A Local Treasure, by Noreen Parks
On Port Townsend’s very own radio station, KPTZ (91.9), one of our favorite programs is Nature Now, which focuses on the natural history of our region. The small crew of naturalist-producers reports on recent nature observations in our local area, and each episode features one or more timely topics.
Black-bellied plover
Recent episodes have probed the mysteries of tent caterpillar outbreaks, the specialized adaptations of bird wings, the sometimes shocking strategies of animal parenting, and the secret lives of pine martens.
Tune in to broadcasts on Wednesday at 12:05, Thursday at 5:00, or Saturday at 12:30, and you’ll surely be delighted with some new insights on our rich local environment and its inhabitants. (You can also access the most recent programs on the KPTZ website.) To share your nature observations or contribute to upcoming episodes, email program coordinator Nan Evans at naturenow@kptz.org.
Books on our shelves:
Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Pojar and MacKinnon.
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America, Dunn and Alderfer
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, David Allen Sibley
Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest: Tracking and Identifying Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Invertebrates, David Moskowitz
The Weather of the Pacific Northwest, Cliff Mass
Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest, Andy Lamb & Bernard P. Hanby
Websites we love:
http://saveland.org
Jefferson Land Trust, helping the community preserve open space, working lands and habitat in Jefferson County.
http://admiraltyaudubon.org
Admiralty Audubon, the local chapter of the National Audubon Society.
http://nosc.org
North Olympic Salmon Coalition, restoring, enhancing and protecting the habitat of North Olympic Peninsula wild salmon stocks.
http://www.ptmsc.org
Port Townsend Marine Science Center, an educational and scientific organization devoted to understanding and conserving our marine and shoreline environment.
http://www.wnps.org
Washington Native Plant Society. A great source for native plant information; check out our state’s unique and diverse plant life.
www.oregonstate.edu/trees
Common trees of the Pacific Northwest. Identify trees by using OSU’s dichotomous key to trees.
http://www.wildflowersearch.com
A wildflower search engine. Identify flowers by color, shape, size, date and location of blooms.
http:/olyopen.net
Olympic Peninsula Environmental News