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A recent episode of NPR’s Bird Note reported a surprising fact: The worms robins pluck out of our grass are not a native species. The native earthworms of the northern U. S. were wiped out by …
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As I meet people who read this column, the question I often hear is, “How can I learn to identify birds?” Let’s take an imaginary walk, and I’ll try to answer that …
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By George Walter
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4/10/25
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Classical music as a genre is admittedly an acquired taste, but I wonder if more people would enjoy it if they sat in the audience for a ...
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By Rachel Benton
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4/9/25
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Last week, I had the privilege to witness the Providence Mobile Medical Van, parked behind the Union Gospel Mission, and its Street Medicine Outreach Team ...
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As a guest recently at the home of some friends, grilled steak was the headliner. Despite the fact that the meat was sizzled to perfection, I could not get enough of the side dish. …
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By Shannon Beigert
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4/7/25
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Dear Advocate,
I did what you said. I have a binder filled with all my daughter’s paperwork, sorted by tabs and in chronological order. Older papers are stored in my cloud. It all …
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By Shannon Sankstone
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4/4/25
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From everything I have personally observed, the artist community of Thurston County is filled with friendship.
Recently, I’ve noticed performers doing favors for one another and showing up …
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By Rachel Benton
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4/4/25
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Swallows — those amazing aerial acrobats — are back in town, and birds both large and small are carrying nesting materials in their beaks as they ...
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By Jill Severn
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4/4/25
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Woodpeckers are not songbirds — they do not perch on branches and sing their hearts out each spring. They’re drummers. They drum their bills into tree trunks and branches, making a …
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In our last article we talked about funny things dogs do, so we thought it only fair we write this week’s article on cats. Usually living in our home, cats share our personal space …
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By Trish Lynn and Thom Donitz
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4/2/25
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When I pitched this week’s story to a friend, he quipped, “Lacey’s great — so long as you’re just driving through it.”
Why do so many harbor …
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Every so often, most people crave a good chocolate brownie. My mother-in-law is a fantastic home cook and baker. She is famous in our family for her incomparable brownies. They are her signature …
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If you’ve ever stared down a stack of papers after an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) meeting and thought, “I cannot do this,” well, welcome to the ...
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By Shannon Sankstone
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3/28/25
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The Tumwater School District is facing a painful budget crisis, and the school district’s student farming program, called FRESH, may fall under the budget ...
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Last week, I was blessed with the opportunity to speak with Dan Colgan of Capital City Chorus (CCC), who has a free show, “Brahms and Mozart,” happening ...
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By Rachel Benton
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3/27/25
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Occasionally someone will ask me how I come up with something new to write about each week. I usually answer vaguely with a version of “I don’t know, really. Something just pops up and …
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Olympia has a history of things turning into other things. The former city maintenance yard is now The Olympia Center. The original one became the headquarters for ...
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Our Washington Legislature, in its frantic last five weeks, begins hearing state budget proposals this week. It is a heated and pressured time up on the hill dealing with a $12 billion budget …
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This is a simple and easy recipe that comes to mind as we move into spring, and greens are starting rise up through the cool earth.
Nothing is better than a warm, wilted spinach salad. Here is …
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By Shannon Beigert
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3/24/25
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For far longer than any living person can remember, people have been growing food and sharing it. This year, we should double down ...
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