Environment

Gig Harborites love the natural surroundings in which they live, and Gig Harbor Now staff members keep them apprised of opportunities to enjoy and preserve their forests, waters and creatures.

Jennifer Preston: All mushrooms are magic

Nov 08, 2023 | By:

They help turn wheat into bread and fruit into wine. They ferment cacao beans, making it possible for us to enjoy one of the world’s favorite treats — chocolate. They give us penicillin, forever altering the way we fight infection. These mostly invisible, seemingly magical organisms quietly go about their work sustaining forests and enriching

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The sinking of the Walrus in 1963 was a disaster averted

Oct 26, 2023 | By:

Have you heard about the sinking of the Walrus? It was only one of the greatest maritime near-disasters in Puget Sound history. There’s no memorial to it, as not-quite-calamities don’t usually get one. But among the survivors, and those with them at Catholic Youth Organization’s (CYO) Camp Blanchet on Raft Island in the summer of

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On Raft Island, the Peninsula’s last summer camp carries on, with updates

Oct 26, 2023 | By:

Residents on the east side of Lay Inlet enjoy looking across the bay at All Saints Camp and Retreat Center, a heavily forested stretch of Raft Island shoreline that provides a home to wildlife and brilliant fall colors. The view hasn’t changed in decades. Neighbors might have worried earlier this month, when barges and heavy

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Two In Tow & On The Go: Claybabies are a Fox Island find

Oct 20, 2023 | By:

Clay babies are rare rock formations shaped like cloud animals, found among Fox Island’s pebbly shorelines. Here’s how to spot ’em!

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In the Margins: Hupp Springs hatchery contributed to a salmon success story

Oct 18, 2023 | By: Leland Smith

In my previous life, I had the joy of serving as sports editor for The Peninsula Gateway from 1984-93. Many hot dogs and bags of popcorn ago, I had a front-row seat for all things in the Wide, Wide World of Sports here in the Peninsula area. It was a great gig: Taking the pictures,

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Plan to clear trees at Tacoma Narrows Airport delayed

Oct 10, 2023 | By:

The first phase of Pierce County’s plans to improve safety at Tacoma Narrows Airport is delayed, the county announced last month.  The cost to remove trees and erect fencing around the airport exceeded a Federal Aviation Administration grant for that purpose. The county still plans to go forward with the project, which the FAA requires for safety

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Gig Harbor City Council to discuss climate plan, trees and Masonic Lodge

Oct 06, 2023 | By:

Two tree-related issues are up for discussion at the next Gig Harbor City Council meeting on Monday, Oct. 9: The council will consider adopting an Urban Forestry Management Plan and a Climate Action Plan. The council reviewed both plans at a Sept. 21 study session and will take public comment on them Monday. Forestry plan

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Neighbors press city about The Reserve, a development planned above Crescent Valley

Oct 05, 2023 | By:

The land slated to become The Reserve, a planned subdivision in Gig Harbor extending from Peacock Hill Avenue eastward down the hill toward Crescent Valley, is hardly a slam-dunk for development. The long, narrow 9.88-acre site slopes noticeably on its western half, where developers plan to build 14 homes. It then drops sharply to an

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Jennifer Preston: You say tomato, I say tomorrow

Oct 04, 2023 | By:

In my last article, From Wanton Waste to Good Taste, we discussed how 40% of our harvest is thrown in the garbage. When edible, healthy food is tossed in the trash, it becomes food waste. Now let’s focus on tips for reducing food waste by properly planning, purchasing, storing and cooking it. By doing this,

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In the Margins: Back to school in a classroom of river, sky and maybe even some fish

Sep 27, 2023 | By:

As our summer yielded to fall, I took myself back to school. My classroom was a quiet stretch of the Jefferson River in Montana, nestled between the Continental Divide to the west and the Tobacco Root Mountains to the east. Our annual eastward pilgrimage to this region is disguised as a family obligation to help

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