NEW BLOG!!

Attention all blog readers!

We have decided that Blogger, though a great simple blog template, was not our cup of tea. We wanted to be able to customize more features in the blog, so we have switched to Wordpress!

HERE IS THE NEW BLOG LINK: 

http://inmybackyardnw.wordpress.com/ 

What’s New at the Zoo?

The Experience:

Tree kangaroo

The Woodland Park Zoo is home to a remarkable range of animals from all corners of the world. When we, the SCA interns plus Jimi and Leila, visited on Tuesday we were able to see most of the animals. As we entered the zoo we were handed tokens which were used to show support for research and conservation projects funded by the zoo. I placed my token in the box supporting northwest carnivore research since that is a local project. The zoo funds these projects from a percent of the admission fee, no matter the percent support shown by the public. Another admission related fact: if you take public transit to the zoo and show your transfer or ORCA card then you are eligible to receive two dollars off admission.

Ghost look-a-likes

We spent the entire day at the zoo exploring all the exhibits. The animals, according to Leila who volunteers at the zoo, were particularly active when we were there. My favorite area of the zoo is the Northwest Trail although most of the animals that live there can be seen by hiking in the area. The white wolves were a highlight and they prompted many references to Jon Snow and Ghost (a white wolf from Game of Thrones).

A orangutan hiding from the rain

Since we visited with Leila, she was able to tell us lots of interesting facts about the various animals and the zoo in general. I love biology so it was a perfect opportunity to learn some more. Fun facts: cheetahs are the only felines that don’t have retractable claws, flamingos have to eat brine to remain pink, and there is one ostrich that can be very mean. The orangutans were very fun to watch; one clambered up a tree while holding a cardboard sheet over its head the entire time to protect itself from the rain.

A bird building its nest

Although we typically think of zoos as places for younger children, in reality they are perfect for all ages. The Woodland Park Zoo offers opportunities to view and learn about animals and efforts being made to conserve their habitats. At times I have my doubts about the ethics of caging animals in relatively confined exhibits but the Woodland Park Zoo disproves my assumptions. Many animals are almost extinct in the wild due to hunting or habitat loss so being in a zoo is actually safer. Also, animals are provided exhibits that are similar to their natural habitats including stimulation that keeps them from being bored. All in all, the Woodland Park Zoo, as we learned, is a leader in zoo design and ethics making it an enjoyable place for both visitors and animals.

Youth Opportunities:

The Woodland Park Zoo offers programs for all ages, but their opportunities for youth are particularly rich. There are a variety of changing summer programs that cover topics including natural history and anatomy. Since the times of these programs change you can find current information on the zoo’s website here.

Relaxing gorilla

ZooCorps: Teens 14+ and in 9^th or 10^th grade can apply to participate in the ZooCorps volunteer program. As the zoo’s description states, youth are provided “a unique opportunity to develop useful job/public speaking skills, increase their knowledge of animals and their habitats, and to expand their conservation awareness, in a collaborative and fun learning environment at the Zoo and beyond.” If you are interested in an in-depth internship-like program at the zoo you can learn more at http://www.zoo.org/page.aspx?pid=1976#.U9KfkfldXT9.

Getting There by Bus (you get a zoo discount for using public transit):

Klondike Gold Rush NHP: 5

Ballard: 44
West Seattle: 21
Capitol Hill: 47 or 49 to 5
Columbia City: 7 or 9 to 218 or 550

Bellevue: 210 or 212 or 554 to 5

Cost:

Bus Fare: Anything from $1.25 to $2.50

Zoo Admission: Under 13 – $11.75, 13 and above - $18.75

- Sarah, SCA intern

Trails & Rails

Early Wednesday morning Claire and I boarded the Coast Starlight line from Seattle’s King Street Station down to Portland, OR. The train ride was around four hours long and we were allowed a two-hour layover in Portland to grab some lunch. After the layover we headed back to Seattle. Our goal was to get idea of what Trails & Rails is about. Trails & Rails is an innovative partnership program between the National Park Service and Amtrak that provides rail passengers with educational opportunities about the history and geology of the landmarks they are visible on the ride to either Portland or Seattle. The Trails & Rails volunteer park rangers dedicate their entire day to teaching passengers and expressing their passion about the history of the area.

Steve and Bud were the two Trails & Rails rangers that accompanied us on the train on Wednesday. Steve was extremely passionate about the history of the area and he was quite funny as well. Bud seemed very well versed on the subject and he had a soulful voice. This program really fosters an appreciation of the Pacific Northwest’s natural and cultural heritage. It also promotes and informs passengers, especially ones that are not from the area, about National Parks in Washington and Oregon. On Wednesday we learned many interesting facts, especially about Mount St. Helens’ eruption and Auburn, WA and how it used to be called Slaughter, after Lt. William Slaughter, who died in a skirmish in 1855.

The Trails & Rails program operates on an assortment of train lines all over the country with more scheduled to come in the future. In this area Trails & Rails currently only operates on the Coast Starlight line but next year Trails & Rails may be operating on the Empire Builder which goes from Seattle to Havre, Montana. 

~ Sophie, SCA Intern

ORIC - Information Right at REI

Waterfall at the Seattle REI

This week, the interns were lucky enough to be able to spend a whole day at REI shadowing the USFS and NPS employees at the Outdoor Recreation Information Center (ORIC) at REI in downtown Seattle. I've always seen the ranger station at our local REI, but I'd never really thought much of it. I just assumed they sold passes and might be able to hand out pamphlets and such about hiking and camping. I was right, but I completely underestimated what a treasure trove of knowledge the ORIC rangers really are.

Natasha and Sarah holding sockeye salmon after pricing them

People who shop at REI tend to be outdoorsy (obviously), but it turns out that the Seattle REI - being the flagship - also attracts a lot of tourists right from the airplanes who are planning outdoors trips through the USA. A couple showed up from France planning a bike trip down the West Coast. A Polish man showed up seeking out biking directions around Seattle. Some folks showed up planning to climb Mt. Rainier, while others just wanted a suggestion for a hiking trip that's kid friendly around Seattle. No matter what the question was or how knowledgable the customer already was, David and Ed had all the answers. When people asked about burn bans or road closures, they knew exactly where to find the right information, and when people needed to contact specific ranger stations around Washington, David was able to quickly write down the phone number without even having to look it up. 

Claire and Sophie at the Desk

ORIC really is a fantastic resource for any Seattlite wanting to get outside and I highly recommend that people utilize their huge amount of knowledge. However, it is definitely advisable to visit them in person. They will return your phone call when they get a chance, but the sheer volume of visitors means that it might take a while. Also, their vast supply of maps and information are great to see in person. Plus, you get to visit REI, which is sort of like Disney World for those of us that enjoy the outdoors!

Transportation
From Klondike - Bus #s 590, 594, or 595
From Ballard - Bus # 40
From Columbia City - Bus #s 7 or 9
From West Seattle - C line
From the U-District - Bus #70


Cost - $1.25-$2.50 (Bus) or FREE (walking/biking)

Trail Work and Hiking at Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest

Natasha sawing a log.

Early Monday morning we, the interns, piled into cars to drive up to Denny Creek in Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest (MSNF). After a groggy shopping stop in North Bend, we arrived at the Franklin Falls trailhead. There we met Marta, a former telephone company employee who after retirement joined the Forest Service and now leads trail work parties. Marta instructed us on how to use a totter (mechanical wheelbarrow) since we were spreading gravel along the trail.  We worked with a Student Conservation Association high school trail crew to fill the totter and buckets with gravel. When the gravel was dumped on the trail we raked it out which was surprisingly tiring. We ate lunch on a rock overlooking the river which only became a problem when a plastic cap fell in. Luckily we were able to save it with some quick maneuvering. After lunch we continued with the gravel work but took turns removing roots from the trail. I find trail work very gratifying since it’s easy to see the progress I’ve made.

We had the opportunity to chat with Erica Keene who is the youth coordinator for the MSNF (she coordinated our visit). She explained that her job is a combination of organizing group visits and helping youth with applications for federal jobs. Her tips for navigating usajobs.gov (the federal employment application site) should prove useful. Apparently federal resumes are quite different than other resumes as they are supposed to rely heavily on detail and narrative.

Fun at Franklin Falls!

In the afternoon, after we finished working on the trail, we hiked up it to Franklin Falls. The trail follows the river up the valley to the falls. Although I-90 is visible from the falls, the view is still quite impressive. The water was very chilly but I still managed to immerse myself. Sitting around our campfire was the highlight of my evening. We cooked hotdogs and foil veggies which were very delicious although I’m not sure if they were actually that good or if I was hungry from our day of work.

Sophie hugging a tree.

The next day we hiked up to Lake Melakwa, the hike that Sophie wrote about a couple of weeks ago. It was a very warm day but we were able to power up the steep talus slopes. We saw some spiral trees which made me remember that
I’d learned that the ratio of right spiraled trees to left spiraled trees is the same as the ratio of right handed people to left handed people. After doing a bit of research on the internet, I’m not entirely convinced of the verity of that fact. Nonetheless it was quite amusing when Natasha queried as to whether left spiraled trees are more creative.

The lake was freezing (or very close to it) but I was warm enough to not care. We ate a late lunch at the lake then headed back down the trail. After a rather uneventful hike down, aside from spotting an interesting blue bug, we reached the trail head and traveled back to Seattle.

- Sarah, SCA intern

Transport - Take I-90 E and get off at Exit 47 - Take NF 5800 to FS 5830 - Turn left onto Asahel Curtis Rd/NF-55 - Turn right onto NF 9034 - Take 1st left onto NF-5800 - Turn left onto FS 5830 - Campsite will be on the left - 45 min-1 hr 


Cost - $20/night for single campsite or $35/night for group site (camping) - Reserve here, Need Northwest Forest Pass for parking at trailhead

Mount St. Helens Underground Wonders

This weekend, I wanted to go camping. However, between my two friends and I, we barely had enough money to fill up a tank of gas and buy some mac-and-cheese. The question was, where could we go that would be beautiful, cheap, AND available last-minute? After much last-minute scrambling for food and supplies, we started driving south with no plan other than to find a good camping spot. After some detours to various state parks where all the campsites were full, we decided to make our way down to Mount St. Helens. On our way into the park, we realized that to go to the official campsites, we had to have a Northwest Forest Pass. At the time, we were pretty unaware that it only cost $5 for the day and that you could pay with a card (none of us had thought ahead and brought cash...).

Solution? We found a service road which wound up one of the slopes next to the mountain. After some rough driving on some old dirt roads, we stumbled on an unbelievable campsite with a perfect view of the mountain and some little trails all around that we could explore. There had been several spots along the road that were clearly used for camping, so we knew we were following the Leave No Trace principles and since we were on National Forest land, it is legal to camp on any previously used campsite. After an evening of exploring the trails around the area and experiencing some awesome views, we settled down with some mac-and-cheese and summer sausage. Like the smart people that we are, we'd only brought one 2-person tent for the three of us, so my friend ended up sleeping in her hammock, which turned out to be a bad idea because it started to rain at about 2 am and she had to move to the car. At least it was a large car!

The front Entrance to the Ape Caves and
one of last natural sources of light you will see

The next morning, we woke up pretty early and packed up camp. We were intent on seeing the Ape Caves which two of us had never visited. We drove down the mountain and since it was early (10 am-ish), we had no trouble finding parking. We sucked up our pride and paid the five dollars for a day pass and started in on the caves. We decided to do them backwards in order to avoid being stuck behind groups of people. This meant that we hiked about 1-2 miles out to the far end of the caves and then came back through the lava tunnel to the parking lot. I highly recommend going this way because not only do you get to hike a lot of it on your own, but when you emerge from the caves, you don't have to hike back at all to your car.

The caves themselves are pretty unbelievable. They are essentially a super long lava tube (2.5 miles) and happen to be the longest lave tube in the continental United States. It's pitch black, so make sure to bring a light source with WORKING BATTERIES. Also, it gets pretty cold down there, so make sure to bring layers. Finally, there is one section that is slightly difficult to climb down, so it's helpful to have other people who can work with you to get everyone down.

As I was leaving the caves, I heard one guy turn to his friend and say "It's pretty crazy this is right in our backyard!"

-Natasha Way, SCA Intern

Transport - Take I-5 South and get off at Exit 22 - Take Old Pacific Hwy towards Cougar to Lewis River Rd - follow signs for Ape Caves

Price - Need Northwest Forest Pass for parking ($5 for day pass - can buy at Ape Caves entrance)

New Calendar Feature! July Calendar!

Hey guys! From now on, In My Backyard will create a calendar of fun events happening in Seattle's museums and parks each month. We will be looking out for cheap or free fun that can be found around the city. Here is our July calendar. Click on the calendar to get a zoomed in version.

JULY