The Evolutionary Story of Plants in the Okanogan with Dana Visalli: November 17, 2023
Kick off the 2023-24 Highland Wonders Speaker Series with OHA and botanist Dana Visalli! We hope to see you there!
Lost Lake Moss Walk with Erica Heinlen
What a treat this field trip was! The Lost Lake Wetland and Wildlife Preserve has habitats that support great moss diversity. A full complement of moss enthusiasts joined OHA and Erica Heinlen, M.S., Zone Botanist for the Tonasket Ranger District, Colville National Forest, as we walked, talked, and learned together about moss structures and identifying features, ecological adaptations and functions. Erica manages the sensitive botanical species and native plant programs for the Tonasket and Republic Ranger Districts of the Colville National Forest. She is excited to share her love for plants and bryophytes with others. It was truly a fun day exploring these small jewels in the forest!
Where and When:
10 am: Moss Walk Begins from the Lost Lake Wetland and Wildlife Preserve Kiosk on the south end of Lost Lake. Find driving directions here.
What To Bring:
Sturdy walking shoes, clothing layers, water, lunch, hand lens (we will also have these available to borrow if needed)
2023-9 HW Field Trip Moss with Erica Heinlen
Podcast! Canada Lynx and Home Range Wildlife Research S3:E4
…with Anna Machowicz, Education Director
Join us for a refreshingly fun episode, full of natural history, scientific research, and the developing story of Home Range Wildlife Research, whose mission is “to advance wildlife conservation by conducting high-quality research, educating aspiring biologists, and engaging local communities.” Anna Machowicz, Home Range Education Director, shares exciting news about field training and volunteer opportunities, and explains how Home Range has begun implementation of a long-term study of Canada Lynx populations in the mountains between the Methow and Okanogan – an area that has been significantly altered by two decades of megafires. In all that they do, Home Range invites community volunteers, students, and academics to participate, leading collaborative investigations of wildlife and working to understand how communities and land managers can support wildlife populations and healthy ecosystems into the future. Check out their website: https://www.homerange.org/home for more information, and to sign up for training and volunteer opportunities!
For additional information, check out this recent article about Home Range in the Seattle Times:
This podcast is produced by Okanogan Highlands Alliance. For more information or to support OHA, visit our website: okanoganhighlands.org
Find the Highland Wonders Podcast:
Bird Songs: Evening Talk and Morning Walk: May 19-20, 2023
…with Naturalist, Author, Educator, Photographer David Lukas
To learn more about David’s work, check him out at www.lukasguides.com and www.methownaturenotes.com
UPDATE! As of Tuesday, May 16, the CCC dinner has been cancelled. We are sorry for any inconvenience but we hope, if you are looking for a tasty meal, you can find dinner at one of our local restaurants.
Podcast! Gifts of the Crow S3: E3
…with John Marzluff
Dr John Marzluff, professor at the University of Washington’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, shares a captivating review of the life history, the anatomy, the culture of corvids, including hilarious and surprising stories of the many ways that these ubiquitous birds both influence and are influenced by people. After listening, we think you might look at your local crows, ravens, magpies and jays with new eyes, and you might even change the way you behave around them! This episode is slightly modified from the original presentation, which took place through OHA’s Highland Wonders Speaker Series in 2016. To learn more about Dr John Marzluff, his work and his research about corvids and other wildlife, visit:
University of Washington’s Avian Conservation Laboratory at: https://sites.uw.edu/sefsacl/
University of Washington’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at: https://environment.uw.edu/faculty/john-marzluff/
You can find Dr Marzluff’s books, including Gifts of the Crow: how perception, emotion, and thought allow smart birds to behave like humans (2013) on Amazon.com
To learn more about and support Okanogan Highlands Alliance, visit: okanoganhighlands.org
Find the Highland Wonders Podcast:
Podcast! The Saga of Washington’s Wildlife S3: E2
…with Ken Bevis, musical accompaniment by Julie Vanderwal
This fast-paced, information-packed, part-spoken musical tour of Washington’s diverse wildlife will inspire awe and excitement (and leave you tappin’ your toes) about the natural history of all of Washington, with special attention to the Okanogan Highlands. Ken Bevis works for the Washington Department of Natural Resources, helping landowners to manage their private forests for habitat and wildlife.
This podcast was originally presented in 2014 at the Community Cultural Center of Tonasket.
Find the Highland Wonders Podcast:
Podcast! Sculpted by Ice S3: E1
…with Karl Lillquist
Kicking off the 3rd season of the Highland Wonders Podcast we are joined by Dr. Karl Lillquist, geography professor from Central Washington University. This summer (June, 2022) Karl led a group of geology enthusiasts on an ice age tour, visiting locations throughout the highlands, from road cuts where deep lake sediments are visible, to eskers and kames, which were formed by stagnant ice, to glacier-carved bedrock hills near Havillah. This podcast hits the highlights, but we expect that after listening you will be excited to learn more, and you are in luck! Dr Lillquist wrote a detailed field guide, complete with a map of our tour locations – if you are in the area, you can take yourself on a tour!
Quick Link to the Field Guide: Field Guide: Landforms and Landscapes of the Okanogan Highlands by Dr Karl Lillquist
Find the Highland Wonders Podcast:
A few photos from an ice age field trip through the Okanogan Highlands in June, 2022 with Dr. Karl Lillquist
The fan delta at the head of this flat floored valley is evidence of an ice age lake. 
Road cuts offer a view of deep lake sediments 
Chesaw Wildlife Area, where eskers and evidence of beaver ponds can be observed from atop a ridge.
Revealing Bird Bones and Skeletons
with David Lukas
Join OHA and David Lukas on Friday, November 11th for a fascinating evening, taking a deep dive into the form and function of our feathered friends. The presentation will be in person, and also available virtually. A light dinner, benefitting the CCC, starts at 5:30. The presentation starts at 6:30! See the poster for more details or contact jen@okanoganhighlands.org if you have questions. Hope to see you next week!
To join virtually, use this invite link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83454118101?pwd=cDNIbVFDcFdXc0VVbHlkTmt3RXpHQT09
Landscapes and Landforms of the Okanogan Highlands: 2022 Field Trip with Dr Karl Lillquist
On a beautiful Sunday in June, 2022, Dr Karl Lillquist led an enthusiastic group on a tour of the Okanogan Highlands, observing and discussing evidence of ice sheets and glaciers that are visible on our landscape today. From glacial sediments, to sinuous eskers, to unexpectedly flat areas where ancient glacial lakes and river deltas once covered the land, Dr Lillquist explained how scientists puzzle out the processes that contribute to the geology and geography of a place. As if leading a field trip isn’t enough, Dr Lillquist developed the attached field guide, which is available for all to enjoy!
Podcast! Traditional Ecological Knowledge S2:E6
with Amelia Marchand of the L.I.G.H.T. Foundation
Amelia Marchand, of the L.I.G.H.T. Foundation, joins OHA to share her experiences and perspectives on traditional knowledge, or teachings, and the role of ecological knowledge within the bigger framework of cultural understanding that has been amassed over a millenia by indigenous peoples. She shares stories of her life and the inspiration that has driven her and her husband, Joaquin, to create the L.I.G.H.T Foundation, whose mission is to cultivate, enrich and perpetuate native plants and the cultural traditions of Pacific Northwest tribes.
To learn more and donate to the L.I.G.H.T. Foundation, visit the website at: thepnwlf.org
Check out this article by Amelia Marchand, from June 22, 2022: Climate and Cultural Vulnerabilities of Indigenous Elders, published in the Generations Journal of the American Society on Aging.
Additional resources to learn more (list specially curated by Amelia Marchand):
Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network: an opportunity to learn about (and add your local) unusual environmental, animal and weather events world-wide.
2021 Status of Tribes and Climate Change (STACC) Report produced by The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
Guidelines for Considering Traditional Knowledges in Climate Change Initiatives : a practical guide to developing collaborations that honor traditional knowledge and minimize risks to indigenous peoples who might be sharing traditional knowledge. Intended audience: agencies, researchers, tribes and traditional knowledge holders (and valuable information for everyone).
Citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers: How to cite oral traditions and ways of knowing in a way that honors and recognizes information shared by indigenous knowledge keepers on a level with written sources.
Find the full theme song, Blessed Unrest, by Tyler Graves on Spotify, Apple Music, or your favorite music platform.
For more information about Okanogan Highlands Alliance, or to become a member or volunteer, visit: okanoganhighlands.org or email us at info@okanoganhighlands.org
Season 2 of the Highland Wonders Podcast is supported by Humanities Washington and the National Endowment for the Humanities.