Tuesday outing: Early season Rowena Plateau walk

Walking & healing the Weldon Wagon Trail

Wagon rides amid the balsamroot in Dallesport

Whitson Native Pollinator Garden Party - This Wednesday

April 20 social & Humble Roots presentation

What: Humble Roots presentation & dessert social

When: Wednesday, April 20, 7 p.m.

Where: White Salmon Library meeting room

The White Salmon Suksdorfia native plant club will hold a dessert potluck social at the White Salmon Library on Wednesday evening, April 20. Speakers for the evening will be Kristin Currin and Drew Merritt of Humble Roots native plant nursery in Mosier. Besides cultivating native plants and seeds, Kristin and Drew have deep roots in conservation projects around the Gorge - and they're heck of nice people, too.

The event is free and open to the public. So, come on out, bring some goodies to share, and enjoy a lovely evening with fellow flower people.

(Questions? Dan: 509-493-1936, or email: ucdintern at gorge dot net.)

Annual Gorge Flower Show : April 17

 

(Updated April 7...)

Annual Mid-Columbia Wildflower Show. Samples and/or photos of flowers that are currently in-bloom will be identified and their locations specified.  Get a head start on your wildflower hunting, or just come to see everything in one place and to meet fellow native plant enthusiasts. Location: American Legion Hall, 208 Main Street, Mosier. 

NOTE:  There is a small chance that the American Legion Hall will not be available.  

Call 509-493-3572 beginning April 13 for recorded confirmation of the location of the show.

Toothsome Toothwort

Jeanette B., loyal Suksdorfian, noticed the blooming of the oaks toothwort (Cardamine pulcherrima) and captured this lovely photo this week. 


For folks near White Salmon, several of these are recently blooming along the upper trails at Gaddis Park along Jewett Creek.

Saturday flower walk

Spring in slow motion

Spring seems slow, cold and wet this year, but there are blooms, here and there. Today, we came across this patch of gold stars (Crocidium multicaule) on Burdoin Mountain, near White Salmon. There were also a few prairie stars (Lithophragma parviforum) in the mix. These flowers thrive in the oak and meadow areas of the mountain's side.













We were not the only ones recently on the trail...

"We need bees"

What: Public talk & demonstration on keeping bees
Where: White Salmon Library
Date: April 1
Time: 6:30 p.m.

"We need bees"

This presentation by several local beekeepers, gardeners and such will include several 20-minute presentations, starting with an intro slide show by Melissa Elliot, landscape designer and beekeeper.

Other topics covered will be:

*  'Importance of Pollinators' by Todd Murray entomologist from WSU Extension, Skamania County

* 'Honey bees and Mason Bees' by John Kraus, Underwood commercial beekeeper managing 700 colonies

* 'Plants for Pollinators' by Jeanette Burkhardt, a local gardener and beekeeping enthusiast.

* A demonstration on making grass skeps, by Joy Markgraf, of Husum. Skeps are domed, coiled baskets that were used to house bees as early as the 16th century up until World War II when they were abandoned in favor of woodenware. A selection of Joy's artistic and functional beehives will be on display at the library during the month of April. 

The library will have on hand a selection of books on honeybees and native pollinators to satisfy your interest on the subject. The Xerces Society will provide handouts about attracting native pollinators and a list of plants that are beneficial to them, and Ruhl Bee Supply is providing sample Mason bee houses and copies of their catalog. For those interested in starting a local beekeeping club Martha Kraus will gather names and information and David Ryan will inform people about the Master Gardeners program.