Washington

Behind-the-Scenes Tour of The Burke Museum’s Herpetological Collection

March 19, 2013
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I was able to go on a tour of the Burke Museum’s Herpetological Collection the last time I was at the University of Washington in Seattle. Herpetology is the study of reptiles and amphibians. I was excited to check out the collection because I’m a herp nerd and have studied these animals in my research. Natural History collections like this are indispensable for many types of biological research, from anatomy to ecology. A vast amount…

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Early-blooming Wildflower: Grass Widow

March 11, 2013
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I recently made it out to Catherine Creek in the Columbia River Gorge. My mission was to find Grass Widows (Olsynium douglasii) and find them I did. Check out the video…

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Salmon Migrating up the Klickitat River

October 25, 2012
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The Klickitat River flows for 75 dam-free miles (121 km) from the east side of the Washington Cascades near the Goat Rocks Wilderness, cutting south through deep layers of basalt, to its confluence with the Columbia River near the town of Lyle. The lower 10 miles of the Klickitat are officially designated as “Wild and Scenic.” This river provides…

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Beautiful Time-lapse Imagery of Pacific Northwest Landscapes

September 27, 2012

John Ecklund took about 260,000 photos to create this mind-blowing time-lapse movie. Several iconic landscapes of the northwest are featured, including Mt. Shuksan and Mount St. Helens in Washington and Crater Lake, Mt. Bachelor, The Oregon Badlands, The Painted Hills, Cape Kiwanda, Mt. Hood, Lost lake, and Cannon Beach in Oregon. Enjoy!

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Columbia Desert Parsley

April 17, 2012
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Columbia Desert Parsley (Lomatium columbianum) is a spectacular plant that is endemic to Washingon and Oregon. It is perennial and grows on open slopes in the eastern Columbia Gorge area. Although the overall range of this plant is small, it is fairly common within its range. It grows…

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A Foggy Day at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

January 17, 2012
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Dense fog filled the lowlands on the day of my most recent visit to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The scenery was ghostly, cold, and calm. The refuge encompasses a complex of wetlands, grasslands, and oak forests along the eastern banks of the Columbia River in Washington. I drove the 4.2 mile auto tour of the ‘S Unit’ for the first time. I rolled along slowly in my car, in the middle of a procession of cars…

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Larch Mountain Salamander

January 2, 2012
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The Larch Mountain Salamander (Plethodon larselli) is a small, rare amphibian that is endemic to Washington and Oregon. In appearance, it is superficially similar to several other salamander species in the region, such as the Western Red-backed Salamander. I got to see my first Larch Mountain Salamander back in October, when I…

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