Articles written by Linda McDonnell

This Valentine's Day why not offer the gift of helping an elderly friend or loved one with undone home projects topped off by a home-cooked meal to share.

Jan 2, 2011 - Linda McDonnell

Built by the WPA and dedicated by Franklin Roosevelt in 1937, this historic mountain lodge welcomes skiers, snowboarders, hikers, sightseers and diners.

Sep 21, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Traveling the Old Columbia River Gorge Highway, first stop should be Vista House high atop Crown Point, overlooking miles of forest, cliffs and river below.

Sep 14, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

This lacy flat-topped flower grows amid wild summer grasses and is a favorite to press for decorating greeting cards and creating nature art.

Aug 6, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

The white flower clusters and feathery leaves of yarrow are a common sight in open fields and the edges of woods throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere.

Jul 29, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

This tall, showy Pacific Northwest native flower grows abundantly in burned areas and was the first to appear after the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980.

Jul 25, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Also called cream bush, California spiraea, meadowsweet or ironwood, flowers of this wild shrub resemble the ocean spray that gives it its best-known name.

Jul 23, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Monkey flower, Indian pipe, mock orange, tiger lily and Oregon checkermallow bloom during June, July, August and September in Northwest forests and meadows.

Jul 12, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Enjoy a warm Portland evening by dining at a sidewalk café, taking in a concert at the zoo or a city park or strolling along the Willamette River esplanade.

Jul 11, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

This 5,300 acre natural area offers wetland, grassland, lake, and forest habitat for migrating birds, plus a home for river otters, deer and other wildlife.

Jul 10, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Author Peter D'Amato's book is a comprehensive guide to growing insect-eating plants indoors and out with details about their native habitats and habits.

Jun 10, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Successful cultivation of carnivorous plants requires conditions that closely match the boggy, humid conditions of their natural habitat.

May 31, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Many indoor gardeners grow carnivorous plants at home for the curiosity of their insect-eating habits and for the beauty of their foliage and blooms.

May 28, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Often called arrowhead because of the shape of its leaves, this common plant of marshes and ponds grows from a bulb that West Coast tribes collected for foo

May 5, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Plentiful in the wild, nettles are considered a weed by many, but they were a source of folk remedies and fiber from prehistoric times into recent history.

Apr 12, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Nuttall's larkspur, Douglas' spiraea, fairy bells and Pacific dogwood are common Pacific Northwest wildflowers named for pioneering botanists who first recorded them.

Mar 22, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

The bulbs of this graceful blue flower were not only a major food source for Native Americans, but contributed to tribal economies throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Feb 25, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark collected dozens of wildflowers previously unknown to botanists during their 1804 -1806 journey to the mouth of the Columbia River.

Feb 18, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Archibald Menzies was among the first Europeans to explore the diversity of Pacific Northwest plants and collect specimens for scientific analysis and classification.

Feb 1, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

The lucrative fur trade in the Pacific Northwest led the Hudson's Bay Company to establish Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River in the vast Oregon Territory.

Jan 25, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Eighteenth century rumors of a large river emptying into the Pacific Ocean from the Oregon territory were confirmed in 1792 by the American fur trader Robert Gray.

Jan 14, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Setting sail in 1791, Vancouver made detailed maps of the hundreds of inlets, bays, coves, islands and sounds of the passage from northern Washington to Southeast Alaska.

Jan 6, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Captain James Cook was a veteran of two major voyages of discovery when he agreed to sail North America's Pacific Coast in search of the fabled Northwest Passage.

Jan 2, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

In 1774 Juan Pérez sailed north from Mexico to enforce Spanish claims to the coast of present-day Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska.

Jan 2, 2010 - Linda McDonnell

Fruiting in mid-winter, the evergreen Mistletoe held symbolism for the ancient Germanic and Celtic tribes and remains popular in modern Christmas traditions.

Dec 14, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

Familiar holiday plants have a colorful history in Christmas tradition. Some are wrapped in lore stretching back to medieval times; others rise from more recent legends.

Dec 11, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

Christmas or birthday gifts can spark kids' love of nature by letting them press flowers, watch bugs up close, raise butterflies, or see roots grow below ground.

Nov 30, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

For people who enjoy wildlife and bird watching or taking in the vistas and fresh fragrance of woodlands and oceans, nature-themed gifts make a welcome Christmas package.

Nov 22, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

For friends and relatives who enjoy hitting the trails, gifts that tuck easily into a day pack or backpack are perfect for Christmas giving.

Nov 19, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

Fall brings a host of edible mushrooms to farmers markets, specialty grocers and supermarkets that go far beyond the traditional button mushrooms of a past generation.

Nov 1, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

Author Stephen Whitney offers a comprehensive look at the land from Southeastern Alaska to Northern California, through Oregon and Washington to Western Montana.

Oct 19, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

The history and science of North America's western forests are interpreted in lyrical prose in a book that has outlasted more recent conservation literature.

Oct 9, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

Field Guides help hikers and outdoor lovers recognize Pacific Northwest forest wildlife, birds, fish, marine mammals, tidepool creatures, trees, wildflowers and geology.

Oct 5, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

With the guides below, nature enthusiasts will know a Douglas fir from a hemlock and an Oregon ash from an elderberry.

Oct 4, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

Naturalist James Davis takes readers on a year-long tour of see elk, bald eagles, migrating whales, butterflies, tidepools, spring's first wildflowers in the Pacific NW.

Sep 24, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

The diverse, ancient conifers grow to towering heights, thrive in rugged terrain, and remind us of earth's prehistoric days. This book is their fascinating story.

Sep 19, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

Novice and experienced naturalists can increase their enjoyment of Pacific Northwest natural areas with the help of one of the many field guides available.

Sep 5, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

From tough sword ferns to delicate maidenhairs, ferns flourish on the moist, shady forest floor of temperate rainforests of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.

Aug 30, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

The coast redwood is one of the earth's tallest trees, the giant sequoia is massive, and the beautiful dawn redwood is newly discovered after being seen only in fossils.

Aug 20, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

This wide urban walkway sometimes hugs the river's edge, sometimes floats on the water, and always offers stunning downtown views.

Jul 23, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

Just three miles from downtown Portland are miles of nature trails in a wildlife sanctuary maintained by the Audubon Society and open to the public from dawn to dusk.

Jul 18, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

This small natural area preserves rare Willamette Valley oak savanna and numerous wildflowers that thrive in the rocky, pool studded property.

Jul 12, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

The New "Whale Watching Spoken Here" Center Offers Excellent Viewing Complete with Spotting Scopes and Guides to Help Locate Whale Spouts and Flukes

Jul 9, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

Driving down the Oregon Coast on U.S. Highway 101, huge rocks jutting out of the ocean are visible from almost every viewpoint. Most teem with seabirds.

Jul 4, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

These sites offer premier guided viewing of tidepools filled with anemones, starfish, sea urchins, tiny crabs and other intertidal life.

Jun 29, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

As the tide moves toward the minus point, barnacles and starfish appear first, followed by extreme low tide sightings of sea palms and purple urchins.

Jun 26, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

Native broadleaf trees of many families grow in open woodlands, at forest edges and along waterways from Northern California through British Columbia.

Jun 9, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

The horizontal pattern in the moribana style of Japanese flower arranging makes a low design that can be viewed from all sides.

May 28, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

Pines belong to the conifers, with evergreen needles and cones. Sorting the pines from among its relatives, the firs, spruces and hemlocks, is not difficult.

May 22, 2009 - Linda McDonnell

Variations to the basic structure of an Ikebana arrangement allow for endless creativity, so that no two arrangements will ever be exactly alike.

May 2, 2009 - Linda McDonnell