Pounding Surf: The coastal regions of the PNW receive weather and surf from energy that gathers from the Pacific Ocean. Storms come in and head inward to the continent bringing with them the scope and changing scale of storm systems due to climate change. While research is continuing to try and harness the energy of waves to contribute to electricity generation, more still needs to be done.

Fruit Bearing Branches: Container shipments from the docks acess the transcontinental trucking or rail lines. Arteries of commercial shipping branch out inland and across the continent of North America. Shipments of goods come in from abroad and supply the country with needs from away. Raw materials and goods from America are likewise shipped away. The PNW is also known for the quality of its fruit, which is shipped worldwide.

Dramatic and Bountiful: Coastal areas range from steep to rolling in the PNW. Many areas hold high levels of biodiversity. Ocean waters have long supported people living on shore with ample productivity from sea life and the anadromous fish populations that are born inland in freshwater then migrate to the ocean for years before returning to spawn near the place of their birth. Recently, concern has been raised about plummetting levels of biodiversity in the world's oceans, plastic and other pollution, overfishing, acidification, and changing temperature gradients that effect the health of those that live within ocean waters.

Care and Aware: Products and produce are trucked out into the PNW region daily, along highways. Even though many crops are grown in this region, most areas of the world are not self sufficient. The problem of burgeoning imports becomes larger when products are made with a short life in mind or have nonbiodegradable components. Collecting and bagging trash along route 126 west of Veneta in Oregon, results in a cleaner looking byway. Raymond Block voluntarily bags trash from illegal dumping and spray paints faces and messages to the community to raise awareness of the power of individual responsibility and the health and wellness of the roadside environment. He started a non-profit to support these efforts called Leaven No Trace. The Oregon Department of Transportation arranges pick up for the bags but is not involved otherwise in his efforts to reduce trash accumulation along roadways.

Where Stuff Goes: Where there are wide open spaces, it is easier to allocate space for garbage. China has recently stopped the flow of garbage from the US. Homegrown landfills will need to accomodate our refuse. The abiliity to recycle our waste is growing in importance every year as the flow of refuse escalates, from the steady stream of product coming into our households.

Portland Night Streets: Protests in Portland Oregon in the summer of 2020 centered around justice for George Floyd who was murdered by police in Minneapolis. Protests turned violent in the city building on a rallying cry to defund the police. Many of these neighborhoods had popluations of housed and unhoused individuals, all trying to have their voices heard and sovereignty respected. It is also known, that many cities from across the US in the preceeding decades gave residents of defunded mental hospitals and homeless shelters one-way tickets to a variety of west-coast cities. Urban living affords a smaller ecological footprint to live, versus suburban living, and living together successfully in closer quarters means getting along.

Fighting for Space: Oregon's 363 miles of coastline hosts seals and sea lions through out the year. Influx into caves and rookeries is met by intense competition for space and mating. The sea lion caves near Florence, Oregon see flucuating populations depending on the season.

Upscale Protection: Boutique shops in the Fremont district in Seattle hire armed security guards, stationed outside with occasional walk-throughs. The breakdown of social cohesion and increase in destruction of private property bring policing to the fore.

If We Padlock Toilet Paper: The Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in Portland Oregon, finds it necessary to padlock its supply of toilet paper in the restrooms. The Pacific Northwest has seen a dramatic increase in its unhoused population. Many people are given oneway bus tickets to the area as a solution for emptying mental institutions and other city sanctioned methods for reducing houselessness in far away regions. Oregon regulations allow people to use the public right of way to camp. While the weather in the region is generally warmer than areas in the northeast US, it still doesn't make for easy living. Sometimes it is little indicators that reflect broader problems in society. Migrating people have different base levels of needs than those of a housed population.

Places for Respite: The Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in Portland is free to the public on Mondays and has a very low admission cost on the remaining days. The well landscaped acres attract people and wildlife. Covid has cultivated awareness about the importance of outdoor recreation and enjoyment for social wellbeing.

Debut in Spring: At the Rhododendron Garden in Portland a celebrant of the Phillipine debut custom scheduled a photo shoot amongst early blooms. Here she reaches up in joy to branches laden with tree magnolia blossoms. Connection and celebration with arboreal cousins is frequent around the world.

Pictures for Posting: At the top of Mount Tumalo people are rewarded with a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. Mt Bachelor sits next door, with its waning glacier as do the Three Sisters that are all volcanic in origin. Near Easter 2022, a snow bunny was created on the summit for us to ponder among visiting hikers and alpine touring enthusiasts.

Timberline Entrance: Timberline Lodge begun in 1937 on the slopes of Mt Hood has an igloo-like entrance that keeps snow from burying visitors. The beautiful timbers used in the historic lodge's construction, like many other facets of the building were all hand made as a result of funding from the WPA (Works Progress Administration). While the lodge and the land it sits on are government owned, it is a family owned business.

Wedding in the Mountains: On the flanks of Mt Baker (WA) a small wedding with intrepid and celebratory participants occured with canines and dinos in April 2022. The setting, while remote and difficult to get to, was stunning, including the dark storm clouds that held its rain until after the ceremony.

Growing Close Together: It is possible to retain trees in a development. The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Midcoast Oregon houses residents and visiting teachers. The small campus snuggles alongside a planned development and ancient Sitka spruces. Carbon captured in trees is stored for the long term, and kept from increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

Lichen Sunlight: Sunlight streams through lichen and moss festooned trees just below Mount Baker, Washington. Lichens are organisms formed by the symbiotic relationship between algae or bacteria and fungus. They are an indicator species because of their sensitivity to air pollution. Moss and lichens have antimicrobial properties and were used for bandaging wounds, for diaper material, and absorbing menstrual flow. Nature provides what we need and is sensitive to our abuses.

Clearcut View: Clearcutting is common and is more economically profitable than other methods of harvesting trees. Studies show an increase in soil erosion and nutrient loss in the ecosystem from clearcutting along with a decrease in retention of water from the lack of vegetation. Extreme steepness on clearcut slopes contributes to soil loss from increasesd erosion during rain events. Many areas through out the world are still being clear cut and thus reduces carbon sequestration in a world suffering from climate change.

Wildfire Rampage: Mackenzie River valley saw many wildfires consume acres of forests, homes and communities. Climate change is poised to bring more of the same with increased strength in hurricanes and tornadoes. Rebuilding is a natural phenomena throughout society, but the incidence and tenor of the human discourse threatens the existence of many.

Mindful Mycelium: Fires in the Northwest result in a plethora of mushrooms for growing legions of mushroom foragers. Mushrooms or fungi form colonies of hyphae or mycelia underground. Recent research gives mycelium credit for performing the internet task that enable trees and plants to communicate to one another. Mushrooms have long been known to store water and nutrients. Systems built by fungus for connection and communication are at the forefront of research to understand our biosphere more fully. Connections are vital for social wellbeing in human society. Understanding our connection to nature is growing.

Connecting to History: Sitka Spruce (pictured), Western Hemlock and Douglas Fir can become giants along the coastal range in Oregon and live more than 500 years. Here younger trees surround a gentle giant in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, part of the Siuslaw National Forest. Pausing to consider history and our place in it, brings us together.

Landscape in Process: Regeneration of forests harvested across the West is constant. Most lumber companies plant new stock on the exposed soil, the timing of which is critical to minimize soil erosion, loss of nutrients, and damage to watersheds. Unfortunately, not all the costs of reforestation are born by those who profit from tree harvesting. The National US Forest Service has "demephasized" clearcutting in favor of selective cutting. Selective cutting is understood to be overall better for the environment. Reforestation efforts can focus on a single species or diversity. In addition, large quantities of acreage in the US are privately owned. The future of carbon sequestration in forest growth has many moving pieces, but does hold promise. Forty seven percent of Oregon is considered forested today.

Building Materials: Timber harvests support many different industries in the US. Lumber for building was the chief export desired by colonial powers because much of the timber stock in Europe had been used. While steel can be used in construction it is more expensive. Newer forms of construction materials include recycling landfill bound plastics into products to take the place of plywood and shipping pallets. Solid lumber will be harder to replace with other materials, but if not burned carbon in lumber is sequestered. Oregon is the top US producer of soft wood lumber, followed by Washington. The flow of whole log exports overseas (as opposed to consumption and development of forest products within the US) has slowed since the 60's.

Paper Production: Renewable products like paper also need massive amounts of product (trees) to sustain production of a consumer staple. Large amounts of water are also needed in paper production. Decisions surrounding the use and consumption of resources and product need to be balanced in order to achieve objectives of sustainability and harmonious coexistence.

Downtown Bend Bringing Nature In: Spring sunshine brings people out onto the streets to enjoy a meal. During the Pandemic people sought places of renewal through nature. Even in cities people sought outlets to connect to the natural world that is bigger than themselves and their home spaces. Here specimens collected from fallen pieces of Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir trees accompany me on the dashboard as I travel between communities.

Ponderosa Pine Pedal: Ponderosa Pine forests predominate in the area near Bend Oregon. Finding fun and adventure here marries enjoyment of the natural world and exercise. This forest provides space for outdoor recreation and sequesters carbon.Ponderosa Pines are both drought tolerant and are able to survive low intensity fires, which is good for woodpeckers and other small birds and mammals that use its cavities for nesting, and bears that enjoy the trees for climbing. A sole mountain biker enjoys the moment.

Willamette Wonder: The Willamette Valley in central Oregon is vast, productive, and beautiful. Farming practices make use of most of the landsacape, complete with modern irrigation to balance against erratic supplies of rain. A severe flooding event occured in 1996, extended beyond the Willamette Valley, and was responsible for eight deaths in Oregon and over $500 billion in damages in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California.

Paths: The Kentucky Falls Trail does not disappoint. Its path leads visitors through a vibrant and complex ecosystem in the Siuslaw National Forest, complete with standing deadwood, mushrooms, ferns, young saplings and old-growth timber. The paths we choose to take as a society that is both learning and growing leads into our future. For the benefit of society as a whole and biodiversity of the planet, these woods have much to teach about positive feedback loops and healthy means of development.

Lichen Fall: Lichens use cyanobacteria to fix nitrogen found in the air and photosynthesize. They do not harm their host plants, rather they live symbiotically. When lichens die or are blown off from their hosts, they contribute greatly to soil building and provide available nitrogen to subsequent plant growth. They are unsung heroes in ecosystem building.

Petals on Metal: Rain and windstorms blow petals from fruit trees onto the ground and anything within the neighborhood. Patterns from nature appear in places where we least expect it. Here the flower petal patterns on a car's metal panel also shows deterioration from being used in an area where inland sea spray corrodes metal. Even metal eventually breaks down and returns to the soil, albeit slowly. Understanding the circular systems of the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles, should help us in designing and committing to a circular economy, or atleast one committed to increased sustainability.