Our Growing Garden

The summer sun, heat, and long days have arrived in Mazama.  Our garden is loving this weather and is literally growing by the inch everyday!  Our peas and raspberries are producing a large harvest daily and it seems the cucumbers and squash grow noticeably larger by the hour.  We harvested our garlic scapes a few weeks ago (see our pesto recipe below) and are anxious to see how big the garlic is this year!
 
Here's a list of some of the things currently growing in our garden;
Veggies and fruits; arugula, apples, beans, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, cherries, cucumbers, garlic, hops, kale, lettuce, nasturtiums, potatoes, snow and sugar snap peas, radishes, squash, onions, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, spinach, tomatoes,eggplant, zuchini and yellow squash.
Herbs; calendula, cilantro, dill, parsley, oregano, basil, chives, mint, catnip, lavender,

With hot summer days here, it is often hard to imagine the cold winter days ahead.  However, we are already thinking ahead to winter, when our garden is resting and we depend on all the food we've stored away during this time of plenty.  Much of our garden bounty goes straight to the table, feeding our family and lodge guest.  The rest is processed and kept stored away- jams, pesto, salsa and such are canned; garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes are kept in dry storage; greens and berries go to the freezer. Happy harvest to all!

HONEY RASPBERRY JAM

3 cups raspberries
1 1/2 cups honey
Mash berries in sauce pan.  Heat to a boil and cook down for 15 minutes.  Add the honey and bring to just above boiling.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and beat with a wire whip for about 6 minutes.  Spoon into hot jars, leave 1/4 inch head-space.  Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.  Enjoy!   

NORTH CASCADES BASECAMP GARLIC SCAPE PESTO

6-7 garlic scapes

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Blend in a food processor til smooth and creamy.  

Use fresh or jar it up in the freezer for a cold winters night treat. 

Bats in Mazama

Last Friday, here at the North Cascades Basecamp, we hosted students from Central Washington University visiting as part of a wildlife ecology field techniques class with Dan Beck. Arriving in the early morning, Kim and Steve took the students on an introduction to birding walk around the Basecamp property where numerous species were heard and identified. 

Later in the evening, the students returned for a trip highlight- bat mist netting. What is bat mist netting you may ask (as I did).  Mist netting is an effective and safe way of capturing both birds and bats.   Very lightweight, almost invisible, nylon nets are strung between two poles over a highly trafficked area.  In our case, we strung three nets over ponds, very close to the water's surface.  

Kent and Kim carefully setting up the mist nets

USFWS Wildlife biologist, Kent Woodruff, led the evening and proved to be an excellent source of information.  However, early on he stated that bat knowledge is very limited, especially here in the Methow Valley.  "The answer to most questions about bats is 'I don't know.'"  He attributes the lack of knowledge to the difficult task of these small flying mammals, and to the lack of funding/support for research.  Unfortunately, bats often have a negative association in our society and aren't the cuddly animals that people are willing to support and protect.  While research and understanding surrounding bats is often limited, it is clear that they do play an important role in our ecosystem and are often referred to as a 'keystone' species.

Anticipation grew as the nets were assembled and dusk arrived.  The group of 25 students and Basecamp guests sat patiently and quietly on logs surrounding the ponds and waited for the bats to arrive.  Soon the first bats were spotted and excitement grew as more quickly arrived.  It was clear everyone was enjoying watching the acrobatic show the bats put on but also anxious for the first bat capture.

After 20 minutes of waiting, our patience was rewarded with the capture of the Methow Valley's smallest bat species.  Weighing about the same as a penny, California Mytois bat (myotis californicus) is found along the west coast of America; from British Columbia, Canada to as far south as Guatemala.

The group assembled around Kent as he identified the bat.  He identified our bat by it’s keeled calcar (a cartilaginous spur of the ankle joint that extends toward the tail), small feet, color and facial features.

Pointing out the Keeled Calcar

There are approximately 1100 bat species across every continent (except Antarctica). Here in Washington State we have 15 bats species, 8 of which are currently listed federally as Category 2 Candidates, meaning adequate information is lacking to list them as endangered species. However, it is hypothesized that they should receive that designation.  Across the nation approximately 40 percent of bat species are currently threatened.  

How can you help?

• Support bat conservation and research organizations; 
• Help increase bat habitat; 
• Put up bat houses (http://batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/install-a-bat-house.html) 
• Leave hollow trees and snags intact 
• Do not disturb roosting or hibernating bats 
• Minimize pesticide use

Interested in learning more about Bats in Washington?

Basic facts about bats from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/bats.html

The recent (and first!) conservation plan for bats in Washington State

http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/species/

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Live Bat Cam

http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/wildwatch/batcam/index.html

Bats Northwest; a non-profit to protect bats through education and research

http://batsnorthwest.org/index.html

Methow Grist Video

Co-evolution of the red-naped and red-breasted sapsuckers

The red-breasted Sphyrapicus ruber and red-naped Sphyrapicus nuchalis sapsuckers are two woodpecker species that overlap in their range near the crest of the Cascades.  These two species are sympatric, meaning that during the evolution process, they became two new species while inhabiting the same geographic region. Generally speaking in Washington, the red-breasted live on the west side, the red-naped on the east side.   At the North Cascades Basecamp in Mazama, we’ve had the opportunity to observe both species in a cedar and birch grove that is unique to the upper Methow watershed.

This year, a male red-breasted sapsucker was observed late in the winter along the Basecamp trail.  He drummed his broken drum on local snags, showed off his beautiful red head, called his quiet “mewing” call, and even excavated a perfectly round cavity in a birch snag.  A female red-naped sapsucker was often seen in the same area, licking (not drinking) up sap with her barbed tongue, making frequent visits to his territory, and exploring the newly constructed cavity with intrepidation (poking her head up to the entrance but not entering).  Finally in mid-June, after many hours of observation, we saw the red-breasted male and the red-naped female both enter and exist the nesting cavity with food in beak for the hungry nestlings, and he was being a good dad and dropping fecal sacs to the ground as his housecleaning duties ensued.   

These two species of sapsuckers are known to hybridize in south-central Oregon, northeastern California, along the California-Nevada border, and in southern Nevada.  Genetic studies by Johnson et al (1983, 1985) showed that red-naped and red-breasted sapsuckers have the highest avian genetic relatedness ever reported, similar to that found between avian subspecies.  They also found the hybrid F1 generation to produce viable offspring, although it seems that certain F2 backcrossings may have partial sterility issues.  These studies and others confirm that although these two species are nearly genetically identical, there is a low degree of hybridization while encountering each other regularly, and therefore they are still considered as separate biological species. 

It will be interesting to see what our new fledgling hybrid sapsuckers look like, and who they choose as mates into the future.

Ned K. Johnson and Robert M. Zink. 1983. Speciation in Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus): I. Genetic Differentiation.  The Auk: 871-884.

Ned K. Johnson and Carla Bowman Johnson.  1985.  Speciation in Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus): II. Sympatry, Hybridization, and Mate Preference in S. ruber daggetti and S. nuchalis.  The Auk: 1-15.

 

Pygmy Rabbit Recovery in Washington

A group of us from the Pateros-Methow Valley area headed to Sagebrush Flats
near Ephrata, WA to help WDFW biologists with pygmy rabbit recovery efforts this week.  Arriving at 6:30am on the site, we spent the day rounding-up pygmy rabbit kits born just weeks to a month ago in their naturalized captive facility.  Those that had Columbia Basin genes were put back into the captive facility to become breeders for the upcoming seasons.  All others (given they were old enough and weighed enough) were released into the captive nursery for relocation into the wild in a week or so. 

Emmet, our 5 year old, was more than excited to help transport and release the kits into the nursery.  He also had the best views under the sagebrush, and therefore was a great spotter for finding the kits as they scrambled into their burrows (both artificial and natural).  We had a great day, even with the
wind, cooler temperatures, and dust blowing in every direction.  The rabbits in their burrows sure didn't seem to notice!

Birding extravaganza at the Basecamp - May 16th!

A birding morning by the birch forest today was amazing- especially the red-breasted sapsucker!  And here is proof- we believe it is a male, who is coming and going from a newly excavated cavity in a birch snag.  Even more exciting is the female red-napped sapsucker in the area, who is visiting the cavity and poking her head inside while the red-breasted is inside... but not entering. 

Here are the birds Steve and I encountered this morning:  7:30-9:00am, partially sunny, cooler temps than last week, and the height of breeding song here in Mazama. 

Townsend's warblers
Wilson's warblers
Yellow-rumped warblers
Nashville warblers
Pacific wren (AKA winter wren)
House wren
Cassin's vireo
Warbling vireo
Varied thrush
Hammond's flycatcher
Black-chinned hummingbird
Caliope's hummingbird
Red-napped sapsucker
Red-breasted sapsucker
Golden-crowned kinglets
American robin
American crow
Raven

Methow Valley Elementary School Field Trips

Methow Valley Elementary School kids spent the last month studying science here at the North Cascades Basecamp.  2nd graders spent 2 field days studying ecosystems and the 'Life of a Log', while the 3rd graders spent another 2 field days studying plant growth and development in nature.  We all had a blast, school teachers, chaparones, science leaders, and 50 kids per day walking in the woods, studying nature in depth, and performing and teaching to their fellow peers all about what they learned.

Here are a few photo highlights from 2nd grade studying Ecosystems:  

team building a log ecosystem

learning the life of the down log

learning out of doors

magnifying an insect

studying the root ball

presenting with staff in hand

team building exercises

what does it taste like?

riparian ecosystem studies

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Photo highlights from 3rd grade field trip studying Plant Growth and Development:

studying the parts of a flower

magnifying the stamen

graphing tree age and diameter

counting tree rings

growth of a tree

making cordage from cedar

graphing creations

a walk across the bridge in the forest

drinking fir needle tea

Painting the Colors of Winter

Over President's Day weekend, John Adams, a Northwest watercolorist, led a 2-day watercolor course at the new Ecology Classroom at the Basecamp. The course introduced art into the classroom for the first time! With the sun streaming in the windows, it was a perfect Saturday morning for painting.

John's demonstration

John demonstrated his favored method of painting where he gracefully representing trees near and far and a looming mountain with few simple strokes. Instead of using cool blues, purples and turquoise to represent our chilly winter landscape, I was surprised to find John's brush dipped in the warm tones of alizarin crimson, cadmium red and yellow.

 Most participants painted a similar scene using John's techniques, but each piece reflected the personal style of each painter. It was a beautiful way to start the long weekend and gave inspiration to each of us to continue learning and painting through the end of winter!