Selected Events of Interest
(for complete listings and details, see individual websites)
ENHS FIELD TRIP TO MALHEUR NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Thursday–Sunday, 30 May – 2 June, 2024
The Spring 2024 ENHS field trip will be to the Malheur Field Station, where we will enjoy world-class bird watching on the Refuge, at the field station, and at the Refuge headquarters. Side trips also are possible. Carpools can be arranged.
Accommodations at the Field Station: We will stay in dorm E, which has 10 bedrooms, some of which have two beds. The Field Station will provide three meals per day on Friday and Saturday (with pack-your-own bag lunches) and breakfast and bag lunch on Sunday.
Costs: Lodging (3 nights) plus 8 meals will cost $200 per person.
Cancellation Policy: Refunds may be made in case of emergencies. Otherwise, refunds are possible only if a person can be replaced by someone on the waiting list.
Details: This is not a guided trip. However, people who have been to the area have various favorite places. We will leave Eugene Thursday afternoon. Pack your own dinner or stop for it along the way (a deli in Bend is a popular spot). Friday and Saturday can include the Refuge headquarters, the central patrol road in the Refuge, and/or a loop around Steens Mountain with stops at Mann Lake, Mickey Hot Springs, Pike Creek, Fields, and other places in the Alvord Desert and Catlow Valley. Sunday will be a shorter day, with a possible stop at Fort Rock. Dogs are not allowed.
To participate: Make a check out to the Eugene Natural History Society and mail it to John Carter, 2080 Shields Ave, Eugene, OR 97405. Provide participant name(s), cell phone numbers, snail mail addresses, and e-mail addresses. Space is limited to 20 participants. Payment must be received before the name(s) can be added to the participant list. All payments must be received by 30 April. For more information, contact John Carter at 541-221-6237, jvernoncarter@comcast.net
- McKenzie River Trust https://mckenzieriver.org/events/#event-listings or 541-345-2799
Wednesdays, 9–11:30am. Watershed Wednesdays at Green Island. Projects include invasive species removal, habitat care, planting, and tree establishment. Sign up
Saturday, 13 Apr., 8am–4pm. Living River Exploration Day at Green Island.Free. Preregistration not required.
Wednesday, 17 Apr., 7:30–9pm. Upstream: An Evening with David James Duncan. Join author and river advocate Duncan and MRT. Jaqua Concert Hall, The Shedd Institute, Eugene. $15. Purchase tickets online or at the Shedd.
Saturday, 20 Apr., 8am–1pm. Siuslaw Estuary Earth Day Volunteer Cleanup. Dress for the weather and bring sturdy footwear that can handle muddy conditions. Sign up
Saturday, 20 Apr., 10am–noon. Earth Day Tree Care at Finn Rock Reach. Help mulch hundreds of trees planted as part of ongoing reforestation work in the area. Sign Up
Monday, 22 Apr., 8–10am. Earth Day Birding at Green Island. Guided bird walk. Register
Wednesday, 24 Apr., 5–8pm. Oakshire Inspires: Percentage of Sales to MRT. Beer, wine, and food trucks, with live Cajun music 6–8pm. Oakshire Brewing, Eugene. Learn More
Saturday, 27 Apr., 6:30pm. Writers on the Fly West Coast Tour. Readings, art sales, and raffle to benefit MRT. Caddis Fly Shop, Eugene. $20. Buy Tickets
- Native Plant Society of Oregon, Emerald Chapter https://emerald.npsoregon.org/
Friday–Monday, 26–29 Apr. 2024 City Nature Challenge. The City Nature Challenge is a community science bioblitz with the goal of observing and identifying as many species as possible in urban communities and surrounding areas. Upload the iNaturalist project here and make observations of plants, animals, or fungi when you are outside during this weekend. More info on the City Nature Challenge Facebook page.
Saturday & Sunday, 27 & 28 Apr., 9am–5pm each day. Glide Wildflower Show. Glide Community Center, Glide, OR. $5 entrance fee.
Anytime. Self-guided Tour of Laurelwood Bog. Go south on Agate St in Eugene to the dead end at 29th. The entrance to the Bog is clearly signed, and the trails are covered with bark.
- Mt. Pisgah Arboretum https://mountpisgaharboretum.com or 541-747-3817.
Sunday, 21 Apr., 9am–1pm. Earth Day Celebration. Wildflower walks, tree climbing, picnic lunch, and more. For more information and registration, see the website.
Sunday, 28 Apr., 10am–1pm. Birds, Bees, Butterflies, and Blooms Tour. Led by ecologists Peg Boulay and Bruce Newhouse. This event corresponds with the City Nature Challenge, so iNaturalist observations are encouraged! Rain or shine. $5; FREE for Arboretum members. Limited to 18 attendees. Preregistration required. Click here
Sunday, 19 May, 10am–5pm. 2024 Wildflower Festival. Attendance is limited. Tickets are required and will go on sale in early April. FREE for Arboretum members.
- Lane County Audubon Society www.laneaudubon.org or 541-485-BIRD; maeveanddick@q.com or 541-343-8664
Tuesday, 23 Apr., 7–8:30pm. Bird Friendly Pollination Garden. Presenters: Margi and Tim Griffith. How to landscape for wildlife in an urban environment. Campbell Community Center, 155 High St., Eugene.
Friday, 26 Apr., dusk. Vaux’s Swift Watch. Vaux’s Swifts use the Agate Hall Chimney on the UO campus at 17th Ave. and Agate Street to roost for the night during their stopover in the Willamette Valley. Check them out any time in April. LCAS staff will be on hand in the parking lot on this Friday with information about these amazing birds.
- Museum of Natural and Cultural History, University of Oregon https://mnch.uoregon.edu/museum-home
Ongoing exhibits: Oregon—Where Past Is Present; Explore Oregon; Underwater Forests—Oregon’s Kelp Ecosystems.
Sunday, 21 Apr., 10am–5pm. Ocean Adventures for the Whole Family. Hands-on activities and snacks provided. Bilingual.
Monday, 22 Apr., 10am–5pm. Earth Day Celebration. Walks and talks after noon. Cupcakes provided!
Thursday, 9 May, 5:30–7:30pm. Meet an Archeologist. Three staff archeologists will be discussing what they do.
Thursday, 16 May, 2–4pm. Paleontology at the MNCH. Meet students doing research projects in the lab and see the fossils they work with.
- Nearby Naturehttps://www.nearbynature.org/ or 541-687-9699, 622 Day Island Rd., Eugene (Alton Baker Park)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday mornings. Wonder Keepers. Preschool program outdoors in our Learnscape.Tuesdays and/or Fridays afternoons. Natural Neighbors. After-school program outdoors in our Learnscape.
See the website for programs and information.
Meeting location this month is 221 Allen Hall on the UO campus.
From the UO Physical Plant lot, cross Franklin Blvd. and walk toward Willamette Hall. At the south end of the courtyard, turn right and walk past the south side of Cascade and Pacific Halls. Allen Hall is west of Pacific Hall. Enter through the SW door, walk up a half-flight of stairs, go through the door, walk to the central corridor, and turn left to Allen 221.
Parking for UO events is available at the UO Physical Plant lot: From Franklin, turn north onto Onyx, go 1 block to the lot. After 6pm, it’s open to the public.