a Field Coldstream Ranch […]
Okanagan Okanogan 