Winter Pond

07/27/2025

Thanks to volunteer Matt for removing a wheelbarrow full of invasive Armenian blackberry and to volunteer Cindy Hines for removing a wheelbarrow full of invasive Scotch broom plus some invasive English ivy, Foxglove, and Bull thistle yesterday at the work party. This is the first time that we found Bull thistle at Winter Pond.

On a positive note, a number of native flowers are in bloom, including Farewell to Spring, Western yarrow, and Willamette Valley gumweed.

06/21/2025

Today, we submitted our final report to The Xerces Society for the three habitat kits that we planted last fall at Friends of Gladstone Nature Park. Everything is looking good. Here are some photos that Cindy Hines took yesterday of the native plants in the Winter Pond planting area. Enjoy!

05/02/2025

Here's the official post for our silver certification through Backyard Habitat. We'd be happy to have you join us for weeding work parties on the last Saturday of the month from 9 to noon.

03/25/2025

Today, Winter Pond received silver certification through the Backyard Habitat Certification Program. It took 14 months of hard work by many volunteers to get it to this point.

Photo 1. Winter Pond before habitat restoration when it was choked by invasive English ivy and Armenian blackberry.

Photo 2. Winter Pond now after planting native species last fall. It's still holding water in March, which is a good sign. We planted 536 native plants of 65 different species in and around this area in addition to the existing native plants. As the warm weather arrives and over the course of the next few years, this area will turn green with native species instead of invasives.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this restoration possible!

02/25/2025

It's National Invasive Species Awareness Week, and good time of year to remove the invasives before they set seed. Lesser celandine is already blooming.

UPDATE: Emerald Ash Borer has recently been discovered in 3 more counties in Oregon. To prevent rapid spread of this pest, please do not move firewood more than 10 miles from where it was cut.