Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Great Bear Rainforest of coastal British Columbia is the largest intact temperate
rain forest in the world and many environmental groups are working to keep it that way.
East of the Cascades
Technically, the parched regions of eastern Oregon and Washington are semiarid grass-
land or sagebrush steppe. Forest cloaks some of the higher slopes and mountains, but the
most common plant at lower elevations is the pungent sagebrush, the ubiquitous plant of
the arid American west. Native grasses, cleared for crops or grazed out by cattle, are be-
ing replaced by an aggressive alien species called cheatgrass that leaves spiky seeds in
your socks.
Common trees east of the Cascades include the stately ponderosa pine with its orange
bark and sweet vanilla smell. A grove of ancient unlogged ponderosa pines is one of the
most beautiful habitats in the Pacific Northwest; unfortunately, these are rare. In drier
areas pines are replaced by densely foliaged western junipers, the scaly needles of which
look like miniature lizard tails. Junipers produce crops of attractive blue-gray berries,
which provide the major food for half a dozen types of bird.
A surprising sight east of the Cascades is the fall colors displayed by cottonwoods.
These trees require a lot of water to survive, so look for patches of golden yellow and or-
ange along rivers and streams - and enjoy a bit of color in this mostly dry region.
THE BANANA SLUG: DON'T TREAD ON ME
While walking down a forest path in one of the Pacific Northwest's many woodsy
parks, you might come across a large, yellow slug sliming slowly along the trail and
minding its own business. Don't panic and smash it underfoot; this isn't your typic-
al garden pest but rather the Pacific banana slug - a native slug usually found in
damp, coastal coniferous forests from California to Alaska. Banana slugs are part
of healthy forest ecosystems, and their food sources include decaying plants,
seeds, mushrooms and dead animals.
The official mascot of at least one university, the banana slug can come in sever-
al colors, from yellow to green to brown; many have black markings too. These
gastropods can grow up to 10in long and are hermaphroditic (both male and fe-
male). Perhaps the most bizarre part of their mating ritual is that they often have
to gnaw off each other's penises to separate after doing the deed. Then they keep
crawling along their merry way - as newly formed females.
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