8/11 Thai basil, Lorraine Loomis, culvert removal, Perseid meteors, March Pt Heronry, bug-eating plant

Thai basil [Urban Leaf]

Thai basil Ocimum basilicum var. thyrsiflora
Thai basil is a member of the mint family and as such has a particular sweet flavor reminiscent of anise, licorice, and clove. Popular among the cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. (Gardening Know How]

Swinomish, regional tribal leader Lorraine Loomis dies at 81
Longtime tribal fisheries advocate Lorraine Loomis of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community died Tuesday. She was 81. Loomis spent the last about 40 years serving the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, most recently as chairperson. She began her career in fisheries working in fish processing in 1970, and then became fisheries manager for her home tribe following the 1974 Boldt decision that reaffirmed tribes’ treaty-protected fishing rights. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

U.S. Senate infrastructure package could ‘significantly improve’ salmon habitat
Funding to help fix culverts could open up cold water habitat to Northwest salmon...The $1 trillion infrastructure package includes $1 billion over a five-year period to help states remove pipes, known as culverts, that allow streams to flow under roadways. Improperly designed culverts can deter salmon from reaching significant portions of their habitat. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

The ‘best meteor shower of the year’ is peaking soon. Here’s how you can watch
The Perseid meteor shower is upon us, peaking this week, and it will fill the night sky with streaks of light and color until Aug. 24. Known as the "best meteor shower of the year" by NASA because of its fast, bright and plentiful meteors that can be easily viewed outside during the warm summer months, the shower is not one to be missed. It will peak around Aug. 12, where up to 100 meteors an hour can be caught shooting across the sky at 37 miles per second, leaving long streaks in their wake. Josie Fischels reports. (NPR)

March Point Heronry grows with Land Trust purchase
The patch of forested land protected at March Point to support great blue heron nesting is growing this summer to 15.5 acres. The Skagit Land Trust announced recently that it was able to purchase a 3.5-acre addition to what’s called the March Point Heronry thanks to donations from about 200 families, businesses and organizations over the past month. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Common B.C. flower is actually a carnivorous bug eater
It's a bad time to be a small insect in Cypress Provincial Park. Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have identified the first new carnivorous plant in 20 years.  In collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, researchers discovered that the Triantha occidentalis in the park, a species of false asphodel, was missing a gene consistently seen in other carnivorous plants.  The stem of Triantha contains sticky red hairs that trap small insects, such as midges and flies as they pass by. The plant produces a digestive enzyme called phosphatase, which allows it to feast on the insect. Michelle Gomez reports. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  247 AM PDT Wed Aug 11 2021   
TODAY  Light wind becoming NW to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 8 seconds. Areas of dense fog  in the morning. 
TONIGHT  Light wind becoming SE to 10 kt after midnight. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 9 seconds. 

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