Here’s a little tour of some articles I saved to read from our local paper – The Astorian. These are a mix of serious and interesting articles that show some of the things happening in our little paradise here in the NW corner of the state (and the SW corner of WA). Feel welcome to read the sources and my commentary, and if the urge comes up, contact me with your thoughts, or express them to the world.
Just south of Newport, a new wave energy facility called PacWave is about a year away from being operational. It will be the first commercial-scale, grid-connected wave energy test site in the U.S. and one of few in the world.
An article from OPB about a wave energy study project going on off the coast of Oregon. A bit controversial, but interesting. I’m not sure where I stand on it.
Thanks to ongoing efforts in Willapa Bay and an informative Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife webinar last month, it has become apparent that invasive European green crab are an enormous threat to the ecology and economics of the Washington state coast.
Here’s an editorial on an issue near and dear to my heart – invasive species. One of the latest species up for eradication is the green crab. I’m generally against eradicating life, and this species seems yet another one that could be a good thing that is being branded “invasive” and therefore bad. Lots of good articles and posts on this topic lately, and I’ll post some more here later.
Umtanum desert buckwheat only grows at Hanford Reach National Monument. Now, researchers are trying to plant it at Cowiche Canyon Conservancy, which would be the second population of the plant in the world.
The flip-side of the invasive species debate is the survival of native species. This article details some progress is saving a native species that only grows at the Hanford Reach National Monument in eastern Washington.
A supervolcano, a massive eruption and a lost lake left Oregon with what could be the largest known lithium deposit in the United States.
A great article from OPB about a gigantic lithium deposit on the border between Oregon and Nevada. Lithium is used in batteries that power everything from cell phones to EVs, and it’s a hot commodity in the mining world. I’m generally against mining, especially when done for profit. It’s generally disastrous to the environment, and is typically done with little regard for life or aesthetics. I need to learn more about this potential mine, and form an opinion. I’ll start by looking into Jindalee Resources, the Aussie company that wants to mine this deposit. According to several sources, jindalee is an (imported) Aboriginal word from New South Wales, language and dialect unknown, supposed to indicate “bare hills” or “skin and bone”. There are at least two towns in Oz – one near Brisbane and one near Perth – with the name Jindalee.
Amelie Redman has been the librarian at the Grand Ronde Library since 2013. The library has no computers, no Internet service and no telephone.
Great feel-good story about a volunteer who keeps the tiny town of Grand Ronde’s library going. A rare positive story. I gotta go there one day! The library has no website, but seems to have an old Facebook page. The tribal library is up the road...
"Wild Origins,” a new video series from Wild Grocery & Cafe in Manzanita, explores unique products crafted by local makers around the North Coast and sold at the local market.
Cool story about local stuff sold at the Wild Grocery & Café in Manzanita.
On a sunny morning in Pendleton, Hiroko Cannon quietly opens her back door, silently slipping into the yard where she can watch the birds beginning to gather around her array of bird feeders. This is research, gathering images for the meticulous watercolor paintings she’s been creating for the past 20 years.
I love this kind of art!! Great little article about a Pendleton artist originally from Japan. Check her out!