Resource managers and conservation practitioners work to preserve, protect, and understand the lands, waters, and wildlife of our country. What do these professionals need in order to address the challenges posed by climate change in their work? We spent a year asking 195 natural and cultural resource managers, conservation practitioners, and researchers this question.

These professionals work along the west coast of North America in the North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative (NPLCC) region. This is a dynamic and beautiful place filled with dense evergreen forests, spectacular coastlines, some of America’s longest rivers, and such iconic species as salmon, orca, and grizzly bear. While their toolbox is full of strategies and actions applied over the decades, they requested more support to address the particular challenges presented by climate change.

Decision-support systems and tools

By gathering the most relevant documents, data, and other resources in one place, decision-support systems and tools enable managers and decision makers to make more informed decisions. For the managers, conservation practitioners, and researchers we engaged, decision-support systems and tools were the most requested type of support. These systems and tools may include:

• Maps showing where a particular type of habitat is located
• Climate change vulnerability assessments for a specific forest, beach or other location
• Computer- or web-based tools that visualize climate change impacts, alternative ways to respond to impacts, and the pros and cons of choosing one alternative over another

Collaboration and other capacity-building activities

The NPLCC region traverses the Pacific coastline from southern Alaska to northwest California. It crosses state and national boundaries and encompasses federal, tribal, state, and non-governmental jurisdictions. As such, the professionals we engaged emphasized the need to pursue projects and plans that meet the objectives of multiple partners working to address climate change effects on diverse ecosystems. They also emphasized the need to work together to maintain or improve the health and status of the region’s ecosystems over time; in other words, to build or maintain landscape resilience over time. Requested capacity-building activities include:

Bald eagles are found in much of the NPLCC region. Credit: Robert Palmer

• Guidance such as “Best Management Practices” manuals that outline how to incorporate climate change considerations into planning efforts. Or, assessments of the pros and cons of applying new or controversial research to make management decisions.
• Case studies of progress or success in climate change adaptation
• Development of synthesis products, such as an assessment of when, where and under what conditions to use tools for climate change analyses and/or planning. Or, a web-based “climate clearinghouse” that compiles contact information, scientific literature on climate change, and/or an inventory of existing research.
• Facilitation of collaboration among people, projects, institutions, and funding sources

New or different science, data and information

Some data gaps and information needs identified by the managers, conservation practitioners, and researchers we engaged are shared throughout the NPLCC region, while others are particular to a specific location or ecosystem.

The beauty and complexity of the region is breathtaking. This is just the type of system scientists would like to model. Credit: Patricia Tillmann

• Hydrologic data (i.e., water data) in Alaska and British Columbia such as data on how much water flows in a stream per year, per season, per month, or per day.
• Regional and local models of ocean conditions. These may include water temperature, patterns of ocean currents, the level of nutrients in the water, and other conditions.
• Scenarios of climate and socioeconomic conditions, developed in collaboration with decision makers and stakeholders. Scenarios are different but equally possible “visions of the future.” They provide specific descriptions of what the future will look like based on hypothetical (or in some cases, real) decisions made today.

Science communication and outreach

The professionals we engaged identified three audiences for targeted communication and outreach: resource managers, conservation practitioners, and researchers; the public and educators; and, decision makers. They also emphasized that promoting effective science communication and outreach will require targeted messaging and a user-to-consumer approach. Examples of requested communication and outreach needs and activities include:

• Use of visualization tools to communicate climate change effects and examine potentially vulnerable areas
• Making the connection between social, economic, and ecological impacts, especially when communicating with decision makers and the public

Learn more and support our work to build capacity to address climate change

Download the full report: Advancing Landscape-Scale Conservation: An Assessment of Climate Change-Related Challenges, Needs, and Opportunities for the NPLCC (pdf)

Learn more about our work to build capacity to address climate change

Take action in the Pacific Region

Becky McIntire and I co-authored this blog.

Bats

Did you know Washington is home to sixteen of the world’s 900+ species of bats? While most commonly associated with comic book superheroes or blood-sucking vampires, bats are actually a critical part of Washington’s ecosystems. They dine on hundreds of insects a night in the summer, controlling pest populations and providing fertilizer and seed dispersal for our forests and other ecosystems. Check them out on batcams, here and here.

A female Townsend’s big-eared bat, Corynorhinus townsendii. Photo: J. N. Stuart

Myth: Bats only live in caves – or attics!

Fact: Bats make their homes in hollow trees and snags as well as caves. You can also put up bat houses.

Myth: Bats are flying rodents.

Fact: Bats are mammals! And they are more similar to humans than they are to rodents such as mice.

Myth: While bats on the East Coast are in trouble from White-Nose Syndrome, Pacific Northwest bats are doing just fine.

Fact: Nine of Washington’s bat species are listed as state Species of Special Concern or as Federal Candidate Category 2 species, which means we lack enough information to list them under the Endangered Species Act even though listing may be appropriate. The Townsend’s Big-eared bat, for example, is one of the rarest bats in Puget Sound. According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, whole colonies of these cave-dependent species have disappeared after human disturbance.

You can help bats! By providing habitat with trees, snags, and bat houses, minimizing pesticide use, avoiding roosting bats, supporting bat research, practicing responsible bat watching, and much more, you can help sustain our beautiful and essential bat populations.

Most of this information is drawn from a wonderful website: www.batsnorthwest.org.

Owls

Owls have held a mysterious appeal for humans for thousands of years, appearing in myths, legends and superstitions, often as harbingers of death or as symbols of wisdom.  Maybe we find owls fascinating because of their large eyes, silent flight, nocturnal habits and their disconcerting

Threatened northern spotted owl, Strix occidentalis caurina, with young. Photo: Jim Thrailkill/USFWS

Myth: Owls can turn their heads around in a full 360 degree circle.

 Fact: Most sources agree that an owl can turn its head just 3/4 or 270 degrees around, which is still impressive.

Myth: Those tufts are ears.

 Fact: Nope, the ears are located on the side of the head, just like in people.  However, the ears may be uneven, allowing the birds to locate prey by triangulating with sound when  vision isn’t enough.  The tufts are thought to be useful in camouflaging the bird as well as expressing aggression.

Lamprey

If you need a costume idea for next year, consider lamprey! The lamprey is a culturally-important species for many Pacific Northwest Tribes, who harvest the fish for subsistence, ceremonial, and medicinal purposes. All three species have been suggested for listing as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Despite their importance, myths persist about their feeding and habitat preferences.

Although mating pairs of lamprey typically construct their redds, or nest, together, this is a single female Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata). Photo: USFWS Pacific (courtesy of Jeremy Monroe)

Myth: Lamprey live only in fresh water.

Fact: Four lamprey species are native to the Columbia Basin and two of them – Pacific and river lamprey – are anadromous, meaning they live in both fresh and saltwater. The other two, Western brook and Pacific brook lamprey, are freshwater species. All lamprey play an important role in the freshwater stream ecosystem, recycling nutrients by filtering microscopic plants and animals from the bottom sediments.

 Myth: Lamprey are parasites.

Fact: Pacific and river lamprey are parasitic, but only in the ocean phase of their life cycle. They are also food for sharks and sea lions! Western brook and Pacific brook lamprey are not parasites. 

Spiders

From horror movies with giant spiders to the fear of spiders known as arachnophobia, spiders are among the most feared and misunderstood creatures common to the Pacific Northwest. In truth, spiders are quite important for managing pests and generally avoid contact with us.

Myth: Daddy-longlegs venom is fatal to humans, but fortunately their fangs are too small to bite us.

Fact: Only one of the three groups called daddy-longlegs – the Pholcid spiders – has venom and there is no evidenceit is fatal. Also, what many term daddy-longlegs are actually crane

Is this Tegenaria gigantea, the giant house spider? It’s hard to tell without a microscope and other tools. Photo: Becky McIntire

flies or harvestmen, neither of which have venom.

Myth: Spiders found in or near drains came up through the pipes.

Fact: It seems spiders actually get stuck on the smooth surfaces common to sinks and tubs after they have come down from a wall or ceiling.

Myth: Spiders are easy to identify, for example by their markings.

Fact: Spiders are identified by their structure and a microscope is often needed to do so.

And for those of you who think spider webs are small, check out this blog to see an enormous spider web! Most of these mythbusting facts are drawn from an extensive website on Spider Myths, authored by the Burke Museum’s Curator of Arachnids Rod Crawford.

Snakes

Snakes are fascinating. I devoured every book and Discovery channel show I could find on them as a child. I learned that yes, snakes shed their skin, but no, they do not roll into a big “O” and roll away from you. I’ve even had the opportunity to hold a garter snake and feel the muscles of an albino python around my neck. My love and curiosity about snakes remains today. Here are some other cool myths and facts about snakes in the Pacific Northwest.

Common garter snakes (Thamnophus sirtalis) are quite common in the Pacific Northwest. Photo: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Myth: Garter snakes swallow their young to protect them from danger.

Fact: There is no evidence that garter snakes, or any of the other snakes common to the Pacific Northwest, swallow their young. Garter snakes do, however, give birth to live young. And this winter, you are unlikely to see many snakes because most species will be hibernating.

Myth: Snakes are slimy.

Fact: Snakeskin is actually dry and relatively smooth. Amphibians such as frogs and salamanders, on the other hand, have moist skin to allow water and other nutrients to pass through.

Myth: Constrictor species like pythons and boas are only found in tropical climates.

Fact: Washington is home to the rubber boa, a 14-30 inch long relative of the world’s largest snakes! It is not often seen, but may be found damp wooded areas, camouflaged by its olive-green or red to brown skin.

Keep up to date on all our work at the Pacific Regional Center office in Seattle: follow us on Twitter (@nwfpacific) and like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/nwfpacific).

1. If not the West, coal companies will go elsewhere

While the coal export market is definitely complex and difficult to understand, there is one part that is relatively straightforward: if the supply of coal export pathways in the West is too costly, coal companies will take their demand for these pathways elsewhere. Coal companies are already exploring their options in Mexico and the U.S. Gulf Coast:

“The West Coast is geographically better located than the Gulf coast for exports to Asia, but it has encountered stiff opposition by the environmental groups for port expansions. As a result, coal companies are forced to use the Gulf coast for export activities.” [Kinder Morgan Energy Partners] has been proactive in developing coal handling facilities and terminals in the Gulf coast. – Forbes  Magazine, Trefis Team

No matter where the coal companies try to take their exports, the harmful impacts will follow. This leads me to #2.

2. We know the legacy and reality of coal mining—it’s bad for people, wildlife and the environment

Tens of thousands flocked to the U.S. coal industry in the 19^th and 20^th century and thousands remain in the industry today. Nearly two hundred years of intense coal mining has left a legacy most are familiar with:

• Significant health risks including cancer and respiratory disease
• The growing idea that the health risks of coal mining outweigh the economic benefits
• Fish and wildlife habitat destroyed by mountain-top removal and strip mining
• Birds, fish, animals, and humans poisoned by long-term exposure to mercury contamination

Since we are now aware of the many risks of coal mining and burning, I’d like to fight it wherever it tries to go and leave a new coal legacy to my future children. This leads me to #3.

The Legacy of Coal Mining: strip mining operations at the Navajo mine (left and right) destroy habitat and impact our communities (middle). Credits: Terry Eiler (middle right), Lyntha Scott Eiler (remaining)

3. Stopping the export of U.S. coal is the latest fight in a wider effort to reduce fossil fuel consumption and increase the use of alternative and renewable energies.

Efforts to reduce fossil fuel consumption include driving less, conserving energy, and reducing consumption of goods and services. Efforts to reduce fossil fuel consumption also include campaigns to stop tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline, natural gas fracking, and oil shale. A wealth of alternative and renewable energies that safeguard people and wildlife are available. Stopping the export of U.S. coal is simply the latest in a long list of ways we can work to reduce fossil fuel consumption and increase the use of alternative and renewable energies, which leads to #4.

Wind energy is just one of many alternative and renewable energies available to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Credit: Imagefusionstudio

4. It’s our responsibility as a nation to address the fossil fuel emissions that have gotten us into the climate change mess in the first place.

The U.S.’s significant historic and current emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, largely from fossil fuels, have gotten us into the climate change mess we are in. As a long-time global economic leader and industrial innovator, the United States is both well-equipped and ethically responsible for showing leadership and innovation to reduce fossil fuel consumption and tackle climate change. And this brings me to #5.

5. We should not risk our health and the wild places we cherish to support exports that will only return mercury and greenhouse gas emissions to our communities.

We don’t need the contaminated food, water, and air that more coal exports will bring. Instead, we should fight the coal export battle, as well as other dirty energy battles. At the same time, we should export the alternative and renewable energies that will help put the globe on a healthy track to a sustainable tomorrow.

For all these reasons, it’s time to stand up and fight!

Keep track of our efforts to stop coal export in its tracks: like us on our regional and Power Past Coal Coalition Facebook pages, and follow us on Twitter.

On a clear, summer day, downtown Seattle appears etched into the skyline (left), but Central Washington wildfires muddle the view today (right). Credits: Cierra Hunziker, Patricia Tillmann.

Wenatchee wildfires have near- and far-reaching effects

As reported on KUOW’s Weekday this morning, grassland and timber wildfires near Wenatchee have raised the Haze Index to a 6 in the area (listen to 1:00 to 11:33). The reduced air quality is a problem for sensitive populations such as those with respiratory conditions, as well as firefighters who are getting “kettle cough” from the smoke. Even in Seattle, Janet Pierce, Spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), suggested sensitive populations should be cautious about the air quality and check the news for updates (current air quality is also available from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency).

Air quality is not the only issue facing those in the Wenatchee area. Many are worried about losing their homes and not receiving the proper notice to evacuate. Ms. Pierce assured listeners this morning that the Sherriff’s office is knocking on doors to notify those needing to evacuate. She also educated listeners about the three-level notification system used by DNR. It is a “Ready, Set, Go” system, where Level I means “Get Ready” and Level III means “Go.”

While I am reassured by the availability of warning systems throughout Washington State, I remain worried about the apparent increases in our region’s susceptibility to wildfire due to fire suppression, pests, and climate change.

Fire suppression, pests, and climate change exacerbate wildfire

Fire is a natural and necessary process in Washington’s forests, but forests in the Wenatchee area remain prone to excessively large or hot fires due to a history of fire suppression, pest management decisions, and other activities. Fire suppression allows dry underbrush, dead trees, and branches to build up on the forest floor, providing more than adequate fuel for fires and increasing the probability of fires that are larger and hotter than they were in the past. Climate change projections for Washington, specifically projections of increased summer temperature and decreased summer precipitation (relative to 1916-2006), indicate:

 “Regional area burned is likely to double or even triple by the end of the 2040s, although Washington ecosystems have different sensitivities to climate and thus different responses to climatic change” (University of Washington Climate Impacts Group [CIG], 2009).

Pests such as insects are also a natural part of forests, but the increasing presence of invasive species such as spruce budworm and pine bark beetle can leave a large number of dead trees. As noted in a recently released study by The Nature Conservancy, these trees are quick to ignite in a fire, which can further exacerbate fire severity. With climate change, the vulnerability of Washington’s trees to mountain pine beetle outbreak is projected to increase, especially for pines and trees at higher elevations (see CIG study). In fact, Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark issued Forest Health Hazard Warnings in response to declining forest conditions in several eastern Washington counties.

The risks of wildfire can be addressed with effective and proactive management

I know wildfire is a natural process and I appreciate its vital role in healthy forest and grassland ecosystems. But I also understand it puts homes and people at risk and that climate change, in combination with forest and pest management decisions, is projected to increase that risk. Fortunately, scientists and managers are working hard to come up with effective, proactive management strategies to help forest and grassland ecosystems, as well as the people and wildlife in those systems, adapt to a changing climate. Learn more at the CIG page and the Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange.

And be sure to visit our Facebook page or Twitter account (@nwfpacific) to let us know what you think about the blog!

Alaska’s Inside Passage is one of many wild and iconic places in the NPLCC region. (Credit: Patricia Tillmann)

6 Management Challenges Presented by Climate Change

Using a survey and thirteen web-based focus group discussions, we asked project participants a series of questions about how climate change was affecting their work to better understand the challenges and opportunities associated with managing ecosystems, habitats, and species in light of current and potential future climate change effects. After analyzing their answers, six primary climate change-related management challenges were identified:

1. It is difficult to know how to identify and use climate-related science, data, tools, and/or information.
2. It is difficult to incorporate uncertainty related to climate change into one’s work.
   

   The NPLCC region is dominated by coastal temperate rainforests and some of the most productive marine waters in the world. (Credit: U.S. FWS)

3. Because climate change is most often framed as a new factor to consider in management, addressing climate change may compete with existing priorities or the wrong priorities may be pursued when climate change is not addressed in management practice.
4. There is a lack of capacity to address climate change, including technical, institutional, and financial capacity.
5. There are institutional, international, cultural, and/or social barriers to addressing climate change.
6. There is a lack of coordination, collaboration, and communication around climate change issues.

We then asked project participants to suggest climate-related science and information needs that, if fulfilled, would advance their ability to incorporate climate change into their work. Potential science and information needs ranged from funding the collection of basic hydrologic data to mapping the location of vulnerable habitats or species and convening workshops to allow managers and scientists from diverse fields to collaborate on identifying adaptation approaches that will work across a broad landscape. The latter suggestion – convening workshops – was already a planned activity for our project.

3 Workshops to Identify and Inform Strategic Planning and Priority-setting

The three workshops brought together ecosystem and climate change experts from agencies, conservation organizations, and universities to further define and refine the potential science and information needs identified through the surveys and web-based focus groups. Participants were asked to evaluate a potential need across four criteria, each of which provides information to the NPLCC about when, where, or for what purpose a particular need is suggested:

Focus group participants from Alaska discussed climate change effects and related managment priorities for sea lions. (Credit: Patricia Tillmann)

• Decision-relevance: what decisions this information would help answer
• Spatial and temporal scale: specify the geographic region and whether the information is needed on an annual, seasonal, daily, etc. timescale
• Timeline/urgency: when this information is needed, tell us why this is important
• Partners/ongoing efforts: who might already have this information or might be well suited to develop it

The final step in this project is to synthesize the information gathered from the survey, web-based focus groups, and in-person workshops. My colleagues and I will work closely with our partners at the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group and the NPLCC to produce a report that is thoroughly reviewed by project participants and synthesizes the information gathered in a way that both accurately reflects participants’ feedback and helps inform the NPLCC’s short- and long-term planning and prioritization efforts.

195 People to Thank for Building the Partnership

All of this work and all of these results were made possible by the 195 project participants and partners that devoted their time, energy, and expertise to thinking about how the NPLCC could best advance climate change adaptation efforts in the region. It has been inspiring, educational, and fun. We have made great strides in just the last nine months; I can’t wait to see what this partnership does in the next nine months! Thank you, project participants and partners, for your commitment and insight throughout the process.

Coastal temperate rainforests of Cape Flattery (left) and Juneau (right). (Credit: Patricia Tillmann)

In recent months, I’ve been lucky to spend time in four impressive places throughout this landscape. Check out the photos and information here, then connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, or the comment boxes below to share the special or ordinary places that take your breath away! And do consider visiting our regional page, where you can learn more about how I’m helping preserve these beautiful places through my work with the North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative.

Juneau, Alaska

• Why it’s special: Alaska is home to some of the last remaining true wilderness. It is a dynamic and liberating landscape, home to the spectacular Tongass National Forest, whales, bald eagles galore, and hundreds of migratory birds. It is not unusual to spot a humpback whale (or whales) tracking a school of fish through the water, the water peppered from above by birds (Arctic terns in my case) eating their fill of the fish.
  

  The deep aqua hue of the water at Cape Flattery was unique and beautiful. (Credit: Patricia Tillmann, Hipstamatic print)

• What I did: Hiking around Juneau and the Mendenhall Glacier; shrimping
• Ease of replicating experience with limited time, money, and/or know-how: Once you’re in Juneau, the hiking is free and public transit will get you to the glacier. Shrimping will require a buddy with a boat.

Cape Flattery, Washington

• Why it’s special: In addition to being the stunning gateway to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and a culturally-significant location for the Makah Nation, Cape Flattery boasts the cleanest recorded air in the contiguous United States. It smells amazing.
• What I did: Hiking and camping at Cape Flattery and on Makah Nation land. Bike riding from nearby Port Angeles to Sequim.
• Ease of replicating experience with limited time, money, and/or know-how: Once you’re in the Puget Sound area, a car and camping equipment are the easiest ways to replicate the experience. Campsites are usually inexpensive (<$20). An extended bike trip is also a possibility.

 Arcata, California

Standing in the trees ahead, I felt miles away from the town. (Credit: Patricia Tillmann)

• Why it’s special: Look west to the ocean and east to giant redwoods. Even with homes in view, the sound of children playing in a nearby park, and students training to climb the giant trees, ambling through a stand of redwoods makes you feel as if you’re in the middle of a forest miles from anyone. Redwoods are magical, it’s as simple as that!
• What I did: A short walk through the city’s Redwood Park. I was in Arcata for work, convening a workshop of land and resource managers, conservation practitioners, and researchers to help inform climate change adaptation efforts in the region.
• Ease of replicating experience with limited time, money, and/or know-how: Arcata, like Juneau, can be expensive to get to. Once you’re there, Redwood Park is a short walk up the hill from town. Highway 101/1 would be a beautiful way to drive or bike here.

Skagit Valley, Washington

Myriad shades of red, yellow, and purple abound at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. (Credit: Patricia Tillmann, Hipstamatic prints)

• Why it’s special: Skagit Valley boasts some of the most fertile and beautiful farmland in Washington State. The gleam of Puget Sound is visible to the west, the Skagit River winds its way through the Valley from the mountains to the east, and every April, thousands of tulips decorate the landscape in a panoply of bright color.
• What I did: The Tulip Festival! Twice!
• Ease of replicating experience with limited time, money, and/or know-how: From the Puget Sound area, the Skagit Valley is accessible via car, public transit, and bike (depending on your starting point). There is a small entry fee for Roozengarde and Tulip Town, but you can tour the fields for free.

]]> http://blog.nwf.org/2012/06/captivated-by-a-landscape/feed/ 0 http://blog.nwf.org/2011/12/3-cheerful-eco-friendly-tips-to-brighten-the-darkest-days-of-the-year/ http://blog.nwf.org/2011/12/3-cheerful-eco-friendly-tips-to-brighten-the-darkest-days-of-the-year/#comments Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:15:54 +0000 Patricia Tillmann http://blog.nwf.org/wildlifepromise/?p=39781 Read more >]]> Try these three easy eco-friendly tips to brighten your day!

1. Purchase live trees, flowers, and plants instead of cut varieties

Beautiful bouquets of flowers are hard to resist, especially in winter when it seems so little is blooming. But, there are a variety of winter-blooming favorites that would be happy in your home, either year-round or temporarily. Three that come to mind are cyclamen, Christmas cactus, and, if you like to have a tree up at this time of year, a live, native tree that you can plant in the spring (or return to the store for them to plant).

Why it’s eco-friendly: live plants sequester carbon, purchasing locally-available varieties reduces fuel consumption for transport, supports local economies

Planting a native tree supports our iconic forest ecosystems. Image: Darius Kinsey (1927) / flickr / UW Digital Collections

2. Bring your own containers to the grocery store

We are all familiar with the “Bring your own reusable bag” movement, but you can bring your own containers too! If your grocery store has a bulk section, bring in those tupperware, old yogurt containers, or whatever else you have on hand and fill those babies up! Be sure the containers are clean and try not to touch the scoop to the container – a watchful attendant will appreciate your attention to public health. Then, just write the code on the tags they make available, snap it between the lid of the container and the container itself, and you’re good to go. Easy!

Why it’s eco-friendly: reduces the consumption of packaging materials, fewer plastic bags are used for bulk items, reduces food waste because you can buy as much or as little as you want, encourages the market for bulk buying (reinforcing the previous three points)

Seattle stores with bulk areas: I especially like the Ballard Fred Meyer and Uptown Metropolitan Market.

Bonus tip: If you want to save a few extra pennies, weigh your container and write down the weight on the tag so the cashier can subtract it from your purchase. I find that a larger plastic container such as the 64 oz. tub of Nancy’s yogurt weights about 1/8 lb. (0.125 lbs).

3. If driving, get warm and cozy in the car before starting your trip

With chilly weather the norm these days, a toasty car always brightens my spirits. I love to sit there as the car warms up: shoulders hunched, hands snugly ensconced in mittens, radio on, shivering a bit as the car’s engine moves from a somewhat-noisy rattle to a low, purring hum. Once I hear that hum, both my car and I are warm and ready to go!

Why it’s eco-friendly: a car’s emissions-control equipment performs best when the car is the right, warm temperature

Do you have eco-tips to brighten the darkest time of year? Share them with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Even snowmen say Stop Global Warming! Photo credit: Patricia Tillmann

But There Is More To Be Done

Fight Coal Export

Here in the Pacific Northwest, coal companies would like to construct export terminals to transport coal from Wyoming and Montana’s Powder River Basin overseas. Not only would this fly in the face of the Pacific Northwest’s growing commitment to a clean energy future, but the transport of coal across the western U.S. would place people and wildlife at risk from breathing in coal dust, filling wetlands used by migrating birds and salmon, and increased noise in our towns along the way. Power Past Coal is working to prevent the construction and use of coal export terminals in the places we call home. Without these terminals, there is no point to transporting the coal to our ports, through our towns and wilderness, to destinations far overseas. Learn more about what you can do to help Power Past Coal.

Dust from open coal trains could coat our lands - and our lungs. Photo credit: Paul K. Anderson

Mounds of coal surround massive machinery. Photo credit: Paul K. Anderson

Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline

The Keystone XL Pipeline would cut through America’s agricultural heartland, across the precious Ogalalla Aquifer and through the homes of Midwestern families, sandhill cranes, sage grouse, and walleye.  National Wildlife Federation has worked tirelessly to stop this pipeline from being built and prevent the 2,000+ mile transport of dirty tar sands oil from northern Alberta to our Gulf Coast refineries. This November, the Obama Administration announced it will explore alternative routes for the pipeline, requiring much-needed additional environmental review and likely delaying a decision for at least another year. This decision was a victory for the campaign, but a new problem has surfaced in recent days: a proposed environmental rider in the end-of-year payroll tax-cut legislation package would effectively shortcut the environmental review process. Learn more about what you can do now to help stop the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Prepare now for the effects of climate change

Even as we battle for a clean energy future, the choices made in the past will require us to prepare for the effects of climate change in the present. Check out these easy tips for energy and water conservation, green purchasing, green gardening, and the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Here in the Seattle office, we are devoted to preparing for the effects of climate change now. Our work includes:

• Partnering with the North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative on their efforts to tackle climate change at the landscape scale.
• Adapting large-scale water management systems for current and future environmental conditions in theYakima River Basin and California Central Valley.
• Protecting Puget Sound floodplains by working to reform the National Flood Insurance Program, reconnect the vital floodplain habitats that reduce the negative impacts of flooding, and better protect people and wildlife in a changing climate.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author’s.

Share your stories of action

We want to hear from you!

Do you have a story of action to share? Or a holiday find you simply couldn’t believe? Tell us about it by connecting with us on Facebook and joining us on Twitter!

I grew up in a military family as passionate about recycling and nature as it was about patriotism and public service. I guess it’s no surprise these twin passions drive my favorite Veterans Day activities: thanking the veterans in my life and taking some time to Get Outside. This November, I’d like to share some of the opportunities available in Washington State.

Thanks for reading and feel free to share your Veterans Day and Great Outdoors stories on Twitter or our Facebook site!

1. Spend time with a veteran in our National Parks - free!

Admittance is free to five of our National Parks and Historic Sites over Veterans Day weekend, November 11-13. Which one will you choose?  The thick green and ancient feel of Olympic National Park? The mountain meadows and iconic trails of Mt. Rainier National Park? The wind-swept beaches and coastal rainforests of Lewis and Clark National Historic Park? Or perhaps you’ll tour the Fort Vancouver or Whitman Mission Historical Sites?

Cannon Beach, Oregon - Looking south from Chapman Point Image: flickr/OSU Special Collections & Archives

2. Remember Washington veterans at the Seattle Veterans Museum

4. Attend Veterans Day Ceremonies throughout Washington State

Events are scheduled the week of November 5-12 all over the state including:

Jimmy Carter lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during Veterans Day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, 11/11/1978 Image: U.S. National Archives

• Evergreen Washelli’s 62nd Annual Veterans Day Memorial Celebration will take place near the Doughboy Statue at the base of the Veterans Memorial Cemetary, beginning at 7 AM on the 11th.
• At the State Capitol Grounds, the 20th Annual Veterans Ceremony will take place on Friday November 10 from Noon to 1 PM, beginning at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial located at the State Capitol grounds east campus plaza near the Capitol Skybridge.
• Tacoma War Memorial Park’s Veterans Day Service will begin at 11 AM on the 11th at 6th Avenue and MacArthur Street near the Narrows Bridge.

For further information on these and other events events, see the list prepared by Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs or CBS Seattle.

5. Explore Arctic habitat at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium – Retired & Active Duty admitted free!

Retired and Active Duty military members receive free admission to Tacoma’s Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium on Veterans Day. November 11 also happens to be Artic Animal Play Day – learn about muskox, polar bears, walruses, and other Arctic animals. Be sure to visit the polar bear exhibit to see what it takes to survive in the cold Arctic environment. It’s harsh up there, and the rapid melting of sea ice polar bears depend upon doesn’t make it any easier.

For more information, connect with us on Facebook or check out our website!

Polar bears are long-time veterans of the Arctic. Learn how they're trying to adapt to their changing environment at the Point Defiance Zoo or nwf.org. Image: Christy Mazrimas-Ott

6. Tour the Museum of Flight with a veteran – Retired & Active Duty admitted free!

Join the Bottom Line Duo – a fabulous bass and cello duo – as well as the City of Tukwila Mayor and Councilmembers, distinguished veterans, and the Civil Air Patrol Overlake Squadron color guard for a Veterans Day ceremony from 11 AM to 2 PM. All U.S. Veterans and Active Duty military members receive free admission to the Museum of Flight on Veterans Day. Afterward, enjoy the miracle of flight by flying a kite in one of the area’s many parks and green spaces or simply enjoying unstructured time outside with a Green Hour or hours!

1. My, what pretty spiders we have

Big and small with eight legs they crawl.

Building their webs, one and all.

As insect controllers, they’ve got clout,

and make lovely window decoration, no doubt.

Don’t believe me? It’s really not a trick.

Check out this flick from our own Patty Glick!

Click here to view the embedded video.

2. This unlucky lady missed the best coffee around

Just down the street from our office is Vienna Mae Coffee- a delicious coffeestand with one of the most friendly small business owners and baristas you will ever meet. If we walk slowly enough and bring our lunches, a trip to this coffeestand can be our daily Green Hour. Locally-roasted, (usually) fair-trade, and (usually) organic coffee beans are transformed into delectable espresso treats. Add a scone or vegan cookie and you’re set! At least until tomorrow… 

All she wanted was a decent latte! Well...maybe her intentions were more Oz-dominating than that...

  3. It doesn’t take a full moon to transform this lovely creature

Spectacular specimen!

Becky McIntire found this beautiful caterpillar crawling across her driveway one morning. A quick email to Butterflies and Moths of North America and the identity of this small wonder was revealed: Antheraea polyphemus! This Polyphemus Moth caterpillar lives a solitary life, and might be found in oak, willow, maple, or birch trees. It also likes urban areas, so keep an eye out for one in your driveway! And check out an image of the adult Polyphemus Moth on Google – it has large, round, black markings on its wings that look like eyes. Maybe even eyes peering out from that Haunted House you’re thinking of visiting… 

4. What’s Halloween without a trip to the pumpkin patch?!

 Being near several river valleys and deltas, Seattle is surrounded by breathtaking and productive farmland. Just forty minutes north in Snohomish County, Rianne BeCraft and Patricia Tillmann explored two (yes, two!) different pumpkin patches in preparation for Halloween festivities. Check out our pictures from the corn maze and pumpkin patch here and tell us what you think on our Facebook site! 

Answer the questions about endangered species correctly to find your way through the Stocker Farms corn maze!

An absolutely stunning day at The Farm's corn maze and pumpkin patch.

 

Find your perfect pumpkin!

   5. Raiders of the Lost (Candy) Ark

Straight out of Indiana Jones, this pale visitor stopped by the office to enlist his dear friend Bodhi’s help. Bodhi is the best protector of the Candy Ark out there, and as you can see, he’s the only line of defense between us and the Candy Ark. Fortunately, Bodhi has a kind disposition and has allowed us to sample the candy if we will do him the honor of watching a trick. We are only too happy to oblige!

Bodhi and his friend say Boo!! Bodhi does the tricks and if you're brave, you get the treat!

 All images courtesy of NWF Pacific Regional Center – Seattle staff. Thanks! 

More Halloween Fun:

• Crows, ravens, owls and vultures: Nature’s creepiest birds?
• Get your “scary” animal fix, from vampires to zombie ants.
• Take a peek at a “spooky” animal photo gallery … if you dare!
• Halloween roundup: Get fun outdoor kids’ activities and more.