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Chris Rurik, KP News

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Open-grown Oregon white oaks have spreading crowns and long, gnarled branches, and can live 350 to 500 years.
Groves of Oregon White Oak, Past and Future
"In our rural community, on farms and homesteads and woodlots, we are all the time creating such landscapes of care." more
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A patch of sword ferns near Lakebay shows a complete progression of the die-off’s symptoms, from healthy ferns around the margins to full dead ferns in the center.
Sword Ferns Die Off on the KP, Cause Unknown
A mysterious die-off is leaving once-lush patches of iconic sword fern bare on the Key Peninsula and across Puget Sound. more
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The unusual profile of a long-tailed weasel is eye-catching and an easy way to identify the animal in the wild.
Fresh Encounters With Foxes and Weasels
Wild Peninsula: Foxes, weasels and restored forests tell a story of wildlife resilience on the Key Peninsula. more
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Chick one of four about to get its first falling lesson.
Geese Falling From Cedars
One goose family transformed an ordinary pasture into a wild spectacle. more
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A yellow-billed loon in non-breeding plumage closely resembles the migrating bird spotted near Herron Island.
Migrating Yellow-billed Loon Pays Rare Visit to Case Inlet
And then there it is, among the muted glare of offshore waves, still mostly winter gray, tough to see when it appears between dives. The yellow-billed loon. more
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On a tour of the Minter hatchery organized by the KGI Watershed Council. Hatchery manager Ben Lowery shows off a few of the 13 million eggs in his care.
New Flow at Minter Creek Hatchery from Upgraded Creek Diversion
The hatchery is the largest of its kind in South Puget Sound, incubating up to 13 million eggs each year. more
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The season opener for moth-spotting begins here with an omnivorous looper.
The Moth Abides
Leave it to a moth to concentrate all the hope and violence of early spring into a package no bigger than a Post-it note. more
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A Northern pygmy-owl’s perfect fit.
Naturalist Notebook: A Sapsucker Nest Revealed and a Winking Star
Wild Peninsula: A split snag at Gateway Park’s pond reveals time, loss, and life in the winter rain. more
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Eagles will seize any opportunity for a meal, even oysters they crack open by dropping in flight.
Record-Setting Recreational Shellfish Harvest at Penrose State Park
If the data is accurate, more clams were harvested at Penrose State Park in 2025 than at any other beach in the state. more
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Global barn swallow populations have fallen along with insect populations, but this strange winter has both on the wing.
This Strange Winter: Barn Swallows, Skunk Cabbage, and Alfred Lord Tennyson
It is hard to know what represents an adaptive behavior and what represents true fritzing of systems. more
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At the edge of dark, color. A rare upside-down shadow of Mt. Rainier appears at sunrise as observed near Glen Cove.
Hues at the Edge of Darkness, on the Edge of Land
The rising sun, still just below the horizon, hits the far side of Mount Rainier and projects its shadow, upside-down, toothlike, across the underbellies of the clouds. more
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A unicorn caterpillar moth.
Naturalist’s Notebook: The Year in Unexpected Encounters
It’s been a memorable year for many things, not least of which are the things unexpected. more
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Vital wetlands were also included in the 360 Trails expansion.
More Key Peninsula Land Comes Under Conservation
Once land is set aside, stewardship actions include volunteer work parties to control invasive species and maintain newly planted trees. more
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A praying mantis can be green, brown, or tan and usually matches the grass around it.
Naturalist’s Notebook: Snail Shells and Praying Mantises
At this point, it’s a relief to admit the time has come to contract into shelters and shells. more
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When is a green crab not a green crab?
There Are Green Crabs, and Then There Are Green Crabs
Ever seen a crab rollercoaster? My kids and I have. Green crabs somersaulting, tumbling, rocking, and rolling underwater. more
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The human transplant team secures new eelgrass shoots at the Joemma Beach site.
By Hand and By Robot, An Eelgrass Meadow Recovers
Wild Peninsula: Robot “Grasshopper 4” joins local divers in planting eelgrass in undersea meadow at Joemma Beach. more
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Eelgrass filters out excess nutrients, increases oxygen levels, sequesters carbon, and stabilizes sediment to help keep water clear.
Snorkel Surveys Offer a Closer Look at KP’s Eelgrass Meadows
An undersea meadow at Joemma Beach is the state’s most successful eelgrass restoration project to date. more
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DNR Forester Nat McPherson-Segrist (left), DNR Forest Resilience District Manager Matthew Axe, property owner Lenné Musarra, and local forestry contractor Dan Wehmeier examine progess onsite.
Wildfire Risk Reduction and Forest Cleanup Come to the KP
A state-funded service forestry program aims to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk. more
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Trees are travelers in a country largely undiscovered by us.
All You Need to Know to Age a Tree (It's More Than You Think)
Trees are travelers in a country largely undiscovered by us. more
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Hale and hearty and ready to grow: 245 chum salmon from the Minter Creek hatchery found a new home.
Students Learn About Life: Release Salmon Fry Into Vaughn Creek
A beloved school tradition and science lesson returns to Vaughn Elementary School. “I’m happy that the school and Mr. Mills have taken this on.” more
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