Indigenous science is using natural regeneration to restore Western
ecosystems.
Posted inMarch 2024: Fertile Ground
Northwest
Posted inMarch 2024: Fertile Ground
Saving the Pacific lamprey
Documenting populations of
the ancient fish is a step toward ensuring their survival.
Posted inJanuary 11, 2024: The Creatures in Our Midst
Reviving the Samish Tribe’s kelp
Researchers are documenting the decline of once-plentiful kelp beds in an effort to reverse the trend.
Posted inArticles
Lower Snake River dams closer to coming down with new agreement
After decades of litigation, the historic initiative among states, tribes and the federal government signals a dramatic change for the region.
Posted inArticles
What’s on your Christmas tree? Hint: Not just ornaments
A lack of data obscures the possible polluted legacy of a holiday tradition.
Posted inDecember 1, 2023: December 2023
Horrible holly: A festive plant runs amok
Meet the scientists and conservationists fighting to save the Northwest’s forests from an invasive plant.
Posted inArticles
A new film asks: how do you make art in a city you can’t afford?
‘Fantasy A Gets a Mattress’ is a dark, surreal, fun adventure that deals with themes of eviction, homelessness and disability.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
The dangerous consequences of wildland fire dispatcher burnout
An internal Forest Service survey shows a critical link in the wildfire fighting apparatus is struggling.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
To protect wild bumblebees, people have to find them first
For six years, hundreds of volunteers have counted bumblebees across the Northwest. Their data is shaping pollinator conservation nationwide.
Posted inArticles
The West’s overlooked rainforests can address climate change
A new book advances the idea that protecting old-growth forests is better for the climate than planting new trees.
Posted inArticles
Farmworkers fight for higher pay, better hours and fair treatment
Labor advocates rallied in Seattle to demand a union contract from Windmill farms amid allegations of poor treatment and retaliation.
Posted inArticles
Meet the beetle threatening Washington’s cherries, hops and other crops
Invasive Japanese beetles are drawn to flowers and fruit. Washington officials are trying to eradicate them from the state.
Posted inArticles
People are starting a lot of fires in the Pacific Northwest
The Forest Service reports 197 human-caused or undetermined starts since the beginning of June.
Posted inArticles
It’s summer. But in the Northwest, spring never showed
As spring gets weirder, warmer and less stable, water supplies, ecosystems and agriculture are getting out of whack.
Posted inJune 1, 2023: Seen and Unseen
Sugaring the Pacific Northwest
How climate and cost cramp bigleaf maple syrup production.
Posted inArticles
Yes, 90 degrees can be dangerous
From a jump in ER visits and gun violence to fears for maternal health, the Northwest’s May heat wave shows the dangers of more moderate, early heat waves.
Posted inArticles
Dispatch from the scaffolds: Native fishing culture on the Columbia River
An Indigenous fisherman describes how to hook a salmon, the meaning of life and his faithful dog Sturg.
Posted inArticles
In the once-cool forests of the Pacific Northwest, heat poses a new threat
Drought can stress trees to death, but heat’s effects are less known. New research could hold the keys to protecting conifer forests.
Posted inArticles
The untold story of the Pacific Northwest’s nuclear past
‘Atomic Days’ offers a compelling, fact-packed introduction to the most toxic place in the nation.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2023: Ripple Effects
Why the country’s largest shellfish farm is struggling to hire and retain workers
And how it’s dealing with climate change and housing costs to make back-breaking work a little easier.