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
Get Lost Trail Race 2023
OHA’s 5th Annual Get Lost Trail Race took place on July 9, 2023. A record number of participants, their trusty supporters, a slate of business sponsors, and a whole cohort of enthusiastic volunteers kept the event running smoothly and safely!
The Get Lost Race represents an opportunity for our community to gather in the beautiful Okanogan Highlands, exercise, recreate and meet up with new and old friends and every year gets better and better! Camping at the Group Camp of the USFS Lost Lake Campground allows us to make a whole weekend out of it! We have such fun, and can’t wait for next year!
You can find race results here: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=101525
OHA on the Radio!
In April, 2023, Sarah was interviewed for an episode of Attention Please! a radio program out of KPTZ Port Townsend. This 28 minute interview provides interesting insights to the 30 year history of OHA and the hows and whys of the work that we do in our community and beyond. Please listen, enjoy, and share!
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:
Get Lost Race 2023 is Open for Registrations
Sign up at ultrasignup.com
Join us and Get Lost in the beautiful Okanogan Highlands! On Sunday, July 9, 2023, runners and walkers will take to the trails around Lost Lake in the Okanogan Highlands.
With 14 mile, 7 mile, 3 mile, and a 1k kids run, there is something for everyone! OHA has reserved the USFS Lost Lake Group Camp on Saturday night, so camping is available before the race.
Contact us at info@okanoganhighlands.org with questions or sponsorship opportunities!
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.