Life

ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND EDITIONS - In this June 2, 2016 photo, Hazel Loerch rests on the beach at Cama Beach State Park, buried under the excellent rocks. (Jessi Loerch/The Herald via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Adventures with Hazel: Hiking with kids is its own kind of epic

CAMANO, Wash. (AP) — I like to hike. No, I love to hike. Or, to say it another way, hiking is the only thing I’ll… Continue reading

ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND EDITIONS - In this June 2, 2016 photo, Hazel Loerch rests on the beach at Cama Beach State Park, buried under the excellent rocks. (Jessi Loerch/The Herald via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
This spider photographed on Sept. 11, 2015, while spinning a web in a Langley, Wash., yard, is one of the gardeners best tools for biological pest control. Spiders also are also one of the few pest predators that don't eat plants. (Dean Fosdick via AP)

Spiders are among most effective predators of plant pests

Although many people have a built-in aversion to them, spiders rank as one of the gardener’s best tools for biological pest control.They also are one… Continue reading

This spider photographed on Sept. 11, 2015, while spinning a web in a Langley, Wash., yard, is one of the gardeners best tools for biological pest control. Spiders also are also one of the few pest predators that don't eat plants. (Dean Fosdick via AP)
A cat posing with its trophy, an Orange-crowned Warbler. (Photo by Todd Eskelin, USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Pets have big impact on bird populations

The debate over whether cats should be confined indoors or allowed to roam outside is one that affects many people personally. Often it comes down… Continue reading

A cat posing with its trophy, an Orange-crowned Warbler. (Photo by Todd Eskelin, USFWS)

An Outdoor View: Respect for king salmon

On June 4, the Department of Fish and Game opened the Kenai River to fishing for king salmon, but with one catch: It’s OK to… Continue reading

Caleb Rauch followed by Jacob Davis roasting a freshly groomed section of trail. (Photo by Derek Reynolds)

Singletrack minds: Homer Cycling Club celebrates trails day with work session

The Homer Cycling Club rounded up workers to help improve the singletrack mountain bike trail in the Diamond Creek area for Trails Day on Sunday,… Continue reading

Caleb Rauch followed by Jacob Davis roasting a freshly groomed section of trail. (Photo by Derek Reynolds)
ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND EDITIONS, MAY 21-22 - In this photo taken May, 6, 2016, Jax, a 1-year-old Karelian bear dog rides with his handler, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department officer Keith Kirsch in Spokane, Wash. Washington Fish and Wildlife Department officers use Karelian bear dogs to scare bears in hopes that they will avoid human activity in the future. (Rich Landers/The Spokesman-Review via AP) COEUR D'ALENE PRESS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

Working like a dog: Karelian bear dogs help wildlife officers

SPOKANE, Wash — Barking at bears, romping through the forest, sniffing for poaching evidence, getting petted by a child and maybe cooling off with a… Continue reading

ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND EDITIONS, MAY 21-22 - In this photo taken May, 6, 2016, Jax, a 1-year-old Karelian bear dog rides with his handler, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department officer Keith Kirsch in Spokane, Wash. Washington Fish and Wildlife Department officers use Karelian bear dogs to scare bears in hopes that they will avoid human activity in the future. (Rich Landers/The Spokesman-Review via AP) COEUR D'ALENE PRESS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

An Outdoor View: Habitat woes

Author’s note: This column first appeared in the Clarion in 1993. Biologist Terry Bendock is now retired, but the issues he pointed out when I… Continue reading

Kenai National Wildlife starts summer program.

Kenai National Wildlife starts summer program.

On Saturday, June 4, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge kicks off our summer programs with a very special program. At 11 AM, cinematographers Kennan and… Continue reading

Kenai National Wildlife starts summer program.

Proposals to change fishing regulations

Having spent a day this week reading through proposals to change fishing regulations, I can say with some authority that some of them definitely will… Continue reading

Jars of pickled fiddlehead fern (left) and fireweed are displayed at a Kenaitze Tribe edible plant workshop on Wed. May 18 at the Dena'ina Wellness Center in Kenai. In traditional Dena'ina culture, fiddleheads were eaten raw, boiled, or roasted as a source of vitamin C. Fireweed sprouts were eaten in the spring.

Local native plants have vitamins, nutrients to make a body healthy

Spring is a good time to start eating plants, according to Dena’ina Wellness Center traditional healer Estelle Thomson. “All the things that are in those… Continue reading

Jars of pickled fiddlehead fern (left) and fireweed are displayed at a Kenaitze Tribe edible plant workshop on Wed. May 18 at the Dena'ina Wellness Center in Kenai. In traditional Dena'ina culture, fiddleheads were eaten raw, boiled, or roasted as a source of vitamin C. Fireweed sprouts were eaten in the spring.
Participants in a class to train weed-free forage and gravel inspectors conduct a mock inspection of a Soldotna gravel pit on May 6. (Photo by Heidi Chay)

Refuge Notebook: Smarter management of invasive plants with weed-free gravel

Last autumn, as I strolled through downtown Anchorage to meet a friend at Snow City Cafe, I gazed downward, in constant scrutiny of the flora… Continue reading

Participants in a class to train weed-free forage and gravel inspectors conduct a mock inspection of a Soldotna gravel pit on May 6. (Photo by Heidi Chay)

An Outdoor View: On running

At the First Annual Running of the Goats, recently held in Coventry, Kentucky, six of the devious critters went rogue, veering from the run’s planned… Continue reading

Lindy McNeilus is the new Fire Prevention and Mitigation Specialist at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: A new helper for Smokey Bear on the refuge

It was a warm, windy day in southern New Mexico in the 1940s when a small bear cub was rescued from a wildfire. With burned… Continue reading

Lindy McNeilus is the new Fire Prevention and Mitigation Specialist at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

An Outdoor View: Paying the dues

Author’s note: This column first appeared in the Clarion 23 years ago. I’ve edited it for brevity. Sunday, May 16, 1993It’s 9 p.m., and Ed… Continue reading

An Outdoor View: Salmon skin

On “Chopped,” the Food Network TV show where four chefs battle to see who is best, salmon often plays a part. At least one of… Continue reading

The Kenai Conservation Society, whose conservation activities helped establish Kenai Wilderness, on an outing to Surprise Creek Trail in 1967. (Photo by Will Troyer)

Refuge Notebook: Marge Mullen – cherished friend of the refuge for 69 years

Marge Mullen, a delightful 95-year-old homesteader still going strong in Soldotna, has a very unique relationship with the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. She alone has… Continue reading

The Kenai Conservation Society, whose conservation activities helped establish Kenai Wilderness, on an outing to Surprise Creek Trail in 1967. (Photo by Will Troyer)
This undated photo taken in Puerto Rico shows a weeping fig tree. While growing to majestic proportions in the tropics, weeping figs also do quite well as a houseplant in the northern region of the U.S. (Lee Reich via AP)

Tropical houseplants need a little coddling

A winter trip to the “Isle of Enchantment,” Puerto Rico, left me feeling sorry for many of my houseplants back home.The effects of steam-bath conditions… Continue reading

This undated photo taken in Puerto Rico shows a weeping fig tree. While growing to majestic proportions in the tropics, weeping figs also do quite well as a houseplant in the northern region of the U.S. (Lee Reich via AP)
Water scavenger beetle in a vernal pool near the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center on Ski Hill Road, April 26, 2016. Observation record: http://bit.ly/1XWnDWt (Photo by Matt Bowser/USFWS )

Refuge Notebook: Vernal pools filled with life

As a child I could often be found poking around in water bodies of any size fascinated by the myriad of strange invertebrates frantically going… Continue reading

Water scavenger beetle in a vernal pool near the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center on Ski Hill Road, April 26, 2016. Observation record: http://bit.ly/1XWnDWt (Photo by Matt Bowser/USFWS )

An Outdoor View: Wilder yet

Editor’s note: The last of a series of three columns about wild lands in Alaska.A few years ago, my son, Vic, my grandson, Derek and… Continue reading

This April 10, 2016 photo shows trekkers heading to Everest Base Camp, Nepal. The cone-shaped Pumo Ri peak (23,495 feet (7,161 meters) is seen in the background. A trek to Everest Base Camp along mountain paths that hug deep gorges offers renewal and a test of mental and physical limits. Along the way there are sore knees and altitude sickness, but the spectacular landscapes, friendly villagers and moments of tranquility make the journey an unforgettable experience. (AP Photo/Karin Laub)

On trek to Everest, a chance to push boundaries, find peace

EVEREST BASE CAMP, Nepal — We reach Everest Base Camp on a sunny but chilly afternoon, after an eight-day trek that stretched our physical and… Continue reading

This April 10, 2016 photo shows trekkers heading to Everest Base Camp, Nepal. The cone-shaped Pumo Ri peak (23,495 feet (7,161 meters) is seen in the background. A trek to Everest Base Camp along mountain paths that hug deep gorges offers renewal and a test of mental and physical limits. Along the way there are sore knees and altitude sickness, but the spectacular landscapes, friendly villagers and moments of tranquility make the journey an unforgettable experience. (AP Photo/Karin Laub)