Reading early descriptions of the Tualatin Valley, they are all focused on the valley’s potential in agriculture. This theme is similar throughout the Willamette Valley; settlers and farmers did not think about the valley in any other way but for its readiness for agriculture. Considering this all-consuming focus, the traditional native nature of the land … [Read more…]
This day, Friday I planned to have a number of individuals join me to visit two sites in around Salem. Lake Labish in the morning and Minto-Brown Park in the afternoon. It went just as these things always go, at least one cancellation, one conflict, several people early and some people late. But we hit … [Read more…]
The camas season seems done, very early this year, the flowers now turned to seeds already. I have seeds from the pods in my yard already collected and waiting a visit to some deserving field to caste them about. I will likely freeze them for a few weeks beforehand. So its good to begin the … [Read more…]
Wapato (Sagittaria latifolia) (mamptu-Kalapuyan) is on the rise in the Salem area. Three sites are known to host the plant, Lake Labish, Minto-Brown Island Park and a small patch at Wallace Marine Park. The Minto-Brown colony is very small, the wapato seems to be a smaller leaf variety. There is a different area of the … [Read more…]
It is noted that humans have had an extreme effect on the environment everywhere they have lived. These changes became much more radical some 12,000 years ago when agriculture was developed. In the Willamette Valley the tribes did not develop agriculture. They did instead participate in seasonal anthropogenic fires, and seasonal harvesting of foods, at … [Read more…]