The big nature story across Oregon this week was a Vancouver, WA photographer’s sighting of an extremely rare blue rock-thrush at Hug Point, the first confirmed record of the bird ever in the United States. The sighting sent birders speeding to the coast, trying desperately to catch a look at the rarity before it moved on. Here in Corvallis, one of our own admittedly less rare, but no less beautiful, blue birds returned this week, the lazuli bunting. A fairly common summer bird in our area, the first lazuli of the year for Benton County was recorded this week on the app eBird. Keep your eye out for these beauties this week and throughout the summer.
This week looks to be the warmest so far this year, with temperatures reaching the mid-80s in Corvallis. That will undoubtedly bring even more seasonal migrant species into our trees and parks, and while you look for them, there’s a full week of events, both inside and out in the sun, to welcome the warm half of spring.
Thursday: Weigh In On the Future of Marys Peak
As the tallest peak in the Oregon coast range, Marys Peak is a unique local ecosystem, with alpine plants found nowhere else in the region. This week, you have a chance to hear plans for the future of Marys Peak, and add your thoughts on how the mountain should continue to be managed for conservation, public education and more. Julia Johanas from the U.S. Forest Service and Dave Eckert from the Marys Peak Alliance will present a webinar this Thursday, May 9, at 7 pm, detailing the proposed Marys Peak Interpretation Plan. Click here to register.
Saturday: Champoeg Volunteer Day
This warm, sunny weekend, one of our first of the year, will see a lot of people out digging in the dirt. If you’d like to combine your spring gardening urge with some fulfilling volunteer work, the Institute for Applied Ecology is running a volunteer day at Champoeg State Heritage Area this Saturday. Champoeg is not only an important conservation site, with rare prairie habitat, but also a designated First Foods harvest area. Northwest First Foods, like camas root, yampa, yarrow and more are the staple foods eaten by Indigenous people for thousands of years before settler colonists arrived in Oregon. At places like Champoeg, First Foods are being replanted and restored, to help local Indigenous people regain food sovereignty and security.
The restoration work day at Champoeg runs from 9 am to 1 pm this Saturday, May 11. RSVP and a volunteer form are required. Click here for details.
Saturday: Family Pollinator Day at Bald Hill Farm
Many of us in the Northwest have mixed feelings about the warm weather. A mild, rainy spring that keeps everything green into the summer is just fine by us. But young kids aren’t always so forgiving of wet feet and cold faces. This Saturday, families can take advantage of the warm weekend with a pollinator and wildflower family day at Bald Hill Farm, presented by Greenbelt Land Trust. Staff will be on hand to explain the work that Greenbelt does to preserve and restore both native Oregon wildflowers and the pollinators, like butterflies and bees, that depend on them.
The program is geared toward kindergarten through 5th grade kids, but older and younger visitors are welcome. This is not a camp, and all minors must be accompanied by an adult. The event runs from 10 am to 1 pm this Saturday, May 11. Registration is required, and the exact site of the event will only be sent to registered visitors. Click here for details.
Sunday: MLK Park Creek Stroll
This Sunday is Mothers Day! To celebrate both the holiday and the season, the Sierra Club’s Marys Peak group and Corvallis Sustainability Coalition will be running a slow walk along Lamprey Creek at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The focus will be on the trees, shrubs and other plants that line the creek’s edge and provide habitat for all kinds of wildlife. The walk starts this Sunday, May 12, at the MLK Park parking lot at 4 pm.
Tuesday: Astronomy on Tap
After a weekend that many of us will be spending out in the sun, next week starts out with a chance to relax indoors and watch a talk on one of the most speculative and exciting scientific fields today. Tuesday night, OSU professor Dr. Rick Colwell will speak at this month’s Astronomy on Tap talk. Dr. Colwell is a microbial ecologist, studying microscopic life on the ocean floor and elsewhere, but this talk will be about the fascinating world(s) of astrobiology, and using what we learn about life here on Earth to think about, and look for, life on other planets. The talk starts at 7 pm next Tuesday, May 14 at Bombs Away Cafe on NW Monroe.
By Ian Rose