Lisa Stone '06

Winter 2005

Magpie Forest: Protecting a piece of the past

Magpie Forest is like something out of the Wizard of Oz, a strange green land in the middle of a field.

Nestled in a 33-acre parcel of wheat north of Pullman, the 14-acre tract is a remnant of the original Palouse prairie. Last spring, Washington State University purchased the property from a local landowner to protect it from being developed.

Accessible only through a network of game trails, the spot is covered with hawthorn thickets, quaking aspen, mountain ash, and native shrubs, grasses, and flowering plants. The University hopes to upgrade these trails and encourage people to visit the property. Plans for an access road … » More …

Fall 2005

Powwow Turns 30

Last April marked the 30th anniversary of the Pah-Loots-Pu Celebration Powwow at Washington State University. One of the largest student-run campus events, the powwow is held at the Beasely Performing Arts Coliseum and includes tribal representatives from around the country, with a large concentration from the Northwest. Pah-Loots-Pu, a Nez Perce word, means “people of the rolling hills,” referring to the area around Pullman. Over the years, the two-day celebration with singing, dancing, and crafts has attracted as many as 2,500 visitors. The event has value for the community as well as for the Native Americans who study and work at WSU, says Justin Guillory, … » More …