#iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region.
Washington
Posted inNovember 1, 2023: November 1, 2023
When burn scars become roaring earthen rivers
Geologists in Washington are monitoring scorched forest to help create a better warning system for deadly debris flows.
Posted inArticles
A new film asks: how do you make art in a city you can’t afford?
‘Fantasy A Gets a Mattress’ is a dark, surreal, fun adventure that deals with themes of eviction, homelessness and disability.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
Backscratching bears, seismic singers and happy birthday to Herman the Sturgeon
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
The dangerous consequences of wildland fire dispatcher burnout
An internal Forest Service survey shows a critical link in the wildfire fighting apparatus is struggling.
Posted inOctober 2, 2023: The Dark Side of the Sheepherding Industry
To protect wild bumblebees, people have to find them first
For six years, hundreds of volunteers have counted bumblebees across the Northwest. Their data is shaping pollinator conservation nationwide.
Posted inArticles
The West’s overlooked rainforests can address climate change
A new book advances the idea that protecting old-growth forests is better for the climate than planting new trees.
Posted inArticles
Farmworkers fight for higher pay, better hours and fair treatment
Labor advocates rallied in Seattle to demand a union contract from Windmill farms amid allegations of poor treatment and retaliation.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2023: Food Justice
Seattle’s Black Farmers Collective nurtures communities and crops
At Small Axe Farm, producers learn how to tend vegetables and grow their businesses.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2023: Food Justice
Bathroom bison, foul-smelling flowers and outlaw otters on the lam
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
Washington to adopt rules protecting farmworkers from wildfire smoke
Some labor advocates say they don’t go far enough.
Posted inArticles
Meet the beetle threatening Washington’s cherries, hops and other crops
Invasive Japanese beetles are drawn to flowers and fruit. Washington officials are trying to eradicate them from the state.
Posted inArticles
People are starting a lot of fires in the Pacific Northwest
The Forest Service reports 197 human-caused or undetermined starts since the beginning of June.
Posted inAugust 1, 2023: In the Line of Fire
Orcas, insects and other roadside attractions
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inAugust 1, 2023: In the Line of Fire
‘We have fire all around us and we can’t get out’
What happened when two experienced hikers got caught in the Bolt Creek Fire.
Posted inAugust 1, 2023: In the Line of Fire
Finding a fix for ‘forever chemicals’
Tests found PFAS in nearly all the public drinking water in Vancouver, Washington. The city is testing a solution that could take years — and more than $170 million — to build.
Posted inJuly 1, 2023: Waiting for Water
Baby bears, white whales and ‘freaky-looking fanged fish’
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inJune 1, 2023: Seen and Unseen
Ferry felines, ornithopters and Tokitae going home at last!
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inJune 1, 2023: Seen and Unseen
Sugaring the Pacific Northwest
How climate and cost cramp bigleaf maple syrup production.
Posted inArticles
Yes, 90 degrees can be dangerous
From a jump in ER visits and gun violence to fears for maternal health, the Northwest’s May heat wave shows the dangers of more moderate, early heat waves.