Remember all that sun we had recently?  Wasn't that amazing?  I wonder if we'll feel that kind of warmth on our shoulders again before, I don't know... June?  I sure hope so, because I've got a bad case of Spring Fever! This past weekend, I tried to soak up as many of those precious rays as I co

I took a quick trip out to the Columbia Gorge on the last weekend in January, to see the falls in their full winter glory (must be all that pluviosity - lots of rain the week before), and to celebrate my mom's birthday.  She chose the

In Part 1 of this post, I was taking you along on my first exploration of Graham Oaks Nature Park. Let's pick up where we left off - on the Legacy Creek Trail as it emerges from the conifer forest, to

Just outside the city limits of Wilsonville (the

The absence of amphibians in a wetland area can be an indicator of habitat degradation.  On the flip side, the appearance of amphibians in a restored wetland area is a good sign that someone did something right. Oregon Field Guide recently did an interesting segment about wetlands restoration in the Portland area

One of the trees I’ve used in my native landscaping is the Cascara tree, or Cascara Buckthorn (Rhamnus purshiana

For thirteen years now, I've worked in an office located off of Highway 224, in Milwaukie.  Adjoining the office complex, there's a small wetland area called Minthorn Springs.  Looking out the office window, or as I've come and gone, I've seen lots of ducks and Canada Geese in the area, and the occasi

The Portland City Council is expected to approve the purchase of 146 acres along a hillside south of River View Cemetery, using money from several different sources.  The plan is to - eventually - develop a trail system and habitat management plan. Read more about it in

It seems that spring has finally arrived in Portland.  One sure sign of this fact, in my native landscaping, is the blooming of my Oregon Iris (Iris tenax

No, that post title doesn't mean this blog is moving, it means that there's some new real estate available for some lucky members of Portland's avian society. I just put up a bird house! It's my first attempt at supplying a home for that segment of Portlan

This week's Nature Word is: Accidental We all know the meaning of accidental in every day speech, so we probably have a good idea of what it would mean when used to describe species occurrence.  But let's take a closer look at this and other words used to talk about

This sounds like an interesting evening for any Portland nature lover.  I hate to miss it but I'll be out of town.  If you go, let us know how it was. From

Part One - Intro Part Two - The Plan

I don't like tooting my own horn, but...                                       I won the Stylish Blogger Award!

This is the first posting of a new weekly feature... Nature Word of the Week.  Every Wednesday, I'll define a different nature-related word.  I'll try to mix it up, referencing different sources and choosing words of varying obscurity or technical level.  Probably nothing new for the profe

A fairly well-known bit of Portland trivia, is that Portland's Forest Park is the largest urban forest in the United States.  A lesser-known fact is that Portland is also home to the world's smallest park

OK, this beetle does not technically fall within the Nature of Portland, but it comes pretty close.  I took these pictures a few years ago up along the Clackamas River, during the summer.  When I ran across

TriMet's Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project will extend MAX service across a much-discussed new bridge over the Willamette River, and into Milwaukie, along SE McLoughlin Boulevard.  After traveli

One of my early posts on this blog was a complete profile of Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.  I visited the garden two days ago, in the evening, and thought I'd share a few pictures from my walk.&nbs

Part One - Intro Part Two - The Plan Part Three - Out With the Old

Some great opportunities to help out with habitat restoration and trail maintenance in the Audubon sanctuary and Forest Park... By Molly Hottle, The Oregonian

Well... I logged on this morning with the idea of creating a post about one of the native plants I've used in my yard, but suddenly my blog's design was looking a bit out-dated and old school to me. While there's nothing wrong with a retro look, I decided to spend some time instead, working on a fresh look wit

Part One - Intro Part Two - The Plan

Updated: 4/27/11 (update follows original post below) When it comes to government and planning in the Portland metro area, there's possibly nothing as controversial as the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB).&nbs

As you can plainly see, from the nifty Outdoor Blogger Network badge - over there on the right side of this blog - I am a member of the Outdoor Blogger Network (OBN).  The OBN is a great way for outdoor bloggers, outdoor enthusiasts of

Signs of Spring are popping up - and open - everywhere!  From Trilliums at Tryon Creek, to the Red flowering currants in my yard, things are starting to come alive. Just a qu

Good news - no foolin'!From timesunion.com: Since the

Part One - Intro Part Two - The Plan