Native Talk Tuesday #21

For today's Native Talk Tuesday, we have a reptile and a wildflower

The reptile featured in today's Native Talk Tuesday is Clemmys marmorata, commonly known as the Western Pond Turtle. This endangered species of turtles is only found west of the Cascade-Sierra mountain ranges, though it is supposedly extinct or near-so in the state of Washington . They are often found in still-water environments below one mile in elevation. The turtle below was seen with two others in Stayton's Wilderness Park.

 
The plant featured in today's Native Talk Tuesday is Crydalis scouleri, commonly known as the Scouler's Corydalis. This plant is easily identified from early- to mid-Spring due to it's stalk of pink flowers. Scouler's Corydalis is found along moist, shaded stream banks and forests and is named after Dr. John Scouler, who accompanied David Douglas on his explorations of the Pacific Northwest. The plant in the picture below was found at Silver Falls State Park, east of Salem.

Earth Speak Sunday #19

The Unforeseen Wilderness by Wendell Berry

And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humble and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our feet, and learn to be at home.

Fast Fact Friday #7

Today's Fast Fact:
     Discovered in 1874, and set aside as a National Monument in 1933, the Oregon Caves National Monument is really only one cave.

Waterfall Wednesday #8

Lower South Falls

This 93-foot waterfall is located roughly one mile downstream from South Falls at Silver Falls State Park. Like South Falls, a trail takes visitors behind the waterfall, making it one of four falls that do so. From Mid-Winter to Mid-Spring, this waterfall creates an almost perfect curtain of water.In Late Summer it becomes less dramatic. Formed by three different layers of lava flows, with the middle one less resistant and therefore allowing a path behind the falls, this waterfall has created several caverns below the trail that are not visible in the picture above.

Native Talk Tuesday #20

For today's Native Talk Tuesday, we have a bird and a shrub

The bird featured in today's Native Talk Tuesday is Pipilo maculatus, commonly known as the Spotted Towhee. With its black head, red sides, and white underside, it is easy to spot, especially with its black and white wings. The Spotted Towhee is distinguished from other Towhee species east of the Cascade Range by having a darker black head and back, and less white bars on its wings. The picture below was taken in Stayton's Wilderness Park

The plant featured in today's Native Talk Tuesday is Ribes sanguineum, commonly known as the Red-flowering Currant. In early spring you can see easily identify these plants due to their clusters of pink to red flowers. They are found at low to mid-elevations in open forests, disturbed sites, and even rocky slopes. The plant in the picture below was found at Silver Falls State Park, east of Salem. 

Earth Speak Sunday #18

Riprap and Cold Mountain Poems by Gary Snyder

I settled at Cold Mountain long ago,
Already it seems like years and years.
Freely drifting, I prowl the woods and streams
And linger watching things themselves.
Men don't get this far into the mountains,
White clouds gather and billow.
Thin grass does for a mattress,
 The blue sky makes a good quilt.
Happy with a stone underhead
Let heaven and earth go about their changes.

Fast Fact Friday #6

Today's Fast Fact:
     Weighing in at a whopping 80.4 Troy ounces, the Armstrong Nugget was the largest piece of gold ever found in Oregon; it is now on display in the US Bank in Baker City.



This fact was found on the website goldrushnuggets.com

Trail Talk Thursday #12

This week's trail is located at Silver Falls State Park and is known as the Campground Trail. At roughly 1 mile in length, it encircles half of the campground with a trail head near the Ampitheater. As visitors walk along this trail, they can take in the sights of wildflowers, sounds of native birds, and may even see a few salmonberries ripe for the picking. A small stream drains a basin located between this trail and the campground and one can see that beavers had once been at work damming it up, yet no beaver lodge can be seen from the trail. A blind located next to one of these dams allows visitors to peer into a beaver pond without scaring the birds away.

The beaver pond between the trail and the campground.

Native Talk Tuesday #19

For today's Native Talk Tuesday, we had a reptile and a flower.

The reptile featured in today's Native Talk Tuesday is Thamnophis sirtalis concinnus, commonly known as the Red-spotteed Common Garter Snake. This non-poisonous snake is found in a variety of habitats ranging from woodlands to open prairie and can also be seen in yards. The most astounding behavior that I have witnessed, as seen in the photo below at Stayton's Wilderness Park, is the ability to swim across a still-water pond.

 
The plant featured in today's Native Talk Tuesday is Lomatium utriculatum, commonly known as the Spring Gold. Also known as Fine-leaved Desert Parsley, this plant of the carrot family is found in a variety of environments ranging from dry, rocky slopes to open meadows at low elevations. The plant in the picture below was found at Silver Falls State Park, east of Salem.

Earth Speak Sunday #17

On the Shred of a Cloud by A. Rolf Edberg

Stand and fill your lungs with air. With every breath you inhale a thousand billion billion atoms. A few million billion of them are long-living argon atoms that are exhaled within the second and dispersed with the winds. Time mixes them and has been mixing them for a long time. Some of them may have visited Buddha or Caesar, or even earlier paid a call on the man from Makapan.

 

Fast Fact Friday #5

Today's Fast Fact:
     In 1961, the largest of the Pacific Salmons, the Chinook Salmon, was declared the state fish.



This fact was found on the website: Oregon.com

Native Talk Tuesday #18

Today, both a native bird and a native flower will be featured.

The bird featured in today's Native Talk Tuesday is Turdus migratorius, commonly known as the American Robin. This robin is found in a variety of habitats ranging from woodlands to open prairie to city parks. The most common robin in America, this bird has a diet of berries, insects, and worms. The picture of the robin below was taken at St. Louis Ponds County Park, west of Gervais.

The flower featured in today's Native Talk Tuesday is Cardamine pulcherrima, commonly known as the Beautiful Bitter-cress. This plant of the Mustard Family is found in moist forests and stream banks at low elevations.Unlike the Angled Bitter-cress, which has three leaflets that are lobed, this bitter-cress has three-to-five leaflets that are lance-shaped. The flower in the photo was found at Silver Falls State Park, east of Salem.

Earth Speak Sunday #16

To quote Crowfoot:

What is Life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the Winter time. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.

Fast Fact Friday #4

Today's Fast Fact:

The present capitol building in Salem is the third one built on the site; the previous two were completely destroyed by fires.



This fact was found on the website Oregon.gov

Native Talk Tuesday #17

The animal featured in today's Native Talk Tuesday is Larus occidentalis, commonly known as the Western Gull. This gull is seen along the whole length of Oregon's coast throughout the year, but will be more abundant in Winter. All adult Western Gulls will have pink legs, a white head, a red-spotted yellow beak, and one white spot (or "mirror") near the tip of its first or second feather on each wing. Young western gulls will have mottled head feathers and a black-spotted yellow beak. The picture below was taken at Depoe Bay and features a young Western Gull in its third Winter.