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Issue #6 Spring 2007PO Box 894 Eugene, OR 97440 541-484-3939 www.walamarestoration.org

WalamaWalamaWalamaWalamaWalama

Don’t Miss Our Open House at Whilamut Natural AreaDon’t Miss Our Open House at Whilamut Natural AreaDon’t Miss Our Open House at Whilamut Natural AreaDon’t Miss Our Open House at Whilamut Natural AreaDon’t Miss Our Open House at Whilamut Natural AreaButterfly Meadow on Saturday, June 9th!Butterfly Meadow on Saturday, June 9th!Butterfly Meadow on Saturday, June 9th!Butterfly Meadow on Saturday, June 9th!Butterfly Meadow on Saturday, June 9th!

Well, spring is finally here, summer is just around the corner,and wildflowers are carpeting our parks, gardens, andriverbanks. Just when you think you cannot get enough ofthat tall fescue shooting into your sinuses causing massiveallergies, or the sweet glistening oils of poison oak shiningtheir leaves along your favorite urban trail, you witness thefollowing:

~ A rufous hummingbird pollinating a brilliant red flowering currant in Alton Baker Park~ Hundreds of flowering camas flowers blooming along roadsides and in meadows throughout Eugene~ The arrival and migration of intent butterflies searching for colorful herbaceous plants in the WestEugene Wetlands~ Oak trees filling out with new young leaves and shoots in Buford Park~ The brilliant colors of larkspurs, the fragrant scent of Solomon’s seal, and the curiously strikingflowers of meadow rues along the Willamette River.

This is why we love the Willamette Valley. Walama Restoration Project has made it a point this spring andsummer to document flowering prairie plants as they arrive and bloom throughout the Greater Eugene/Springfield region. We are especially interested in how the landscape changes in the Whilamut NaturalArea Butterfly Meadow. To date, we have transplanted and direct sowed over 52 species of prairieplants at the meadow. The meadow is moving towards a full bloom of wildflowers in late June. Currently,we are observing camas, shooting stars, plectritis, cinquefoil, and riverside lupines blossoming profuselythroughout the area and enticing nearby pollinators.

Prairies have historically covered a large area throughout our region, and as land practices and communitycultures have changed over time, our landscape’s historic ecosystems have transcended into new ecologicalera. While WRP seeks to work with the changing of time, we also seek to enhance the remainingpockets of biodiversity that define a place in history in which people were strongly interwoven withthe existence of oak woodlands, prairies, and savannas. For this generation and beyond, we believe it iscrucial to re-invent the wheel of finding our place in nature.

Chasing the Beauty of Spring in theChasing the Beauty of Spring in theChasing the Beauty of Spring in theChasing the Beauty of Spring in theChasing the Beauty of Spring in theSouthern Willamette ValleySouthern Willamette ValleySouthern Willamette ValleySouthern Willamette ValleySouthern Willamette Valley

Our MissionThe Walama Restoration Project (WRP) is a community organizednon-profit, founded in 2001, and dedicated to the enhancement, reha-bilitation, and restoration of the waterways, forest, and grassland ecosys-tems within and adjacent to the Willamette Valley. WRP provides acrucial community service by actively maintaining the unique and fragileecosystems in this valley. In addition to ecosystem restoration, our organizationdevelops and implements educational outreach programs for school groupsand the public to encourage local ecosystem awareness.

~NEWS FROM THE FIELD~~NEWS FROM THE FIELD~~NEWS FROM THE FIELD~~NEWS FROM THE FIELD~~NEWS FROM THE FIELD~

WRP is continuing its partnerships with local agencies and watershed councils in areas within and adjacentto the Willamette Valley. Friends of Hendricks Park graciously raised $5,000 for funding WRP to clearadditional acres of English ivy in Hendricks Park. We were also able to re-treat previously cleared areason almost twelve acres of parkland, including Hendricks Park, Skinners Butte Park, and along theWillamette River in North Eugene.

Our successful method of sheet mulching with cardboard and mulch began as an experiment in our com-munity-funded restoration sites (Maurie Jacobs Park and Gudu-kut natural Area) and has now expanded toour contracted projects. In March, we planted and sheet mulched a number of trees and shrubs along atributary in Marcola for the McKenzie Watershed Council. This upcoming year, we will return to Drag-onfly Bend in the West Eugene Wetlands to sheet mulch planted trees and shrubs.

Our sheet mulching efforts continued into Creswell in February and March. We helped implement thefirst stages of restoration under contract with the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council at Garden

Lake City Park. Project goals for the park include the enhancement of existing wildlife habitat and theimprovement of water quality in Hill Creek and the ponds at Garden Lake. Over 200 trees were planted

and sheet mulched in areas adjacent to the pond and creek. This project is funded through the WatershedCouncil by a grant from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. To find out about volunteeropportunities at Garden Lake Park, visit the Coast Fork Council’s website at www.coastfork.org.

WRP is collaborating with The Willamette National Forest for its second year under a Challenge Cost ShareAgreement for the Central Cascades region. Our goal is to find innovative techniques to suppress inva-sive weeds, particularly false brome grass (Brachypodium sylvaticum) without the use of herbicides. Wewill be working with US Forest Service botanists in areas throughout the Mckenzie and Sweet Home RangerDistricts to implement plans for encouraging growth of native vegetation in areas home to threatened plantand fish species. We are excited about this long-term conservation project with the US Forest Service.

Left picture shows MarioDibenedetto placing a thick layerof tape-free cardboard around anewly planted tree. Right pictureshows the plants heavily mulchedover layers of cardboard. Thismethod suppress re-emergingweeds, protects the young plantroots, and maintains moistureduring the hotter months.

WRP field crew restoring a portion of theMcKenzie River near Walterville.

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WRP is in itssecond year of itssustained part-nership with theNetwork CharterSchool. We workon a bi-monthlybasis with NCS’sPermacultureClass and teachstudents local ecology and holisticrestoration practices. This past winter, studentsworked diligently in the pouring rain to planthundreds of natives at our meadow restorationsite in the Whilamut Natural Area. They returnedin April to weed emerging vetches and clovers inour newest project areas at the meadow. Studentshave visited upland prairie and riparian ecosys-tems to study field botany. Students just recentlyaided the WRP field crew and the City of Eugeneto expand wet prairie habitat in West Eugene.

Our Obsidian Preservation Project in the ThreeSisters Wilderness is still underway in 2007. Many ofthe annuals and perennials that did not germinate in2006 were extremely successful this year due to achange in soil medium and the addition of a natural

seed stratificationregime. Speciessuch as highelevation lupines,Gray’s lovage,small-floweredpenstemon, andpartridge footplants are grow-ing in our coldframe at a rapid

rate! We aim to deliver hundreds of seedlings to twodegraded campsites near the Pacific Crest Trail inlate September. Project collaborators include theMcKenzie Ranger District and the Network CharterSchool.

Since fall 2006, WRP’s Program Director has been collaborating with Pam Reber of the Coast ForkWillamette Watershed Council to develop a Watershed Preservation Program for Cottage Grove schools.

Student projects will include water quality monitoring, performing ecological assessments, and restor-ing a reach of the Coast Fork Willamette River with native plants. With the help of foundation support,WRP and the Coast Fork Council will implement the program at four schools in fall 2007. We are excitedabout a program that will strengthen collaborative relationships between the Coast Fork WatershedCouncil, the City of Cottage Grove, South Lane School District, and additional agencies to advance

advocacy for watershed restoration in the Upper Willamette Basin.

WRP was fortunate to receive funding from Friendsof Hendricks Park for thesecond year in a row to hostecology field trips at thepark. This May and June wewill host trips for 4th and 5th

graders from Edison andHarris Elementary Schools.We would like to expand thishands-on program out toadditional schools for nextfall and spring. If you areinterested in getting yourchild’s elementary school involved next year,please contact Stephanie Schroeder, ProgramDirector, at 484-3939.

Hands-on Nature Walks atHendricks Park

Land Stewardship and Ecologywith the Network Charter School

New Fall Watershed Education Program in Cottage Grove!

Seed Saving Continues Near thePacific Crest Trail

Bare ground at Whitebranch Creekcampsite along Obsidian Trail.

Don’t miss us at Down To Earth onSunday, June 10th! Both storeBoth storeBoth storeBoth storeBoth storelocations in Eugene will donatelocations in Eugene will donatelocations in Eugene will donatelocations in Eugene will donatelocations in Eugene will donate5%5%5%5%5% of their proceeds to WRP all of their proceeds to WRP all of their proceeds to WRP all of their proceeds to WRP all of their proceeds to WRP allday! day! day! day! day! We will have our table set up from11-4 at the downtown location on 5thand Olive, so come visit us there!

5% off day on5% off day on5% off day on5% off day on5% off day onJune 10th!June 10th!June 10th!June 10th!June 10th!

This year we have been working internally tostrengthen the capacity of our organization. We arefortunate to have gained two new board membersthis year: Stuart Perlmeter and Nick Otting. Stuart

is coordinator for the Springfield School District’sWELL project, which integrates water chemistryinto the high school biology and chemistry pro-

grams, and develops several teams of students thatmonitor watersheds, analyze stormwater runoff,and provide a free well water testing service. Inaddition to his work with the district, Stuart hasprovided high school students opportunities to

research bat populations in the state of Oregon. Nickis a botanist specializing in riparian vegetation. He

loves working in the field, especially east of theCascade Mountains.

We wish to thank our other long-standing andoutstanding board members who have committed

many hours of their time towards helping ourorganization meets its goals:

WRP Welcomes New BoardMembers!

Howard Bonnett, Evelyn Hess, KitKirkpatrick, Heather Lintz, Rachel Foster,

Michael Robert, and Sabra Marcroft

WRP is embarking on an organizational re-vampwith a University of Oregon Business School studentteam enrolled in the Leadership in Action practicum

course. The consulting team, Rachel Garrett,Lukas Jones, Chris Gray, and Micah Frumkin, are

currently meeting with WRP staff and boardmembers on a weekly basis throughout the spring

term to aid in developing a blue print for a 3-5year organizational strategic plan. We are grateful

for this partnership and believe that the U of Oconsulting team will help us strategize how to

achieve our long-term program goals. We wish tothank the consulting team and the team faculty

advisor, Anne Forrestel, for all of their hard work!

U of O Student Team Works WithWRP Board of Directors

Taylor Zeigler hasworked with WRPin the field pullingweeds, propagatingplants, and collect-ing seeds sincemid-2004. Hailingfrom the Southeast,he is a proud 13th

generation SouthCarolinian. Taylor moved to the Willamette Valleyseven years ago to study and practice organicgardening at Aprovecho Research Center inCottage Grove. He brings to the field a pro-plantattitude and many skills related to ecology. A fewof his horticultural interests and endeavors includethe promotion and propagation of Paw pawspersimmons and mulberries, conducting generaltree care, and developing gardens for native seedgrow-out. For the past four years, he has been afortunate resident of River’s Turn Farm where youwill find him munching peaches in August andkeeping good company of Emma Goldog, hisfavorite pup. Some of his choice tools include theJapanese planting hoe and the Hori knife, in whichhe has developed prowess and precision. If youwould like to meet this man with the winningsmile, you can find him weekdays somewhere inthose 60 acres of wetlands west of Eugene thisspring...or maybe at Sam Bonds if you’re lucky. Wealready know we are.

StaffStaffStaffStaffStaff Spotlight Spotlight Spotlight Spotlight Spotlight

Stephanie Schroeder andWRP Board Member RachelFoster with Tobias Policha(Institute of ContemporaryEthnobotany) and ClairePorter (Friends of BufordPark) at Native Plants andPermaculture Conference atLost Valley Nature Centerin Dexter.

Saturday, June 9th Open House: Come and meetWRP Board and staff members from 11-2pm at theWhilamut Natural Area Butterfly Meadow! We willhost tours, hand out plant lists and general infor-mation on the project, and provide refreshments.We hope you can make it! The meadow is locatedat the end of Day Island Road in Alton Baker Park.

Internship Opportunity: WRP is looking for oneintern to study plant/pollinator relationships at ourmeadow restoration site in Whilamut Natural Area.We are seeking someone with field research experi-ence, basic knowledge of Willamette Valley ecology,and interest in pollination biology. Please contactStephanie Schroeder at 484-3939 or atinfo@walamarestoration.org for more information.

Opportunities and EventsOpportunities and EventsOpportunities and EventsOpportunities and EventsOpportunities and Events

We would like to thank the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation andSpirit Mountain Community Fund for supporting Phase II of our meadowrestoration project in the Whilamut Natural Area.

We would like to thank the Juan Young Trust for supporting the preliminarysteps in implementing our Watershed Preservation Project in Cottage Groveschools.

We thank Get Fried Rice and Glory Bee Foods, and Emerald Valley Kitchenfor sending us contributions to support our program expenses.

Jan StaflJason StarrJim & Jane BartaMike PriceCaroline WolframCharles RearLawrence HolbrookTom MorganDebra KrukRichard BrayIbrahim HamideDavid ChardMary Beth LlorensMary Tegel & TerryBequetteKaren DooleyJerry WolfeAndy HarrisonMary KatoStephen RameyWendy MaltzSuzanne BunkerInge WellsDralyn Van NessJulie BryantJay Silverman & DianeBolte-SilvermanAnne LoweJanice ScottKarli FrenchNick JohnsonMark & Sally PangbornScott PattersonLawrence SiskindJennifer EllisMichael HertzJohn Spragens, Jr.Randall KolbJohn BorofskySusan PfannerMarilyn SmithMargaret Leary

Sponsors and SustainingMembersSandra & Fred AustinDonald & Dolly WoolleyBrian BakerRick Larson & BarbaraCowanBob DeckerJames DrivasMargot FetzRachel FosterPeter & Marian FrankGary & Jan HalversonEdward HeidAnne HollanderPolly Ashwork & RobHornerGuy JohnsonMarion Diermayer & PeterKosekMartha MacRitchieP. Grace MikesellRowland OrumRyan ReeseVictor SabinNathaniel SperryJoe ValasekSheryl Engelbert-ScottWilliam RobertsDonald HowardLisette EwingHeather MeldrumHoward Bonnett & JudithHorstmannDaniel GavinKim AdamsAdvanced Relay Corpora-tionMary LeightonKay BlackburnMcKay SohlbergJoel McClure

Individual, Business, andFamily MembersSuzanne AlgaraDavid AmoroseAnita Ochoa BoteeteEric BrandtJune BrooksCale & Lisa BrucknerGregory Williams &Trudy CameronFaris Hall CassellAnne ChristensenFran ChristieValerie CloseRobert DespainJerome & Diane DiethelmGillian Betterton & CraigFilipPeter & Marian FrankJane & Paul BermaniLisa GeurinRobert Gordo-McCutchenPaula & Frederick HewittJoAnn HoffmanCarolyn HymesGwen JansenBrian & Babette JonesShawn Lockery &Kathleen ReerdonRees & Mattie MaxwellJill MiddletonJo Ann MooserBruce NewhouseDeborah OgburnWilliam PierceJess PollackGary RabideauSherwood & Jolaine ReeseJennifer SachsArthur Dean & MichelleSmithNearby Nature

John Volmert & Fern EngMichael WelchPaul WhiteKaren ZornMalcolm WilsonStephanie JocumsPeter PowersJane MoshofskyDonald HowardF. Kingsley & SallySchneiderMary & GQ UnruhCatherine TruaxSusan Smith & AlanZelenkaKevin Ekeland & KarenHaysNancy ReckordAnn ColeCraig & Rita SmithDenise GrayJoseph SchmichMarianne Rudek-LarsonTom McCartneyGreg Bronson & SaraMitchellChantal Dufour-MartelScott & Kai BlumbergJohn & Jane Lillis-OlsonDennis & Bonnie ChappaJane VogelNancy WoolfsonMartin AzarnoffDavid GreenRaymond KingJames EmoryJim GreenwoodThomas PughTim MillerLisa & Henry WalkerFrank GibsonJamie Bridgham

Joseph StankunasDavid StuckyKathryn TassinariEllen & Ron TenintyKathy, Tiger & JoeMcKeeverJennifer & GregoryAndersenApril PrescottJennifer LudwigConnie AdamsJoann MiksisBrian JohansenDon ColganRichard PadgettBarbara McKeownScott FerusonHarry PriceCarolyn FierroMichael EustisMaile GarciaDoris Luft BakerTeresa SyriosJulie HesslerUlrich MayrKay Fullerton FamilyTim & Kaye DowneyNancy BurbankIn-Kind ContributorsJerry’s Home Improve-mentEagle OpticsBrunton EquipmentAtlas GlovesDown To Earth Distribu-torsThe Shedd InstituteSweet Life PatisserieLane Forest Products

Contribution made by LlewAlbrecht in memory of son,Eric Albrecht.

WRP Thanks All of Our New and Renewing MembersWRP Thanks All of Our New and Renewing MembersWRP Thanks All of Our New and Renewing MembersWRP Thanks All of Our New and Renewing MembersWRP Thanks All of Our New and Renewing MembersJanuary to May 2007

Thanks to all of our contributors not noted, and we regret any listed errors.

We also would like to thank Tulsi Wallace, Lost Valley Education Center, Trader Joe’s,Capella Market, Eugene City Bakery, Watersheds Raingear, Paul Gordon, Billy Hughes, Ginny Alfriend, Peace Rose Graph-ics, Steve Otoupalik, LCOG, and the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council

To date, we have over 2,500 supporters who have contributed funding, services, and/or goods since 2002. With yourcontinuing support, we have the ability to build a strong foundation of community projects and programs. We are proud toserve communities in the Southern Willamette Valley and its adjacent ecological regions.

NCS Permaculture class atWhilamut Natural Area

Walama Restoration Project relies on community support to continue facili-tating our educational programs. If you would like to become involved byvolunteering at a work party or by making a tax-deductible contribution, pleasefill out this form and send to:

Walama Restoration ProjectPO Box 894

Eugene, OR 97440

Yes! I would like to be a supporter!____Limited income $15____Individual $35____Family $50____Sustaining Member $100____Sponsor $500____Other amount $_____

Yes! I want to volunteer!name_________________________address____________________________________________________email _________________________phone ________________________interests ____________________________________________________

Community Supported Rehabilitation and Native Re-vegetation of Our Watersheds

Board of DirectorsPresident Evelyn HessSecretary Rachel FosterTreasurer Kit KirkpatrickHoward BonnettHeather LintzSabra MarcroftNick OttingStuart PerlmeterMichael Robert

Operational DirectorYotokko KilpatrickProgram DirectorStephanie SchroederProgram StaffAlison RajekEditor/Contributing WriterStephanie SchroederField CanvasserDoug Black

PO Box 894Eugene, OR 97440

Walama Restoration ProjectWalama Restoration ProjectWalama Restoration ProjectWalama Restoration ProjectWalama Restoration Project

Disporum hookeri, fairy bellsat Whilamut Natural Area