It’s About Time – April 2021

Our transition from rainy season through spring to summer is not a steady process. This past rainy season was never interrupted with winter in the Willamette Valley; snow and freezing were essentially absent on the valley floor. There were nights that got below freezing, but we never had temperatures below freezing for days on end, the kind of freeze that causes pipes to burst. Chilly has been the theme: beautiful sunny days but often with chilly winds and rainy weather that was plain chilly day and night. We had many cycles of bright and sunny alternating with gloomy and chilly.

With the passage of Equinox, sunny days have warmed the ground enough to initiate the wave of leafing out and flowering in woodlands and prairies. April and May are our prime lowland wildflower months. It is not until June that ridgetops in the foothills burst into maximum color mode. Between rocky outcrops, steep meadows, seepy ravines and shady north cliffs, ridge top flower diversity is fabulous. Ridgetop habitats also mean thin soil that dries out quickly; they pass peak flowering quickly. The high mountain meadows open more slowly but last longer, all through summer up to the Cascade crest.

Flower sniffing and butterfly watching tend to be considered something that only old timers do. Academic snobs look on natural history as somewhat borderline science. However, modern technology has enraptured the traditionalists. Contemporary digital photography has enriched nature appreciation in ways never imagined by those who started photography in darkrooms.

David Wagner is a botanist who has worked in Eugene for more than 40 years. He teaches moss classes, leads nature walks and publishes the Oregon Nature Calendar. For information about getting the 2021 Oregon Nature Calendar, contact him directly 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!