The Luckiamute Watershed Council will hold their monthly meeting on Thursday, October 13, beginning at 7:00 pm at Volunteer Hall in Monmouth.  Meetings are always open to the public and discussion topics include local watershed issues and actions. Volunteer Hall is located at 144 S. Warren St. in Monmouth.

For additional details, please email the LWC or call (503) 837-0237.

Thursday, April 14, 2011:  LWC Chair Kelly Gordon was recently featured in an article in the Polk County Itemizer-Observer newspaper.

Craig Coleman
SUVER -- Kelly Gordon guesses his preoccupation with land stewardship is inherent. When his father, George Gordon, relocated to Oregon from Northern Texas in 1947, he had passed on spreads in the Columbia Basin and Madras. "Dad had lived through the Dust Bowl and didn't want to be in dry country again," Kelly Gordon said. "Those places ... they felt too much like Texas."

George Gordon bought property -- from the U.S. Army, post-Camp Adair -- in the Suver area of southern Polk County. His grandfather, another Dust Bowl veteran, followed two years later and acquired a ranch nearby. Kelly Gordon said both installed subsurface drainage to prevent water stress on crops, limed and fertilized fields to keep them productive. His dad planted shrubs and trees up to the creek.

"He was always really worried about leaving things without vegetation on it," Gordon said. "He had seen his father's place blow away and that was sobering to him." Today, Gordon raises sheep on his grandfather's ranch and grows orchard grass and some organic crops on his father's property. Maintaining a balance between farming and nature is something he holds dear.
Click here to download the entire article.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011:  They’re out there.  Navigating the river, searching for fish, and exploring the banks, the North American River Otter is one of the most elusive residents of the Luckiamute Watershed.  On April 28th at 6:00 pm, Dr. Nicole Duplaix will use a global perspective to shed some light on our enigmatic otters during the April edition of the Luckiamute State Natural Area Lecture Series.

Thanks to a unique partnership between Oregon Parks and Recreation District and the Luckiamute Watershed Council, the Luckiamute State Natural Area Lecture Series provides a monthly opportunity to learn about the ecology and history of the LSNA and surrounding area.  “Otters of the world and the world of otters” marks the culmination of the 2011 LSNA Lecture Series.  From May-October, the Luckiamute Watershed Council will take to the field and offer a monthly series of hikes and tours around the Luckiamute State Natural Area.  The Lecture Series will resume in January, 2012.

Space is limited.  To reserve a seat, leave a message at (503) 837-0237. Light refreshments will be provided.

Lectures take place at the Luckiamute State Natural Area Headquarters, located at Luckiamute State Natural Area headquarters, 14707 Buena Vista Road, at the Benton-Polk border.

About Nicole Duplaix

Nicole Duplaix is the Coordinator of the Luckiamute Watershed Council. She received her master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Paris. She conducted her doctoral research on the giant otters in Suriname, the first time this species had been studied in the wild. She has studied otters for 35 years in the wild and in captivity and now focuses on otter conservation in Asia and South America. She is the founder and Chair of the IUCN Otter Specialist Group. She co-founded TRAFFIC and headed its Washington DC office — this organization monitors and documents the international trade in endangered and protected species, with 14 offices around the world.  She works as a contract photographer for the National Geographic Image Collection. Currently she resides in Oregon and teaches at Oregon State University in the Fisheries and Wildlife Department. Otters are still her passion.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011: The Luckiamute Watershed Council will hold their monthly meeting on Thursday, April 14th at Volunteer Hall in Monmouth.  Meetings are always open to the public and discussion topics include local watershed issues and actions. Volunteer Hall is located at 144 S. Warren St. in Monmouth.

The LWC Education and Outreach Committee will meet at 6pm on April 14th at Crush in Monmouth.

For additional details, please contact the LWC at info@luckiamutelwc.org or call (503) 837-0237.

Friday, March 18, 2011: Join the Luckiamute Watershed Council at Wings of Wonder This month the Luckiamute State Natural Area (LSNA) Lecture Series goes afield  as we journey to one of the warmest places in western Oregon.  Join us on March 31st at 6:00 pm at Wings of Wonder Butterfly Farm where we’ll tour a 2,400 square foot butterfly conservatory and propagation lab that’s maintained at a balmy 80 degrees.  Robert Heriford, lepidopterist and Wings of Wonder owner will talk about butterfly ecology and share his thoughts about the potential for enhanced Fender’s Blue habitat at the Luckiamute State Natural Area.

Due to space limitations, advance reservations are required.  To register, leave a message at (503) 837-0237.

Light refreshments will be provided.  Dress in layers. Wings of Wonder is located at 5978 Willamette Ferry Street in Buena Vista. For mapping purposes, use Independence as the city.

Thanks to a unique partnership between Oregon Parks and Recreation District and the Luckiamute Watershed Council, the Luckiamute State Natural Area Lecture Series provides a monthly opportunity to learn about the ecology and history of the LSNA and surrounding area.

To learn about Wings of Wonder, visit  http://www.wingsofwonder.us