The weather turned out to be beautiful for the Oaks Bottom Trail Re-Opening ceremony back on March 9th – plus we had some surprise guests, ranging from Portland Mayor Charlie Hales to a red-tailed hawk! The speeches and ribbon-cutting ceremony were well-attended, as were the info tents staffed by volunteers. Represented at the event were Portland Parks & Recreation youth programs, Portland Trackers Earth, the Audubon Society of Portland, and native wildlife photo displays by Nelson Nature Photography, Mark Wykoff, and myself, featuring many dozens of photos taken in Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge.

I had a great time talking to people about native wildlife, how to better your chances of seeing them, and the sorts of interactions that take place between species in the refuge. People young and old were curious about our wild neighbors and it was a great way to show off the newly-refurbished trail.