6/25 BC pipe, tsunami debris, elephant seal, no drip, rain garden soil, BC midden, Cedar Grove odor

Red-breasted nuthatch (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "We’ve added a number of trellises, tripods and other supports to our garden this year. They’re functional rather than glamorous, and some are on the rustic side, made from scrap wood. But they seem to have made the birds pretty happy. The nuthatch in the photo...tried out the new pea trellis one recent afternoon, along with the frames for the netting that will soon surround the blueberry and raspberry beds. All seemed to pass muster..." Perches Aplenty

Check out Dan McShane's blogs on the Salish Sea landscape: Notes on Salish Sea Landscape 20,000 Years Ago and Notes on Salish Sea Landscape:18,000 to 16,900 Years Ago

The proposed Northern Gateway project has reached a major milestone with the end of public hearings on the pipeline, and now the company will focus on resolving lingering questions, says president John Carruthers. Mr. Carruthers said the focus that has been on the joint review process for several years will move to building public support and working with the British Columbia government, aboriginal groups and others who brought their concerns to the panel. Robin Rowland reports. Northern Gateway hearings wind up in B.C.  

At least eight vessels suspected to be from the 2011 tsunami have now drifted into B.C. waters, everywhere from the northern tip of Haida Gwaii to Aristazabal Island and Klemtu, on the north and central coast, and to the west coast of Vancouver Island. Large amounts of debris — not even officially being tracked by the province — are also making their way to the central coast to be converted into floats by local residents. Larry Pynn reports. Japanese tsunami vessels arrive in B.C. waters

For the third time this year, a juvenile elephant seal has landed on a Port Townsend beach as part of his annual molting process. And downtown is preparing for what could be a two-week visit.  He's already received a violin serenade. “We don't know why we are getting so many seals this year,” said Chrissy McLean, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center's marine program coordinator who is monitoring the seal's progress. Charlie Bermant reports. Third elephant seal of year in Port Townsend given town hospitality

Every year 7 million quarts of oil and other auto fluids wash into Puget Sound contaminating water and harming marine life. Looking for a way to address the issue the Department of Ecology and Seattle Public Utilities are teaming up with community colleges to offer free workshops to help you not "drip and drive." They’re drawing eager participants. Inspecting cars, Green Acre Radio learned, is serious fun. Martha Baskin reports. Don’t Drip & Drive. Fix That Leak!

The recent dust up over troublesome amounts of pollutants leaching out of a Redmond rain garden got me thinking about soil. That’s because the soil in a rain garden has to meet a lot of needs, some of which are in conflict with each other. It needs to soak up potentially large volumes of stormwater quickly, filter and capture pollutants, keep plants alive through sodden winters as well as summer droughts, and avoid leaching nutrients. Plus, the ingredients for the soil need to be locally, readily, and affordably available. We’re asking a lot of this dirt. Lisa Stiffler reports. It’s the Soil, Stupid  

A rare inland midden has been unearthed on Prevost Island, off the east coast of Saltspring Island, more than 30 years after archeologists first recorded the location of the site. Midden comes from the Danish word “køkkenmøddinger,” which means kitchen waste or compost. “They’ve come into view in the last 30 years,” said Eric McLay, who led the excavation. “No one’s taken a good look at what they are and studied them.” Inland shell middens are unique to the Salish Sea region and are slowly emerging into public view. Nick Wells reports. Rare midden near Saltspring Island a gem for research  

In the hot summer months, neighbors say they can smell it a mile away. They close their windows because they don’t want a whiff of what’s outside. The Cedar Grove composting facility on Smith Island has long prompted complaints from neighbors about its facility, which processes tons of rotting compost each year. Cedar Grove has racked up 12 Clean Air Act violations in the past five years at its Everett plant. The company received its latest two clean air violations at the Everett plant earlier this month, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) spokeswoman Joanne Todd said. But no one seems to know what to do. Michael Whitney reports. Cedar Grove odor issues persist, but no easy answers to control smell

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE JUN 25 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT BECOMING S 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 6 FT AT 16 SECONDS. SHOWERS THIS MORNING...TAPERING IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 14 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.

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