Earth Day has come and gone, and now it’s time for April’s other nature-themed holiday, Arbor Day. Since 1872, Arbor Day has had the purpose of encouraging and inspiring people to plant, nurture and protect trees. We live in a place famous for its majestic forests, but with many tree species in the Northwest suffering in the past few years from heat stress, drought and invasive pest damage, it’s never been more important to take care of the trees we have and replace the ones we’ve lost. These three nature events around Corvallis fit the tree-centric theme.
Thursday: Tree Planting
Arbor Day isn’t technically until Friday, but this Thursday, April 27th, is your best chance to come out and plant some trees to mark the day. Oregon State’s Diversity and Cultural Engagement staff are looking for volunteers to join a tree planting event, starting at 1:30 pm at the Centro Cultural César Chávez on SW 26th Street. As always, dress for the weather and wear sturdy closed-toed shoes. For more details, email Freddy Leon at freddy.leon@oregonstate.edu.
Thursday: World Without Soil Talk
Most plant life on Earth, from the tallest tree to the spring wildflowers just coming into bloom, depend on healthy soil to live. This Thursday evening, OSU’s Department of Microbiology welcomes Dr. Jo Handelsman from the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and the University of Wisconsin, to give a talk titled “A World Without Soil: Science and stewardship of our endangered natural resource.” Dr. Handelsman was a science advisor to President Barack Obama. The talk will cover how climate change and erosion intersect to threaten our soil health, and the solutions we already have to help build it back. The event begins Thursday, April 27th at 5 pm at the LaSells Stewart Center on SW 26th Street. More information available here.
Saturday: Plant Sale and Seed Swap
Whether you have space to plant a tree, or just room for a single potted plant, every gardener will find something at the Mary’s River Grange Hall in Philomath this Saturday, at the Spring Plant Sale and Seed Swap. Free seeds will be available, along with advice from local gardeners and farmers, instructions for tool sharpening, and more. If that’s not enough to bring you out, there will also be baby goats! The event runs from 10 am to 4 pm this Saturday, April 29th at 24707 Grange Hall Road in Philomath. For more information, email the Grange at marysrivergrange@gmail.com.
By Ian Rose
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