An oak tree is not just a tree. It is a memory and a connector. Take the time to get to know an oak tree in your neighborhood. How long has this tree been here? What can I learn from this tree? What can I do to care for it? How can I make sure future generations are able to benefit from the shade and acorns it provides? How can I thank this tree and appreciate it?
This fall, the Oswego Lake Watershed Council (OLWC) has been hard at work connecting students of all ages with the natural world through hands-on learning and stewardship. From second graders discovering the magic of water to high school students restoring habitat for beavers, OLWC’s education programs are helping young people understand how healthy watersheds sustain thriving communities.
The urban world that humans create can have a range of disruptions to the surrounding natural systems. The removal of vegetation, construction of buildings, infrastructure, altered waterways, fragmented habitat, pollution, noise, and light. While we can find ways to mitigate the negative impacts and use more environmentally friendly approaches, the fact remains that our presence has an impact.
Prior to the conversion of land for farming and development, the Willamette Valley was a vast garden of oak prairies, stewarded by the indigenous nations, tended with cycles of fire and regrowth. The habitat held, and pockets still hold, a unique diversity of plant and animal species found nowhere else. Species coevolved in a landscape dominated by the keystone oaks. Without these trees a whole system of other species would fade away.
A playful project with a powerful message about the importance of soil health.
This spring, the Oswego Lake Watershed Council invited residents to take part in a hands-on experiment with a quirky name and a serious purpose: the Soil Your Undies Challenge.