By Sara Kennedy

This lyrical, genre-blending book explores the title question through a series of river visits made by the author. Weaving together adventures to the River of the Cedars in Ecuador, the Chennai River in India, and the Mutehekau Shipu in Canada, Macfarlane ties them together with observations of a spring in his own neighborhood. 

Each river in his tale faces an existential crisis: the River of the Cedars is under threat of destruction, pollution, and poisoning from multinational mining corporations; the Chennai has become a river of sludge due to poor urban planning; and the Mutehekau Shipu is in the crosshairs of Hydro-Québec for the next major multi-dam project. Even the little backyard spring suffers due to overutilization of the aquifer that feeds it. 

“Is a River Alive?” is beautifully written. The author used words in new ways that I didn’t expect, but his descriptions are so graphically clear and relevant, I knew just what he meant. He did, blessedly, include a glossary, since he also used quite a few unusual words. ‘Quaquaversal’, ‘anchoritic’, and ‘bradyseism’ are now useful, if infrequently used, additions to my own vocabulary.  

The book is a thoughtful consideration of the rights of nature movement, which requires asking even more questions. If a river is a living entity, what rights does it have? And if we as river stewards are to advocate for a river’s rights, how do we know what it wants?  

My mind drifted to our own Spokane River as I read, with its heavy metals, PCBs, and occasional sewage or mineral oil spills. If the Spokane River is alive, what does she want? A complicated question, so be warned: “If you’re going to open Pandora’s box, make sure to stand behind the lid when you do so.”

The post Book Review: “Is a River Alive?” By Robert Macfarlane appeared first on Out There Venture.

By James P. Johnson

When he wasn’t in a cubicle writing marketing emails and promotional materials, Patrick Hutchinson would indulge in a pipe dream. His friends and acquaintances were getting married, buying a house, starting families. On social media, people were doing interesting, exciting things. His free time, spent on a worn, dog-fur-covered couch next to a perennial pile of laundry, staring at his phone, was a constant reminder that his rut was getting deeper and harder to escape. Enchanted by the idea of having a rustic place in the woods, he often went on Craigslist and looked at cabins even though he was nowhere near affording one.  

A tiny, 120-square-foot cabin in the Cascade foothills, three hours from his place in Seattle, intrigued him. After the owner said there were other interested parties, he borrowed money from his mother and paid the full $7,500 asking price. Habitable, but in need of repair, built partly with reused materials on a small lot, it had no electricity, water, bathroom or cell service. Anything dropped on the floor would roll away because it was not level. 

But weekends at his new place were fulfilling and brought him back to life. He invited friends, and, between barbecues and conversations over beer, they undertook projects to make the cabin comfortable. It was a learn-as-you-go endeavor—lacking not just carpentry skills, Hutchinson and his millennial friends had to learn about tools too. 

A book about buying and fixing a cabin isn’t a plot that sparks intrigue and fascination. Yet Hutchinson makes work-project issues, neighborhood characters and other situations interesting. I didn’t laugh loudly, but his generous application of humor made me chuckle and giggle more often than any book I’ve read in a long time. Reading it gave me a lift too.

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This fall I got the chance to try out the perfect gift idea for anyone who loves the outdoors and keeping their feet warm and cozy. The PAKA Sock Gift Box comes with a 3-pair set of incredibly soft royal alpaca socks that whoever you give them to will want to try them on right away after touching these natural-fiber beauties. The socks are light-weight, naturally-breathable and moisture-wicking for outdoor adventures and are odor resistant and itch-free too. Choose from three different sets: the Crew Box, featuring classic styles; the Graphics Box with cool alpaca and mountain graphics; or the Thermals Box, with extra insulating socks for colder outdoor adventures. PAKA’s socks are durable, machine washable and come with a life-time warranty.

The gift box arrives ready to wrap or give as is and one lucky person who finds a PAKA Sox Gift Box under the tree this holiday season will discover a “golden ticket” in the form of two custom Peruvian patches that are redeemable for a trip to Peru! MSRP: $59. Pakaapparel.com

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This past September, nearly 2,000 acres of North Idaho forest along Prichard Creek, a tributary of the Coeur d’Alene River between the town of Prichard and Thompson Pass, was protected from future development thanks to an Idaho Forest Group (IFG) donation of a conservation agreement to Kaniksu Land Trust. Portions of this section of Prichard Creek stand out to many who pass by due to the large piles of rock surrounding the waterway. These rock pile features were left behind from mining by the Yukon Gold Company that involved a frenzy of nearly non-stop, 24-hours-a-day dredging with a massive six-stories-high machine and crew of 12 men between 1917 and 1926.

The conservation agreement encompasses 1,023 acres of riparian habitat (10.5 miles of the 14-mile stream), 921 acres of forested uplands, and equates to an over three-million-dollar donation by Idaho Forest Group (IFG), one of the largest lumber producers in North America that owns and manages nearly 70,000 acres of land in Idaho and Washington, operates six sawmills, and employs nearly 1,300 workers. The Prichard Creek conservation agreement, a conservation easement between IFG and Kaniksu Land Trust where IFG donated the value of future development potential, permanently protects the area. The agreement also outlines continued restoration of the tributary and adjacent national forest public lands, in partnership with several non-profit conservation organizations and natural resource managers, including Trout Unlimited and Restoration Partnership.

“IFG’s commitment to forest stewardship and sustainability is at the heart of this work,” says IFG Owner, Marc Brinkmeyer. “We are proud to have partnered with many local, state, federal and conservation agencies to develop a multi-phase restoration plan to ensure the protection of this important area that offers a key habitat and holds such rich history.”

Years of hard-rock and placer mining have greatly impacted Prichard Creek, its floodplain and fish habitat. The creek had been severely degraded by the past mining that removed thousands of tons of sediment, created five-mile-long rock piles, altered the creek’s shape, reduced vegetation, eroded banks, increased sediment in the water, and caused a three-mile stretch to flow subsurface during summer months.

The first phase of the restoration project began in the summer of 2023 and included the strategic installation of natural wooden structures along a four-mile stretch of Prichard Creek (to restore water flow) and planting vegetation (to enhance ecosystems and naturally support the wooden structures).  This phase was funded by the Restoration Partnership—a group of federal, state, and tribal trustees—who aim to mitigate environmental damage from historical mining practices. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality served as the fiscal sponsor for the project and Trout Unlimited managed the project with significant involvement from IFG.

“We’ve seen a lot of positive outcomes a year later, including beaver activity, vegetation establishment, improved in-stream habitat diversity and increased use of the channel by cutthroat trout,” says North Idaho program manager for Trout Unlimited, Erin Plue. “We are very proud of the work this collaboration has done to date and look forward to continued restoration and protection.”

Despite the legacy of mining in and around the creek, long-term heavy metal contamination in the watershed is minimal compared to sections of the Coeur d’Alene River within the designated Superfund Site area of the Silver Valley and farther downstream, says Plue. “There don’t seem to be any lingering contamination hot spots, as most of the mill sites were cleaned up back in the early 2000s.” This is good news for fish, other wildlife, and anglers and means that despite the piles of mining debris that remain along much of this section of the creek, restoration efforts already underway can more quickly turn things around.

Ideally, the next phase of restoration will be in that central part of the Prichard Creek conservation parcel with the rock piles, says Plue. “It’s still in the planning phase,” she says, “but it’s looking like a significant portion of the piles would be removed to restore the flood plain over time as funding becomes available.”

Creek and fishery restoration efforts involve restoring meanders to the stream, but previously dredged sections of the creek bed that were excavated as deep as 25 feet in some places now allow sections of Prichard Creek to flow underground during low-flow summer months, making future restoration efforts to restore above-ground flow more complex and expensive, explains Plue. “A lot of this project is built around trapping sediment in some areas and moving it to others to create pools and stability.” In places where past dredging disturbed millions of years of fine sediment pockets that previously allowed the water to flow over, new underground dams of rock, logs, and fine sediments will need to be re-constructed to bring the above-ground stream flow back, she says.

Future phases will focus on improving access to fish habitats, securing water resources, providing public recreational access, ensuring forest health, preventing land conversion, halting further mining, and creating educational venues. The long-term project will involve securing grants for continued restoration efforts over many years. Plue emphasized that ongoing collaboration with Restoration Partnership has been and will continue to be crucial to the full restoration of Prichard Creek. The finalization of the conservation agreement is a testament to the dedication and collaborative efforts of IFG and its many partners that include Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho Fish & Game, Idaho Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Department of Lands, Idaho Fish & Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Trout Unlimited, the Restoration Partnership, and Kaniksu Land Trust.

The post Idaho Forest Group Spearheads Landmark Conservation Agreement for Coeur d’Alene River Tributary appeared first on Out There Venture.

Wallace Huckleberry Festival 5K Family Fun Run

The race starts in the center of the universe in historic downtown Wallace at 9 AM Sunday morning Aug. 18 (the entire town is on the National Historic Register). The fully-paved race course heads up Placer Creek gaining some 200 feet of elevation before turning back to the starting/ending point at the Wallace Elks Club. All types and ages of walkers, joggers, and hardcore runners are welcome, including kids in strollers, and dogs on leashes! Awards are given for the top finishers as well as for the best human and dog costumes. Sign up online here.

Huckleberry Festival Vendors

This year’s Wallace Huckleberry Festival includes arts, crafts, and food vendors range from woodwork to textiles, preserves to baked goods, BBQ to ice cream and more. Check out all of the vendors or reach out to become a vendor yourself!

Wallace Huckleberry Festival Music

Musicians are lined up for the entire two-day festival, featuring a wide range of sounds and styles. Check out the full schedule here:

Saturday, August 17th 

10:00 – 11:30: Johnnie McGee

12:30 – 3:30: Tim Snodgrass

4:00 – 6:30: Cosmic Wagon

7:00 – 10:00: SVERWOOD

Sunday, August 18th

12:00 – 3:00: Kyle Swafford and Band

Wallace Huckleberry Kids’ Activities

There are plenty of activities to keeps kids busy all weekend, including taking a swim in the historic Wallace pool, a magic show, huckleberry whipped cream eating contests, a bouncy house, and more. Plan your weekend around the kids’ activity schedule below:

JUMP, JUMP, JUMP! Northwest Inflatables will be open all weekend on the Depot Lawn! 10:00 – 6:00 Saturday and 9:00 – 3:00 Sunday. $10 for an all-day wristband

Saturday @ Center Stage

11:30 – 12:15: Magic Show with Opal Kate the Clown 

12:15: Announcement of Huckleberry Hound and Smokey the Bear’s Birthday Celebration

12:30 – 1:00: Huckleberry Whipped Cream Eating & Huckleberry Bubblegum Blowing Contests

1:30 – 3:30: Opal Kate the Clown Twisting Balloon Animals

Sunday @ Elks Lodge

7:30 – 11:00: Huckleberry Pancake Breakfast  (price TBD)

9:00: 5k Fun Run  *register here!*

11:00 – 2:00: Vastra the Clown Twisting Balloon Animals

Don’t miss the Wallace Huckleberry Festival Saturday and Sunday August 17-18, 2024! Check out this Out There article full of other Wallace-area adventure ideas to combine with the 5k and other festivities!

(Sponsored Story)

The post 2024 Wallace Huckleberry Festival and 5k Fun Run Aug 17-18 appeared first on Out There Venture.

Of the many factors that result in bicycle-automobile collisions, visibility and change of direction top the list. “I designed this signaling and lighting system to save my ass and it does,” says Dan, who has been bike commuting around the Spokane area through all seasons and all types of weather for 40 years. “When drivers see that animated arrow signal, they get it and yield.”

As well as being a hardcore bike commuter, Dan, who recently retired from a career in product engineering, is an avid mountain and gravel bike rider with a passion for getting others to bike commute more for work or other errands. “I really want bikers to be safe and get out of their cars and try riding more,” he explains. “If a turn signal makes them feel safer on city streets, hopefully that can be part of the solution.”

A 50 Year Quest for the Perfect Bike Signal

People have been trying to create a bike signal product for 50 years, says Dan, and some of those less-than-perfect attempts created a bad perception of bike signals with many cyclists and bike industry professionals. “I designed mine to be a complete system with a good headlight, turn signals, a brake light, and even a group ride mode where the lead rider’s signaling triggers the following riders’ units to signal automatically.” The reception from cyclists as well as law enforcement and airport security who have tried it has been super positive, says Dan. “When I started using my signal to turn or change lanes, it came to me instinctively because of driver’s ed, and everyone who has ridden with my signal system says the same thing.”

Unfortunately for riders reading this who may already be pulling out their credit card to buy one, Gore Bike Signals only exist as a prototype. All that’s needed to make Dan’s technology available to consumers, he says, is the right partner. “The Gore Bike Signals working prototype holds great potential for the right bike industry partner that picks it up,” he says. “All of the engineering documentation necessary to make custom and adaptive modifications comes with it. There is not any one configuration we could have produced in quantity that would meet the many particular needs of the market. Color, size, mounting, actuation, and the many software options are left to the product engineers who wish to work with us.”

To achieve his breakthrough technology, Dan worked with quite a few engineering groups and says that they are capable of engineering the changes and manufacturing the quantity of units that would be needed for versatile integration into e-powered or conventional bike frames. Dan says that his system will not only encourage more riders to use a bike, but that the unique safety light will distinguish the bicycle brand that incorporates it into their bikes or biking products in the crowded and competitive cycling market.

What Sets Gore Bike Signals Apart

The Gore Bike Signals system is incredibly well-thought out and designed, with a huge range of built-in features that simplify and enhance using the signals while riding. The system can be manufactured with three ways to allow riders to turn on the signals or brake light to work with a range of handlebar and frame types, including on board touch points on the front and back signal units; a motorcycle-style button switch that is connected to the front unit and mounts to the handlebars; or remote touch points that can be mounted where the rider can quickly touch one or the other while maintaining control of the bike.

In describing his development process, Dan proudly credits Spokane’s high-tech industry for all of the design and manufacturing resources he needed to solve the hard problems and design the solutions into the working prototypes. Should a client specify any modifications, Gore Bike Signals can quickly turn a new working unit, and if a quantity needs to be manufactured, Dan can do much of it locally too.

Both the front and the rear units of the prototype provide tabs for a ladder style band to wrap around the handlebar or the seat post for dependable and shock-mounted installation. The rear unit can be attached to virtually any object that provides a loop or post. The elastic bands that wrap the bar keep the unit tight in its cradle.

The headlamp is comparable to the brightest conventional headlamps available, and the tail light on the rear signal unit is lit from 15 high brightness ruby-red LEDs. The user can select among several eye-catching patterns that no vehicle will fail to notice. The front and rear units are digitally linked with a radio protocol to form a peer-to-peer network that is engineered to be proprietary and safe from hacking.

Dan says the technology holds tremendous promise to manufacture the police version of his signal system that includes all the regular features of the turn signal and running lights, but with the addition of flashing blue and red patterns. In designing the police lighting, a mounted officer with the Spokane Police Dept provided technical and operational guidelines in order to make sure the system would comply with regulations.

Dan is actively seeking the right bike industry partner to work with him to make his smart signals widely available to cyclists, and we sure hope he succeeds. Learn more about Gore Bike Signals at their website or reach out to Dan Gore with inquiries here.

(Sponsored Article)

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In the Sept/Oct printer version of this article, a photo was mislabeled as Bryan Gotham. We apologize to the Gothams and out there readers for this inaccuracy. The photo has been omitted from the digital version.

On the top of a ridge near the town of Republic in northeast Washington, I sat 15 feet away from a herd of wild horses. Foals nursed off their mothers. In the distance, a small group of cattle lowed, and I watched as rancher Bryan Gotham expertly navigated his horse around them, moving them onto the lower steppes of his private land in Republic, Washington. Soon, the cows would be moved to the Colville National Forest to graze on a public land allotment for the summer.

I was there to participate with the Gothams on their semi-annual cattle drive, called the round up. The Gothams have been raising cows since 1982 on both private and public land, and they’ve focused on animal and land health from the start. But public land grazing can be a contentious topic. Ungulates (hooved animals) have the power to contaminate watersheds, spread noxious weeds, destroy native vegetation, and disrupt the ecosystem. Ecological and environmental groups file lawsuits against the use of public grazing allotments while others lobby against it in government.

When we start to untangle this topic, though, there’s an unexpected pro of public land cattle grazing, at least in some places. When small ranch owners can stay in business, their deeded family homesteads, like the Gotham’s 2,200 acres in Republic, can remain wild and undivided for the benefit of wildlife.

“We need the lands connected to have a working ecosystem,” says Jay Shepherd with Conservation Northwest, an environmental organization that works to conserve local wildlife and wildlands. Habitat connectivity (a connected network of habitats that allows animals to move freely between spaces) is a cornerstone of Conservation Northwest’s mission. When private, undeveloped lands are kept intact, animals like deer, elk, grizzly bears, lynx, wolves and dozens of species of migratory birds and other wildlife are able to continue using and moving between habitat paths and corridors. 

As the American West was homesteaded, rangelands were often overgrazed and mismanaged. In response to this, President Roosevelt signed the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 to help regulate public grazing, maintain and improve soil quality, stabilize the livestock industry, and improve rangeland conditions. Currently, the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other offices oversee and manage grazing on public lands. When properly managed, public lands ranching can be done responsibly and provide the rancher the opportunity to stay in business. The Gothams are one of the single largest landowners in Ferry County, but it didn’t always use to be that way. Over the years, the Gothams have watched their friends sell off their parcels 20 to one 100 acres at a time.

For the last several decades, the Gothams have operated like this: permits are acquired from the U.S. Forest Service so that each spring cows, calves, and bulls can be moved from the Gotham’s private land in Colville to their private land in Republic, Washington. Then, before the end of June, the cows must be turned out to the designated public lands grazing allotment on the Colville National Forest where they will spend the summer grazing. (This is what the round up achieves.)

By the time I arrived for the round up, the Gothams were several days into the routine. Each morning, they saddled up horses, drank several cups of coffee as they discussed where to search for cows, then split into groups before riding for several hours. The terrain in this region is rugged. The riders urge their horses through thick brush and up steep, rocky scabs, searching for small groups of cows to move back toward the lower steppes. It’s a task that takes a lot of time in the saddle, and a lot of time is spent getting to know the contours of the land.

Everyone reconvenes at base camp (the family homestead) for lunch, discussing herd numbers while removing sweaty blankets from horses. After lunch, fresh horses are saddled and the whole process begins again. By the weekend, a majority of their 328 head of cattle will be ready to move the eighteen miles to the adjacent property, where they will spend the summer grazing on their public land allotment. Of the 1.5 million acres of the Colville National Forest, the Gotham’s cows will graze on 80,000 acres of it, one of the largest single unit allotments on the forest.

If you’ve spent any time in the Colville National Forest, it’s likely you’ve seen evidence of cows moving through the land. Brandon Weinmann is the Range Program Manager with the Colville National Forest and knows firsthand the importance of sustainable land management. In 2016, he partnered with several other agencies (as well as permit-holders like the Gothams) to reconstruct several spring water development sites on Forest Service land in Northeast Washington.

Gravity springs are protected with fence and set up so small portions of water are channeled via pipes into a trough farther downstream. These sites, placed in the upland parts of the forest, help redistribute cattle and keep them away from lower-elevation spring sites and riparian areas. Weinmann reiterates that it’s important to remember that a water development site will look as though many animals have passed through it, because they have. But that doesn’t inherently mean the land is damaged.

“Grazing does cause impact, but it’s also sustainable,” Weinmann says, noting that they frequently work with specialists to evaluate land health by checking vegetative growth near spring sites. The agency is mindful of these impacts and works alongside NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) to continually analyze the effects of grazing on public lands.

“Working ranches help maintain open space from being developed,” Weinmann says. “Grazing on public lands helps maintain these large open spaces that everyone from the public can go and enjoy.”

The Gotham’s cows winter over at their home in Colville, but cannot be turned out to their private land in Republic until late spring. That far north, the landscape doesn’t become viable for cattle (due to grass growth and the possibility of soil compaction) until the first week in May. Gotham says the cows (and horses they raise) will eat an average of 1,300 tons of hay during the winter. They are able to grow about 900 tons on their 230 acres in Colville and must supplement the rest. If their cows couldn’t graze on public allotments, the cost of supplemental food would put them out of business within months.

“In the current economy, you couldn’t afford to come out of college and start a farm,” says Gotham, adding that it’s nearly impossible to purchase land without considerable capital. As more family farms fall to developers, the landscape becomes uninhabitable to much of the natural world.

“When we start fragmenting the landscape,” Shepherd says, “we’re affecting an animal’s ability to move from point A to point B.” Dozens of animal species then become incapable of continuing normal migration patterns.

Public land grazing is perhaps an imperfect solution, as cows aren’t a native species and have caused damage to riparian areas and springs when mis-managed, but ethically-raised animals in an American foodscape that remains obsessed with beef could be a healthier way forward that works with our public lands, not against them.

While the conversation remains muddled, Shepherd says, “There’s a lot of common ground, you just have to look for it.” For the Gothams, it’s about creating a family legacy of good animal husbandry while practicing good land stewardship—a goal they share with Conservation Northwest and all who recreate on public lands.

As my time at the round up came to an end, I was left with an impression of camaraderie. During the quiet moments, everyone swapped stories about past round ups, comedic mishaps and equine behavior. I was the outsider who was asking sticky questions.

“Do you consider yourself an environmentalist?” I asked Gotham as we sat around a campfire in between rides. Gotham leaned forward, his arms covered in bruises and cuts from herding cattle out of thick brush. His shirt was ripped from an incident with a horse earlier that day.

“I think cattle ranchers and farmers were some of the first environmentalists before the term was even created,” he says. It’s about working toward a common goal of keeping small family ranches intact and the wild land, wild. //

Bri Loveall is the Digital Editor for Out There Venture. When she isn’t tending to her family, you can find her in the garden, begging her plants to grow. 

The post Ranching in the Wild appeared first on Out There Venture.

Each bar is a blend of everything you can read on the wrapper. The names merge all the ingredients followed by an activity. For example, my favorite is Apples & Agave & Cinnamon & Almonds & Hiking. However, among my extremely limited taste testers, the favorite was the Dark Chocolate & Cherries & Oats & Vanilla & Biking, followed closely by Blueberries & Cinnamon & Chia Seeds & Almonds & Climbing.

These bars are the exact opposite of the cardboard granola bars found in big green boxes at Costco. It’s a brand-new company founded by the owners of The Great PNW clothing company, and they have created fantastic trail snacks that celebrate the area. Even better, a portion of every sale will contribute to wildland preservation and conservation. Meanwhile, keep your eyes peeled for some new Trailhead Mixes, and some caffeinated Trailhead Bars, as well as PNW Provisions Coffee. Learn more at Pnwprovisions.co.

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If you are interested in beekeeping, there are some things you should know before you begin. I am about to finish my first year of beekeeping, and, although it has been extremely rewarding, it has also been a challenge. There are many reasons to become a beekeeper; it’s a wonderful hobby, initiates you into an amazing community, allows you to help the bee population, and has the nice byproduct of honey, which is delicious and can be profitable. Personally, I wanted to be a beekeeper to help the decreasing honey bee populations and make a difference in our environment, if only on a small, local scale.

To start, I took the Apprentice Beekeeping course through WSU, taught by the Inland Empire Beekeepers Association (IEBA). The course included class instruction and Field Day classes, where students were given hands-on instruction. Reflecting on the last year, I have compiled some tips I feel would have benefitted me before I began my beekeeping journey.

Tip 1: Know at least a little bit of beekeeping verbiage. Although I did catch up quickly, I am sure I had the deer-in-the-headlights look in the first class, and I definitely wasn’t the only one. I am not saying you need to know a lot, but taking a quick look through Beekeeping for Dummies is a good idea. I strongly recommend you get that book specifically.

Tip 2: Paint your hives blue. Bees have color preference—they have photoreceptors for seeing ultraviolet wavelengths, and some research says it’s because flowers with green/blue to violet color tend to have the most nectar. Blue in particular gets bees excited.

Tip 3: Start with two hives. Having a second hive is a good idea in case your hive is having problems (e.g. the queen leaves, is weak, or stops laying). If one hive is failing, you can aid or combine your hives.

Tip 4: Get the eight-frame hive (rather than the 10-frame option). Once those frames are full, they are incredibly heavy. The beginning beekeeping cost is expensive, but, after that, beekeeping is pretty inexpensive.

Tip 5: Ask a lot of questions. If you take a course that has a mentor list, use it! If it wasn’t for one mentor in particular (whom I lovingly nicknamed Queen Bee), I would have given up on package day . . . which leads me to tip 6.

Tip 6: Ask about what could go wrong. On package day, when you install your bees into their hive, make sure you ask about all the things that could go wrong and how to remedy the situation before you are in the situation. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for me, but Queen Bee talked me through all of it, and I am still going strong.

Tip 7: Think ahead. Planning ahead for next season to figure out what kind of things you will be doing for your bees and what other tools/inventory you might need is key. Unfortunately, I was always in the thick of it when I realized what I needed. One thing I really wish I had when winter hit was an insulated top cover and extra everything, from the actual hive to the frames. You always need extras.

Tip 8: ENJOY!!! About halfway through the course, one of the instructors told us, “If you haven’t set a chair near your hive and watched your bees yet, you’re really missing out!” Honeybees are truly amazing creatures, and I am thrilled to start a second-year course to learn even more.

Beekeeping has proven to be a wonderful hobby, learning experience, and a way to engage my mind and body with the outdoors in a new way. If you’re interested in beekeeping, it’s important to know what to expect, as the learning curve can be steep for a beginner. Joining a class, club, or stopping by the IEBA booth at the fair to ask questions is a great way to start. //

Alana Livingston gets to hike as part of her work as the owner of Wander Spokane, a downtown tour business. She wrote about Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve in the Sept/Oct 2022 issue.

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