9/5 Bees, island fire, BC wildfires, giant spiders, wasps, Tokitae, shrinking glaciers, island water, heat survival, invasive pests, WA gas prices

 

A morning's work [Laurie MacBride]

A Moment with Bees
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Bees have been plentiful and active in our garden all summer, though almost always moving too quickly for me to photograph. But the other day, when I had my camera conveniently in hand, I noticed that high up on the now-very tall sunflowers, bees were moving ever so slowly. I watched through my telephoto lens as they ambled along, seeming to savour the taste and texture of the dense floral carpet, while sticky pollen grains clung to the hairs on their heads, legs and bellies. It was a moment that I could also savour..." (Eye on Environment)

San Juans assess fire risk, in the aftermath of Lahaina
Excess forest vegetation once controlled by managed burns by Coast Salish peoples now accumulates in dry, unhealthy forest conditions. Kathryn Wheeler reports. (Salish Current)

Severe wildfires are reshaping the future of B.C. forests
Some areas may end up as grasslands as climate change brings droughts. Other forest may recover if allowed to regrow naturally with a host of species, rather than being replanted with commercially preferred firs. Derrick Penner reports. (Times Colonist)

Seattle's giant house spiders: Big and fast, but they won't kill you
Certain spiders are so big, they make even the most spider-friendly humans leap off the couch, and those spiders, appropriately named “giant house spiders,” are on the move this time of year, looking for a mate. Rod Crawford, who has studied, collected, and curated spiders at the Burke Museum in Seattle for 50 years, sets the record straight. Stephen Howie and Jason Pagano report. (KUOW)

Have you been stung? More wasps in B.C. right now, say scientists
If you’ve been noticing more wasps flying around this time of year in British Columbia, you’re not alone. Beekeepers and researchers confirm that wasps are very active at the end of summer and this year there might even be more than normal in B.C. Alanna Kelly reports. (Northshore News)

The Lummi Nation sees ‘parallels’ with the orca Tokitae’s story
Lummi Nation Chairman Anthony Hillaire said that the feeling of kinship between the Lummi people and the orcas is deepened by shared experiences. Native children were removed from their families and sent to boarding schools, where they were often farmed out in the local community for cheap labor. Many children died from sickness and inadequate medical care. Orcas were removed from their families and sent to amusement parks where they were forced to perform for audiences. Only one captive orca — Keiko, born in Iceland — has returned home. Richard Arlin Walker (Indian County Today/Crosscut)

Rocketing boulders, dwindling streams: signs of WA's shriveling glaciers
As a warming climate shrinks the rivers of ice atop Mount Baker and other mountains around the world, it’s exposing rock faces and cliffs that haven’t seen daylight for millennia. The changes are noticeable from the lowlands. Each summer since a record-smashing heat dome in 2021, Mount Baker has been living up to its Nooksack name Kweq’ Smánit (white mountain) less and less. John Ryan reports. (KUOW) See also: The canary in the icefield Scientists have tracked the fate of the Peyto Glacier in the Rocky Mountains for decades as a global reference point. It’s disappearing faster than expected — a warning sign for communities downstream. (CBC)

Gulf Islands’ water woes an ominous omen for the rest of B.C.

Southern Gulf Islanders have always known their water is a precious commodity as their supply depends on the deep, broken-rock aquifers that supply most of it. In the second straight year of severe drought, worries are creeping in. Wells that draw from those aquifers are running slower or running dry sooner in parched summer conditions. Changing, less-reliable patterns of winter rain in an era of climate change are raising fears about the ability of those aquifers to recharge themselves. Derrick Penner reports. (Times Colonist)

'Light of hope': B.C. researchers say some fish surviving heat waves better than once thought
A new study has found bottom-dwelling fish — including flounder, halibut, rockfish, and all five Pacific salmon species — are defying expectations in the face of heat waves. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist)

Scientists warn invasive pests are taking a staggering toll on society
The authors of a major new U.N.-backed report say invasive species are costing the world more than $423 billion a year. Dino Grandoni reports. (Washington Post)

Readers sound off on Washington’s high gas prices
The state’s cap-and-trade system is met with skepticism and grudging acceptance as companies pass the program's cost to consumer pocketbooks. Venice Buhain reports. (Crosscut)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  253 AM PDT Tue Sep 5 2023   TODAY  W wind to 10 kt rising to 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 10 seconds. A slight  chance of showers. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming S after midnight. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 10 seconds. A chance of  showers.

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