Out & About

OUTFIELD

Be bear aware

With bears emerging from their dens and looking for food in lowland areas such as Priest Lake, a timely presentation on living and recreating in bear country will be presented in Spokane on Tuesday.

“Be Bear Aware,” by Chuck Bartlebaugh, executive director for the Center for Wildlife Information, is set for 7 p.m. at the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council building, 6116 N. Market.

The program is part of an effort to reduce human-wildlife conflicts, especially with bears, that can result in people and animals being injured and killed.

OUTDO

Learn to bird

What: Learn to Bird Workshop, three classroom sessions this week followed by Saturday field trip.

When: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday field trip TBA.

Where: Class sessions at West Valley Outdoor Learning Center, 8606 E. Upriver Dr. Field trip at Turnbull Wildlife Refuge.

Who: For novice and intermediate birders, taught by Gary Blevins and Kim Thorburn, Spokane Audubon Society.

Cost: $20 donation to Audubon Society requested.

Contact: Blevins 533-3661, Thorburn 465-3025.

•Saturday is International Migratory Bird Day.

OUTCLASS

Teaching by the rod

Old school: Teaching by the rod is an unacceptable application of corporal punishment.

New school: It’s OK, as long as it’s a fishing rod.

High school students in Elma, Wash., are building fishing rods in their aquaculture and natural resources-environmental science classes.

“There’s actually quite a bit of science to this,” said agriculture teacher Dave Rutherford.

The math and science lessons then blend into discussions of natural resources and recreation.

The Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force provided a $600 grant to purchase some of the specialized classroom equipment such as stands, a rotating drying rack and threading tensioners that will be used for future classes.

Batson Enterprises in Sequim sells rod-building kits at reduced prices for school programs.

OUTLOOK

Best fishing times

Lunar tables from the U.S. Naval Observatory. Be fishing at least one hour before and one hour after peak times. Applies to all time zones.

(* indicates best days.)

Through May 11

* Today

12:10 p.m., 12:40 a.m.

* Monday

1:10 p.m., 1:40 a.m.

Tuesday

2:15 p.m., 2:45 a.m.

Wednesday

3:20 p.m., 3:50 a.m.

Thursday

4:25 p.m., 4:55 a.m.

* Friday

5:30 p.m., 5:55 a.m.

* Saturday

6:25 p.m., 6:55 a.m.

* Next Sunday

7:15 p.m., 7:35 a.m.

Answer: Yellow warbler.