Nature Center e-newsletter #1
January 19, 2006
Dear Members and Friends of the Lost Valley Nature Center,
The Nature Center has come a long way in just over three months. In early
October, with the blessings of the Lost Valley community, I first sent out a
letter to friends, family members, and neighbors outlining my vision for the Nature Center and asking for support. That was
followed by the production of a brochure, a mailing to Talking Leaves
subscribers, and other outreach efforts. By the time I left Oregon on December 25, for
two-and-a-half weeks visiting family back East, enough contributions had
arrived to cover a quarter-time Nature Center Coordinator salary for 2006. By
the time I returned on January 10, an equal additional amount had arrived,
assuring that we'll also be able to purchase some needed equipment and
supplies. As of January 19, we had raised $8325. This is a very encouraging
start to this project--thank you all! We are continuing to seek additional Nature Center members and contributions to
allow us to progress toward our larger vision, which involves developing
further Nature Center educational facilities and
ultimately placing the land into a conservation land trust to protect its
ecological integrity in perpetuity.
The contributions received to date have allowed us to place an order for an
engraving machine, which should be arriving next week. This will allow us to
create permanent plant identification and other signs along our trails. We
expect to be creating these signs, as time allows, on an ongoing basis for use
on selected parts of our property (other sections will be left more
"unsigned" and "wild"). The signs will be erected (once we figure
out the best methods of doing that) in conjunction with plans for creating more
detailed interpretive written material, such as trail guidebooks.
We already have a head start on the re-development/recovery of an old trail
along the lower section of Anthony Creek on our property. The trail leads
from North of the meadow garden (and East of a cluster of oak and ash) down to
the creek near our waterfall (which, though usually modest, is currently raging
as it spills off the upper bank). Land intern Beth worked with land steward
Rick to improve this trail, which gave Walama Restoration easy access to a
large section of creekside which they cleared of nonnative blackberry in
December. This work was part of a grant secured for us from OWEB (Oregon Watershed
Enhancement Board) by our naturalist neighbor Dave Bontrager, and replanting
with native shrubs has already started.
By this past Tuesday, heavy rains had raised water levels back up to where they
were during the previous heavy flooding (which I missed) at the end of
December. Anthony Creek turned into a churning river,
overflowing its banks into side channels in the restoration area, and
redistributing large woody debris in dramatic fashion. Many of the paths around
the meadow and in the forest became miniature creeks themselves. Water levels
have now subsided somewhat, but the roaring of Anthony Creek (which I can hear
as I type this) is still many decibels above normal, and we will be discovering
this flooding's effects (in redistributed wood, soil, and rock) for weeks and
months to come.
Winters in central Western Oregon are never too severe. Signs of spring are already around
us: swelling buds, catkins, and (when conditions are right) the mating calls of
tree frogs, who have actually been singing off and on since late November. In
the few intervals of non-rain this week, I've heard the whinnying of robins
(who seem to have been silent for months) as well as encountering the familiar
kinglets, towhees, juncos, sparrows, jays, and others. Future e-newsletters
will focus more on observations on the land here. I'll also be sharing insights
and observations gleaned from classes and nature walks/talks I'll be attending
with Dave Bontrager, at Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, and elsewhere--and undoubtedly be
straying into some of the same territory I and others have been exploring for
years in Talking Leaves magazine: how do "self, society, and nature"
fit together? What is ecological identity? Why is the frog call I am hearing as
I type this so beautiful to me?
Again, thank you for your support of the Lost Valley Nature Center.
Chris