It’s About Time – June

We noticed an unusual abundance of wood ducks in the eastside Delta Ponds back in April. By the end of May this abundance has resulted in the first clutch of wood duck babies seen in several years. One mother wood duck has 10 little ducklings scooting about! Hopefully, all will grow up to maturity by avoiding the predation the Canada geese goslings suffered recently.

The flush of flowering shrubs seems particularly profuse this spring. Early flowering had been delayed by a flood and a long winter dry spell followed by a record-setting snowfall. When the sun finally came out and, with plenty of moisture in the ground, every rhododendron is loaded with fat clusters. Ours are the prettiest they have been in years, thanks no doubt to diligent fertilizer applications this past year. Natives like wild cucumber, ninebark and cow parsnip seem more luxuriant this year, too.

Wildlife in the woods is as active as ever. Birds that nest in the mountain forests are migrating up the valleys and ridges. The song of the thrushes is one of my favorite sounds. In ponds frogs are leaving egg masses. The forest floor is alive with small critters, easy to find by turning over logs and rustling through the leaf litter. Millipedes are a good sign of summer beginning.

We must remember, however, that enjoying the benefits of nature demands that we continue fighting the enemies of environmental protection who have been appointed by the delusional sociopath we have as president.

David Wagner is a botanist who works in Eugene. He teaches moss classes, leads nature walks and makes nature calendars. He can be contacted through his website, fernzenmosses.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!