Upcoming Events
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Wetland Wander:
Walk Leaders: David Eisler and Jason Gonzales
David Eisler and Jason Gonzales, along with their families, manage the forests at Shady Creek in Walton. With nearly 200 acres of land devoted to protecting old forests and nurturing wildlife habitat, Shady Creek has miles of roads and trails used for guided tours to visit decades of stream and forest restoration.
About the Walk:
Shady Creek is a privately owned forest dedicated to thoughtful and active restoration practices in Western Oregon. They’ve spent decades focused on enhancing their salmon-bearing streams, riparian areas, and hillsides, and they also operate a small working sawmill. Over the years, they’ve had the pleasure of welcoming students, community members, and policymakers to learn firsthand about forest conservation, salmon habitat, and carbon sequestration through guided hikes and tours of their forests. During this tour, you’ll have the opportunity to see and discuss in-stream restoration project areas, streamside restoration work, multiple forest ecosystems, and habitat enrichment projects. The tour will be two hours long on mostly flat paved and gravel roads. If you’d like to bring a picnic lunch for after the walk, Jason and David have invited us to stick around after the wander.
Wander Location:
Shady Creek Forest, 88631 Nelson Mountain Rd, Walton, OR 97490
Directions:
From West Eugene, take highway 126 W for 23 miles. Take a right on Nelson Mountain Road and follow that for about 2.5 miles.
Upcoming Events!
Teasel Removal at Turtle Swale
When: Friday, August 15 & Friday, August 22 from 9am – 2pm
Location: Checkermallow Access parking lot- Google Maps link
Join the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Willamette Resources and Education Network (WREN) this August to control invasive teasel and support prairie restoration at Turtle Swale, an important BLM site in the West Eugene Wetlands. This remnant prairie site is home to a rich diversity of native plants and pollinators and supports populations of several sensitive species, including the endangered Fender’s blue butterfly and its host plant, Kincaid’s lupine. IAE and the BLM are leading active restoration at Turtle Swale to reduce invasive species and promote native prairie diversity.
Our work will focus on cutting and removing seed heads of common teasel (Dipsacus fullonum), a highly invasive plant that forms dense stands and crowds out native species.
We will see you there!!
What to bring:
Lunch and plenty of water to drink, sunscreen, and your own clippers/gloves if preferred (IAE will also have tools available).
Registration:
Please RSVP by emailing Evan Lasley at evanlasley@appliedeco.org, indicating which date(s) you plan to attend. All volunteers (or their parent/guardian if under 18) must complete IAE’s volunteer release form. Questions? Contact Paul Reed at paulreed@appliedeco.org.
Family Exploration Day with Nurturely
When: Saturday, August 16 from 10am – 1pm
Location: Golden Gardens Park, 4898-4800 Jessen Dr, Eugene, OR 97402
It’s time for our next Family Exploration Day at Golden Gardens Park, this time in conjunction with Nurturely! We’ll have bug nets, binoculars, scavenger hunts, and guidebooks available for families to borrow as they explore the park’s natural wonders together. Stop by any time during the event—it’s a relaxed, come-and-go experience perfect for curious kids and grown-ups alike.
Questions? Please contact info@wewetlands.org.
We will see you there!!
August Volunteer Work Party
When: Saturday, August 23 from 8:30am – 12:00pm
Location: Alton Baker Park @ the North end of Knickerbocker Bike Bridge (search “Walama Restoration Project Site” in Google Maps)
Come join WREN and Walama Restoration Project as we work to restore a meadow area in Alton Baker Park by removing invasive plant species.
Instructions, tools, and refreshments provided! Bring water and wear clothes that you can get dirty. Long pants are recommended as some of the vegetation can be dry and pokey at this time of year. All ages welcome!
Contact casper@walamarestoration.org or nate@wewetlands.org to RSVP or if you have any questions. RSVP is not required, but is appreciated. See you there!
We will see you there!!
Magical Morning at the Hult Center
When: Saturday, August 30 from 10:30am
Location: Hult Center, 1 Eugene Center, Eugene, OR 97401
Find WREN tabling at the Hult Center’s End-of-Summer Celebration! At this free event, there will be community partner activities, hands-on games inspired by upcoming Hult family shows, and a live performance by Fooble the Dragon at 11am! Visit the Hult Center’s event page for more information.
We’ll see you there!
For questions, please contact:
Rachel Schneiderman, Programs Coordinator at the Willamette Resources and Educational Network (WREN) at info@wewetlands.org or call 541-338-7047.