Austin to Head Pac West
Stan Austin, who has served as the director of the Southeast Region of the National Park Service since 2013, has been named regional director of the Pacific West Region by the agency’s acting director, P. Daniel Smith. In his new role, Austin will oversee operations...
Colors of the West
Though Iβve not yet met her, Iβve found Molly Hashimoto a delightful travel companion. I see her dreamy watercolors and vibrant block prints at a couple places I frequent in the Pacific Northwestβthe Seward Park Audubon Center and the North Cascades Institute. Just more than...
J.R. Harris is Way Out There
One of the happiest days of J. Robert Harrisβ full and interesting life was the day he turned 33. During his younger times, Harris had read about the prophesy for Alexander the Great having a choice between a long, boring life and a short but...
Long Trails with Liz Thomas
by Liz Thomas for Backpacker Magazine328 pages, paperback: $24.95 Falcon Guides, 2017 We both have Japanese mothers, a love of the outdoors and Ivy League educations. But when I first met Liz “Snorkel” Thomas, I discovered one major difference between us, besides, er, gender: She...
Way Out with J.R. Harris
Adventures with J.R. Harris Third Place Books, Seward Park Wed., Nov. 29, 6 p.m. reception; 7 p.m. reading 5041 Wilson Ave. S., Seattle 98118 Co-Sponsors: The Trail Posse, Mountaineers Books, Seward Park Audubon Click Here for Tickets I first heard of J.R. Harris back in...
Nature Calls for 2018
I’ve always wanted to create a wildlife calendar. Last year’s came close, with half of the images, plus the cover. This year fulfills the dream, mostly meaning that I was out among winged and furry beings enough. My friend, Paul Bannick, really is the inspiration...
Grand Teton Yellowstone 2017
These are photos from a trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks (mostly Grand Teton), Oct. to Nov., 2018. Clicking on any image, above and below, launches a full-sized viewer.
$70 Barrier to Equity
My circle of colleagues is jammed with people of color who were inspired to work for equity and inclusion in the outdoors after a transformative experience at one of the keystone national parks in our country. Acadia. Grand Teton. Yosemite. All of those sources of...
Urban Thru-Hiking Trail Blazer
With the sun about to kiss the horizon, Liz Thomas (trail name: Snorkel) needs the last rays to illuminate her path. She is ascending and descending steps during an urban thru-hike in Seattle, one of the hilliest and most public-staircased cities in the country. This...
Audubon Helps Green a City Girl
I am by nature a city girl. I enjoy bright lights and long walks down populated concrete sidewalks while street musicians fill the air with tunes. I am from Chicago, land of blues and backyard barbecue smells, where as a child I played double-dutch near...
Nat’l Award for Environmental Reporting
For a yearlong look at workforce diversity in the National Park Service, an essay on identity, and profiles of rangers Charles Beall and Shelton Johnson, and JosΓ© GonzΓ‘lez and Latino Outdoors, Glenn Nelson has earned a national award from the Society of Environmental Journalists. The...
The Optics of Race
We have a monument to Confederate soldiers in my city, and our mayor wants it gone. I do, too. It sits in a cemetery where Bruce Lee and many of Seattleβs founding families are buried. Lakeview is even more meaningful to me because itβs where...
