Sallyportal: Madly Blogging Reed

Tags


"canyon"


Tackle Climate Change—Go Birdwatching

Esther Forbyn ’16 has vision (and a keen eye for birds). Katie Pelletier

Bald eagles. Great Blue Herons. Mallard ducklings.

Anyone who has taken a study break to walk the forested Reed Canyon trails looking for birds and wildlife knows that connecting with the natural environment creates a sense of belonging and stewardship. Getting city-dwellers into green spaces and urban forests is an effective way to create a culture of conservation. But environmental studies–history major Esther Forbyn ’16 found that some Portlanders, especially traditionally marginalized groups like low-income residents and recent immigrants, can feel excluded from these spaces. Not only are these members of the community missing out on the benefits of communing with nature, the conversation about solutions to environmental problems is lacking important voices.

Coho caught spawning in Crystal Springs

Reed Canyon fish ladder Photos by Zac Perry

Coho spawning in Crystal Springs Creek, downstream from campus, were caught on video for the first time in decades, according to Zac Perry, Reed’s canyon restoration specialist. Although there have been sightings of native salmon and steelhead in the Reed canyon, the fish have not been spied in flagrante delicto until now.

This is a timely occurrence, as Portland is marking the completion of the Westmoreland Park Ecosystem Restoration project on Saturday. The project, which began in May 2012, is a joint effort to remove barriers to fish passage—and it is succeeding in leaps and bounds!

The restoration of Reed canyon is a reflection of the commitment and personnel that the college has made to protect and improve the functions of the last open waterway in the city of Portland, which is now seeing regular visits by both endangered and protected native species seeking refuge in our beautiful headwater forest.

Reed Canyon Featured on OPB Show

Reed students uproot implicit assumptions at Canyon Day. Photo by Eren Veziroglu ’16

OPB's popular series Oregon Field Guide focused on Reed's ongoing efforts to restore the canyon in its March 27, 2014 episode.

Crystal Springs Restoration” showcased the hard work and positive results that Reed has accomplished as the major steward of the purest water source in the Portland city limits. There is also a spotlight on the efforts downstream that make this ecosystem attractive to native salmon and brook lamprey, not to mention our resident otter! 

The show includes highlights of fall Canyon Day and interviews with Zac Perry, Reed's canyon restoration manager, who led the efforts that have made the once-neglected canyon a viable place for the support of wildlife and, moreover, a lure to bring salmon into an urban stream. “Hopefully this show will raise some understanding about the stream’s history, ecology, and the surrounding community,” he says.

Johnson Creek Art Show

GaryMichael.jpg

Gary Michael, Powell Butte, pastel

Reed is hosting a cool show of art inspired by Johnson Creek and its tributary, Crystal Springs, which issues forth from the Canyon.

Check out the art on display in Vollum Lounge until October 12, 2012.

100 Years of the Canyon

coyote.jpg

Ask anyone about Reed's campus and they are sure to mention the canyon. The 28-acre watershed--a critical part of the Crystal Springs Creek--is a beautiful sanctuary for observing wildlife, taking a walk, or simply gathering your thoughts. It's also, as one alumna put it, "very romantic."

Biology professor Keith Karoly agrees. "That's biology, too," he quipped during his presentation on science in the canyon, a lecture he gave June 8, as part of Centennial Reunions. The participation of the audience--alumni from the 1940s to the present--made it clear that the canyon is a central part of both Reed's and Reedies' identities.

A Reed Valentine

Our sister blog Voices from Reed reported on this delightful chalk graffito, which materialized on the Blue Bridge on Valentine's Day:

ovidlettersmall.JPGDear Ovid,
Apollo loves a certain Daphnia pulex,
but alas she reproduces
parthenogenetically
and is uninterested in
even the love of
some god.

Sincerely,
Aphrodite