December 2025 Backyard Bulletin

Cover photo by Dana Golden.

View the full edition at this link.

It's tough to sugarcoat a month like this one. This year's hydrological famine quickly became a feast of overconsumption and our ecosystem is bursting at the seams. At some point I'll be grateful for the fact that Washington Pass has already seen more snow than it saw all season last year. I'll be grateful for the fully saturated soil helping to protect the vitality of perennial root systems in the garden and in the wild. I might even be grateful for the sense of awe that record-breaking events inevitably inspire. I can see hints of those feelings bubbling up as I look at a near-field forecast for light snow and cool temperatures. But today, as I write this, the silver lining hasn't quite emerged from behind the more destructive elements of this storm cycle; my disappointment isn't quite ready to be sugarcoated. So for now, I'll just wait (not so patiently) for the winds of change to bring winter down from the mountains and into our backyards.

*Editor's note on the editor's note: I woke up this morning in Twisp to calm, blue skies and a dusting of snow, and I can already feel new optimism flooding my veins. That said, my writing is always a snapshot of a moment, and the words above (and below) still feel true about this wet and wild December! Now, I'm ready to welcome winter with a warm (or pleasantly cold?) embrace, despite its tardiness!

-Bridger Layton, Education Programs Manager