Chinese ‘Year of the Snake’ is time to put spotlight on local species

The Northwestern garter snake reaches 2-feet long at maturity, lives on slugs and worms, and is harmless to humans. Photo: Wash. Natural Heritage Program

 With the Chinese lunar ‘Year of the Snake’ beginning this past weekend, let’s take a look at the smallest of our three garter snake species: the Northwestern garter (Thamnophis  ordinoides), one of 12 native snake species in Washington state.

Northwestern garter snakes are not rare. You can find them in open grassy areas, forest openings and edges of coniferous forests, frequently in city parks and suburban areas. They are also common near lakes, ponds and other bodies water. They reach about 2 feet at maturity and tend to be dark above with stripes of red and orange. The Northwestern garter snake lives mainly on slugs and earthworms … and it does not have a poisonous bite.

Of course, this particular year of the snake in the Chinese zodiac recognizes the water snake but we don’t have those in Evergreen State, according to the Washington Herp Atlas, an online atlas of amphibians and reptiles in the state. The atlas was produced by the Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service.

Learn more about snakes and other wildlife in Washington state

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Loads of progress on Woodard Bay NRCA restoration

Contractors prepare to pull one of last segments of train trestle across Woodard Bay in an earlier phase of the project in 2010. This location is where large volume of fill currently is being removed to restore natural shoreline. DNR Photo: Lisa Kaufman

Part closed, part open during big job
Treasured by naturalists and walkers, Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area is enjoyed throughout the year.

And we know that it’s disappointing to have most of this special place closed until spring, but it will be well worth it! It’s a big job removing hundreds of tons of fill and restoring the natural coastline, pulling out more creosote logs and piers, and developing long-term access for the public.

The Overlook Trail on the south side of Woodard Bay is open during daylight hours, and Whitham Road and the Loop Trail on the north side are closed for restoration and construction.

With state ‘jobs funding’ available, we are taking advantage of the opportunity to contract out for projects that wedidn’t think we’d be able to complete for many years. We’re moving quickly to make as much progress as possible during the winter ‘fish window’ when species such as salmon are not moving through the area waters.

Project progress highlighted in The Olympian

View the changes
Even though the large north side of the conservation area is closed to the public for safety, the southern ridgeline trail is still open, with parking available in the adjacent lot at the northern terminus of the Chehalis Western Trail.

As you walk the southern trail, you will be able to see part of the big project’s progress—the removal of fill where the trestle once stood, and restoration of the Woodard Bay Shoreline.

We look forward to sharing with the public the improvements at the site…as soon as we can.

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DNR law enforcement officer meets his match: one sassy turkey

This wild turkey put the brakes on DNR Law Enforcement Officer Gary Margheim’s routine patrol of a forest road. Photo: DNR

Keeping DNR’s 2 million acres of forested state trust lands safe and sustainable requires watchfulness, resourcefulness and, often, a good measure of patience. That’s how DNR Law Enforcement Officer Gary Margheim decided to deal with this wild turkey taking its time to cross a forest road that he was patrolling. DNR officers and staff  are especially thankful for the opportunities working at DNR gives them to get outdoors during the week…  even it means dealing with a stubborn, feathered state trust land resident from time to time.

If you like this photo and want to see more, visit DNR on Facebook… and give us ‘like’ please, while you are there.

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Fall is a busy time for visitors to (and inhabitants of) DNR-managed state trust lands

Bighorn sheep in Loomis State Forest. Photo: Chris Marcolin/DNR.

It’s fall. Leaves are falling. And bighorn sheep, like this one spotted in Loomis State Forest in Okanogan County, have been busy bulking up for winter.

See more fall scenery photos on our blog earlier this week or, better still, get out soon and enjoy the scenery firsthand.

Know before you go! Check our recreation page for the latest open and closure notices. www.dnr.wa.gov/recreation.

Use your Discover Pass for state lands — it’s your ticket to Washington’s Great Outdoors.

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Count bees, help scientists studying declining numbers of pollinators

The ‘wandering bumblebee’ (Bombus vagans Smith) is a native bee species found in Washington state. Photo: David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.

The Great Bee Count is tomorrow (Saturday, August 11). It’s your chance to get outside and take part in a nationwide information-gathering exercise documenting urban, suburban, and rural bee populations. The idea behind the annual Great Bee Counts is to engage citizens to help scientists who are studying the health and extent of wild bees in our urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. Here’s how:

• Count the bees you see visiting a flower during two 15-minute observations.
• Follow the instructions for doing your count.
• Report your findings online to the Great Sunflower Project.

The project, which started enlisting ‘citizen-scientists’ in 2008, has already found that urban areas have fewer visits from bees than other habitats. Based on previous years’ data, the project found volunteers in urban gardens reported finding an average of 23.3 bees per hour, compared to 30.4 per hour in rural areas and 31.6 in forests and wildlands. The size and location of the garden can make a big difference ­– you may see anywhere between zero and several dozen bees.

You can do observations all year round, of course, but tomorrow is the day when thousands of other people will do their bee counts, too. And the weather promises to be good for people and pollinators across Washington state. The annual counts are both a scientific study and a reminder of the importance wild bees and other pollinators — about one-third of the human food supply depends on insect pollination.

Consider doing your bee count while visiting a DNR-managed recreation area or a Natural Resources Conservation Area.

Don’t forget your Discover Pass
Don’t forget! You need your Discover Pass to access DNR recreation sites and Natural Resources Conservation Areas by vehicle. Learn more at www.discoverpass.wa.gov

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DNR weekend reading: Warming climate may cause more intense thunderstorms; wolverines use refrigerators; and more.

Great gray owl spotted in northeast Washington. Photo: Danielle Munzing/DNR.

Here are links to recently published articles about science, climate and the environment for your weekend reading:

Science Daily: Climate Change May Lead to Fewer but More Violent Thunderstorms
A Tel Aviv University researcher predicts that for every one degree Celsius of warming, there will be approximately a 10 percent increase in lightning activity. The consequences may include more flash floods, lightning-caused wildfires, and damage to power lines and other infrastructure,

WSU: Copper making salmon prone to predators
Minute amounts of copper from brake linings and mining operations can affect salmon, making them more vulnerable to predators, says a Washington State University researcher.

Science Daily: Study: Wolverines Need Refrigerators
A paper in the Journal of Mammalogy suggests wolverines take advantage of the crevices and boulders of mountainous terrain, as well as the snow cover, to cache and “refrigerate” food sources such as carrion, small rodents, and other food collected during more plentiful times of year.

Green (New York Times): Along a Verdant Shore, a Vision of Past, Present and Future
In Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska, a team of researchers finds few signs of stress among yellow cedars. Not much farther south, they have seen thousands of the trees dying or dead.

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Wild Monday: A little knowledge can help you avoid big trouble with black bears

Two bear cubs playing in a tree in DNR’s Salmon Creek Block on state trust land in southwest Washington. Photo: Florian Diesenhofer/DNR. (NOTE: Using a long telephoto lens, the photographer was able to keep a safe distance from the cubs and their mother.)

There are between 25,000 and 30,000 black bears in Washington state. They live in a variety of habitats on both sides of the Cascades. Bears usually avoid people but you have to do your part, too, by avoiding them when possible, never feeding them, and knowing what to do (and not do) if you  encounter a black bear at close range.

Black bears are not as aggressive as grizzly bears but black bears have severely injured and sometimes even killed campers or travelers who fed them. When black bear mothers confront humans, they typically send their cubs up a tree and retreat or bluff. People who live in or visit areas with black bears — most of the forested areas of Washington State — should know the appropriate steps to avoid a black bear encounter.

Additional advice and facts about black bear is on the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, ‘Living with Wildlife’ web page. In addition to describing the habits and life cycle of black bears, the web page lists helpful dos and don’ts for bear country. ‘Do’ Number One should always be: ‘Do everything you can to avoid an encounter with any bear. Prevention is the best advice.’

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DNR recreation site picnic bench hosts robin family

A DNR maintenance mechanic discovered this robins nest built in an unusual location: a picnic table. Photo: Lon Emmett/DNR

In early May, a DNR maintenance mechanic readying one of our recreation sites in Stevens County for its summer season opening spotted a robin’s nest built in an unusual location: a picnic table.

According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s web page, “Living with Wildlife,” robin’s nests are often placed in the crotch of a branch, or saddled on a branch next to the trunk. The understructure of a picnic table that had been wrapped in heavy gauge black plastic for the winter must have seemed just as good to the female that selected the spot and, likely, did most of the nest building. Our mechanic did not remove the wrap from that table, of course.

About two weeks after hatching, these robins are ready to start leaving the nest, but will be cared for by their parents for up to four weeks. Photo: Lon Emmett/DNR.

Although the location left the young birds especially vulnerable to a host of predators (tree squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, magpies, crows, ravens, and jays eat robin eggs and nestlings), these fellows were doing fine when the nest was checked two weeks later: the young leave the nest after 14 to 16 days and continue to be cared for by the parents for up to four weeks.

Learn more about robins and other species seen throughout Washington State on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s web page, “Living with Wildlife.

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Bears: 1; Campers: 0 — A little awareness to keep you and the wildlife safe

Putting food away and following other common-sense tips can help you stay safe this summer in bear country. Photo: Laura Anglin.

It’s camping and picnicking season. Whether you are at a campground, day use area, or on a trail (see what recreation sites and trails are open on DNR-managed state trust lands), please be bear-wise. Black bears can be found in most parts of Washington State. They usually do no harm, but people who are careless with storing food or who feed the wildlife can get into trouble. Photos from the recent Bear Awareness Weekend at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park near Olympia display what can happen when campers fail to store food securely or neglect other basic steps that can discourage a bear-human encounter.

Most bear-human encounters are preventable. They also can be bad for everyone involved. Here are do’s and don’ts for traveling in bear country from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Cooperative Extension at Washington State University also has tips. They can keep you safe — and the bears, too.

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DNR-manages DOC inmate crews to aid restoration of native turtle habitat in Columbia River Gorge

Before and after: DNR-managed inmate crews (top) thin undergrowth in Klickitat County in a project to restore habitat (bottom) for the Pacific pond turtle. DNR Photo.

DNR-managed inmate work crews from the state Department of Corrections, Larch Corrections Center, Mountain Correctional Facility are playing a major role in important habitat restoration work that will aid the return of the native western Pacific pond turtle to more areas of the Columbia River Gorge. The effort aims to establish self-sustaining populations of western Pacific pond turtles in four locations in Skamania and Klickitat counties. A recent phase of the project (completed in February 2012) that relied on the DNR crews was primarily funded by the Bonneville Power Administration in cooperation with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Loss of native habitat has caused the numbers of Pacific pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata) to decline in Washington State. Photo: Terry Spivey, US Forest Service, Bugwood.org

The largest naturally occurring populations of western Pacific pond turtles is in Klickitat County in an area known as the Sondino site, which is part of the WDFW-managed Klickitat Wildlife Area. The project also includes the only other naturally occurring population in the Columbia River Gorge: an area of mixed private and public ownerships in Skamania County known as the Bergen site. Additional project sites are the federally owned Pierce National Wildlife Refuge and Beacon Rock, owned by the State Parks and Recreation Commission. The restoration work will also include releasing dozens of hatchling turtles raised in captivity by Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle and Oregon Zoo in Portland.

Members of the Department of Corrections crew, who are also trained by DNR as wildland firefighters, removed invasive plants, mowed, and completed other activities to improve the habitat. Other organizations working on the project include the Skamania County Forest Youth Success Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, WDFW, Skamania County Weed Control, and Beacon Rock State Park staff.