Summer continues to bathe the Willamette Valley in sunshine, and some days, in serious heat. After our five-day 100-degree heat wave that set records across the area, the temperatures have cooled a little, at least for this week. That makes it a great week to get out and enjoy the coast, the mountains, and all that nature has to offer in our area.
If you’re planning on beating the heat with a float or swim in the Willamette River, though, be aware of the dangers of cold water and quick current. This week, award-winning Portland chef Naomi Pomeroy drowned just outside of Corvallis, and there have been several other drownings in the river already this summer. Go in a group, wear proper flotation devices, and use boats and floats designed for a river, not a backyard pool.
A Local Restoration Success Story
Covering the environment often means talking about the doom and gloom of our extinction and climate crises. But at the same time, there are people and organizations making real progress to push back and restore habitat in our area. One of those organizations is the Corvallis-based Institute for Applied Ecology, which manages several plots of land around Oregon to restore both wildlife and sustainable human use of natural spaces. This week, IAE restoration technician Aynesley Wilson wrote a blog post about restoration work going on in a 40-acre site outside of Corvallis. Previously dominated by invasive blackberry and brome, as well as overplanted with Douglas fir, the site has been restored to an oak and meadow ecosystem, where native plants like camas, star tulip, fairy slipper and more have begun to return.
Read more about the work and its exciting initial results here.
Friday: Willamette Weed Pull
Invasive plants aren’t just a problem on land. The Willamette River and especially its smaller, shallower tributaries can be clogged with quick-growing weed species that crowd out native plants and create potentially dangerous snags. This Friday, Willamette Riverkeeper will be running a day-long volunteer day to pull aquatic invasives and restore river habitat. Volunteers will meet at Michael’s Landing, behind the Old Spaghetti Factory on 1st street, at 9 am. The event runs through 3:30 pm. Registration is required. To register and for more information, click here.
Saturday: Champoeg Volunteer Day
In addition to improving plant and wildlife habitat around our region, the Institute for Applied Ecology works with local tribal offices to help restore First Foods, those species that have sustained Indigenous people in the Willamette Valley for thousands of years. This Saturday, volunteers are needed to help with a First Foods prairie restoration site at Champoeg State Heritage Area. The event runs from 9 am to 1 pm this Saturday, July 20. Click here for more information, and to fill out a volunteer form.
Sunday: Open Streets Festival
Corvallis is consistently rated as one of the bike-friendliest cities in Oregon and the country. But even our city can feel like it’s been designed more for cars than for people. Since 2017—with a break for the pandemic—Corvallis has hosted an annual festival meant to reimagine our streets as more walkable, bikeable and human-centered, and Open Streets Corvallis returns this Sunday.
From 11 am to 3 pm this Sunday, July 21, over a mile of Garfield Avenue, 13th Street and Cleveland Avenue will be closed to cars. The three parks in the area, Cloverland, Porter and Garfield Parks, will host live music, exercise activities, giveaways, and more. A parade starts at 11:30 am at Cloverland Park. Food and drink vendors like 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Sabor Tamales and Elysium Treats will be on hand.
For more information on Open Streets Corvallis, click here.
By Ian Rose