Our first year of restoration at this site resulted in significant improvements across one acre of the nine-acre natural area. This acre contained the most critical habitat: a small, perennial creek that flows into Lily Bay.
OLWC intern Roxana Sotelo Laureano’s project not only advances our understanding of White Rock Larkspur but also demonstrates the value of hands-on, student-led conservation work.
An oak tree is not just a tree. It is a memory and a connector. Take the time to get to know an oak tree in your neighborhood. How long has this tree been here? What can I learn from this tree? What can I do to care for it? How can I make sure future generations are able to benefit from the shade and acorns it provides? How can I thank this tree and appreciate it?
The urban world that humans create can have a range of disruptions to the surrounding natural systems. The removal of vegetation, construction of buildings, infrastructure, altered waterways, fragmented habitat, pollution, noise, and light. While we can find ways to mitigate the negative impacts and use more environmentally friendly approaches, the fact remains that our presence has an impact.
Prior to the conversion of land for farming and development, the Willamette Valley was a vast garden of oak prairies, stewarded by the indigenous nations, tended with cycles of fire and regrowth. The habitat held, and pockets still hold, a unique diversity of plant and animal species found nowhere else. Species coevolved in a landscape dominated by the keystone oaks. Without these trees a whole system of other species would fade away.
Beavers may be best known for their dams, but these remarkable animals are increasingly recognized as powerful partners in restoring ecosystems. Learn how beavers shape resilient landscapes—without machines, chemicals, or blueprints.