There’s a story behind the bit of native habitat within the split rail fence in Wilshire Park. Once upon a time it was just a patch of struggling turf and, like turf everywhere, it was something of an ecological desert — no bees, no butterflies, no flowers, no berries, nothing for birds or anything else to eat.
Then, five years ago, a handful of neighbors began a conversation that ultimately led to the transformation of this patch of turf into the park’s “NatureSpace.” Thanks to the leadership of Eric Rosewall, Johnny Fain, and other supporters at Portland Parks & Recreation, the pro bono design collaboration from Jeff Farr of Lumo Landscape Design, and grants from local environmental programs, all the pieces necessary to achieve the vision fell into place.
On a beautiful fall day in 2018, 80 volunteers turned their green thumbs brown tucking 1,300 native plants into the park’s rich soil. Today, the Wilshire Park NatureSpace is a spot where youngsters can climb onto and jump from a basalt column or huge tree stump and others can sit quietly on a fallen log and witness the seasonal evolution of a small patch of native Portland.
Of course, in January and February there is not much drama to the casual eye other than lots of winter dormancy. Even so, there is plenty of color to be had by looking down at the tapestry of fallen leaves, under which one can imagine cocoons, chrysalides, and other arthropod life stages undergoing their miraculous transformations from larvae to adulthood. And even though they are leafy shrubs rather than conifers, the two red-barked madrone trees and the shrubby huckleberry are showing off their winter evergreen-ness. Meanwhile, at the tips of the vine maple and red currant branches, the tightly packaged buds of next spring’s leaves reveal the promise of things to come.
The next newsletter will have more to say about things to look for in the NatureSpace in March and April.
In college Peter Mogielnicki vacillated between careers in writing or medicine. He chose the safer route but since retirement has enjoyed writing short essays for his blog at Cereflections.com, reading, working on environmental and biodiversity issues, and birding and identifying insects (bugging??) with his grandchildren.