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Bushy-Tailed Woodrat: Species of the Week

Bushy-Tailed Woodrat: Species of the Week

By Elizabeth Enslin on February 19, 2010

Tomorrow, we drive to NE Oregon to spend a week or so in our yurt (and a few other places). The creature I fear most on this trip is not the cougar, wolf or porcupine. It’s much smaller. Most females and the younger males of the species could fit into the palm of my hand….

...read more

Posted in Recent, Species of the Week, Yurt Living | Tagged archaeology, climate change, Homesteading, mammals, wild | 4 Responses

Waking to the New Year in a Treehouse

Waking to the New Year in a Treehouse

By Elizabeth Enslin on January 1, 2010

I woke to the first day of 2007 in a treehouse in Northern Laos. That set a standard for New Year’s celebrations that I’ll probably never live up to again. It was just me, my partner Jerry, and all the wildlife of Bokeo Nature Reserve. We could have joined eight other travelers at the main treehouse for a night of revelry, but we longed for solitude….

...read more

Posted in Eco Travel, Recent, World Travel | Tagged creative nonfiction, nature writing, photography, wild | 3 Responses

Douglas Fir: Species of the Week

Douglas Fir: Species of the Week

By Elizabeth Enslin on December 28, 2009

I’ve spent most of my life among Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga sp.) Although I love other trees and plant communities, Douglas fir forests still speak to me of home. In the Pacific Northwest, they’re ubiquitous from the Cascades to the coast. Douglas fir and other conifers of the region are why I’ve never felt at ease in the deciduous forests of eastern North America (as lovely as they are), where bare branches in winter make me especially homesick….

...read more

Posted in Around the Northwest, Biodiversity, Recent, Species of the Week, Wild Plants | Tagged Pacific Northwest, photography, wild | 3 Responses

Our Live Christmas Tree

Our Live Christmas Tree

By Elizabeth Enslin on December 25, 2009

I used to be the Christmas tree enthusiast in the family. I’d drive around Seattle for hours looking for the perfect tree, set it up, decorate it….

...read more

Posted in Recent, Sustainable Gardening, Wild Plants | Tagged holidays, nature, Sustainable Gardening, wild | 2 Responses

Spinner Dolphin: Species of the Week

Spinner Dolphin: Species of the Week

By Elizabeth Enslin on December 4, 2009

During the cold holiday season, I find myself remembering trips to tropical waters and the species I’ve encountered there. I may write about sea turtles, reef sharks, octopus, and triggerfish in the future, but it’s the spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) that have been on my mind this past week….

...read more

Posted in Recent, Species of the Week | Tagged oceans, wild | 2 Responses

Wild Turkey: Species of the Week

Wild Turkey: Species of the Week

By Elizabeth Enslin on November 25, 2009

Unlike my stepfather and his clan, numerous cousins, the son I spawned, and many friends; I don’t usually look at wild animals and think: meat. Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), indigenous to North America, have become a recent exception….

...read more

Posted in Humor, Poetry, Politics and History, Seasons and Rituals, Species of the Week | Tagged food, holidays, Thanksgiving, wild, wordplay | 17 Responses

Scary Critters

Scary Critters

By Elizabeth Enslin on October 31, 2009

I’m miles from town, so there will be no trick or treaters for me tonight. Instead, I’ve decided to mark the day by highlighting some posts I’ve written on creatures that tend to be maligned, misunderstood and caricatured on Halloween….

...read more

Posted in Seasons and Rituals | Tagged Halloween, holidays, wild | 5 Responses

Canyon Mist

Canyon Mist

By Elizabeth Enslin on October 14, 2009

Photograph of mist in a remote canyon in Northeast Oregon.

...read more

Posted in Around the Northwest, Images | Tagged inspiration, photography, wild | 1 Response

Birthday Rattlesnake

Birthday Rattlesnake

By Elizabeth Enslin on September 28, 2009

I’ve been reviewing some photos I took this summer and found one that makes my day….

...read more

Posted in Seasons and Rituals, Sustainable Gardening, Wildlife Encounters | Tagged photography, reptiles, wild | 13 Responses

Townsend's Big-Eared Bat: Species of the Week

Townsend’s Big-Eared Bat: Species of the Week

By Elizabeth Enslin on September 25, 2009

On our Northeast Oregon property, we have an old house that’s rotting. It has little historic or architectural value, so we’ve been leaning towards tearing it down. Then my nephew, Gerek, found the bat in the closet….

...read more

Posted in Homesteading, Species of the Week, Wildlife Encounters | Tagged nature, photography, wild | 4 Responses

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About Elizabeth Enslin

A writer based in Oregon, I look for inspiration and distractions in nature. An anthropologist, I ponder the places where nature and culture meet. A kitchen gardener, I promote biodiversity and learn from farming traditions around the world. A recovering academic, I try to do all with compassion and humor.

More squawks about me here, or at elizabethenslin.com.

Or follow my chatter on Twitter.

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Recent Comments

  • Another Poem Finds a Home 
    • jason: Congratulations! What a great achievement, and two in such short order must be a good sign of things to come.
  • Bushy-Tailed Woodrat: Species of the Week 
    • Melissa: Delightful post. I recognize the struggle between viewpoints: frustrated homeowner sees destructive pest...
    • jason: Too cute! I was tickled by their bravery, not to mention the idea of having to take inventory at the yurt so...
  • Contact 
    • R.A.M: Hi Elizabeth, I’m a pharmaceutical sales rep who sells antivenom for rattlesnake envenomations in CA,...
  • How I Grabbed My Poetry Career by the Horns 
    • Priscilla: Liz, what a great practice–pondering a cow’s view of the world! Congrats on the poem, and I...
  • Building the Yurt 
    • Joshua: Thanks for the reply Jerry and Elizabeth! I had forgotten that I had asked you about your panels on your...

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