For fifteen years, the Deumlings have been experimenting with planting less-traditional tree species—ones more tolerant to a warming climate—including Incense cedar, Coast redwood, Giant sequoia, Oregon white oak, and Ponderosa pine. They’ve also been sourcing Douglas-fir seedlings from farther south, where they may already be adapted to a warmer and drier climate.
Forest Adaptation: Half Art, Half Science
For fifteen years, the Deumlings have been experimenting with planting less-traditional tree species—ones more tolerant to a warming climate—including Incense cedar, Coast redwood, Giant sequoia, Oregon white oak, and Ponderosa pine. They’ve also been sourcing Douglas-fir seedlings from farther south, where they may already be adapted to a warmer and drier climate.
September Fireside Chat: Ethics of Assisted Migration in the Pacific Northwest
SEPTEMBER FIRESIDE CHAT | SEPTEMBER 20, 2023 | 7:30pm – 8:30pm | ON ZOOM This month’s Fireside Chat will focus on assisted migration: the human-assisted movement of species in response to climate change, is a climate-adaptation strategy increasingly being employed in the Pacific Northwest as land managers decide what to plant. Matt Distler, Conservation Program […]
Riparian Restoration Along the Skookumchuck River
Often when landowners come to NNRG for forest restoration help, our aim is to turn a dense, uniform forest that is susceptible to pests, disease, and fire into a more heterogeneous, resilient forest that supports a diversity of wildlife habitat and (sometimes) provides long-term timber revenue. In 2021, NNRG was hired to spearhead an entirely […]
July Fireside Chat: Practical Forest Restoration for Small Woodland Owners
JULY FIRESIDE CHAT | JULY 19, 2023| 7:30-8:30PM | ON ZOOM Many forests in our region need active stewardship to achieve their ecological and economic potential. Years of single-species management, overstocked stands, invasive species, and neglect can make forests susceptible to a slow decline in ecosystem services. This month’s fireside chat will focus on forest […]
Still Waters Farm: Wetland Wasteland to Beaver and Waterfowl Haven
By the time Beth and Mark Biser bought Still Waters Farm in 1990, the 48-acre parcel of forest in Mason County, Washington was a shell of its former self. Its 20 acres of wetlands had suffered two major disturbances.
Mapping Tools for Forest Landowners
When NNRG foresters prepare for a site visit with a forest owner or begin drafting a forest management plan, one of the first steps they’ll take is to prepare a suite of maps that provide critical information about the characteristics of a forest. Although our forestry team includes professional cartographers familiar with Geographic Information Systems […]
Stossel Creek and Assisted Plant Migration: How’s It Growing?
Article by Shay Steeves. Shay completed her University of Washington Environmental Studies Capstone Project with Northwest Natural Resource Group in Winter/Spring 2023. Three years ago marked the start of the Stossel Creek adaptive restoration case study. Located in Carnation, WA, Stossel Creek is now home to over 14,000 growing seedlings, including 900 that are set […]
Ecological Forestry Put to the Test for Birds
This bird monitoring study, funded by a $25,000 grant from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative, is going to use recordings of birdsong and bird calls captured by the AudioMoth devices to understand how a set of ecological forest management activities impact bird populations.
New Free Workshop: Stewarding a Climate-Resilient Forest West of the Cascades
Learn hands-on strategies for managing healthy, resilient forests in Jefferson County. At this free workshop in Jefferson Land Trust’s Valley View Forest, professional foresters will introduce forest owners to a set of simple, hands-on strategies for increasing their forests’ resilience in the face of a warmer and drier climate. Participants will develop a deeper understanding […]
Forest Recipes for the Adventurous
You’ve probably heard of stinging nettle tea — how about stinging nettle pesto? Japanese knotweed hummus? These six recipes draw from the bounty found in Pacific Northwest forests – both wild and urban lands.
Camera Traps for Climate Adaptation…and Critters!
Article by Margaux Clarke. Margaux completed her University of Washington Environmental Studies Capstone Project with Northwest Natural Resource Group in Winter/Spring 2023. 3… 2… 1… Say Cheese! NNRG’s use of scout cameras (camera traps) at their climate adaptation project in Nisqually Community Forest are an important part of the snow monitoring research, but they provide […]
Active Management and Small Landowners: It’s in the Intention
By Jaal Mann and Rowan Braybrook. This article was originally published in the Winter 2023 issue of Western Forester, which focused on exploring what active management of forests means. You can read the full issue here. A prescribed burn to maintain open prairie. An individual western redcedar selected to make bentwood boxes or a dugout canoe. A […]
TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT 2024 EQIP PROJECTS
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a technical and financial assistance program managed by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. EQIP helps forest owners access technical expertise to develop and complete conservation practices that improve the health and productivity of their land.
Winter & Spring 2023 Washington and Oregon Native Plant Sales
The Winter Wet Season In The Pacific Northwest Is An Ideal Time To Plant Young Trees And Native Shrubs! Planting native trees and shrubs enhances forest biodiversity by providing habitat for wildlife and forage for pollinators. It’s also a great way connect to the land and increase your aesthetic and recreational appreciation for the forest. […]
Monitoring Mount Heaven
Last spring, Paul Hansen and his 16-year-old granddaughter found themselves tromping through his forest near Mount Rainier (Tahoma), in Washington. Both were searching for old PVC pipe remnants and rebar stakes hammered into the ground, but their motives that day were split. Paul was hoping to find the centers of circular plots he’d marked out 10 […]
Two Methods to Contribute to Research About the Dieback of Western Redcedar
Forest owners can help accelerate research and understanding about the factors affecting the health of western redcedar through two methods: sharing observations online or collecting soil samples
NNRG JUNE FIRESIDE CHAT: Introduction to Forest Practices Applications
Fireside chats are monthly community events where forest owners can talk directly with NNRG staff and other forestry professionals, and connect with other forest owners in western Washington and Oregon.
2022 NNRG Staff Book Recommendations
We asked the NNRG staff and board — notorious for thinking about forests as much off-the-clock as on — for the best forestry, nature, PNW, and environment-related books they read this year. The result is a list as varied as it is long! Click on a title below to read about the book, or scroll […]
What Happened in 2022? 10 of NNRG’S most notable accomplishments
2023 is fast approaching, and we’re eager as beavers in a wetland forest to start some of the new projects we have planned. But before we start construction on our next lodge (so to speak), we’d like to take a moment to reflect on some of NNRG’s most notable achievements and activities of 2022. […]