THE REGISTER-GUARD SPORTS THURSDAY,MAY 1,2003 <br /> * <br /> ; Saturday,May 3 Sunday,May 4 <br /> Nature walk:Tom Titus will lead a"Reptiles and Hiking:Jane Hackett of The Obsidians outdoor <br /> � '', Amphibians Walk"at Mt.Pisgah Arboretum. club will lead a six-mile hike to Threemile Lake. <br /> Meet at the visitor center off Seavey Loop Road Details and sign-up sheets are at the Eugene <br /> t� at 1 p.m.A$3 donations is requested. Family YMCA,2055 Patterson St. <br /> :, _'•�rz' ter:- -- <br /> 1111. <br /> I <br /> "Overlook"is a panoramic photograph entered in the wetlands photography exhibit by Len and Terry Stolfo. <br /> Celebrating , ) .40.44,01, <br /> Groups plan May celebration of Eugene's unique wetlands <br /> BY MIRE STAKLEERG % WETLAND WONDERS? <br /> The Register-Guard 'F. # V + 4 $ ' <br /> What do April showers cause to sprout V t fi- � • r TQM At first glance,they're just weeds and water. <br /> ha in May? What makes Eugene's wetlands worth the invest- <br /> up <br /> Why,National Wetlands Month,of ,. • meat of so much time,effort and money? i <br /> course. 4., "Y; „,� l • - • The project area includes much of the re- <br /> Until now,Wetlands Month has been largely -re ', maining Willamette Wet Prairie habitat,a spe • <br /> - <br /> ignored bywinter-wearyOregonians. - cial kind of wetlands that once dominated the <br /> + '' -+ Willamette Valley. <br /> • <br /> This year,however,a consortium of public F- :V V ' , + <br /> agencies and private nonprofit groups hopes to `I 4 y„A . = •Wetlandsniml p and <br /> basic They clew s for <br /> use National Wetlands Month to increase public g wF--n. controlplanr ,animals,pr humans.They cycle nu water, <br /> awareness and appreciationv flooding,produce oxygen, nutri- <br /> of the west Eugene ?F-.., --% ,�� encs,enhance air qualityand help stabilize the <br /> wetlands. s •tie e <br /> The call to"Celebrate Eugene's Unique Wet- - • • climate. <br /> lands"is being issued by the Willamette Re- ♦More than 350 species of plants,including i <br /> sources Education Network. "Follow me"is a digitally manipulated five with threatened or endangered status,live in <br /> Events on WREN's Wetlands Month calendar photograph created by Kevin McKewen. the wetlands. <br /> range from an exhibit of wetlands photographs • Eugene's wetlands are rich in wildlife. <br /> Creek drainages on both sides of West lith Ave.o interpretive hikes focusing on birds,bats,but- Some 200 species of birds—including waterfowl <br /> terflies,insects or wildflowers that live in the nue.The property was acquired over the past 10 and many Neotropical songbirds—reside there. <br /> wetlands.Also planned are a series of free years by a partnership that includes the city of So does the Fenders blue butterfly,an endan- <br /> Wednesday night nature talks and numerous Eugene,the U.S.Bureau of Land Management, gered species. <br /> tours for school the Nature Conservancy,the U.S.Army Corps of ♦The 2,500 acres protected in the west Eu- <br /> groups. Y, gene wetlands provide a vast amount of open <br /> The west Eugene wetlands include about space just four miles from downtown Eugene and <br /> 2,500 acres of land in the Amazon and Willow Please turn to WETLANDS,Page ES accessible via public transportation and bicycle. <br /> wi 1,1" ; :,y, ° 't. S;a, J <br /> lr'ir ' ‘ - <br /> Siti .,'',, \ <br /> 4 ' 'N � <br /> '�,r. l 9 I ,�td -,I•• <br /> l #f i <br /> m ..., t <br /> i' a,. J f � <br /> .4 <br /> , <br /> P (i <br /> ',44'..,1,,, ,,.\,,,,,-'1.,*, TI 1. <br /> ',c � r 1 t7 . s ate 6,E? :'' 1 <br /> , iy} 3�E ,147,411 1, ',......,,,,,:,,r;,- <br /> t� •., <br /> 4111411111\ <br /> a <br /> i <br /> "Reflections"is the title of a photograph by Jeff Leezer entered in the Willamette Resources Education Network show of wetlands photographs. <br />