Drought Hits Close to Home

Last week I wrote about drought in the Cowichan Valley. This week that drought has hit home. We live in a rural area, which means we don’t have city water or sewer. We have a well and a septic field, both of which require regular maintenance. We noticed late last week that the well was…

Watershed management: the big and the small

I live in the Shawnigan Lake watershed – a 110 km2 parcel of land edged by the hilly topography of the glacially scraped coastal hills, with the jewel of Shawnigan Lake nestled almost directly in the middle. The lake is a key drinking water source for many who live along the lakeshore, though it sees…

Fish, forests, and snow

You’re standing on a stream bank in your local mountain watershed. The sun is rising, warming the back of your head, and you see a fish drifting lazily in a still pool just off the rock you’re standing on. You peer closer, but with a flick of the tail it’s gone. You wonder if it…

What’s in a headline?

Some readers may have noticed that this topic came up on my Twitter feed. I thought I could try what the editors at Nature Chemistry did, and write an editorial in 42 tweets. But I did such a terrible job that I figured it was best to flesh out my thoughts here. Two science news…