Author Brian Atwater et al; book report by Brian Giles A mysterious tsunami in January of 1700 occurs on the coasts and harbors of Japan. Mysterious because there was no causative earthquake that anyone noticed. It was so odd that many of the locals responsible for record keeping put in writing the complete [...]
After over three years of work researching, writing, and advocating, Smith Park, the emerald jewel of historic downtown Oak Harbor, has now been officially listed on the Washington Heritage Register! At the September 1st, 2023 meeting of the Washington State Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), Kyle Renninger of the Oak Harbor Garry Oak Society [...]
Author Jack Nisbet; book report by Brian Giles The cover of this work shows a Garry oak branch with two acorns. The author noted that Douglas wasn’t enamored of naming the plants he discovered, but the exception was possibly his favorite discovery, the Garry oak, named after friend Nicholas Garry, a Factor of the Hudson’s [...]
The story behind the Giant Acorn art piece began with the loss of the Grand Old Oak, cut down in Oak Harbor at the site of the Post Office in 2014. At the time of its demise, a tree ring count determined this revered community asset and landmark oak had been growing since the year [...]
Our newest Garry oak interpretive sign has been installed in Windjammer Park! Come down and check it out! It's located beneath one of the mature Garry oaks in the park near the flag pole. The sign depicts pre-settlement Oak Harbor, shares about the importance of Garry oaks to our community, and includes a map of [...]
The History of Garry Oaks in Oak Harbor Presented by Laura Renninger, President of the Oak Harbor Garry Oak Society. Learn about what makes this tree special, and the unbreakable bond between Garry oaks and Oak Harbor, WA. Image Above: "Native Oak Trees - Oak Harbor, Wash." A historic view of Oak Harbor Bay from [...]
The Oak Harbor Garry Oak Society (OHGOS) featured a talk on Golden Paintbrush, Castilleja levisecta, by Dr. Robert K. Pelant of Pacific Rim Institute. The talk took place during the January 2021 general meeting of the Oak Harbor Garry Oak Society, a 501c3 nonprofit in Oak Harbor working to steward Garry oak ecosystems on Whidbey Island. [...]
A book report by Brian Giles, OHGOS This book is a gem for anyone interested in the exploration of previously inaccessible canopies of our Coast Redwoods, Giant Sequoias, Douglas Firs, the Australian Eucalyptus regnans (298’ tall) and groves of Pinus sylvestris, Scotch Pine—in Scotland—although the species grows from Finland to Mongolia to Spain. [...]
In this presentation at the December 2020 Oak Harbor Garry Oak Society Meeting we hear from Dr. Fred Rhoades, retired biology instructor at WWU. Dr. Rhoades introduces us to the lichens found in Garry oak communities. He describes their biology, human uses, and some common lichen species found in this Garry oak habitat in the [...]
With summer season behind us, we welcome the thought of colorful leaves falling and brisk autumn mornings. The acorns are just beginning to fall from local Garry oaks. OHGOS is excited to announce our new video, produced by Jaya Flanary, titled "How to Eat Acorns". Whether or not you are considering urban foraging, this short [...]
