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Bringing the forest back to the Amazon -The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, USA Page 1 of 2 - www.registerguard.com I ©The Register-Guard, Eugene,Oregon I Illsor November 23, 2003 Bringing the forest back to the Amazon By Jim Feehan The Register-Guard While 58,000-plus were getting ready to watch Saturday's Civil War football game at Autzen Stadium, about 30 volunteers instead gave their time to improve Amazon Creek. Shovels in hand and bundled in warm clothing, volunteers from Eugene's Stream Team and the Jefferson Westside Neighbors planted about 100 native tree and shrub species along the creek's north bank near the footbridge leading to the Lane County Fairgrounds Convention Center. "People want to have nature in the city," said Lorna Baldwin, Eugene Stream Team coordinator. � - - a j Blackberry bushes have crowded the " • stream banks edging out indigenous tree and shrub species. By planting ,,. L native vegetation, it's hoped that birds, salamanders, turtles and frogs will return to the creek, Baldwin said. • I �� The tree planting also provides a hands-on lesson in ecology, she said. "Thirty-percent of the water that Volunteers gather along falls in Eugene goes into Amazon Amazon Creek near the Lane Creek. It later goes to Fern Ridge, County Fairgrounds to plant Long Tom River and ultimately the native vegetation. Willamette River with its spring Photo: Collin Andrew/The Chinook salmon, which is listed as Register-Guard an endangered species," Baldwin said. The volunteers planted big leaf maple, Oregon ash, Oregon white oak, ponderosa pine and Douglas fir and willow trees, along with Douglas spirea, red flowering currant, dogwood and Pacific ninebark shrubs among other species. The species were carefully selected to enhance the region's tobvecosystem, said Lauri Mullen of the Eugene Stream Team. http://www.registerguard.com/cgi-bin/printStory.py?name=c 1.cr.treeplanting.1123&date=20... 11/24/03