Blind Creek, “the place of yellow flowers”, might indicate “rabbit brush…” …the bright, feathered sage that catches the sun in October and draws in jewelled bee flies, with their dense, brightly-coloured fur […]
Land Use Regulations, Part 1: How Things Went Wrong
In the environment of the Intermontane Grasslands, in which more and more natural, diverse ecological space is being replaced by simple environments, one could make a strong argument that regulations have actually […]
The Tree Whisperer and the Rose
A rose is a twig, a thorn, a leaf, a stem, a seed, seed fluff, bark, root, bud, wood and scent, and now, in early winter, the fruit. This is not, however, […]
A Spider for Lunch?
Most spiders I have met are diligent weavers who repair their webs. Well, except for Black Widows who live in rags put up only to give their males something to fight over […]
Siyaʔ Gives Her Sisters Space
Look how this group of serviceberry bushes have spaced themselves out so that their farthest branches, laden with berries, will just fill the space between them, and no more. Note as well […]
Naked Wasp Nest
Now, haven’t the yellow jackets been busy under the protective sagebrush. No need for a protective paper shell, well, until the earth trickles away. Sagebrush is such a great host, drawing up […]
The Human Bias in Narratives About Climate Change
We are a curious bunch. We create groups through social interaction, but otherwise run around independently of each other and of the stuff we run around on, and when that running is […]
Flowers are Where It’s At
The daisy and the bee. The daisy with no bee. The second flower will, however, get pollinated. Not even a spider can wait forever, and it will be drenched with pollen when […]
How People Learned to Stay Still: a Story Old and New
From many, one. From one, many. Just not all at once. Here is Siya? blooming: a cluster of white-petalled flowers catching the eye because so many are close together. Not all bloom […]
Active Space and Negative Space
The sagebrush on the Bella Vista Hills in the North Okanagan creates an active space, which defines the space around it as negative space, or space without sagebrush! It is quite pushy […]
Okanagan Okanogan 