An Orick man was arrested recently on suspicion of hacking burl out of redwood trees on public land a year ago and selling them to a nearby burl souvenir shop. Danny E. Garcia is facing charges of grand theft, vandalism and receiving stolen property stemming from the discovery of a badly damaged tree in Redwood […]
Outdoors
Posted inLife + Outdoors
May To-Do List
Ah, can you feel it? Summer is in the air, with the birds tweeting, plants bursting into bloom and that inexorable itch to get out in the garden and plant something — anything! The intersection of fine weather and a little less rain has me dusting off my hori-hori in anticipation of planting all those […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Panama: Linking the Oceans
The Panama Canal is a 50-mile long waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This year marks the centenary of the link that, in 1914, drastically changed global commerce by cutting 5,000 miles off the dangerous “round the Horn” route. However, if the architect of the Suez Canal, Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps, had succeeded with […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Bay [T]rail Update No. 9 + CCT
I have a new favorite book. Well, it’s not that new and it’s not a real book. I just discovered online the 170-page report called “Humboldt County Coastal Trail Implementation Strategy,” published in January 2011. It’s about the dream of being able to transport yourself, sans car, along the California Coastal Trail in Humboldt County […]
Posted inNews
McKay Tract Community Forest: Five Thumbs Up
The state’s first county-owned community forest is nearly a reality, after the board of supervisors voted unanimously to accept grant funding to purchase a 1,000-acre portion of the McKay Tract on Tuesday. There’s much to do before the land is accessible to the public, though. “The immediate next steps are processing the property transaction and […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Life is Like a Box of Produce
“What’s in the box?” I wonder, my excitement escalating as I get ready to open it. One week, the first Sun Gold cherry tomatoes of the season beam at me from their basket. Another week, the first sweet peppers show up glowing like lamps. Every week, the assortment of fresh produce in the community-supported agriculture […]
Posted inNews
How Green is Humboldt?
As the world readies to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, it seems a fitting time to take a good, hard look in the mirror. Yes, Humboldt County, home to towering redwood trees, flowing rivers and a magnificent coastline, was green before it was cool. It’s a place where folks outfitted their homes with solar […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Where the Wild Things Are
I recently wrote a column for the Journal about the river otter, one of the many adorable, cuddly denizens of the North Coast. “They’re so cute,” several readers commented, seeing the photo in the story. Then the April issue of National Geographic arrived in our mailbox with an article about our desire to bring wild […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Growin’ Food in the ‘Hood
When you think of growing your own food, chances are the first image that pops into your mind is of raised planting beds with neat rows of squishy little plants that need weeding, water and for you to talk nicely to them every time you pass by. While I can always spare a few words […]
Posted inNews
OK, McKay
Humboldt County’s board of supervisors is almost certain to get the keys to a $6.7 million chunk of property in the next several months — even if a few officials are looking in the gift horse’s mouth. The county — with aid from Eureka and other agencies — has been working on a plan to […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
April To-Do List
The garden is finally showing real signs of spring, with new leaves unfurling from branches and spring bloomers putting on a show. Though the North Coast is still in a drought, in most years April’s notorious showers and warming temperatures make it the perfect month to plant annual flowers and cold-hardy vegetables. The rain also […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Hiking for Three
When I found out I was pregnant with twins, my doctor suggested that I stick to “gentle stretching,” walking and swimming for exercise. That sounded like the most boring nine months ever. During my first trimester, the only time I didn’t feel nauseous was when I was eating or being active, so I ran, biked […]