#Sitka spruce

[lailoken]

Not long ago, my husband and I were lucky enough to meet a truly awe-inspiring tree—a centuries old Sitka Spruce that was likely once utilized by the indigenous population for funerary rites.

While the area surrounding the tree was (rightfully) fenced off to prevent disrespect or damage to the site, I was able to lay my hands on the exposed roots that crept beyond the enclosed perimeter, and that still felt very powerful and special.

[pickleweed2]

orange slime myxomycetes, unable to exactly ID this species. Found on decaying Sitka spruce limbs.

first two images composed of 150 images stacked

Big Lagoon, California

[pamietniko]

The Tree of Life

Kalaloch Beach, Washington

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Today was day one of a two-day ecopsychology class I'm teaching at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. It's my first time teaching this intensive a class on the subject, and I have to say that it's going better than I had even hoped of. Today was classroom time, and tomorrow we head out into the field to try some practices that allow us to incorporate ecopsychology into our everyday lives for emotional resilience and stress management.

Sometime I almost have to pinch myself because it's so incredible to me that I am doing something I love so much for a living. My naturalist work is still very much a career in development and growth, but even in the year since the last time I walked on this land and taught in that classroom so many amazing opportunities have come my way. Like anyone, I have my times of doubt and worry about the future. But right now I am content and optimistic, and I have ideas for further collaboration with this incredible wellspring of creativity nestled in nature.

There are times when I wonder whether I should have taken the safe path and just gone with a standard day job instead of building an entirely new career from scratch. There are days when I think that other people working in this field are doing better than I am, and all I see are my shortcomings. And then there are days like today, where everything comes together just right, and I can see my purpose as clear as day. It's those moments that keep me going through the challenging times. And I can't wait to see what the next year brings.

[thelordismylightandmysalvation]

Isaiah 40:26 ~ My Photo and Graphic

[pnwnativeplants]

1,000 year old sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) with me for scale.

[hannahcrazyhawk]

My hometown - Sitka, Alaska 🗻

[Nikon D50]

[jackalopegirlantlers]

everything's bigger in alaska

[hibernation-fibres]

A pattern I’ve wanted to do for ages finally got made this year, for my lovely friend Ella! This took forever and almost melted my brain with its colourwork, but it turned out absolutely gorgeous (and absolutely HUGE!!) And I finally got to use up the Drifter I’ve been sitting on for about four years!

Yarn: The main body is King Cole Drifter DK, but I seem to have had this yarn so long that the shade has been discontinued! It was ‘Montana’. The green colourwork is Robin DK in ‘Forest’ !!

Pattern: ‘Sitka Spruce Cowl (Infinity)’ by Jamie Lomax on ravelry

[geezerwench]

Washington State’s ‘Tree Of Life’

Olympic National Park’s Tree of Life seems to defy all logic. The grand Sitka spruce sits almost in midair with all of its roots exposed and hanging below.

Perched between two steep slopes, the tree holds on by only a few of its roots while the rest hang below, inexplicably staying standing and gaining enough nutrients to not only survive but to fully thrive. As a Sitka, it is the largest type of spruce, and its wide and tall trunk leads to a lively and green group of leaves — all without any soil to support this growth.

[moved2024]

GatherVictoria's Citrusy Spruce Glazed Shortbread

Ingredients

Spruce Glaze

3-4 tablespoons of spruce needles (depending how “sprucey” you want it!)

1/4 cup of cream

1 cup of icing sugar (or more if you like a thicker icing like consistency)

Shortbread

½ cup cornstarch (preferably non GMO or organic)

½ cup icing sugar

1 cup sifted plain flour

¾ cup butter

Spruce Glaze Directions

Begin by stripping the needles from the branch and placing them in a spice grinder, food processor or coffee grinder. Grind these as fine as you can.

Then slowly, add in a little icing sugar at a time, about 1 tablespoon, grind it to a fine paste. You should have something that looks like this.

Place this spruce paste in a bowl, add in some of your cream, then mix in your icing sugar, keep doing this a little at a time until you reached the consistency of glaze/icing you like.

Shortbread Directions

Sift cornstarch, flour, icing sugar together. Using either your fingers or two forks, mix in the butter, until a soft dough is formed.

Shape into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with a lightly floured fork. (Or roll out fairly thick slab of dough and cut into shapes.)

Bake the cookies at 300 F/ 150 C for 15 – 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Let cool before removing from cookie sheet.

Glaze your cookies and top with a sprinkle of granulated sugar.

[pickleweed2]

Hypholoma sp fruiting at the base of Sitka Spruce, with strong UV reaction.

Big Lagoon, Ca | 11-21-2023

[guitarbomb]

Unveiling the Ed Sheeran Stadium Edition Guitar: A Masterpiece for the Stage

For Ed Sheeran fans and acoustic guitar aficionados alike, Sheeran By Lowden presents the ultimate musical instrument: the Stadium Edition acoustic guitar. This exceptional guitar isn’t just any instrument; it’s a forensic replica of Ed Sheeran’s personal stage guitar, which accompanied him throughout his monumental Mathematics Tour. Handcrafted Excellence and Limited Availability Sheeran By…

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Well, I have a bunch of email to answer, and the battery on my second vehicle that I left at home is apparently deader than a doornail (the neighbors were starting it every few days but apparently it went kerplunk), and it is COLD here in the Barndominium. But I am home and surrounded by Sitka spruce again, and the sun is shining. Good to be back.

[unityrain24]

photo taken yesterday, august 24th

i was a bit disappointed that the forest we were at was a fir-pine forest rather than fir-cedar, but it was still very beautiful <3

[pnwnativeplants]

Picea sitchensis or sitka spruce can grow up to 200 feet tall. They prefer sunny,  moist to wet conditions. It’s the largest spruce species, and the fifth largest conifer in the world. They are host to over 200 species of butterflies and moths, including the pale beauty (Campaea perlata)