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This Nov. 25, 2016 photo shows soundscaping evergreens photographed in Langley, Wash. Soundscapers use trees to mask bothersome urban noise. Evergreens, like these alongside a Langley street are the preferred vegetative sound barriers because they are densely branched and attractive the year-'round. (AP Photo/By Dean Fosdick)(Dean Fosdick via AP)

Life

Nature’s remedy for blocking noise? Trees

Landscape designers in cities are creating quieter living spaces by using trees to mute loud noises like sirens…

This undated photo provided by Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary, shows a black bear resting on a tree limb at the Sanctuary near McCall, Idaho. Snowdon rehabs all kinds of animals and releases them back into the wild but has become known for its bear cubs. (Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary via AP)

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Sanctuary prepares orphaned bear cubs for the wild

MCCALL, Idaho — Janell Carr first met Mr. Cinnamon when the black bear cub was eating out of…

Tight Lines: Books a fisherman might like to find under the tree

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Tight Lines: Books a fisherman might like to find under the tree

With the holidays upon us and winter setting in, now might be the perfect time to look at…

Come celebrate the 75th Birthday of Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on December 16!

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Refuge Notebook: Celebrate the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge’s 75th birthday!

Celebrate Kenai National Wildlife Refuge’s 75th Birthday on Dec. 16, from 5-7 p.m., at the Kenai National Wildlife…

Life

An Outdoor View: Rod, Jenna and the whitefish

Author’s note: At the insistent request of a reader who must be losing it, I once again attempt…

This undated photo shows a compost bin in New Paltz, N.Y. Gathering compost materials together in a bin speeds the composting process and keeps everything tidy. (Lee Reich via AP)

Life

Why, what and where to compost? A look at the basics

Here’s a riddle: What will weed, feed and water your garden, and take care of your garbage? “Ideal…

A sign on the Swanson River Road in 1970 announces entry to the Kenai National Moose Range, established 29 years earlier by President Roosevelt. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

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Refuge Notebook: Reflecting on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge’s 75th anniversary (Part 1)

On December 16, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8979 establishing the Kenai National Moose Range.…

Life

An Outdoor View: On adversity

While listening to the radio the other day, I heard two people talking about going to Mars. One…

This Nov. 22, 2016 photo shows an assortment of jarred preserves, fruits and pickles in Langley, Wash., which are homegrown edibles exchanged as holiday gifts. Labels add a personal touch and in many cases include the ingredients as well as suggestions about how the foods should be used. Gardeners make good friends, especially during the holidays, as they share their homegrown harvest. (Dean Fosdick via AP)

Life

Gardening offers payback at the holidays in form of gifts

Gardeners make good friends, especially during the holidays when they give out foods preserved from their gardens. The…

In this Oct. 24, 2016 photo, Jim Clark plays a game of Gut Pile in Fairbanks, Alaska. The card game is a Fairbanks-designed product where players score points by assembling the elements for a perfect hunt while avoiding their opponent's attack cards like; hypothermia, beaver fever and the always-dangerous People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals card. (Sam Friedman/The News-Miner via AP)

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Outdoorsman create card game for hunters

FAIRBANKS — As in hunting, success in the new card game Gut Pile is a matter of preparation…

Bob Richey, former assistant refuge manager at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, helped place neck collars on many Trumpeter swans during the 1970s and early 1980s. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

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Refuge Notebook: Where do our Trumpeter swans go in the winter?

Did you know that Trumpeter swans have been surveyed on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge since 1957? Six…

Life

An Outdoor View: Fishing in the days of sail

Author’s note: This column first appeared in the Clarion on Jan. 24, 2003. I’ve edited it for brevity.…

In this Tuesday, March 17, 2016 photo, snowmobiler Kurt Zeutschel, of Issaquah, catches some air as he rises up and over a berm off a trail near Crystal Springs Sno-Park, just east of Snoqualmie Pass, Wash. (Steve Ringman/The Seattle Times via AP)

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What a ride: First time on a snowmobile filled with thrills

SEATTLE (AP) — I can recall vividly all of my friends who have ridden on a snowmobile, because…

This undated photo shows vegetable beds readied for winter in Rosendale, N.Y. Blanketing the ground with a layer of mulch, autumn leaves in the foreground bed, or sowing a winter cover crop, as in the background bed, protects the surface layers from pounding rain and wide swings in temperature, as well as providing other benefits. (Lee Reich via AP)

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Soil needs some kind of protection for winter

Don’t leave your soil nude this winter. Or, at least don’t leave it nude and smooth. You don’t…

Life

An Outdoor View: Fishing around

A video on YouTube shows Royal Marines helping appreciative locals catch fish in Afghanistan. If you’re thinking, “Good…

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion A cyclist makes his way up a hill on the Tsalteshi Trails during the Polar Vortex race Oct. 22 in Soldotna.

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Waiting for the snow: Peninsula recreationists find other ways to get outside

During recent winters on the central Kenai Peninsula, ice has become the new snow. Following the trend of…

These local high school students worked together this past summer as the Youth Conservation Corps crew on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. From left to right: Grant Knauss, Haley Buckbee, Matthew Zorbas, Whitney Esteban and Talon Musgrave. (Photo by Allie Cunningham/USFWS)

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Refuge Notebook: Local high school students monitor fire management

“The GPS says the plots are on the other side of the swamp in front of us. There…

This July 3, 2016, photo provided by Dean Fosdick shows a wildflower mix in a Langley, Wash., yard. Many gardeners like perennials because they continue to flower year after year but add some annuals for instant color. Combination seed packets seem to be the most popular choice for wildflower buyers but check the packages to ensure they contain more seeds than filler. (Dean Fosdick via AP)

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You can prepare the ground now for sowing wildflowers

Wildflowers are among the easiest plants to grow, especially if you copy Mother Nature. For cool climate gardeners,…

ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND EDITIONS, NOV. 12-13 - In this Oct. 25, 2016 photo, Jeff Garmire poses in Vancouver, Wash. Garmire is among the elite cadre of hikers who have completed the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide trails in a calendar year. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian via AP)

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Hiker conquers 3 iconic long-distance trails in 252 days

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — Jeff Garmire of Vancouver hiked America’s three iconic long-distance routes — the Appalachian, Pacific…

Dave Spencer, the first manager of the Kenai National Moose Range (now Kenai National Wildlife Refuge) surveys a trumpeter swan nest on the Moose River in May 1957. Two months later, oil was discovered in the Swanson River Field, setting off an era of active oil exploration and development on the refuge under the management of John Hakala. Both managers were pilots in WWII. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

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Refuge Notebook: World War II veterans contributed to Kenai Refuge history

As Veteran’s Day approaches and after reading an article on the recent book “Mission to the Kurils” in…