Spring is only a few weeks from turning over into summer. The cottonwood trees are spreading their seeds around town (sorry to those with allergies), and the midseason wildflowers like columbine are coming in to replace camas and other colors of early spring. Area birders reported their first sightings of common nighthawks, a true summer bird of western Oregon. And right on time, there are talks, activities, volunteer opportunities and more this week to mark the season.
Thursday: Mammal Reproduction Talk
One of the great benefits of living in a university town is access to all the fascinating talks by scientists, both staff at OSU and visiting lecturers. With the school year coming to a close, the science departments are getting their last big talks in, and this Thursday, June 1, OSU’s Department of Integrative Biology presents Dr. Jim Kenagy, emeritus professor and curator of mammals at the University of Washington. Dr. Kenagy will be giving a talk about his decades of work in mammalian reproduction, particularly the energy budgets of male and female mammals during breeding and raising young. The talk runs from 10 to 11 am at 224 Gilbert Hall on OSU’s campus. More information is available here.
Saturday: Get Outdoors Day at the Arboretum
This Saturday is Get Outdoors Day, a national effort to get more people, especially kids, out into nature. This is the 12th year that Get Outdoors Day is being celebrated here in Corvallis, and for the first time since 2019, the event is being hosted by Peavy Arboretum. There will be activities teaching about camping and other outdoor skills, and a chance for kids 13 and under to catch fish at Cronemiller Pond. All activities are bilingual, English and Spanish. Since the Arboretum has such limited parking, shuttle service will be provided from Crescent Valley High School. Activities run from 10 am to 3 pm. There will be food available for purchase on site, or you can bring your own lunch. The organizers recommend bringing good walking shoes and a water bottle and to dress for the weather. Bilingual information available here.
Saturday: Bald Hill Farm Trail Cleanup
The Arboretum isn’t the only place to get out into nature this Saturday. Greenbelt Land Trust is looking for volunteers to help clean up trails at Bald Hill Farm in preparation for Sunday’s Run for the Hills trail run. From 10 am to 2 pm, volunteers will remove logs, brush and grass from the trails. Tools and gloves are provided, but bring your own lunch and water bottle, along with sturdy shoes and whatever layers and sun protection the weather requires. Volunteers can register and get specific information on where to meet and other details here.
Next Wednesday: Grand Oaks Twilight Tour
This spring and summer, Benton County Soil and Water Conservation District is running a series of twilight tours of less often visited conservation sites around the county. The series kicks off Wednesday, June 7 with a tour of the Great Oaks neighborhood of Corvallis. Check out the evening wildlife and learn what the neighborhood is doing to replant native wildflowers and manage the few remaining Oregon white oaks that gave it its name. The tour starts at 5:30 pm and runs until about 7 pm. More information and free registration is available here.
Sound Documentary at the Darkside
Sound is a powerful but often overlooked force in our world, both natural and human. This week at the Darkside Theater, the groundbreaking documentary “32 Sounds” digs into the science and culture of sound, and how and why what we hear can so profoundly affect us. Variety called it “a uniquely mind-expanding plunge into a dimension of the human experience so many of us take for granted.” Check the Darkside’s website for screening times.
By Ian Rose
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