Positive Vibes on Earth Day
Ancient history in the plateaus
With the advent of Earth Day, I thought I’d venture out to explore what Mother Nature has been up to. What I discovered was a view into ancient history at the CAMASSIA NATURAL PRESERVE near West Linn Oregon. This 27-acre preserve is named after the common camas lily (Camassia quamash) which fills the pastures with huge swaths of purple in April and early May. The preserve offers a rare view into the natural history of the Willamette Valley, quietly nestled atop a rocky plateau while awaiting your visit.
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY (TNC) purchased the preserve in 1962 and have been working to protect and restore this rare habitat. As a heads up, consider PRINTING OFF A GUIDE prior to your visit for use on the trail, however there’s a main signboard near the entrance as well. Part of the experience is encountering friendly volunteers as I did on the trail that offer helpful information.
The best time to experience this magical place is in the early morning. Follow along on the self-guided interpretive tour in a counter-clockwise fashion. The trail winds around in a circular fashion with stops along the way where it proudly displays its’ wonders. The main loop trail is 3000 feet long, an easy jaunt if you’re tracking your steps each day.
This mosaic of natural habitat supports a wide array of plant and animal life. Here are a few of the wonders I experienced during my visit -
GIANT-SIZE GRANATIC BOULDERS (called "glacial erratics") were swept into the area by the Bretz Floods, arrived from as far away as Canada about 12,000 to 19,000 years ago. The floods poured down the Columbia River Gorge and into the Willamette Valley then nestled themselves into the landscape establishing the “backbone” of the preserve.
The common camas or CAMASSIA QUAMASH showed off it’s splendor that day in a blaze of purple pastures. However the flower’s signature purple is a guise for it’s true underground secret! The flowers each contain a bulb that was a traditional food for Native Americans that evidently tastes similar to a sweet potato. History has it that the bulbs were offered by the Nez Perce to a nearly starved Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and the Corps of Discovery in 1805 after their September crossing of the Bitterroots.
Since it was a clear day, I was startled by surprise to see a view of MT HOOD as I rounded a curve along the trail. As the cars zipped by from the urban area below, it was amazing to see the snow covered beauty from afar.
A nice respite along the trail is at the OAK RESTORATION area. You can’t miss the oak trees that huddle together offering an ancient stillness to the air. Since the oak trees are a slower growing species they can easily be overtaken by the Douglas fir trees that grow prolifically in this area - shading out and eventually killing the oaks. It appears that the oak trees are flourishing with help from TNC.
The cheerful pompoms of the ROSY PLETRITIS provide big swaths of pink energy along the sunny areas of the trail. Whereas the delicate TRILLIUM and hearty OREGON GRAPE (Oregon’s state flower) were easier to spot in the more shaded areas of the tour.
Keep a lookout above, as you may capture a glimpse of large raptors in the sky. The OSPREY reside in a nest on the top of the cell tower which can be seen from the main trail. A pair of osprey have been known to inhabit the nest and return annually since 1997. I missed their show but will return again soon.
By the time I completed the walking tour I was filled with joy and positive vibes, compliments of Mother Nature. The Camassia Nature Preserve is a wonderful place to visit this time of year - I’d definitely recommend visiting during peak bloom season.
And by the way, there are volunteer opportunities if you’d like to get involved. Visit THE NATURE CONSERVANCY’S WEBSITE to learn more. And kindly remember to LEAVE NO TRACE - stay on the trails, don’t pick the flowers, leave Rover at home and don’t dig up any bulbs!
Wishing you positive earth vibes!
~ Linda
