Life

Refuge Notebook: Kenai National Wildlife Refuge helps reduce, reuse and recycle

Plastic water bottles have been around since the 1940s helping humans transport fresh, clean water. During Roman times, aqueducts were built to provide water to… Continue reading

An Outdoor View: The big one that got away

Author’s note: This is among my favorite the-big-one-got-away stories. It first appeared in the Clarion in 1998. Gary Dennis, the charter-boat captain who told it… Continue reading

This undated photo provided by Lee Reich shows blackberries growing in New Paltz, N.Y. No need to fear here; canes bearing this heavy crop of blackberries are thornless, so won't "bite" you. (Lee Reich via AP)

Growing blackberries without the blood

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been picking and eating what are arguably the best fruits I have ever tasted (a belief I often… Continue reading

This undated photo provided by Lee Reich shows blackberries growing in New Paltz, N.Y. No need to fear here; canes bearing this heavy crop of blackberries are thornless, so won't "bite" you. (Lee Reich via AP)

Bees, wasps wreck havoc upon peninsula crowds

For those that have been making the most of the pleasant, warm weather that has impacted Southcentral Alaska this summer, bee aware.Now that summer 2016… Continue reading

The 2009 Shanta Creek Fire, located in Congressionally-designated Wilderness on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, was managed as a natural ecosystem process. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: Options for managing wildfires in Alaska

Over 100 years ago, our nation adopted its first policies about dealing with wildfires. A gigantic forest fire in Idaho, which burned 3 million acres,… Continue reading

The 2009 Shanta Creek Fire, located in Congressionally-designated Wilderness on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, was managed as a natural ecosystem process. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)
Fish and Game applied a radio tag to this Keen's myotis bat as part of their research for the Threatened, Endangered and Diversity Program.

Tracking Juneau’s endangered bats

“It sounds a little bit crackly,” Courtney Pegus said, putting his ear to what looked like an oversized walkie talkie.“Turn the volume up,” Fish and… Continue reading

Fish and Game applied a radio tag to this Keen's myotis bat as part of their research for the Threatened, Endangered and Diversity Program.
This May 13, 2016 photo shows apple trees in a Langley, Wash., orchard. Smaller fruit trees are safer and easier to manage than the standard varieties. Choosing the right rootstock will result in miniature orchards, like these apple trees shown here. But even dwarf trees need to be pruned and trained to keep their fruit closer to the ground. (Dean Fosdick via AP)

Backyard mini orchards: Smaller apple trees a popular option

Miniature trees have become a popular way to grow apples in backyards. Dwarf and semi-dwarf trees are smaller than standard varieties, yet faster to mature… Continue reading

This May 13, 2016 photo shows apple trees in a Langley, Wash., orchard. Smaller fruit trees are safer and easier to manage than the standard varieties. Choosing the right rootstock will result in miniature orchards, like these apple trees shown here. But even dwarf trees need to be pruned and trained to keep their fruit closer to the ground. (Dean Fosdick via AP)
In this July 19, 2016 photo provided by WildPlay Ltd., tourists suspended above the water from zip lines make their way at speeds of up to 40 mph toward the the mist of the Horseshoe Falls, on the Ontario side of Niagara Falls. The overhead cables have evolved from a fun way to explore jungle canopies to trendy additions for long-established outdoor destinations. (Kien Tran/WildPlay Ltd. via AP)

Niagara Falls latest natural wonder to add zip line

Niagara Falls is the latest natural wonder to add a zip line, offering honeymooners and everyone else the chance to take an adrenaline-pumping plunge toward… Continue reading

In this July 19, 2016 photo provided by WildPlay Ltd., tourists suspended above the water from zip lines make their way at speeds of up to 40 mph toward the the mist of the Horseshoe Falls, on the Ontario side of Niagara Falls. The overhead cables have evolved from a fun way to explore jungle canopies to trendy additions for long-established outdoor destinations. (Kien Tran/WildPlay Ltd. via AP)
Brad Stoner, in his fourth internship with the Student Conservation Association, describes a stickleback to fourth- and fifth-graders at Headquarters Lake as part of the Get out & Get Dirty summer camp at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: Adventuring with the Student Conservation Association

I grew up in a small suburb of Los Angeles California. Then again, small is a relative term seeing as my home town of La… Continue reading

Brad Stoner, in his fourth internship with the Student Conservation Association, describes a stickleback to fourth- and fifth-graders at Headquarters Lake as part of the Get out & Get Dirty summer camp at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

An Outdoor View: Fall fishing

Author’s note: This column first appeared in the Clarion 21 years ago, but what it says about fishing is as true today as it was… Continue reading

In this photo taken Monday Aug. 15, 2016, a captive Osprey is seen at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness, N.H. Iain MacLeod, a researcher at the center, is using solar-powered satellite transmitters attached to the backs of juvenile and adult Ospreys to track the international migrations of birds nesting in the Northeast. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Scientists unravel mystery of osprey migration

TILTON, N.H. — Scientists have long known ospreys make an epic journey each summer from New England to South America. But the details of their… Continue reading

In this photo taken Monday Aug. 15, 2016, a captive Osprey is seen at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness, N.H. Iain MacLeod, a researcher at the center, is using solar-powered satellite transmitters attached to the backs of juvenile and adult Ospreys to track the international migrations of birds nesting in the Northeast. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)
In this undated photo taken in New Paltz, N.Y., a path is shown mown through this meadow of goldenrod, asters and other flowering plants, inviting a stroll through this backyard meadow. (Lee Reich via AP)

Preparation and planning make for a successful meadow

Weeks of lawn mowing can make a backyard meadow — a carefree carpet of flowers and grasses — seem like an especially appealing alternative.Even small… Continue reading

In this undated photo taken in New Paltz, N.Y., a path is shown mown through this meadow of goldenrod, asters and other flowering plants, inviting a stroll through this backyard meadow. (Lee Reich via AP)

An Outdoor View: Handlining halibut

(Author’s note: The Clarion first published this column in 2000. I’ve edited it for brevity. LP)During a long night last winter, I decided I’d like… Continue reading

Bird observations recorded in an online database (www.ebird.org) for the Kenai Peninsula have increased dramatically in recent years. (Graph by D. Magness)

Refuge Notebook: Early birds: How flexible is migration timing on the Kenai Peninsula?

Our early spring, sunny days, and warm temperatures this summer changed my behavior. I considered planting my garden early, but my fear of frost over-rode… Continue reading

Bird observations recorded in an online database (www.ebird.org) for the Kenai Peninsula have increased dramatically in recent years. (Graph by D. Magness)

An Outdoor View: On safety

While listening to the two presidential candidates the other day, I got to wondering about whether electing either him or her would make the U.S.… Continue reading

This undated photo provided by Dale Sievert shows moss growing in a pot in Sievert's garden in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Moss is a versatile plant to use in the garden, providing year-round green in everything from containers to a full lawn. (Dale Sievert via AP)

Moss can be a versatile and beautiful addition to any garden

J. Paul Moore, who owned a garden center in Tennessee for over 30 years, can’t count the number of times people asked him how to… Continue reading

This undated photo provided by Dale Sievert shows moss growing in a pot in Sievert's garden in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Moss is a versatile plant to use in the garden, providing year-round green in everything from containers to a full lawn. (Dale Sievert via AP)
This virtual snake, an Ekans, was spotted at the Refuge Visitor Center through the augmented reality of Pokemon Go. No real snakes are found in the state, otherwise. (Image courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: Wildlife viewing through augmented reality: It’s a new game

Driving past the Refuge entrance sign last week, a group of boys gathered nearby caught my attention. It’s an unusual hangout spot, so I stopped… Continue reading

This virtual snake, an Ekans, was spotted at the Refuge Visitor Center through the augmented reality of Pokemon Go. No real snakes are found in the state, otherwise. (Image courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

An Outdoor View: Humpy year

Author’s note: This column first appeared in the Clarion on Aug. 16, 2002. I’ve edited it for clarity.In years ending with an even number, such… Continue reading

Photo provided by Amanda Tweed

Pushki making its presence felt on peninsula

A family trip in the Alaska wilderness can turn sour in a hurry if the proper precautions are not taken against the unassuming but dangerous… Continue reading

Photo provided by Amanda Tweed
This undated combination photo taken in New Paltz, N.Y., shows a strawberry bed, left, after being renovated, and at right a few weeks later, readying for next spring's crop. (Lee Reich via AP)

Strawberry beds get a boost from renovation

If you saw my strawberry bed, you might think I don’t like strawberries. The leaves have been lopped off, some plants were ripped out of… Continue reading

This undated combination photo taken in New Paltz, N.Y., shows a strawberry bed, left, after being renovated, and at right a few weeks later, readying for next spring's crop. (Lee Reich via AP)