In This Issue
Edible Landscaping Workshop
Ecoroof Bike Tour
Rocktoberfest! Sept. 20
$2 Native Plants
State of the Watershed Event
Portland Parks Special Events




Connect with other
Southwest Watershed Stewards!

Find us on Facebook 

    

 

 

   







Invasive Plant Spotlight:

  

Butterfly Bush

 

 

 

Buddleja davidii

 

 

These deciduous flowering shrubs are native to China, Japan, and South America and have large clustered flower stalks that attract pollinators. Butterfly bush blooms 
in the summer, and can have blue, purple, pink, red, or white flowers.   

 

 

 

Butterfly bush can escape from gardens to establish on roadsides, forest edges, stream banks, and other disturbed natural areas. They out-compete native plants due to their aggressive spread through their wind-dispersed seeds. 

 

 
Removal methods for butterfly bush are easiest to complete on seedlings. Roots must be completely removed from the ground, and planting natives help prevent re-establishment.  Native alternatives to butterfly bush include flowering red current, ocean spray, and elderberry. 

 

 

For more information, visit the Butterfly Bush weed profile 

 

 

 

If you see this plant in your neighborhood, please contact WMSWCD or the Watershed Center for further assistance or referrals.



 









 

September 2012 News

 


Coyotes in SW Portland

 

No one wants to miss out on the last wild days of summer...and it appears our local coyotes are no exception.  Reports of daytime coyote interactions, and cat and even small dog predation have been coming in from multiple areas of SW Portland.  

 

Nuisance interaction is learned behavior.  Make sure everyone living near a coyote pack (i.e. everyone) knows how to deter coyotes:Coyote, Marshall Park (c) Mike Charles 

  • Never, EVER knowingly feed wildlife. 
  • Eliminate access to, and secure ALL coyote food sources including:
    • compost
    • fallen fruit
    • pet food  
    • small rodents 
    • garbage
    • house pets     
  • If a coyote approaches, deter it with LOUD noise, arm motion, etc.
  • Leash pets at all times.  Every pet preyed upon has been unleashed.
  • Convert outdoor cats to indoors -- it can be done!  Here are tips:

Audubon Society/Feral Cat Coalition's "Keep Cats Indoors" campaign 

  • Removing a coyote is rarely a good idea.  Disrupting the pack structure may trigger increased breeding among other pack members aside from the alpha breeding pair, or provide a new niche for a solitary individual.
  • Prevent access to your yard by installing 6' fence and motion lights.

   

Stay tuned for a coyote presentation to be scheduled later this fall! 

 


Natural Gardening Workshops Continue


  •  Get the skinny on blending edibles and ornamentals for a delicious, low-maintenance landscape
  • Discover salad-boosting herbs and flowers, fruit trees for small spaces, and native plants that hide "berried" treasures
  • Learn easy organic care methods and best varieties for blueberries, strawberries, tree fruits, grapes, kiwis, culinary herbs and more! 

Register at swni.org/watershed/gardening or call (503) 823-2862

 

 

SW Portland Watershed Outreach Summer-y

   

Watershed Resource Center summer interns Corinne Handelman and Laura Goodrich (left) accomplished some incredible stuff this summer as they raised watershed awareness throughout SW Portland!  The WRC was represented at 14 different events, where we talked with over 470 adults and 80 kids!  AND...we had a fabulous presence in the Multnomah Days parade (see below).  To see even more awesome photos from our events, and keep updated on future events, "like" our Facebook page!  

 



If you want to get more involved, you can help by volunteering at an event or taking action in your own backyard, where your efforts raise  awareness and inspire change in your community and beyond. Come have fun with other volunteers and make change!!
 
If you are interested in helping reach out to the the community about watershed-related issues at future events, email Jen!

  

 



Ecoroof Bike Tour
Wednesday, September 19th

6-8pm

Portland Building Ecoroof It's Bike Commute Challenge month! Together with Portland By Cycle and the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the Portland Ecoroof Program will be leading an Ecoroof Bike Tour on Wednesday, September 19th, from 6-8pm. 

 

The tour will start downtown and move through Portland State University, across the river to the Central Eastside, and will end in Southeast. We'll visit 6-8 ecoroof projects and the ride will be about 5 miles long. 

 

The ride is free and open to everyone, although riders should have some experience on Portland streets. To register (or if you have any questions), please send an email to [email protected].

 




TCWC Rockoctoberfest!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
5:30-7pm
Rock Bottom Brewery
206 SW Morrison

TCWC Rocktoberfest Flyer

  


  
Two Dollar Native Plant Sale   

FOTC_swordfern_trillium 
WRC community partner Tryon Creek Watershed Council is taking pre-orders for a $2 native plant sale with winter delivery. Time to take stock of your yard!

For more information on this amazing deal and to order your own plants, visit their website
Orders must be placed by October 1st.


 




State of the Watershed Event TCWC logo
Friends of Tryon Creek
Wednesday, October 3
6:30pm
 
Come to the Tryon Creek Nature Center to learn more about your watershed. The evening will be a gathering to share information and progress reports on the status of fish, water quality, habitat, and restoration projects in Tryon Creek.  Presenters will include US Fish and Wildlife, the Tryon Creek Watershed Council, and local landowners participating in the TCWC mentoring program.

This is a free event, find more information online at http://www.tryonfriends.org.

 



     
Portland Parks City Nature 
Special Events

NO IVY DAY!
Saturday, October 13  

Work parties 9:00am-12:00pm at various sites 

Celebration following 

 

One day each fall, hardy volunteers and English ivy detesters from around the region get together to remove this invasive species and celebrate its demise! Ivy removal work parties in Portland's natural areas will run 9:00 AM-noon, followed by a public celebration from 12:20-2:00 PM at Forest Park's Lower Macleay Park, 2960 NW Upshur. Enjoy lunch, listen to special speakers, and mingle with other community members. Registration and additional information at www.NoIvyLeague.com.

  

SPRP Canoe tripRoss Island Paddle & Planting

Saturday, October 20  

8:30am-12:30pm   

  

  

Join PP&R, Willamette Riverkeeper, and the Friends of Ross Island for a morning paddle to Ross Island. Once on the island, we'll plant native plants to help restore this unique natural area. Along the way, you'll also learn about the island's rich history. This is a great opportunity to see wildlife and a wonderful way to experience the city from a different point of view! Registration required at www.portlandparks.org (course #379175).  


 

Why "Riffles"?

 

A riffle is a section of creek where velocity and turbulence are higher, creating small waves on the surface.  Riffles often occur at an elevation change, where the stream suddenly slopes, or where the material at the bottom of the creek bed is coarser.

 

So why the name for this newsletter?  A riffle is free flowing, unencumbered  water, not stagnant.  Riffle habitat adds oxygen to the water, and often supports higher species diversity among macroinvertebrates and fish.  We'd like to see a few more Riffles around SW Portland!

 

  



 

EventsUpcoming Watershed Events & Grant Deadlines
 

 

Sept 1-15: Lower Willamette West OWEB grant applications accepted

Sept 5: Tualatin River Watershed Council meeting, 2550 SW Hillsboro Highway, 7pm

Sept 8: Friends of Terwilliger work party

Sept 8: Friends of Tryon Creek SP work party

Sept 8: Friends of Tryon Creek workshop: Landscaping for Conservation

Sept 10: Willamette Park Redevelopment Plan Open House, 4-8pm 

Sept 10: Tryon Creek Watershed Council meeting, Tryon Creek Nature Center, 6pm

Sept 15: Willamette Park work party

Sept 15: Friends of Tryon Creek SP work party

Sept 16: Shomrei Teva at Neveh Shalom work party

Sept 18: WMSWCD Annual Meeting & BBQ 

Sept 19: Ecoroof Bike Tour, 6-8pm, PSU to eastside 

Sept 20: Tryon Creek Rocktoberfest, Rock Bottom Brewery, 206 SW Morrison 

Sept 22: Woods Memorial Park work party

Sept 22: Friends of Tryon Creek SP work party

Sept 22: Build it Green! Home Tour 

Sept 25-28: PSU Environmental Professional Program Course  

Sept 29: Friends of Marquam Nature Park work Party

Sept 29: Friends of Tryon Creek SP work party     

Sept 29: National Public Lands Day - events at Tryon Creek & other parks 

Sept 30: Tualatin River History Day 

 

Oct 1: Tryon Creek $2 Native Plant Sale order deadline 

Oct 3: Tryon Creek State of the Watershed Event

Oct 6: Friends of Tryon Creek SP work party

Oct 8: Tryon Creek Watershed Council meeting, Tryon Creek Nature Center, 6pm

Oct 10-11: PSU Environmental Professional Program Course

Oct 13: No Ivy Day 

Oct 13: Friends of Terwilliger work party

Oct 13: Friends of Tryon Creek SP work party

Oct 13: Tualatin River Rural Living Field Day 

Oct 16-18: PSU Environmental Professional Program Course   

Oct 20: South Portland Riverbank work party

Oct 20: Friends of Tryon Creek SP work party

Oct 21: Shomrei Teva at Neveh Shalom work party  

Oct 23-26: EcoDistricts Summit  

Oct 27: Woods Memorial Park work party 

Oct 27: Friends of Marquam Nature park work party

Oct 27: Friends of Tryon Creek SP work party

 

Nov 10: SWNI Fall Clean Up 

 

 

  

Other Watershed Items of Interest



 
 
Salmon: Running the Gauntlet PBS Nature special on Pacific salmon populations


 

  

Watershed Links
Bureau of Environmental Services watershed planning & projects
Metro natural gardening programs: schedule at your site with a group of 20+ people
Portland Parks & Recreation natural areas work parties
Watershed Resource Center Watershed Stewards group links, WRC hours
  

 

For healthy SW watersheds,
Jen
Jen Seamans
Watershed Resource Center Manager
Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc.
503-823-2862

[email protected]

http://wrc.swni.org 

WRC photo bar images (c) David Pickar