Category: Nature

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Fossils, rocks and turkeys

Being retired we find time to embrace certain concepts or more like Rules to Live By. They help us focus on what’s really important and among them are:

    • Fun will be had by all
    • Live life like my dog 
    • Housework never supersedes fun

However, today we plan to use the Never Go Back The Same Way We Came rule. After a wonderful morning and lunch at Spring Basin Wilderness, we continue our exploration of the area.

We head along a scenic drive to explore the prehistoric past of Oregon and stop at the Clarno Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds. It is located 18 miles west of the town of Fossil, Oregon.

The Palisades are the most prominent landform and are ancient mudflows.

The trailhead is located along Highway 218. The Trail of Fossils (¼ mile loop) is the only trail in the park where visitors can easily see fossils in the rocks. Large boulders strewn below the Palisades contain dozens of visible plant fossils. We glimpse fossilized plants along the cliff walls as well … when suddenly we hear a strange “gobble” sound. I kid you not! We grab the binoculars and sure enough it’s a flock of wild turkeys. What a perfect end to a perfect day.

Sure, we get home late. But luckily we’ve put into practice our Always have dinner ready and waiting after a long day on the road rule.  On the menu, Minestrone Soup with toasted baguette. Yeah … these are rules we can live by.

 

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Kokanee Karnival

In late fall we joined a group of flyfishing-centric people that get together the third Thursday and talk about fishing. The Sunriver Anglers organization offers regular programs focusing on fishing Central Oregon. These topics range from slide shows to on stream activities. Tucked into this membership are some interesting opportunities to help nurture the rivers, riparian and aquatic life we’re enjoying.

Kokanee Karnival is one of the educational programs Sunriver Anglers supports. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife started this classroom and field study program in the late nineties.

It’s mission “to help sustain, improve and develop an appreciation of Central Oregon’s unique outdoor environment.” Kokanee Karnival brings that message to 4th and 5th graders.

Perhaps not so coincidentally on Earth Day this year, we participated by helping other Sunriver Anglers serve lunch to 100 hungry elementary students, teachers and volunteers. This was part of Kokanee Karnival’s Angling Clinic Experience.

For most participants this is their first time angling. ODFW has racks of fishing rods and boxes of worms to make it as simple as possible for a successful cast. The other advantage added to the event is that Shelvin Pond is stocked with about 700 trout. From our vantage point, the deck on Aspen Hall, the pond’s banks were filled with bursts of excitement as bobbers dropped below the pond’s surface.

Environment education, especially when it involves grade schoolers, can have substantial impact. ODFW’s unique prospective focuses attention on something the kids are surrounded by but may not fully comprehend…their potential impact. They are doing it in a really fun way … at least we enjoyed ourselves.

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The search for desert blooms

Spring is overtaking Central Oregon. Two events mark its start, the opening of the Oregon fishing season and arrival of desert blooms. Fishing opens the next month. So this week we take to the roads in search of native fauna. Some research pointed out two really good locations to find desert blooms. We’re regular walkers at the closest location, Bad Land’s Wilderness just east of Bend, but with such a gorgeous spring day we opted for a trip much farther north.

Spring Basin Wilderness along the John Day River is highlighted as an excellent place to find wildflowers. East along Hwy 218, through Antelope at Clarno Road, you head south for three miles on a hard packed dirt road.

The BLM’s wilderness is nearly 7,000 acres with a network of rustic trails on hills covered in sage, native bunchgrasses and juniper.

 

The thing about desert flowers is they’re not all that easy to spot, it’s not like those showy blue stocks of Lupin. These tiny blossoms are tucked away among the sage and rock. making it more of a treasure hunt.

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Water Management & First Foods

On those rare occasions when faced with a rainy day the High Desert Museum is a great destination. Critters to check on and the quarterly installation to take in. We’re becoming big fans of this Central Oregon cultural center.

The museum’s curated projects go beyond the boundaries of their exhibit space set on 135 acres south of Bend. One of these events is a lecture series held at McMenamins Old St. Francis School.

The Natural History Pub Series presents lectures on a wide range of topics including: animal behavior, natural resource restoration, and geological activity…all set in a very unclassroom–like setting.

This past week we learned about “First Foods Management with a River Vision.” Eric Quaempts, Director of Natural Resources for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, spoke about a unique approach to water management and natural resource development. His department makes decisions based on the concept of water being a First Food; water, fish, game, roots and berries.

As frequent stream visitors, his detailed presentation on Umatilla River restoration projects was particularly interesting. The basic idea that a riparian is the river resonated with us.

Quaempts management plan doesn’t exclude or attempt to minimize man from the natural resource equation. Rather it places us right in the middle of managing our environment, which now that he says it makes perfect sense.

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A Spring thaw

Winter has retreated and spring’s thaw turns pasture land around the Sunriver Nature Center into ponds to contain the snow melt. Our walking trails are about the only thing still above the water level right now.

There are an abundance of birds and water fowl taking advantage of the expanded flood plain. Ducks, mostly mallard pairs, and of course flocks of Canada geese. To the year round residents there is a  marked increase in song birds, particularly robins and red-winged black birds. The black birds are aggressively staking claim to territory with red flashes from their shoulders and loud calls. There are also small birds that flit too fast for easy identification, but are adding their voices to the choir.

 

The willow groves offering cover for all this increased bird activity are starting to bud. Marsh grasses and cattail that poked brown stalks out of the snow banks show tinges of green and seem to be standing more upright in response to the April sun.

Each day’s visit presents new treasures to observe and we’ve taken to adding binoculars to the camera gear packed for our walks these blustery spring days.