May has arrived in Corvallis, with the standard mix of lion and lamb weather. Stormy skies one minute, stormy the next, might not be the ideal recipe for making outdoor plans, but it is the perfect mix to keep the wildflower season going strong. When the sun does peek out this week, get out and take in the spring color. It won’t last forever.
The parade of spring bird arrivals continued this past week, with seven new species for the year in Benton County and ten in Linn. Highlights include our first phalaropes, some new warblers and a Calliope hummingbird, which is only usually sighted in our area a handful of times per year.
This week is Natural Areas Celebration Week, an annual set of events put on by Corvallis Sustainability Coalition. There are walks, work parties, seminars and a “BioBlitz”, where naturalists of all ages and skills can help count the species in Avery Park. For a full list of the events, click here.
Local Podcasts for Thoughtful Nature Lovers
The Spring Creek Project was founded at OSU in 2002 to explore ways of living more sustainable and joyful lives alongside other species on our planet. Since then, they have hosted hundreds of live and online events. Now, they have moved into the realm of podcasts, offering three series for listeners interested in living more harmoniously with the planet.
“Inner Nature” is produced by Spring Creek and OSU’s Contemplative Studies Initiative. It examines environmental issues through the lenses of different philosophical and cultural traditions. “Luminaries” features a new guest each week to talk about a piece of writing or art that influenced their environmental work. And, their newest series, “Collective Climate Action”, looks at meaningful and achievable actions for a healthier climate. All three series are available on Spotify, Apple and anywhere you get your podcasts.
Thursday: Fire Ecology Webinar
May is Wildfire Awareness Month. If you’re anything like me, you’d prefer to wait a few months before becoming aware of fire, but the more we know and prepare now, the readier we will be when the temperature rises and the rain stops. This Thursday, OSU’s Extension Fire Program will host a webinar called “Not All Flame is the Same: Oregon’s Diverse Fire Ecology”. The event features regional wildfire experts discussing the history and ecology of fire across our state, and what we need to know to live more safely and sustainably alongside fire. It runs from 11 am to Noon on Thursday, May 2. For more details and to register for the event, click here.
Saturday: Seahorse Kids Book Event
Seahorses are beautiful, fascinating creatures, and endangered in many of their habitats around the world. This Saturday, Portland author Sara T. Behrman will be reading her new children’s book, “The Sea Hides a Seahorse”, all about seahorses and their lives. The reading and the book are best for kids ages 4-8 years old. The event runs from 10:30 to 11 am on Saturday, May 4 in the main meeting room of the Corvallis Library.
Saturday: Fun Run for Otters
Speaking of Saturday events about fascinating sea creatures. Sea otters once graced the entire west coast, from California to Alaska. But hunting for their valuable furs decimated the population, and in the early 20th century, they disappeared from Oregon’s coastal waters. Otters are a keystone species, and without them, kelp ecosystems have never been quite the same. The Elakha Alliance is an Oregon nonprofit dedicated to reintroducing them to Oregon. This Saturday, they are putting on a fun run and otter-themed festival here in Corvallis to raise both funds and awareness for their efforts.
The event starts at 1 pm on Saturday, May 4, with a 5k run starting at the Peffer Ampitheater on SW Country Club Road. After the run, guest speakers from Elakha and the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition will talk about otters and kelp forests, and local environmental nonprofits will have tables to talk about their recent work. Two Towns Cider and Block 15 Brewery will provide free refreshments. There is a $25 registration fee for the run, which goes to Elakha Alliance. For more details, click here.
Monday: Climate Change Film Screening
We have seen the first signs of the climate crisis here in the Northwest, with increasing drought, fire and extreme heat. But for people living on low-lying islands in the Pacific, climate isn’t an occasional or seasonal danger. It’s a constant and urgent emergency. “Rising Waters: Global Warming and the Fate of the Pacific Islands” is a one-hour film directed by Andrea Torrice, featuring interviews with Pacific Islanders on the front lines of sea level rise and growing extreme weather threatening their homes. Next Monday, May 6, the OSU International Film Festival brings “Rising Waters” to the Darkside Theater for one night only. The screening starts at 6 pm. Check the Darkside’s website for details.
By Ian Rose
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com