Quarterly Newsletter | Winter 2024 |
|
|
The quarterly Naturespaces newsletter has a new format and continued great content!
|
|
|
We are about halfway between the winter solstice and spring equinox.
If you are anxiously waiting for winter to end, this year, the spring equinox will fall on March 19, 2024. On the spring equinox, the Northern and Southern hemispheres receive about equal amounts of sunlight; meaning neither hemisphere is tilted more toward or away from the sun than the other. After the spring equinox, the amount of daylight each day will continue to increase until it peaks at the summer solstice in June, the longest day of the year.
More information about the spring equinox:
The Old Farmer's Almanac
All You Need to Know about March 2024 Equinox
|
| |
|
The region recently experienced a major snow and ice storm. Many trees fell due to the ice in the metro region. Seeing so many large trees lose limbs or fall can be scary. But, our urban tree canopy is essential to help with managing stormwater runoff, cleaning pollution out of the air, cooling down the urban area, providing habitat for urban wildlife, and providing mental and physical benefits to humans. Here is information about after-storm tree care from the City's Urban Forestry department:
Trees and Severe Weather
|
| |
|
Salal, Gaultheria shallon |
|
|
Photo from East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District
|
|
|
Salal is a lovely fruiting perennial shrub native to the PNW. It is a member of the Heath Family, Ericaceae. Salal is found along the Pacific coast from Southeast Alaska to central California, mostly on the west side of the Cascade Mountains and along the California coast (Native Plants PNW). It is a slow growing shrub, and can grow to 6ft x 3ft at max. It can handle moist to dry soils.
Salal is very versatile in the landscape and is a great addition to natural restoration projects. It is very useful along roadsides and highways, as it is good for erosion control. Salal can aggressively fill in and develop into large patches of foliage once established (Native Plants PNW). It can also aid in stabilizing coastal dunes and in protecting vulnerable watersheds.
Salal was traditionally utilized by many Indigenous peoples of the Northwest. The spicy fruit was eaten fresh, dried, or mashed into cakes. Teas made from the leaves were used to treat coughs, tuberculosis, and diarrhea (Tree Campus: Salal, Shoreline Community College).
Salal is an important native plant food for PNW wildlife. The fruit is eaten by many kinds of birds and mammals including the Douglas Squirrel. It is also a pollinator-friendly plant, as Hummingbirds will visit Salal flowers (Native Plants PNW). This native shrub is a great perennial, low maintenance addition to our yards.
|
| |
|
Himalayan blackberry, Rubus bifrons
|
|
|
Himalayan blackberry is a thorny, thicket forming shrub in the rose family that produces large, edible blackberry fruits. It is invasive here in the Pacific Northwest. It can grow in mixed and deciduous forests and a variety of disturbed sites such as roadsides, railroad tracks, logged lands, field margins and riparian areas. It does well in a wide range of soil pH and textures, which makes it more difficult to control. (WA State Noxious Weed Control Board)
Although the berries are delicious, Himalayan blackberry outcompetes native understory vegetation and prevents the establishment of native trees that require sun for germination such as Pacific Madrone, Douglas Fir and Western White Pine. Dense, impenetrable blackberry thickets can block access of larger wildlife to water and other resources (Himalayan blackberry identification and control, King County). It displaces native species, dominates riparian habitats and costs millions of dollars to control in forests, parks and agricultural areas. It reproduces by canes and seeds and those seeds can be carried by birds and animals (West Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District).
|
| |
|
Volunteer with Naturespaces
|
|
|
Planting at Sam Brown Park
|
Tomorrow will be a morning of planting at Sam Brown Park’s urban natural area. We will be planting trees and hundreds of native plants.
Saturday, February 17
10 a.m. to noon
Event registration is closed but please visit the area to enjoy the newly planted space.
|
|
|
|
Ivy Removal at Behrens Woods
|
Naturespaces volunteers are out at Behrens Woods every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month to remove invasive and non-native plants, spread mulch and restore this beautiful natural area.
February 24
March 9 and 23
9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
|
|
|
|
Campus Community Garden Cleanup
|
Join the City of Vancouver’s Volunteer Program to clean up Campus Community Garden in honor of Cesar Chavez Day. We will remove litter, mulch the perimeters and pull some invasive plants and weeds to get ready for the 2024 garden season.
Saturday, March 30
10 a.m. to noon
|
|
|
|
| Interested in growing your food? The Vancouver Community Garden program has five different community garden locations. New gardener registration is coming up on February 26. Learn more about Community Gardens
|
|
|
Volunteer with our City Partners
|
|
|
Adopt-A-Park event at LeRoy Haagen
10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
|
| Urban Forestry Tree Pruning Workshop
10 a.m. to noon
|
|
Urban Forestry Community Tree Planting
9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
|
|
|
Water Resources Education Center
|
|
|
| Join us for these exciting volunteer opportunities and save the date for the Water Center's first annual BioBlitz on March 23.
Learn more about the Bio Blitz
|
|
|
Beach Cleanup at Marine Park
10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
|
|
Ivy Removal at Marine Park
9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
|
| Beach Cleanup at
Marine Park
9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
|
|
|
- Saturday, March 16 at 10:30 a.m.
- Thursday, Apr. 18 at 5:30 p.m.
|
- Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Mar. 23 at 2 p.m.
|
|
|
|
Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
|
415 W. 6th St. | Vancouver, WA 98660 US
|
|
|
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
|
| |
|
|