August 2025 Backyard Bulletin

Cover photo by Janet Bauer.

View the full edition at this link.

August feels like the proper beginning of harvest season in the Methow Valley, and it brings out one of my favorite elements of community in this place. That is the impulse to share with one another. What's one to do with an apricot tree full to the brim, flowers that keep on blooming, or zucchini that simply will not quit? The best way to deal with the problem of abundance, of course, is to share it with others, and that's exactly what we do here. While there's certainly magic in the goods exchanged--the bouquets and zucchini breads and scrumptious jams--the real magic is in connecting with neighbors and friends. It's the conversations on porches before handing over the goods.

There's a certain busyness to the summertime that can be a bit insular--adventures to be had, gardens to tend, projects to work on--but amid the flurry of summer tasks, late summer abundance provides a gentle nudge to look up from what you're working on and reconnect with the people around you. There's abundance in the wild this time of year, too. Wild berries are producing at incredible rates and the plants are sharing their bounty freely with the bears, coyotes, birds, and more!

-Bridger Layton, Education Programs Manager