Willamette Valley

Thursday, January 18, 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm Presenter: Matt Palmquist Butterwort, bladderwort, and cobra lily all sound like something from science fiction, but they are all carnivorous plants that can be found in Oregon. Matt Palmquist, a park ranger at Silver Falls State Park, will introduce these and other plants, where they can be...

Saturday, February 24, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm Trip Leader: Sunia Yang The Pacific Northwest is one of the lichen hotspots of the world – more than ten percent of the world’s described lichen taxa can be found in our region. Join Sunia Yang to view and identify the lichens in Salem’s Bush Park. Dress...

Monday, February 26, 6:30 to 7:30 pm Dr. Tom Kaye, Executive Director of the Institute for Applied Ecology, will discuss the remarkable recovery of four endangered species and the perils they still face. His nonprofit organization has worked to restore populations of Bradshaw’s lomatium, Fender’s blue butterfly, golden paintbrush, and Nelson’s checkermallow in partnership with...

Thursday, March 21, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Virtual Program: Bigleaf Maple Sugaring The bigleaf maple syrup industry in Oregon is small but growing. Join Eliza Nelson, founder and director of the Oregon Maple Project, as she talks about the process of tapping bigleaf maple trees and then producing a delicious, local syrup for market....

Thursday, April 25, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Zoom Program: Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley and Reconstructing Willamette Valley Environments Presenter: Dr. David G. Lewis Dr. Lewis, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Indigenous Studies at Oregon State University and author of the acclaimed Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley, will discuss the Kalapuya tribal...

Sunday, April 28, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm Field Trip: Bush Park Leaders: Members of the Willamette Valley Chapter of NPSO Bush’s Pasture Park is home to more than fifty native wildflowers. Members of the Willamette Valley Chapter of NPSO will lead a walk to view and identify the native plants. The walk is part...

Saturday, May 18, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Join members of the Willamette Valley Chapter of the NPSO and the Greenbelt Land Trust to view the blooming wildflowers at the Kingston Prairie Preserve southeast of Stayton. The preserve is one of the best examples of native prairie remaining in the Central Willamette Valley. Bring water, snacks,...

Monday, July 15, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Field Trip: Parish Lake and Daly Lake Trip Leader: Matt Palmquist Matt Palmquist of the Willamette Valley Chapter of the NPSO will lead short hikes into Parish Lake and Daley Lake in the Willamette National Forest to view the wildflowers of the two lakes and their floating...

Monday, August 26, 7:30 am – 4 :00 pm Field Trip: Stahlman Point Trip Leader: John Savage John Savage of the Willamette Valley Chapter of NPSO will lead a 4-mile roundtrip hike to Stahlman Point to check out the trees, nibble on a variety of berries, and view whatever flowers remain in bloom. We will start early...