Reed Canyon Blog

All of the water that flows out of taps here in Portland comes from the Bull Run watershed up on Mt. Hood, where a series of reservoirs capture and store the runoff from melting snow. To protect water quality, the watershed is ordinarily off-limits to the public, so few of us ever get to see the source of our drinking water. But on Saturday, September 13th the Portland Bureau of Water Works will be offering one of their rare tours. It's a great chance to see a protected, almost-pristine forest close to Portland. The tour costs $15 and advance registration is required. To register, call (503) 823-7407.
- posted by Niels @ 3:26 PM

Zac tells me that the tree with the sweet-smelling flowers on the north side of the canyon near the pipe is a glorybower (Clerodendrum sp.). I don't know if we've got a species ID yet. Some glorybowers are listed as invasive plants in places like Hawaii and Florida, but it doesn't seem to be a problem here.

Also, the solitary great blue heron at the east end of the canyon has found a companion. The two of them have been spotted roaming and fishing from the springs down to the land bridge. One heron seems to be pursuing the other one around, making this a great time to see herons in flight.
- posted by Niels @ 10:30 AM

New to the canyon? Curious about what's going on down there? As part of new student orientation, Zac Perry will be leading a tour of the canyon on Wednesday, August 27th. The one-hour walk will start at the fish ladder at 1:30 p.m. and highlight some of the restoration work taking place around the lake. The tour is really meant for incoming students and their parents, but other people can probably join in if there's room. Check with Zac to be sure (Zachariah.Perry@reed.edu).

At the same time Zac is hiking the canyon, I'll be introducing new students and parents to some of the larger and older trees in the landscaped areas of the Reed campus. The tree tour will start at 1:30 p.m. in the front doorway of Eliot Hall and wind around the buildings on the eastern end of the campus.

Having trouble deciding? Both tours repeat at the same times and places on Thursday August 28th.

Correction: The tours start at 11am on Thursday. My mistake.
- posted by Niels @ 5:02 PM

Check out this great picture of an American Bittern sitting in a Doug fir:

 

 

The photo was taken by Mac McKinlay '67 in the lower canyon in late July. Has anyone else seen this bird? It doesn't show up on any of our bird lists for the canyon.
- posted by Niels @ 3:27 PM

This tuesday, as the thunderstorms rolled in, I saw what looked like a seagull. As it flew closer, and began circling over the Anna Mann lawn, I could the see how much larger the wing span was and that the bird's colorations were that of an Osprey. What a treat! We have often seen this bird or one of the same species, flying around the theatre annex and the recycling center on 28th street.

- posted by kathleen @ 2:16 PM

If you're going by the Chemistry building this week, take a moment to climb the main stairwell and look out the big window at Reed's only castor aralia (Kalopanax pictus). The tree was given to Reed as a gift from Harvard's Arnold Arboretum in 1972. Biology professor Bert Brehm planted the tree on the edge of the canyon and it's now almost two stories high.





The great thing about the Chemistry stairwell is that it gives you an up-close view of the flowers when the tree blooms every August. The castor aralia is in the ginsing family (Araliaceae) and it has that group's distinctive way of blooming, with many small flowers grouped together in rounded, golf-ball-sized clusters. It also has the typical leaves with lobes and veins that spread out like a fan from a single point.


Quiz time! Can you think of the three other common plants in the Portland area that are members of the same family and have similar leaves and flowers? I've hidden the answers in the white space below and you can highlight the text with your mouse to see them. (Hints: One is an invasive pest here on campus, another is a thorny plant in the gorge, and the third is a common houseplant.)

Answers: English Ivy (Hedera helix), Devil's Club (Oplopanax horridum), and Schefflera (Schefflera sp.)
- posted by Niels @ 6:45 PM