Now that spring is well and truly here, every week is bringing new arrivals. This week, the camas flowers (pictured above) started to really pop, replacing some of the early season crocuses and daffodils. The spring migrant birds are showing up in bigger numbers too. A local birder spotted this year’s first Swainson’s Thrush, a relative of the more familiar robin, on April 30. For science and nature fans around Corvallis, it’s an exciting time of year, and with it, a packed week of events.
Friday: Wildfire Smoke Talk
With the rising risk of megafires across the West, more research recently has focused on the long-term effects of wildfire smoke on both the communities directly in the fires’ paths and the region as a whole. This Friday, one of the foremost experts on environmental exposures and public health comes to OSU. University of Washington environmental epidemiologist Dr. Joan Casey will be giving a talk titled “Long Term Exposure to Wildfire Particulate Matter”, presenting the latest data on what all that smoke is doing to us, and how we can best manage our exposure. The talk starts at 1 pm on Friday, May 5th, in the Hallie Ford Center (2631 SW Campus Way), room 115, and will be streamed live. More details and Zoom link are available here.
Saturday: Your Choice of Cleanups
There are two chances this Saturday to get out and help clean up our local environment. From 9:30 am to Noon, Corvallis Parks and Recreation is looking for volunteers to help with their Spring Park Cleanup at Central Park on Monroe Street. There will be all sorts of jobs to help with, from litter pickup to weeding and pruning, planting and repair. All volunteers are welcome and registration is not required, but for more details or if you’re planning on bringing a large group, contact Steve McGettigan at steve.mcgettigan@corvallisoregon.gov.
Also on Saturday, from 10 am to 1 pm, Willamette Riverkeeper and Albany’s Adopt a Park program are running a riverside cleanup and restoration project. Volunteers will meet at 10 am at Takena Landing Park in Albany, near the main parking area. Jobs include picking up litter and cutting back invasive plants to make room for native bird and butterfly habitat. Wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather. Tools, equipment and supervision will be provided. More details available here.
Saturday and Sunday: Garden Events Galore
With the weather warming up, it’s a great time to pick up some new plants, especially beneficial native plants that help our endangered pollinators. This weekend might be the best time all spring to find and add plants to your garden, with two big garden events right here in Corvallis. First, on Saturday, Benton County Master Gardeners are having their annual plant sale and clinic. Come check out over 10,000 plants, including over 2,000 pots of native plants, plus special collections of deer and drought resistant varieties. Master gardeners will also be on hand to answer your gardening questions and help you choose which plants best fit your space and budget. The event runs from 9 am to 1 pm, Saturday May 6th, at the Solar Barn and Floral Courtyard of the Benton County Fairgrounds, located at 110 SW 53rd Street. Click here for more details.
And if Saturday’s big plant party doesn’t satisfy your appetite for new plants and gardening talk, come out Sunday to the annual Corvallis Spring Garden Festival. Along with all sorts of annual and perennial plants, there will be booths selling garden art, gifts, ceramics, herbs and more, plus baked goods from two local bakeries and live music throughout the day. The 2023 Spring Garden Festival is sponsored by the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, Corvallis Parks and Recreation Department, Corvallis-Albany Farmers’ Market, and The Arts Center. The festival runs from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday, May 7th, at the Arts Center Plaza next to Central Park between 7th and 8th streets. More information available here.
Sunday and Wednesday: Learn about Insects, Good and Bad
Native insects are the glue that keep ecosystems together, providing pollination for a huge variety of plants and food for all sorts of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and more. This Sunday, May 7th, the Institute for Applied Ecology in Corvallis is running a Butterfly Conservation Tour just a few miles down Rt. 20 in Wren, Oregon. IAE staff will guide a tour of one of their restoration sites, where they have been working to increase populations of Fender’s Blue butterflies and the Kincaid’s lupine plants they depend on to raise their young. If you’re interested in joining this tour, RSVP by email to paulreed@appliedeco.org. Exact directions to the site and other details will be provided after registration.
As vital as native insects are to our environment, invasive insects can be equally destructive. In particular, one invader has Northwest forest experts understandably worried: the emerald ash borer. These beetles, native to Russia, China and Japan, arrived on the east coast of the United States in 2002 and have since killed over 100 million trees. Last year, they were confirmed for the first time in Oregon. Yamhill County Extension agent Alex Gorman and OSU professor David Shaw will present a webinar next Wednesday, May 9th, on how you can help slow the spread of this voracious tree predator. The talk runs from Noon to 1 pm. Click here to register.
By Ian Rose
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com