Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council

The History of Elijah Bristow State Park: From Pre-Colonization to today
2021-05-27 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | OR
Join us for a virtual presentation on the history of Elijah Bristow State Park from pre-colonization till today. We will be joined by Tribal historian David Lewis and State Park Ranger Sean Stewart as they share how we got to now at the park. Registration online at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SEBCaQbkQzOHX9H8nVKWnA
David Lewis, is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, a descendant of the Santiam, Takelma, and Chinook people of Oregon. He has a PhD from the UO and teaches at OSU. He is a researcher, presenter, and writer of many histories of the tribes of the region, and many essays are collected on his blogsite ndnhistoryresearch.com. David lives in Salem with his wife Donna and sons Saghaley and Inatye.
Sean Stewart is an Oregon Park and Recreation District Park Ranger at Elijah Bristow State Park. Over his 15 years at the park he has worked tirelessly keeping things running and ecologically healthy.

City Nature Challenge 2021
2021-04-30 - 2021-05-03 | OR
Join us and organizations across the Upper Willamette in the City Nature Challenge. Observe and document the natural world in our backyards, on our sidewalks, and in our homes while contributing to research around the world.
The City Nature Challenge (CNC) is a community science bioblitz with the goal of observing and identifying as many species as possible in urban communities. Participants from more than 200 cities worldwide will contribute and so can you!
You may be wondering – what is a BioBlitz? ‘Bio’ means ‘life’ and ‘blitz’ means ‘to do something quickly and intensively’. Together they make ‘BioBlitz’, a collaborative race against the clock to discover as many species as possible, within a set location, over a defined time period. Plants, animals, fungi, it all counts! Even tracks and other evidence of a species can be recorded.
Find out the name of that mystery plant growing nearby with iNaturalist, a free and easy-to-use app and website with a community of experts helping you identify what you found. If you are in the Eugene/Springfield area and you make an observation on iNaturalist from April 30th-May 3rd, it will automatically contribute to our total. Want to learn how to use iNaturalist? Check out our how-to video!
Please follow all travel and social distancing guidelines as we bring technology and nature together. Discover the nature around you during the City Nature Challenge!

Favorite Plants of Western Cascade Butterflies with Tanya Harvey
2021-03-22 18:00 - 19:00 | OR
Join the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council and the North American Butterfly Association for a virtual talk by Tanya Harvey on native plants and butterflies.
Butterflies are very closely tied to plants, both for food for the caterpillars and nectar for adult butterflies. Many species have a limited number of host plants, sometimes only one, that they can feed on. To find these butterflies, it can be very helpful to know how to identify their host plants and favorite nectar flowers. Learn more about our native butterflies and plants or just enjoy the beautiful photographs!
Tanya Harvey is a graphic designer and artist who has been in love with plants and butterflies since she was a child. She maintains a website focused on the plants and butterflies of Oregon’s Western Cascades at https://westerncascades.com.
This event is free, register and receive your link to the talk here.
It is also time for our annual board elections. You are eligible to vote if you have attended any event or board meeting in the last six months. Please read the short bios and then vote online. They are not running against anyone but rather running for their individual seats. Please contact gale@middleforkwillamette.org with any questions!

Wild and Scenic Film Festival
2020-11-19 19:00 - 21:00 | OR
Join us along with our partners in the Upper Willamette Stewardship Network (UWSN) for an evening of short films showcasing our earth’s natural wonders and the amazing stories of those working in conservation, streamed virtually in HD to your home. The virtual waiting room opens at 6:30PM, the event begins at 7:00PM. Only one person per household needs to register. Proceeds from the 2020 Wild & Scenic Film Festival will be used for fire response and post-fire watershed restoration efforts in the Upper Willamette watershed. The UWSN is made up of the following conservation nonprofits working together and with communities to care for land and water in the Upper Willamette: Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council, Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council, Long Tom Watershed Council, McKenzie River Trust, Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah, and the McKenzie Watershed Council

Fermenting Ideas Pub Talk - David Lewis
2020-10-20 18:00 - 19:00 | OR
Join us for a virtual edition of our Fermenting Ideas pub talk with David Lewis to explore the Indigenous connection to the watershed. This talk will span millennia, first exploring the formation of the valley through both Missoula floods, Kalapuyan stewardship, and the effects that the removal of the Kalapuya’s stewardship have had on modern forest stewardship.
David Lewis, is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, a descendant of the Santiam, Takelma, and Chinook people of Oregon. He has a PhD from the UO and teaches at OSU. He is a researcher, presenter, and writer of many histories of the tribes of the region, and many essays are collected on his blogsite ndnhistoryresearch.com. David lives in Salem with his wife Donna and sons Saghaley and Inatye.
Register for the event here.

Great Willamette Cleanup - Oakridge
2020-10-10 09:00 - 12:00 | Oakridge Greenwaters Park, 48362 Highway 58, Oakridge, OR, 97463, United States
Your river needs you more than ever so join us in the Great Willamette Cleanup! Keeping volunteers and the community safe from the spread of COVID-19 is the number one concern this year. Therefore, rather than one day of fun, this year’s cleanup will be spread out throughout the month of October. We will be adhering to social distancing guidelines, wearing masks, and working in smaller groups in order to protect ourselves while we improve the Willamette River.
Join us and our friends at City of Oakridge and the Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative on October 10th at Greenwaters Park for a land-based volunteer day. Please bring water, face mask, hand sanitizer, and sturdy closed-toe shoes for safety against sharps and walking in uneven terrain. We will provide trash bags, non-latex gloves, trash pickers and masks for those without their own. Volunteers are required to wear masks and practice social distancing for the duration of the event. This clean up is limited to no more than 15 volunteer participants, please register to ensure your spot.

Great Willamette Cleanup - Springfield
2020-10-04 10:00 - 13:00 | Clearwater Park, 2400 Clearwater Lane, Springfield, OR, 97478
Your river needs you more than ever so join us in the Great Willamette Cleanup! Keeping volunteers and the community safe from the spread of COVID-19 is the number one concern this year. Therefore, rather than one day of fun, this year’s cleanup will be spread out throughout the month of October. We will be adhering to social distancing guidelines, wearing masks, and working in smaller groups in order to protect ourselves while we improve the Willamette River.
Join us and our friends at Oregon Wild on October 4th at Clearwater Park in Springfield for a land-based volunteer day. Please bring water, face mask, hand sanitizer, and sturdy closed-toe shoes for safety against sharps and walking in uneven terrain. We will provide trash bags, non-latex gloves, trash pickers and masks for those without their own. Volunteers are required to wear masks and practice social distancing for the duration of the event. This clean up is limited to no more than 15 volunteer participants, please register to ensure your spot.

Annual Celebration
2020-10-03 - 2020-10-08 | OR
Join us for a celebration of our watershed and all the amazing partners who help make our work possible. This year we will be gathering virtually with a library of activities to remotely explore the watershed, a live event where we can all come together, and a raffle thanks to our generous donors! Visit middleforkwillamette.org/celebration for the full information!

Discover Your Watershed - Bird Walk at Thurston Hills Natural Area
2020-05-30 09:00 - 13:00 | Thurston Hills Natural Area, 7575 Main St, Springfield, OR, 97478, United States
Join us for a morning out on the trails with John DeLuca, District Wildlife Biologist for the Bureau of Land Management and birding enthusiast, as we look for native birds at Thurston Hills Natural Area. John will help identify birds spotted on the tour and share other species you might expect to see throughout the year. He will also discuss how our recent oak restoration project with Willamalane helped to increase habitat for birds and what we might expect to see at Thurston Hills going forward. Project managers from the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council and Willamalane will be present to share how we planned and implemented this restoration project.

Birding in the Middle Fork - Postponed
2020-05-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Hilltop Bar & Grill, 35831 OR-58 #2, Pleasant Hill, OR, 97455
We are working on making this a digital event. Stay tuned for more information!
Do you find yourself wondering about the birds you see when out exploring your watershed? Join us and John DeLuca, District Wildlife Biologist for the Northwest Oregon District of the Bureau of Land Management, for an evening learning about the identification and ecology of birds in our watershed. Bring your questions and pictures to discuss with John as he shares his passion for birding in the Willamette Valley.

Postponed - Love Your Middle Fork Day at Elijah Bristow State Park
2020-04-25 10:00 - 13:00 | Elijah Bristow State Park, 38267 Wheeler Rd, Dexter, OR 97431, Dexter, OR, 97431
In compliance with Governor Kate Brown’s executive orders and in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Oregon State Parks have temporarily shut down all Oregon State Parks and related services until May 8th. In accordance we have postponed our Love your Middle Fork Day until further notice. Please stay tuned for a new date to show our watershed some love later this summer. Thanks for you understanding.
Join us and Oregon State Parks for a day of community volunteering at Elijah Bristow State Park and show your love for the Middle Fork. This event is part of an ongoing volunteer effort in the park to help foster the growth of native oak trees and restore our backyard!
After a morning of hard work we will gather back at our office for a potluck celebrating our wonderful community. Please feel free to bring a bite to share with our watershed community, or simply join us to learn more about us and our work.
Registration is requested for this event, please click here to register. Please contact Gale Darling at 458-215-8200 or gale@middleforkwillamette.org with any questions.
Please note:

This event will be happening rain or shine so please dress appropriately. We recommend rubber boots if possible, but any waterproof footwear will work. We also have some rubber boots that we can lend out if you need.
We will be gathering at our office for warm drinks and introductions before heading out to the park and then will return to the office for our potluck.
All tools and gloves will be provided.

City Nature Challenge BioBlitz
2020-04-24 - 2020-04-27 | OR
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, organizations across the Upper Willamette watershed invite you to join your community in documenting our local nature during the 2020 City Nature Challenge!
As we stay home and stay safe to stop the spread of COVID-19, we can still observe and document the natural world in our backyards, on our sidewalks, and even in our homes!
The City Nature Challenge (CNC) is a community science bioblitz with the goal of observing and identifying as many species as possible in urban communities. Participants from more than 200 cities worldwide will contribute and so can you!
You may be wondering – what is a BioBlitz? ‘Bio’ means ‘life’ and ‘blitz’ means ‘to do something quickly and intensively’. Together they make ‘BioBlitz’, a collaborative race against the clock to discover as many species as possible, within a set location, over a defined time period. Plants, animals, fungi, it all counts! Even tracks and other evidence of a species can be recorded.
Find out the name of that mystery plant growing nearby with iNaturalist, a free and easy to use app and website with a community of experts helping you identify what you found. If you are in the Eugene-Springfield CNC area and you make an observation on iNaturalist from April 24th-27th, it will automatically contribute to our total. How many species can we find?
Please follow all travel and social distancing guidelines as we bring technology and nature together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Discover the nature around you during the City Nature Challenge!

POSTPONED: Fire on the Hill: Lessons from the Mt. Pisgah Fire
2020-03-31 18:00 - 20:00 | Hilltop Bar & Grill, 35831 OR-58 #2, Pleasant Hill, OR, 97455
Due to recent developments and recommendations around the COVID-19 virus, we have made a decision to cancel all public events, including talk. We feel this is the most prudent approach at this time and appreciate your understanding as we seek to do our part in protecting ourselves and one another. We will be assessing future dates for this event and we will communicate with you as soon as we have a decision.
Last August our community saw fire sweep across 51 acres at Mt. Pisgah. This spring join us to learn about the impact this fire had on the landscape. We will be joined by Ed Alverson, Natural Areas Coordinator for Lane County Parks, as he sheds light on how this will help native species and what we might expect to see as spring returns to the valley.
As this is also our first science pub of the year, we will also be holding our annual Board of Directors elections. If you have attended an event in the last six months you are eligible to vote! We will be posting full bios for our new candidates on our web page, so check back for more information!
And, as usual, Hilltop Bar & Grill has generously agreed to donate 10% of all proceeds generated during our science pub back to the Council. So come hungry!

POSTPONED: Watershed Wednesday Volunteer Day
2020-03-18 09:30 - 12:00 | OR
Due to recent developments and recommendations around the COVID-19 virus, we have made a decision to cancel all public events, including this volunteer event. We feel this is the most prudent approach at this time and appreciate your understanding as we seek to do our part in protecting ourselves and one another. We will be assessing future dates for this event and we will communicate with you as soon as we have a decision.
Join us as we partner with McKenzie River Trust’s Watershed Wednesday volunteers and the Springfield Utility Board (SUB) in helping to protect our local waters. We will be planting native species along Gorrie Creek and removing invasive species to improve habitat and water quality. Gorrie Creek is a joint project between SUB and the watershed council at a SUB wellfield site. Our Restoration Projects Manager and SUB employees will be there to talk about this unique partnership and how our restoration work can help your drinking water. Registration for this event is required and can be found here. Directions to the work site will be provided upon registration, all participants must be registered.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival
2019-11-14 19:00 - 21:00 | McDonald Theater, 1010 Willamette Street, Eugene, OR, 97401
One of the largest environmental film festivals in North America is coming to Eugene! The Wild & Scenic Film Festival works with environmental groups across the globe to host the film festival as a way to outreach into their communities and bring together a diverse audience. The goal is to use film to inspire people to help the lands and rivers that surround us. We are very excited to be co-hosting this event along with our partners in the Upper Willamette Stewardship Network. Tickets are on sale now and we will be announcing our film selections soon! Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. For more information visit www.upperwillamette.org.

Eugene-Area Mushroom Hike 2019
2019-11-03 09:00 | OR
Presented with our friends at Oregon Wild, learn everything you ever wanted to know about mushroom ecology and identification in the Middle Fork Willamette from one of Eugene’s most knowledgeable and fun experts – Bruce Newhouse. This hike, in the easy to get to Fall Creek area southeast of Eugene, will explore forests of different ages and the many fungi growing in them – from LBMs (little brown mushrooms) to the sought-after golden chanterelle.
Registration is required for this event. Please visit oregonwild.org/events/eugene-area-mushroom-hike for more information and the register.

Science Pub: Oregon's Ancient Forests
2019-10-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Hilltop Bar & Grill, 35831 OR-58 #2, Pleasant Hill, OR, 97455
Dripping coastal forests of giant Douglas-firs, high desert groves of massive ponderosa pines, and lush mixed conifer forests surrounding jagged Cascade peaks–Oregon’s ancient forests are vital to our state’s future – for clean water, climate change, wildlife, recreation, and so much more. Chandra LeGue, Western Oregon Field Coordinator for Oregon Wild (and Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council board member), has published just the guide to help you get to know and love these incredible places – “Oregon’s Ancient Forests: A Hiking Guide”. Come learn more about these complex ecosystems, where to find them, and to share in some of Chandra‘s experiences exploring Oregon’s ancient forests.
Join us at 6pm to order food and drinks and meet the author. Our presentation will begin promptly at 6:30pm, and we will have plenty of time for questions at the end! As usual Hilltop and Plank Town are offering to donate 10% of all food and drink purchased during the presentation to our organization, so come hungry!

Great Willamette Cleanup
2019-10-05 09:00 - 12:00 | Oakridge Greenwaters Park, 48362 Highway 58, Oakridge, OR, 97463, United States
Hosted on the first Saturday of October, the annual Great Willamette Clean Up is a river-wide, community day-of-action. Volunteers participate by canoe, kayak, SUP board, raft, motor boat, jet ski, drift boat, bike, and by foot to free our river of trash and debris, while improving habitat and community spirit along the way.
The Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council will be hosting the Greenwaters Park cleanup again this year. Please meet at the Greenwaters Park Pavilion where participants will split up into groups to clean various sites in the Oakridge-Westfir areas. This clean up will be also have support from the City of Oakridge, US Forest Service Middle Fork Ranger District, and the Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative. Please wear sturdy shoes, dress for the weather and bring a water bottle to stay hydrated. Gloves and garbage bags will be provided.
Please register so we can have the appropriate number of tools and gloves for everyone! Registration for this site can be found here.
Please contact Gale at gale@middleforkwillamette.org with questions.

Annual Watershed Celebration
2019-09-11 17:00 - 20:00 | MFWWC Office, 655 A Street Suite A/B, Springfield, OR, 97477, United States
Please join us in celebrating our watershed and all the great work you have helped us with this year. We will be having a backyard BBQ with delicious food, live music, lawn games and good people. Bring the family and enjoy the kids’ activity corner with our stream table, coloring, and a special appearance by a US Forest service fire truck! For the adults we will have beer, lawn games, and music by the Eugene Barnstormers.
Bring yourself, your kids and your significant others, but please leave your pets at home. We have the food and drinks covered. We’ll be outside, so dress for the weather and bring an extra layer for cooler evening temperatures.
Please park in the parking lot for the Elijah Bristow State Park Dog Park and follow the path to our backyard!
Please RSVP here: http://evite.me/xXsgAn5pQ1
Questions? Call or email us! 458-215-8200 or gale@middleforkwillamette.org
We can’t wait to see you!

Discover Your Watershed Tour: Watershed to Drinking Water
2019-08-21 17:30 - 19:00 | OR
We take for granted that our drinking water comes out of our faucets clean and ready to drink, but do you ever wonder how it gets there? Join us for a chance to see behind the scenes and find out how water gets from the Middle Fork Willamette River into homes and businesses across Springfield. Springfield Utility Board employees will take us on a tour of a wellfield and treatment site explaining how they ensure that the water coming into our homes is safe and clean. We will also be joined by a brewer from Plank Town Brewing, who uses water from this site to brew its beers, to learn about the importance of water in the brewing process.
Pre-registration is required for this event, please register here or call our office at 458-215-8200. Full information on meeting location will be provided upon registration.

Science Pub: Freshwater Mussels
2019-08-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Hilltop Bar & Grill, 35831 OR-58 #2, Pleasant Hill, OR, 97455
Did you know that we have freshwater mussels living in our very own Middle Fork Willamette? These molluscs can act as filters in our water and are an important indicator of the health of a river. Come learn from our local freshwater mussel expert, Emilie Blevins of the Xerces Society, about their importance in our ecosystems!
Come at 6pm and chat with our staff and order food, presentation will start promptly at 6:30pm.
And, as usual, Hilltop Bar & Grill has generously agreed to donate 10% of all proceeds generated during our science pub back to the Council. So come hungry!
The Xerces Society is a science-based conservation organization, working with diverse partners including scientists, land managers, educators, policymakers, farmers, and citizens. By using applied research, engaging in advocacy, providing educational resources, and addressing policy implications, they endeavor to make meaningful long-term conservation a reality.
Their core programs focus on habitat conservation and restoration, species conservation, protecting pollinators, contributing to watershed health, and reducing harm to invertebrates from pesticide use.

Coal Creek Floodplain Restoration Tour
2019-06-12 09:00 - 15:00 | OR
Rivers and streams are dynamic environments that are constantly changing. Or at least they should be. For the last 50 years, Coal Creek was static – confined to constructed berms that kept it channelized and didn’t allow water to flow out onto the floodplain. This summer we will be restoring a 20 acre section of Coal Creek to a more natural condition, creating diverse habitat that will benefit fish and wildlife species and increase water storage.
Join us and our partners at the US Forest Service Middle Fork Ranger District on June 12th to tour Coal Creek and learn more about our work there. The tour will take us to our upcoming project area along Coal Creek, our newly constructed segment of the Middle Fork Trail, and our previous project at Staley Creek to see what our outcomes might look like. On this tour we will share why we see the need for this kind of work, what the work will look like, and what we expect to happen when we are done. We will also explore the connection between restoration and recreation in areas like this. The tour will require walking on uneven trail, we recommend sturdy, waterproof, closed toe shoes and suggest walking sticks or trekking poles for balance.
Registration is required for this event. Full information on meeting location and itinerary will be provided upon registration. You can register online or by phone at 458-215-8200.

MFWWC Board of Directors Meeting
2019-05-22 17:00 - 19:00 | MFWWC Office, 655 A Street Suite A/B, Springfield, OR, 97477, United States
Our Board of Directors meetings are always open to the public. They are held each month on the fourth Wednesday of the month at our offices in Dexter. If you are interested in joining us or have any questions please contact our office at 458-215-8200 or email us at contact@middleforkwillamette.org.

Science Pub - Coal Creek Floodplain Restoration
2019-05-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Brewer’s Union 180, 48329 E 1st St, Oakridge, OR, 97463, United States
Rivers and streams are dynamic environments that are constantly changing. Or at least they should be. For the last 50 years, Coal Creek was static – confined to constructed berms that kept it channelized and didn’t allow water to flow out onto the floodplain. This summer we will be restoring a 20 acre section of Coal Creek to a more natural condition, creating diverse habitat that will benefit fish and wildlife species and increase water storage.

Please join the US Forest Service Middle Fork Ranger District and the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council on Tuesday, May 21st, from 6-8PM for a family-friendly presentation about the work we will be undertaking this summer. Learn about general floodplain science, what “restoration-in-action” looks like, why we are undertaking this project, how we expect the stream to change in the future, and what this means for overall watershed health in the Middle Fork Willamette watershed basin. Sign-in, order some food or drink and meet our staff from 6-6:30PM. The presentation will begin promptly thereafter. $5 suggested donation at the door. All are welcome! Questions? Give us a call at 458-215-8200 or email contact@middleforkwillamette.org.

Fall Creek Wildflower Hike
2019-05-08 17:15 - 19:30 | OR
Registration for this event is now closed as we have reached our registration limit. Please email contact@middleforkwillamette.org if you would like to be added to a wait list. Thanks!
Join us for an exclusive opportunity to learn from a local wildflower expert on her own property! We will be touring the property of Tanya Harvey as she guides us through the native plants that she has seeded throughout her property. Tanya, and her husband Jim, have lived on this land for 25 years and have dedicated a significant amount of their time and money to restore their property. We worked with them to help restore their oak woodland and savanna habitat through a grant from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. Tanya and Jim also recently enrolled their property in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program which will provide technical assistance and access to restoration tools for years to come.
Tanya is an artist, designer, and plant lover who has been in love with plants for as long as she can remember. Her knowledge of local plants is as deep as her love for them and we are excited to be able to share this with you. Join us in exploring this unique property and seeing all the diverse habitats that it offers. Find out more about Tanya on her websites westerncascades.com and tanyaharveydesign.com.

Oakridge Tree Planting Festival
2019-05-03 - 2019-05-05 | OR
The Oakridge Tree Planting Festival celebrates the heritage of Oakridge through this three day festival. Events include the WoodFest, Quilt Show, Dinner Theater, Community Arts Fair, Grand Parad, Mini Olympics, Pioneer Museum and the Salmon Creek Run/Walk. Join us at the Grand Parade and go home with your very own seedling! We hope to see you there.
For more information visit: oakridgewestfirtreeplantingfestival.com

Love Your Middle Fork Day - Volunteer at Elijah Bristow State Park
2019-04-13 10:00 - 13:00 | Elijah Bristow State Park, 38267 Wheeler Rd, Dexter, OR 97431, Dexter, OR, 97431
Join us and Oregon State Parks for a day of community volunteering at Elijah Bristow State Park and show your love of the Middle Fork. This event marks the beginning of a volunteer effort in the park to help foster the growth of native oak trees and restore our backyard! In this first installment we will be pulling blackberry and other invasive species that are threatening to out compete the young oak trees.
After a morning of hard work we will gather back at our office for a potluck celebrating our wonderful community. Please feel free to bring a bite to share with our watershed community, or simply join us to learn more about us and our work.
Please note:

This event will be happening rain or shine (most likely rain if this week has been any indication), so please dress appropriately. We recommend rubber boots if possible, but any waterproof footwear will work. We also have some rubber boots that we can lend out if you need.
We will be gathering at our office for warm drinks and introductions before heading out to pull blackberry. and then returning to the office for our potluck, beer and more warm drinks.
Please park behind the office in the dog park parking area, to find this parking lot simply turn into the park and then take your first right, you will see our sign on the gate.
We will be working from 10am-noon and then breaking for lunch!
All tools and gloves will be provided.

We request that you register here so that we have adequate tools for everyone to participate!

Middle Fork's Most (Un)Wanted Weeds - Invasive Weed Workshop
2019-04-11 18:00 - 20:00 | Pleasant Hill Student Center, 84455 North Enterprise Road, Pleasant Hill, OR, 97455
Want to learn more about what invasive weeds to look for in our watershed? Join us and OSU Extension to get first hand information from local experts about what threats might be out there, and what to do if you find it. This small workshop will cost $10 per person and $5 for each additional family member. Registration for this event can be found on the OSU Extension website.

Discover Your Watershed Science Pub: Middle Fork's Most (Un)Wanted Weeds
2019-03-26 18:00 - 21:00 | Hilltop Bar & Grill, 35831 OR-58 #2, Pleasant Hill, OR, 97455
Ever wonder if those plants appearing on your property are good or bad? Join us and OSU Extensions to find out! For this installment of our Discover Your Watershed Science Pubs we will be hearing from Glenn Miller, Oregon Department of Agriculture invasive expert about what to be looking out for in our watershed. If this pub sparks your interest and you want to learn more, we will be following this event with a more in depth workshop hosted by OSU Extensions.
As this is also our first science pub of the year, we will also be holding our annual Board of Directors elections. If you have attended an event in the last six months you are eligible to vote! We will be posting full bios for our new candidates on our web page, so check back for more information!
And, as usual, Hilltop Bar & Grill has generously agreed to donate 10% of all proceeds generated during our science pub back to the Council. So come hungry!

Community Ivy Pull at Thurston Hills
2019-03-09 10:00 - 12:00 | Thurston Hills Natural Area, 7575 Main St, Springfield, OR, 97478, United States
Despite the weather, our weather is still on for this Saturday! Please see below for some updates about the conditions for the trail and what to expect in your volunteer role.
Join us for a rewarding day clearing out invasive species at Thurston Hills Natural Area. This is a community wide collaborative effort with our friends from Willamalane Park and Recreation District.
Feel free to bring your friends, kids and anyone else that would like to take an active part in supporting the removal of this invasive species and protect the trees in this newly developed property.
After the community Ivy Pull we’ll be celebrating with good food and drinks to commemorate our hard work!
Please register here and sign the electronic waivers.

A few things to note in the safety conversation:

There is fairly deep snow off of the trail (on the trail it’s a couple of inches) which makes it difficult to identify hazards under your foot. Use caution when walking off the trail into snow as you won’t be able to see downed limbs and debris and it could be slippery and icy.

The snow is slippery and in places there is ice where the snow has been compacted and refroze- be sure of your footing.

We have caution taped off areas where there are visible hanging limbs or hazards, but volunteers should be aware that there may be snow or other hanging hazards that we weren’t able to identify and make sure they look up and are in a safe work zone.

Potential poison oak mingled in with some Ivy on the edges of the project area.

Please note that we will be out in the elements so please dress warmly for your volunteer efforts as well as wear comfortable and durable boots if you have them or shoes you are okay to be in snow with. If you feel as though this volunteer commitment is not the best for your comfort level, we understand. Please let me know as soon as you are able if you are needing to cancel you volunteer commitment.
As promised before, we will have warm delicious pizza from Track Town following our Ivy Pull along with great drinks from Plank Town and water for our volunteers that are not of age.
Thank you so much to all that have signed up and we look forward to working with you all on Saturday morning!
