12 de março de 2024

Last call for reptile and amphibian records from Columbia County!

We're about to submit our report on the reptiles and amphibians of Columbia County, so this is your last chance to upload observations and have them included in the report.

With just a few days left, we're especially looking for additional observations of Torrent Salamanders, Giant Salamanders, Long-toed Salamanders, all turtles, Western Skinks, and Rubber Boas (especially in the north and west regions of the county). And if you've seen a Ringneck Snake, Gopher Snake, Fence Lizard, Clouded Salamander, or Western Pond Turtle, we need to know right away!

Watch this video if you want to learn more about the project. But get those entries in fast, because we're going to finish up the whole thing this month.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwj4o4RJK9A

Posted on 12 de março de 2024, 06:10 PM by jonhakim jonhakim | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

27 de janeiro de 2023

Last chance to submit comments to save Liberty Hill

With few days left to submit, I've put together simplified instructions. I also keep gathering more photos and data of this incredible place, with a lot of help from other people who really care.

Here is a new version of the video, taking advantage of additional drone shots of the meadow and a ton more wildflowers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqWsFC9ZXGo

If you decide to submit a comment, here are some easy instructions:

How to submit a comment to US Army Corps of Engineers

(Email must be sent from your own email address)

Send email to: Tyler.J.Krug@usace.army.mil

Subject line of email must include: NWP-2022-530

Email text can be whatever you want, but must include your full name and address.

Some of the important details you can focus on are how unique the meadow and oak woodland is (biodiversity, geology, aesthetically, culturally, whatever you want), how impossible it is to "mitigate" a replacement, and that there is plenty of other basalt in the area to mine that doesn't require destroying something so unique. If you have any personal experiences, feelings, emotions, data, expertise, etc. that relate to the issue, that's always helpful to include.

I'll include more supplemental data below, but feel free to message me if you need more details.

More biodiversity facts on Liberty Hill

Plants
  • At least 288 plant species have been recorded on the Liberty Hill site, 86 of which aren't otherwise recorded in Columbia County.
  • The site represents the largest and most pristine camas meadow west of the Columbia River Gorge, and is considered by experts as one of the best examples of intact camas meadow and oak/ash mixed woodland in the Pacific Northwest. 
  • Botanist and rare plant expert Dr. Kenton L. Chambers of Oregon State University wrote an extensive letter in 2002 verifying the uniqueness of the Liberty Hill site. He praised the rare preservation of a native grassland and wildflower assemblage, and took time to describe several species on the site of particular conservation interest. Selected quotes:

- “My evaluation of the St. Helens scabland site is that it is particularly rich example of a close-to-pristine native wildflower plant community."

- "My summary evaluation is that the St. Helens site supports an unusually rich native herbaceous flora, of a type that persists in relatively few places in western Oregon. I note that similar sites have been given special attention by conservation agencies, public and private, as set-asides to preserve their biological and esthetic values."

  • Some notable rare plant species found at Liberty Hill Bluff include the Small-flowered Trillium, an imperiled type with fewer than 1000 remaining in Oregon, and the Nuttall's Larkspur, a beautiful plant critically imperiled in Oregon. Other residents of the meadow which are otherwise rarely seen in our region include Fringed Loosestrife, Alaskan Shooting-star, Nuttall's Quillwort, Texas Toadflax, Meadow Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Common Bluecup, Cut-leaved Microseris, Dwarf Miner’s Lettuce, Oblong Bluecurls, Few-flowered Clover, Bigflower Agoseris, and Spring Gold, among many others.
Invertebrates
  • Around 40 bee species have been found at Liberty Hill, including several vulnerable species such as Obscure Bumble Bee, Golden Northern Bumble Bee, and White-shouldered Bumble Bee. Numerous other insects may be present, but no other surveys have been done.
  • The Oregon Fairy Shrimp (Eubranchipus oregonus) has been found in two vernal pools on Liberty Hill. This 22-legged shrimp unique to the Pacific Northwest is known from fewer than 80 localities and is listed as Vulnerable.
Amphibians
  • There are 7 amphibian species recorded on site, five of which breed in the vernal ponds. They include the Northern Red-legged Frog, an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species.
Reptiles
  • There are 7 reptile species recorded on site, the most of any site in our region.
  • Western Skink and Gopher Snake are only known from 1-2 other locations in the county outside of Liberty Hill, and are extremely rare in northwest Oregon
Birds
  • At least 97 bird species have been recorded at Liberty Hill in limited surveys.
  • 10 Oregon Conservation Strategy Species have been observed at Liberty Hill, including Western Bluebird, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Little Willow Flycatcher, Chipping Sparrow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Purple Martin, Common Nighthawk, Mountain Quail, Pileated Woodpecker, and American Peregrine Falcon.
  • Liberty Hill is one of the best habitats in Columbia County for Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, and Western Bluebird, all of which are uncommon in the Willamette Valley region.
Mammals
  • A diverse range of mammals is found at Liberty Hill, including deer, elk, coyote, bobcat, raccoons, weasels, rabbits, 4 species of native squirrel, voles, moles, and bats.
  • The Western Gray Squirrel found on the site is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species and has state status Sensitive in the Willamette Valley. It has seen large declines due in part to loss of oak woodlands and human encroachment.
Fish

No fish are recorded at the site. However, much of the water coming off of the bluff drains into Dalton Lake, the outlet of which was recently rehabilitated by Bonneville Power Administration to provide feeding habitat for juvenile Chinook Salmon, a federally listed Threatened Species. Knife River also plans to pump wastewater into Milton Creek, which supports salmon runs. Both Lower Columbia Chinook and Lower Columbia Coho are Oregon Conservation Strategy Species.

I can send a document with additional biodiversity details, if you are interested.

The photos in this post were provided by Adam Schneider, who has more amazing pictures of Liberty Hill's wildflowers at the following link:

https://adamschneider.net/photos/2022-04-pt/?p=20220429-193121

Thank you for taking a look, and if you can, thank you so much for your help.

Posted on 27 de janeiro de 2023, 04:23 PM by jonhakim jonhakim | 4 comentários | Deixar um comentário

12 de janeiro de 2023

The fight to save Liberty Hill from being destroyed - public comment period extended to January 30

A crushed rock mining company has submitted a proposal to demolish Liberty Hill in St. Helens. Liberty Hill is the largest Camas meadow left in northwest Oregon, is more pristine than any other such habitat within forty miles, and is home to an array of plants and wildlife rarely seen in our area including wildflowers, wetland plants, invertebrates, and reptiles, as well as having historical significance to Native Americans and pioneers both.

I could write for pages regarding the ecological uniqueness of Liberty Hill. It has dozens of wildflowers and plants that are uncommon in our region, including Fringed Loosetrife, a unique flower that attracts pollinators with oil rather than nectar. No other Fringed Loosetrife are found within 50 miles of St. Helens. Two vernal ponds on the bluff support Oregon Fairy Shrimp, a species known from just a few dozen localities worldwide. Liberty Hill may soon be the last refuge in Columbia County for Western Skinks and Gopher Snakes, two Willamette Valley reptiles that have become extremely rare in northwest Oregon.

But better than writing all that, I decided to pour it all out in a video. Thanks to Lewis Reynolds, Larissa Huson, Matt D'Agrosa, Paul Parker, and Luke Green, there is some incredible video footage of a natural wonder like nothing you've ever seen in Oregon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U775JE2NiE8

To be clear, we don't oppose the company's desire to mine crushed rock. We just want them to use their already identified alternative site nearby, which could provide crushed rock for decades and would not require the destruction of a unique natural resource. Take the 2nd option, instead of the 1st option. That's all we ask.

The public comment period to respond to the gravel mining application ends on January 15th (nope, now extended to January 30th!). If you would like to submit a comment and need more information on how to do it or what to write about, please message us or go to the following link by Friends of Liberty Hill.

https://www.oregoncamas.com/pending-removal-mining-permit

Thank you for being involved in protecting one of our true natural and historical wonders.

Posted on 12 de janeiro de 2023, 04:00 PM by jonhakim jonhakim | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

06 de abril de 2022

Do you want to survey turtles with us?

We're looking for people who want to survey turtles for the Columbia County Reptiles and Amphibians project. The commitment would be to visit a potential turtle site 3 times this spring/summer for 30 minutes each visit and report what you find. Both land-based and boat-based survey sites are available.

Our first training is next Tuesday, April 12, at 2pm at Trojan Park. The link to sign up is below. If you can't make this training but are still interested, let me know and we can work something out.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/columbia-county-turtle-survey-training-tickets-314740456177

Posted on 06 de abril de 2022, 04:59 PM by jonhakim jonhakim | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

12 de julho de 2021

Columbia County Fair - see us there!

Brad's World Reptiles is going to have a booth at the Columbia County Fair this week from July 14-18th. The booth will display reptiles and amphibians from around the world along with educational material.

https://www.bradsworldreptiles.com/exhibits

Brad has graciously allowed for us to present our project next to the booth. We'll be there all week to share materials and discuss the project. Be sure to bring anyone you know who has an interest in reptiles and amphibians. It would be great to see you!

Posted on 12 de julho de 2021, 04:29 PM by jonhakim jonhakim | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

13 de maio de 2021

Turtles!

The weather is warming up and the turtles have been out in big numbers recently. We could use a LOT more turtle records from all across the county. If you know a farm pond, log pond, dike, lake or slough nearby, this is a great time to take a look and see if you can find a turtle to photograph (or message one of us here to come photograph it ourselves). Even some of our rivers may hold hidden turtle populations.

Good luck finding a turtle!

Posted on 13 de maio de 2021, 07:23 AM by jonhakim jonhakim | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

11 de abril de 2021

The Best Time of Year for Herping

We're starting to see the sun again and with it the reptiles are coming out of their winter slumber. As Spring progresses we enter the best time of year for herping when the full spectrum of amphibians and reptiles can be found, many times in the same area. This time of the year most of the herps are moving from their winter grounds to breeding grounds making them easier to come across. The next month or so is money for finding snakes on a bike path, salamanders under some bark on hike, and tadpoles or egg masses in ponds. Much like us Oregonians, the reptiles are desperate for a little sunshine and can be found soaking up the sun in open areas which makes herping easy. Keep an eye out on the ponds for any turtles basking on logs, we only have a handful of locales in the county where we've seen turtles so any sightings are valuable to the project. We will be providing an update soon on the project's progress with some exciting finds! Keep up the great work everyone!

Posted on 11 de abril de 2021, 06:18 AM by mattyd112 mattyd112 | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

23 de fevereiro de 2021

Comment to stop mining on Liberty Hill

The most unique ecosystem in Columbia County is slated to be destroyed for gravel mining. Liberty Hill supports an ecosystem (Willamette Valley camas meadow) that has been reduced to just 1% of its historic coverage. Here in NW Oregon all other large camas meadows have been destroyed - other than tiny plots here and there, Liberty Hill is the only camas meadow of significant size within at least 50km, and is one of the most pristine such meadows in northern Oregon with an incredible vernal wetlands system and unique plant, insect, and reptile life.

I wrote about the uniqueness of the ecosystem, and what can be done to try to preserve it, here:

https://wildcolumbia.org/2021/02/17/what-makes-liberty-hill-special/

Here are a few pictures of the site:

We would appreciate anyone who was willing to submit a public comment to the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Environmental Quality explaining why it is foolhardy to destroy the last remaining habitat of this type in the entire county.

More information about the hill is in this post, and instructions on how to submit a comment to USACE/DEQ are in the comments section:

https://wildcolumbia.org/2021/02/17/what-makes-liberty-hill-special/

Thank you for caring and for helping!

Posted on 23 de fevereiro de 2021, 05:19 AM by jonhakim jonhakim | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário

02 de dezembro de 2020

Columbia County Hiking and Wildlife Guide

Wild Columbia! https://wildcolumbia.org/

In conjunction with our reptile and amphibian project, we've launched a website to help people find hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities in Columbia County. The website includes a field guide to all animals in the county from birds to mammals to snails, as well as a map of hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing localities in the county, summaries and maps to every location, and a blog of our experiences.

Please take a look and give us your feedback!

The website is https://wildcolumbia.org/

Posted on 02 de dezembro de 2020, 03:48 PM by jonhakim jonhakim | 2 comentários | Deixar um comentário

06 de abril de 2020

Finding reptiles and amphibians at home

In these days of stay-at-home orders you can still make a big contribution to helping us get data in Columbia County. Many species of reptiles and amphibians are found right around the home if you know where to look. Here are a few little tricks for searching them out.

Objects around the home

The first place to look is underneath things. Not just anything - the best objects tend to be those that have been lying around undisturbed. Carefully lift up the object by the corner (so you don't crush whatever might be living there) and see what's underneath!

Amphibians need moisture, they tend to be found under logs, woodpiles, rocks, and other large objects that keep a nice seal so the soil below them has remained moist. I found this Oregon Ensatina under an old mat that sat in the shade next to a decorative log.


Julia and Kevin found several Long-toed Salamanders by flipping objects around the garden next to the house.


Reptiles on the other hand like warmth, so they tend to be found under boards, tins, and tarps that are exposed to a little bit of sunlight. This young Northern Alligator Lizard was under the tarp protecting some young seedlings.


And this fencing on the side of a horse field had lots of Northwestern Garter Snakes underneath.




Water sources

The next place to look is wherever there is water. The water source doesn't have to be big. This Northern Red-legged Frog was sitting next to a decorative pond.

Sometimes it's easiest to find frogs by tracking them down while they call at night. These Northern Pacific Treefrogs were calling from a flooded part of the yard after a rain.


The larger the water source, the more variety is possible. A canal next to my sister's field has American Bullfrogs and Western Painted Turtles. You often have to sneak up very slowly in order to spot the animals before they disappear under the water.




That same canal also produces Rough-skinned Newts, as little Kevin found out.


The woods

Those who are lucky enough to have wooded areas on their property have a variety more creatures to find. One of the best places to look is under logs. However, you must be very careful not to break off any bark or break apart any logs, as that destroys their habitat. Only those logs or pieces that can be moved carefully without damage and then placed right back in the same place should be touched.

This Oregon Ensatina was hiding in the loose wood of an old stump in the woods next to my sister's house.



And water bodies in the woods are great spots to look. The rocks under this tiny little stream often hold Dunn's Salamanders.


I hope that gives you a good idea of the possibilities right around your own home. Home data is vital to us as it helps us get a picture of the spread of herps across the whole country, not just on the hiking trails. Upload a picture of a frog or snake around your home and help us learn more about Columbia County's native animals.

Thanks for taking a look!

Posted on 06 de abril de 2020, 06:02 AM by jonhakim jonhakim | 0 comentários | Deixar um comentário