Native Plants and Permaculture: A Gathering of Plant Enthusiasts

Downloadable pdf files: brochure / poster / color poster
Reading material: Native Plants and Permaculture articles and links
Daily schedule in chart form: schedule / in one-page pdf form: one-page schedule
Lost Valley Native Plant Species List

Dear fellow plant enthusiasts,

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Native Plants and Permaculture Gathering at Lost Valley Educational Center! It was a rewarding weekend of mutual education and community-building, made richer by each of the approximately one hundred people who attended. Stay tuned to this page for follow-up information. In the meantime, here are reminders of what happened, and resources to continue exploring:

Native Plants and Permaculture: A Gathering of Plant Enthusiasts
May 11-13, 2007, at Lost Valley Educational Center, Dexter, OR
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.
Schedule (subject to change):

Friday, May 11: getting to know the site and one another
3 pm Registration and check-in begin
3:30 pm-6 pm Nature Trail, Permaculture, and Garden Walks, Tours, and Activities -- Tobias Policha (Institute of Contemporary Ethnobotany), Devon Bonady (Fern Hill Nursery), Rick Valley, Marcus Lorusso, Chris Roth (Lost Valley Educational Center), and others
6 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Welcome and Meeting Circle facilitated by Michael Pilarski (Friends of the Trees Society), followed by Networking, Resource-Sharing, and Music

Saturday, May 12: natives, nonnatives, and finding common ground
7:30 am Breakfast
9 am Introduction -- Michael Pilarski (Friends of the Trees Society), Melanie Rios (Maitreya Ecovillage), and Sharon Blick (School Garden Project)
9:20 am False Brome Control at Buford Park: An Integrated Approach to Vegetation Management -- Jason Blazar (Friends of Buford Park, Camas Educational Network)
9:40 am The Challenges of Native Habitat Conservation and Restoration -- Ed Alverson (The Nature Conservancy)
10 am Sustainable Approaches to Ecological Restoration and Habitat Mending -- Stephanie Schroeder (Walama Restoration Project)
(10:20 am break)
10:30 am Wildcrafting Weeds in the Pacific Northwest -- Michael Pilarski (Friends of the Trees Society)
10:50 am Invasion Biology: Science or Pseudoscience? -- David Theodoropoulos (author, Invasion Biology: Critique of a Pseudoscience)
11:10 am What Did You Eat for Breakfast?: Native Plants, Local Foodsheds, and Wildlife Restoration -- Toby Hemenway (author, Gaia's Garden)
(11:30 am break)
11:40 am Finding Common Ground (panel and open discussion) with Heiko Koester (Eugene Permaculture Guild), Sharon Blick, Joshua Smith (Ecoscape Environmental Services), Aryana Ferguson (Native Plant Society of Oregon), Nick Routledge (Seed Ambassadors Project)
12:30 pm Lunch
2 pm-4:30 pm Breakout Sessions:
* Plant Walk -- Marcia Cutler (Native Plant Society of Oregon)
* Sustainable Local Foodsheds and the "Third Way" with Jude Hobbs (Agro-Ecology Northwest), Nick Routledge, Toby Hemenway, Tobias Policha (Institute of Contemporary Ethnobotany), Joshua Smith
* Invasion Biology: An In-Depth Look -- David Theodoropoulos
4:30 pm Finding Common Ground: Preserving and Enhancing Diversity and Ecological Health (whole group and small groups)
6 pm Dinner
8 pm Concert -- Laura Kemp (in lodge); Networking Opportunities (in classrooms)

Sunday, May 13: restoring and enhancing the roles of native plants in our lives
7:30 am Breakfast
9 am Introduction
9:20 am How Birds Select Habitats in Native Plant Communities: Who Lives Where and Why? -- Dave Bontrager (Lane County Audubon Society)
9:40 am Native Plants and Butterflies -- Sharon Blick (North American Butterfly Association, Eugene-Springfield chapter)
9:50 am Edible and Useful Native Plants and their Associations -- Joshua Smith (Ecoscape Environmental Services)
10:10 am Substituting Natives for Nonnatives in Home Landscapes -- Heiko Koester (Eugene Permaculture Guild)
(10:30 am break)
10:40 am Kalapuya Uses of Native Plants -- Bill Burwell (Kalapuya researcher)
11:00 am Ethnobotany of the Willamette Valley -- Jerry Hall (ethnobotanist, Lane Community College)
11:20 am Bringing Back Native Food Crops -- Rick Valley (Lost Valley Educational Center)
(11:40 am break)
11:50 am Native Plants in Our Lives--Next Steps (discussion)
12:30 pm Lunch
2 pm-5 pm Breakout Sessions:
* The Influence of Nonnative Plants on Bird Populations (nature walk and discussion--please bring binoculars) -- Dave Bontrager
* Indigenous Land Management -- Bill Burwell, Jerry Hall, and Rick Valley
* Practical Plant Talks:
- Natives and Nonnatives in Permaculture Zones 1 through 5 -- Michael Pilarski (Friends of the Trees Society)
- Incorporating Nonnatives into Restoration Projects -- David Theodoropoulos (author, Invasion Biology: Critique of a Pseudoscience)
- Permaculture Uses of Native Plants in Urban and Rural Landscapes -- Heiko Koester, Joshua Smith, Devon Bonady (Fern Hill Nursery), and Toby Hemenway (author, Gaia's Garden)
5 pm Final Discussion and Closing Circle -- Michael Pilarski, Melanie Rios (Maitreya Ecovillage), Sharon Blick, and whole group
6 pm Dinner

This event was 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.

Click here to read reviews of the event by participants.

Article and website links are listed below.

Lost Valley Native Plant Species List
Rick Valley: Land Management at Lost Valley
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: Conservation Strategy for Oregon
Oregon Department of Agriculture Plant Division
Oregon Flora Project
Native Plant Society of Oregon and Emerald Chapter, NPSO
Emerald Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon: Invasive Plants
Camas Educational Network
Friends of Buford Park and Mt. Pisgah
Friends of Buford Park: Invasive Weeds at Mt. Pisgah
Mt. Pisgah Arboretum
Oregon State University: False Brome Is a Rapidly Invasive Grass in Western Oregon
Oregon State University: English Ivy Is Invasive Weed In Pacific Northwest
Oregon State University: These Ornamentals Become Too Successful In Oregon
The Nature Conservancy in Oregon
Walama Restoration Project
Friends of the Trees Society
Michael Pilarski: Native Plants, Non-Native Plants, and Weeds in Permaculture Zones 1 through 5
David Theodoropoulos: Invasion of the Aliens!
Rick Valley: Invasion Biology Resources
Toby Hemenway: Pattern Literacy and Another Kind of Genocide
Joshua Smith: Permaculture and Exotics vs. Native Plants
Eugene Permaculture Guild
The Seed Ambassadors Project
The School Garden Project
Tryon Life Community Farm
Cascadia Food Not Lawns
Institute of Contemporary Ethnobotany
Tobias Policha: Rewilding the Garden
Tobias Policha: Management Through Use
Tobias Policha: Where We Live
Tobias Policha: Our Food
Nick Routledge: Bringing Back the Spirit of the Wolf
Nick Routledge: Making War and Peace
Toby Hemenway and Nick Routledge: Conscious Stewardship
Nick Routledge: Kinesthetic Mapping of Natives and Exotics Attitudes
Nick Routledge: Nazi Tie-In to Forthcoming Local Permaculture Gathering
Nick Routledge: Consciously Nativizing Exotics
Lane County Audubon Society
North American Butterfly Association, Eugene-Springfield Chapter
Sharon Blick: Butterfly Garden Species List
Jude Hobbs: Agro-Ecology Northwest and Hedgerows
Bill Burwell: The Kalapuyan Resource Base
USDA: Ethnobotany of Common Camas and Great Camas
Esther Stutzman: The Beginnings of the Kalapuya People
Margaret Robertson: The Kalapuya of the Upper Willamette Valley
Wikipedia: Kalapuya
USDA: References on the American Indian Use of Fire in Ecosystems
Oregon Oak Communities Working Group: Oregon White Oak
Kalapuya-Amin 2006 Symposium: Bibliography
Willamalane Parks and Recreation District: Whilamut Natural Area
Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council, Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council, McKenzie Watershed Council, Long Tom Watershed Council, Fern Hill Nursery
Laura Kemp

Happy Spring!

Chris

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

Native Plants and Permaculture: A Call for Stewardship
a conference report by Tobias Policha

(This is an extended version of an article which will appear in the upcoming newsletter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon's Emerald Chapter--see www.emeraldnpso.org.)

May 11-13, 2007 saw a unique convergence of plant enthusiasts for the conference “Native Plants and Permaculture: A Gathering of Plant Enthusiasts” hosted by the Lost Valley Nature Center. By bringing together people from various backgrounds and interests to grapple with the issues and questions around native and introduced plants in our landscapes, the weekend left me with a refined appreciation of the interactions between human activity and the evolution of our ecosystems.

Because plant lovers often have strong ideas about the green world, cultivated and wild, there was potential for emotions to run high. The promotional material for the conference specifically addressed the issues of intentionally introducing nonnative species, and the control of some of these same species with herbicides as possible points of contention. An introductory exercise on Friday evening made it clear that these practices were not so much dichotomous extremes, as part of a continuum of attitudes.

In what was described as “Kinesthetic Mapping” of people’s attitudes, all conference participants were asked to position themselves along a line in accordance with their feelings about native and exotic plants. At one extreme were those who felt that the introduction and propagation of any and all plants should be actively encouraged, while at the other were those who supported the eradication of certain nonnative species by any means necessary. By using our bodies to visually express our views, it was immediately apparent that the extremes were relatively depopulated, while the majority of participants created a decided mound somewhere in the middle, expressing the need for education, prudence, and stewardship.

After a series of ethnobotanical walks, permaculture tours, and introductory exercises on Friday evening, the conference started in earnest on Saturday.

The first session of the day was a series of short presentations entitled “Natives, Nonnatives, and Finding Common Ground.” The introduction asked us to look critically at our facts, values, and assumptions, and brought a spirit of restoring the natural fabric of life. The presentations began with Jason Blazar sharing the experience of “False Brome Control at Buford Park,” wherein he stressed the need for community-based stewardship. Ed Alverson spoke about “The Challenges of Native Habitat Conservation and Restoration,” touching on the fact that ecological history is largely an artifact of human management, that the prairies and savannas of pre-European settlement were maintained by human-induced fire regimes throughout the Willamette Valley. In terms of guiding the landscape to a place of health, he reminded us that “the future is a new and unique place.” Stephanie Schroeder gave a presentation on “Sustainable Approaches to Ecological Restoration,” emphasizing the need to include people in the process, and brought the idea of economies based on restoration products.

This was an excellent segue into Michael Pilarski’s talk, “Wildcrafting Weeds in the Pacific Northwest,” which he opened with the paradoxical statement, “the weeds we hate are the herbs we love.” He went on to cite Hawthorn, Burdock, Yellow Dock, Teasel, St. John’s Wort, and Dandelion, as examples. Controversial author and long time seed-steward David Theodoropoulos spoke about the psychology of “invasive” species. He asked us to question our perceptions about the world, opening with a story about a childhood neighbor, an elderly woman who was convinced that the bees were eating her flowers, and would shoo them away. The story went on to reveal this as a predaceous misinterpretation of the act of pollination, which is actually beneficial to both the plant and the pollinator. He also echoed the idea that nativity, like pollination, is a process of coevolution.

Toby Hemenway spoke about “Native Plants, Local Foodsheds, and Wildlife Restoration,” opening with the question “What Did You Eat for Breakfast?” He went on to expose corn and soy as the most invasive plants on the continent, albeit with the help of their human mutualists. He also spoke about the ecological role of humans as the “keystone species” on the landscape. If humans are not separate from nature, then surely this is the role in which they are best considered. He also touched on our conception of wilderness, whose origin he pinpointed to the transcendentalist tradition of Emerson and Thoreau, noting that the “wild” landscapes encountered by these early settlement writers were vastly different from those that existed before the displacement of the indigenous people. The landscapes they encountered were not wild, but neglected landscapes. This image, of wild nature, has penetrated the American psyche, and now informs our conception of wilderness as this unruly cacophony of growth, which is largely different from the pre-European reality, which was informed by indigenous land management.

The session ended with a panel discussion on “Finding Common Ground” with Heiko Koester, Sharon Blick, Joshua Smith, Aryana Ferguson, and Nick Routledge. The main point that I gleaned from this was that only when the theoretical moves into the practical will we find solutions. Aryana Ferguson, who could not be present, submitted a written statement urging us to learn everything we can about our surroundings before making decisions, leading to prudence, education, responsibility, and respect. She also offered the wisdom that we do not live in a bubble, that ecology outlasts us, and encouraged us to not make our plant introductions other people’s problems.

After lunch, participants were able to choose from different activities, including a plant walk with Marcia Cutler, a panel on “Sustainable Local Foodsheds” with Jude Hobbs, Nick Routledge, Toby Hemenway, Joshua Smith, and myself, and a presentation entitled “Invasion Biology: An In-Depth Look” with David Theodoropoulos. Since I was part of the presentations, I don’t have notes on this part of the conference, but I have heard good things about it!

Before dinner there was a plenary discussion on “Finding Common Ground: Preserving and Enhancing Diversity and Ecological Health,” which summarized, solidified, and questioned the day’s offerings. Dinner itself was followed by a concert by Eugene’s own singer/songwriter Laura Kemp.

Sunday, we shifted our focus from the theoretical to the practical. The morning’s presentation series was on “Restoring and Enhancing the Roles of Native Plants in Our Lives.” We heard from Dave Bontrager about “How Birds Select Habitats in Native Plant Communities.” Sharon Blick spoke about “Native Plants and Butterflies.” Joshua Smith and Heiko Koester both touched on incorporating native plants into our lives in presentations entitled “Edible and Useful Native Plants and their Associations” and “Substituting Natives for Nonnatives in Home Landscapes” respectively. A couple of the presenters noted that we seem to always want to go about things in the wrong way, with Dave providing the illustrative adage that “it is un-American to not clear brush,” when in actuality the clearing of brush, to appeal to our own aesthetic of tidiness, often has the effect of removing habitat for birds and others. Heiko provided the reminder that working with native plants connects us to the “ancient energy of here.” This was a good segue into the second part of the presentations, which focused on indigenous land management in the Willamette Valley.

In the presentations “Kalapuya Uses of Native Plants” by Bill Burwell, “Ethnobotany of the Willamette Valley” by Jerry Hall, and “Bringing Back Native Food Crops” by Rick Valley, we learned, amongst other things, that there were at least 200 species of plants that were regularly used by the indigenous people of our area, with around 100 of those used as food--a stark contrast to our own, relatively depauperate, diets.

Sunday afternoon again saw an array of activities to choose from, including a bird walk with Dave Bontrager, a panel on “Indigenous Land Management” with Bill Burwell, Jerry Hall, and Rick Valley, and a series of “Practical Plant Talks” on permaculture and restoration uses of native and nonnative plants by Michael Pilarski, Heiko Koester, Devon Bonady, and David Theodoropoulos.

I spent most of the afternoon at the Indigenous Land Management panel, where the themes centered around breaking down our culture/nature dualities, guiding the development of landscape resources by nurturing existing flows through permacultural wildcrafting and stewardship, and giving thanks. A connection was made between the traditional songs of gratitude and the preservation of ecological knowledge through stories, while stressing that part of the thanks is aiding the plants to flourish into the future, and that the most important thing that we can give is our attention.

I also caught the tail end of the Practical Plant Talks, just in time to hear David Theodoropoulos, encouraging the embracing of opportunity, state that “hope is so much nicer than despair.” Who couldn’t agree?

After a Final Discussion and Closing Circle participants from across the spectrum agreed that the weekend had helped change perceptions about plant/people interactions in one way or another. It was my sense that if we had repeated the “Kinesthetic Mapping” exercise, the middle ground of prudence, education, responsibility, and respect would have been even more populated.

For links to conference-related information, plants lists, and papers, go to www.lostvalley.org/nature2007may

The upcoming event “Fall Ecology and Harvest: An Intergenerational Exploration,” October 13-14, 2007, cosponsored by the Lost Valley Nature Center and NextGEN (the youth branch of the Global Ecovillage Network), will continue to look at some of the issues raised this spring, with a focus on fall ecology, indigenous tradition, and the harvest season here in the western Cascade foothills. More info. at www.lostvalley.org/fallecology

Tobias Policha can be reached at contemporaryethnobotany@yahoo.com, www.foodnotlawns.com

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!