Nature Center e-newsletter #20

February 25, 2007

Coyotes have been howling, western screech owls hooting, tree frogs singing, golden-crowned kinglets foraging, varied thrushes flocking, winter wrens turning their volume controls to "11," western gray squirrels hurling strips of cambium out of the top of Douglas firs, Oemleria cerasiformis (osoberry) leafing out, Synthyris reniformis (spring queen) blooming purple all over the forest floor, rain, sun, cold, and warmth apparently either tugging on or attached to opposite ends of several intertwined weather cords. Near the bottom of Lost Valley Lane, the old snag on top of which a pair of osprey has nested for many years came crashing down this month, raising the question of where its architects, who often fly over our meadow, will choose to rebuild. The books Living on the Wind, Invasion Biology, and Demons in Eden have made for some fascinating ecologically-related reading. All the while, electrons have been pulsing in an out of the Nature Center office, even crossing state lines at times. Supplemented by in-person meetings, they are responsible for the information which comprises the majority of this email. Without further ado, it is appended below, in several different forms--please feel free to forward these notices to your own email lists, include them in newsletters, paste them onto your refrigerator, and mark your calendars. The attached brochure gives the same information, and includes a registration form. For those with internet hookups, registration may be easiest online (see the link below).

We hope to see many of you here for this exciting event! Thank you for any help you can give in spreading the word. Until next time, when we'll return to a more typical Nature Center e-newsletter form (whose ramblings, we feared, would distract from the main message below, were we to indulge in them this time), enjoy the late winter, and thanks again for your interest in the Nature Center,

Chris


(short version:)

Native Plants and Permaculture

Pre-registration has started for "Native Plants and Permaculture: A Gathering of Plant Enthusiasts," to be held May 11-13, 2007 (Friday afternoon-Sunday) at Lost Valley Educational Center in Dexter. We will be seeking common ground between the Native Plant and Permaculture communities in developing ecologically-integrated self-sustenance and native habitat preservation in the Pacific Northwest. Throughout the weekend, walks, talks, discussions and activities will explore the roles of native and nonnative plants in our cultivated and noncultivated landscapes and ecosystems. Presenters include Ed Alverson (The Nature Conservancy), Rhoda Love (Native Plant Society of Oregon), David Theodoropoulos (author, Invasion Biology), Michael Pilarski (Friends of the Trees Society), Stephanie Schroeder (Walama Restoration Project), Toby Hemenway (author, Gaia's Garden), Jude Hobbs (Agroecology Northwest), Rick Valley (Lost Valley Educational Center), Marcia Cutler (Native Plant Society of Oregon), Bill Burwell (Kapaluya researcher), Heiko Koester (Eugene Permaculture Guild), Sharon Blick (School Garden Project), Dave Bontrager (Lane County Audubon Society), Joshua Smith (Ecoscape Environmental Design), Pat French (Willamalane Parks and Recreation District), Nick Routledge (Seed Ambassadors Project), Tobias Policha (Institute of Contemporary Ethnobotany), and more. Early registration fee (before April 1) is $75 for the weekend; regular registration fee is $90 for the weekend or $50 for a single day. Organic meals and lodging are also available. This event is supported in part by Lost Valley Nature Center, Eugene Permaculture Guild, Friends of the Trees Society, Tryon Life Community Farm, Walama Restoration Project, Institute of Contemporary Ethnobotany, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Fern Hill Nursery, Living Tree Paper Company, and others. For further details, check www.lostvalley.org/nature or contact Lost Valley Nature Center, attn.: Chris Roth, 81868 Lost Valley Lane, Dexter, OR 97431, nature AT(replace with @) lostvalley,org, 541-937-2567 ext. 116.


(longer version:)

Native Plants and Permaculture: A Gathering of Plant Enthusiasts
May 11-13, 2007 (Friday afternoon-Sunday)

Event details at www.lostvalley.org/nature2007may
Online registration form at www.lostvalley.org/nativeplantspc/registrationonline
Mailable/emailable registration form at www.lostvalley.org/nativeplantspc/registration

We will be seeking common ground between the Native Plant and Permaculture communities in developing ecologically-integrated self-sustenance and native habitat preservation in the Pacific Northwest.

• Presentations about various perspectives on indigenous and exotic plants, including human uses and ecological relationships
• Facilitated panel discussions and discussion circles
• Guided plant walks
• Garden and Permaculture tours
• Resource tables and networking opportunities
• Music, games, and community-building
• Hands-on projects
• Meals made from organic, homegrown, and wildcrafted food
• Overnight lodging and camping available

Schedule overview:
Friday afternoon and evening, 3 pm on: informal tours, socializing, discussion circles, and activities.
Saturday and Sunday, 9 am-6 pm: scheduled walks, talks, discussions and activities related to the roles of native and nonnative plants in our cultivated and noncultivated landscapes.
Saturday evening, 8 pm: concert with Laura Kemp (see www.laurakemp.com) (by donation).

Topics:
• Native Plant-Animal Interactions and Relationships
• Indigenous Land Management
• Bringing Back Native Food Crops
• The Challenges of Native Habitat Conservation and Restoration
• What Is the Role of Nonnatives?
• Wildflower, Tree, and Shrub Walks
• Substituting Natives for Nonnatives in Home Landscapes
• Responsible Control of Exotics
• Economic Uses of Native Plants
• Ecologically Sustainable Foodsheds
• Invasion Biology: A Closer Look
• Preserving Diversity in Times of Environmental Change
• Evolving a Bioregional Permaculture
• and more.

Presenters:
• Ed Alverson (The Nature Conservancy)
• Rhoda Love (Native Plant Society of Oregon)
• David Theodoropoulos (author, Invasion Biology)
• Michael Pilarski (Friends of the Trees Society)
• Stephanie Schroeder (Walama Restoration Project)
• Toby Hemenway (author, Gaia’s Garden)
• Jude Hobbs (Agroecology Northwest)
• Rick Valley (Lost Valley Educational Center)
• Marcia Cutler (Native Plant Society of Oregon)
• Bill Burwell (Kalapuya researcher)
• Heiko Koester (Eugene Permaculture Guild)
• Sharon Blick (School Garden Project)
• Dave Bontrager (Lane County Audubon Society)
• Joshua Smith (Ecoscape Environmental Design)
• Pat French (Willamalane Parks and Recreation District)
• Nick Routledge (Seed Ambassadors Project)
• Tobias Policha (Institute of Contemporary Ethnobotany)
• and more.

This event is supported in part by Lost Valley Nature Center, Eugene Permaculture Guild, Friends of the Trees Society, Tryon Life Community Farm, Walama Restoration Project, Institute of Contemporary Ethnobotany, Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, Fern Hill Nursery, Living Tree Paper Company, and others. We are seeking additional groups to co-sponsor, as well as individuals willing to contribute financially to help this event happen.

Contact: Lost Valley Nature Center, attn.: Chris Roth, 81868 Lost Valley Lane, Dexter, OR, 97431, (541) 937-2567 ext. 116, nature AT (replace with @) lostvalley.org.

Why This Conference?

For many years, plant lovers have held widely varying opinions about the appropriate roles of native and nonnative plants in our ecosystems and cultivated landscapes. Native plant enthusiasts list some nonnative plants as dangerous invaders, while Permaculturalists may advocate the cultivation and spread of those same species. Some native botanists endorse the selective application of herbicides to eradicate aggressive weedy species, while Permaculturally-inclined gardeners seem more apt to embrace “weeds” and reject chemical means of control. Meanwhile, whatever our attitudes towards natives and exotics, all of our diets and many facets of our economy depend heavily on nonnative plants. Before the arrival of Europeans, however, native plants provided sustenance to indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years.

This weekend gathering will bring together plant enthusiasts of all stripes to learn from one another and explore common ground. We will examine current and potential ecological and economic roles of native plants, effects of exotics on ecosystems and how best to respond to those impacts, indigenous land management techniques, and more. We will use the 87-acre living laboratory of Lost Valley Educational Center, whose Nature Center features native flora restoration projects and extensive interpretive trails through largely native habitat, and whose Permaculture gardens and projects include both native and nonnative plants. We will assess how (and whether) the different outlooks and activities represented both at this gathering and on this land can form practical syntheses which will guide us into more sustainable ways of inhabiting our region. Please join us!



PS: Rick Valley and I will be giving a presentation about the Nature Center at the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council Meeting on March 21, 6:30 pm, at the Oregon Department of Forestry building in Springfield. Notice will follow soon about the status of our March 18 Spring Ecology Open House, for which details are still being confirmed. As always, donations can be made at any time by going to www.lostvalley.org/donate, clicking on the "Donate Now" button, and choosing "Nature Center Membership" under the "Areas of Giving" pull-down menu.