Features | Key Peninsula News

Diseased Douglas fir trees are typically rotten inside.

Trees Come Down at Camp Seymour to Improve the Forest

In 2018 the top broke off a tall Douglas fir and fell into YMCA Camp Seymour’s amphitheater, smashing several rows of benches and destroying the fire pit ring. No campers were present at the … more

Chris Rurik, KP News | 8/31/22

There are more than 500 crayfish species in the world, with over 300 in the United States.

What to Watch for This Month

Welcome to September. Short and golden blaze the final days of summer. The atmosphere stirs. Chickadees, nuthatches, creepers and kinglets gather into acrobatic groups. Blackberries are again … more

Chris Rurik, KP News | 8/31/22

Jellyfish like this one lined the shores of Von Geldern Cove before turning brown like glass in the sun.

Jellyfish Stranded in Staggering Numbers

A mass stranding of lion’s mane jellyfish shocked Key Peninsula beach walkers during the second week of August — and made swimmers think twice about getting in the water. “I have never seen … more

Chris Rurik, KP News | 8/31/22

Live music in front of Sunnycrest Nursery Florist & Décor.

Annual Art Walk Returns

Key Center bustled with color and live music amid strong winds as the seventh annual Key Center Art Walk kicked off. more

Lauren Trench, KP News | 8/31/22

Shelling in Tsyrkuny. “We had just left that location 10 minutes earlier. Then it was shelled. I’m guessing the Russian drones had been on top of us all day,” Bates said.

A Local’s Update: Letter from Ukraine

I am in Kharkiv and have experienced three missile attacks that have shaken the house I’m in. This just happened 20 minutes ago. more

Tom Bates, Special to KP News | 8/31/22

Ed Ricketts in the bull kelp at Point Wilson, 1930.

About Ed Ricketts: A Cannery Row Character on the KP (Maybe)

Historian Michael Kenneth Hemp moved to Wauna from Monterey, California, in 2017 to follow the trail of Ed Ricketts. more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 8/31/22

Kasyn Mason is always ready to wrestle his dad in their backyard ring.

Wrestling Dreams Come True as Local Man Turns Passion into Profit

North West Pro Wrestling owner trying to return his promotion to pre-pandemic glory. more

Eddie Macsalka, KP News | 8/31/22

Knitting to Take Center Stage at Longbranch Fiber Art Show

Lace knitter Peter Rowe was selected to be the featured artist for the 2022 Longbranch Fiber Art Show on October 1. more

Lisa Bryan, KP News | 8/31/22

'Weather' — a Novel by Jenny Offill

In mid-May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tracked its highest-ever weekly CO2 levels in Earth’s atmosphere … more

José Alaniz | 8/31/22

Uncle Moose's Easy Étouffée

I don’t know why we called him Uncle Moose. He was my dad’s brother-in-law, his name was Murph, and he bore about as much resemblance to a moose as would a Methodist minister, which is … more

Katrina Herringbottom | 8/31/22

Asahel Curtis photo of the Purdy Bridge soon after it was completed in 1937.

The Fourth Purdy Bridge: A Design for the Ages

The first bridge over Henderson Bay between Purdy and the Wauna sandspit was built in 1892. Seemingly star-crossed almost from the outset, the structure required frequent repairs and had to be … more

Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News | 7/27/22

KP Gardens: A Community That Grows Together, Blooms Together

Longbranch is ready to welcome a new community garden. What began as piece of land riddled with blackberry bushes, shrubs and trash has been developed into a budding garden for the community to … more

Lauren Trench, KP News | 7/27/22

What stroll through the vineyard is complete without wine?

Two Fox Winery Open for Business in Home

The former Trillium Creek Winery in Home has new owners. Tedra and Kyle Hett grew up in Kansas and moved to Tacoma in 2014. They met in the eighth grade and have been together for more than half … more

Sara Thompson, KP News | 7/27/22

Gavin Hendrickson, 16, feels for wheels.

Local Youth Does Local Good

Many people around the world picked up a hobby while in pandemic lockdown; anything from home improvement projects to a sudden interest in knitting. But future Peninsula High School junior Gavin … more

Grace Nesbit, KP News | 7/27/22

Land of Parasitic Plants and Surprisingly Hidden Beauty

Ever seen a groundcone? This summer two people have sent me snapshots of this strange plant. A groundcone looks about how it sounds, like a pine cone growing out of the ground, translucent yellow and … more

Chris Rurik, KP News | 7/27/22

Huckleberry Hand Pies, Anyone?

We have arrived at the time of year when the days are suddenly getting shorter, and the promise of fall is in the air. Before we say farewell to the summer of 2022 (short as it has been), let’s … more

Barbara Van Bogart | 7/27/22

Saving the Planet Isn’t Science Fiction

Kim Stanley Robinson’s 2020 novel presents a sobering but plausible time for us as our planet warms due to sunlight-trapping gases derived from the use of fossil fuels. While fiction, its … more

Richard Gelinas | 7/27/22

An emerging Sasquatch looks over the shoulder of Dan Whited at work.

Owls and Eagles and Bears — and Sasquatch, of course — Help to Brighten the Garden

Anyone exploring the byways of the Key Peninsula has seen them, and maybe even been startled. Wooden bear cubs clinging to a tree, an enormous eagle perched atop a roof peak, a life-sized Sasquatch … more

Ted Olinger, KP News | 7/27/22

Hastkaka is a Swedish cake whose name literally means “hasty cake.”

Hastkaka and Drottningsylt: Not Just for Swedes Anymore

Summer offers us the chance to slow down a bit, spend a little more time in the garden, linger in the extended daylight hours. It’s a time to be outside with friends, to gather and converse. … more

Britta and Anna Brones | 6/29/22

'The Violence Project'

When it comes to murder and mass shootings, America is a freak among nations. Murder rates are highest in countries with the most income inequality, and the U.S. is high on that list with the likes … more

Vicki Biggs | 6/29/22