Eugene Weekly : It’s About Time : 3.5.09

By David Wagner

March is a month of great anticipation. The winter rainy season isn’t over but the woodland wildflowers are starting to bloom. The peak flush of blossoms builds after the equinox. Bigleaf maple buds burst by month’s end.

A dry spell gives a headstart on gardening. Spread fresh mulch on the perennial beds. Onion starts don’t mind occasional frost, so plant them now. If you like arugula, sow seeds now. Plant peas. Then, pray for rain.

When a day dawns bright and clear, returning migrant song birds greet the warming of the morning with tweetles of territorial claims. The little frogs have started singing, too, only croaks at first but choruses of frigget coming soon. These, of course sing at night.

Stepping out on clear nights gives a chance to look south and talk to Orion. Every night he’s a bit further to the right. It won’t be long now, and he’ll be out of sight by bedtime. Gone all summer, he’ll return in the fall.

It is good to see herons return to the nests in the cottonwoods of east Delta Ponds. They haven’t used this rookery for several years. More fish in the ponds nearby? A cormorant seen gobbling down a big fish just lately gives positive evidence. The golden eyes are making love dances in the ponds. All the ducks and geese have paired. Soon there will be fluffy ducklings and goslings to coo over. Remember not to feed them bread, or their wings will become deformed from overnutrition.

David Wagner is a botanist who has worked in Eugene for more than 30 years. He teaches mosses and is president of the Eugene Natural History Society. He may be reached at fernzenmosses@me.com

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!