When I joined up with ten or so fellow NWTA members at our first “Ride with an Ecologist” event at Powell Butte this past Wednesday, it wasn’t my first time at Southeast Portland’s enormous Nature Park. I’ve cleaned drains and brushed along its lower east-side trails at NWTA dig days, where the huge firs give you that classic PNW forest vibe we all know and love. I’ve taken my mountain bike and ridden the single track up through the forest, across the upper meadow, and back down again. And I’ve brought my family to check out the “mountain finder” that names the peaks visible 360 degrees around you. In short, I was already a fan of Powell Butte.
But on Wednesday? I became a true believer.
Part of this was due to the perfect weather: partly cloudy skies in the late afternoon opened up to let you feel the sun on your skin and then hid you beneath crisp cloud cover right when it started to get too hot. And man, that golden light! Anyway…
The real start of the show, besides the park itself, was NWTA’s guide for the evening, Portland Parks and Recreation’s Christian Haaning, who serves as a Natural Resource Ecologist for Powell Butte and nearby parks. Christians’ deep connection with the Butte quickly emerged: as we pedaled through the trail system, he pointed out native plants, explained ongoing restoration efforts, and interrupted himself on more than one occasion to announce a passing bird (lazuli bunting!).
Even though I’ve spent some time at Powell Butte before, Christian made an area I thought I “already knew” come to life in a whole new way. We learned about efforts to blur the edge between the meadow and the forest for climate and species resiliency. We learned that the hilltop meadow is actually a “novel ecosystem” leftover from the Butte’s early days as a dairy farm. And we learned that inside the Butte are reservoirs holding millions of gallons of water, taking a rest on its journey from Bull Run to our faucets.
With perfect weather, great leadership, and good camaraderie that always comes standard with NWTA events, there wasn’t much else we could ask for. NWTA offers up a hearty thank you to Christian and PP&R for hosting the event.
Missed this one? NWTA’s “Ride with an -ologist” series is just starting! Check out our events for Ride with a Forester at Tualatin Mountain Forest on 6/19 and Ride with a Wildlife Biologist at Chehalem Ridge on 6/24.
-Eric Oliver