The Creation of Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge: An Interview With Mike Houck

January 28, 2026

by John Sparks In 1959, the City of Portland acquired most of what is now Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. In the ensuing three decades, the City floated various plans to develop the bottomland, while environmental organizations, including the Audubon Society of Portland (now the Bird Alliance of Oregon), The Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, and …

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View across Wapato Marsh, Oaks Bottom

2025 – Year in Review

December 31, 2025

by Rosalind Jackson With the year drawing to a close, we’re taking a look back at the work our organization, as well as our larger community, has been doing in service of Oaks Bottom. Join us, as we reflect on some of the highs and lows of the last year. In 2025 we held six …

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A Tiny Beetle, A Big Threat: How the Emerald Ash Borer Will Transform Oaks Bottom

November 15, 2025

In September 2025, an invasive beetle no bigger than a sunflower seed was discovered at the David Douglas Aquatic Center in Northeast Portland. For those who love Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, this news marks the beginning of a profound transformation. The emerald ash borer (EAB) has arrived in Portland, and with it comes the near-certain …

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Harmful Algae Blooms at Oaks Bottom

January 7, 2026

by John Sparks In April 2025, Oregon Health Authority experts tested the waters of Wapato Marsh at Oaks Bottom and found a “concerning” level of microcystins at 191 μg/l (micrograms per liter). (Microcystins are toxins produced by cyanobacteria; the other major cyanotoxin is cylindrospermopsin.) Accordingly, in May, warning signs were posted on the trails at …

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Summer Nature Walk – July 2025

July 19, 2025

Friends of Oaks Bottom held its summer nature walk at the Bottom on Friday, July 11th. The refuge was a lush green oasis with swallows of several species diving and darting over the waters of Wapato Marsh snagging insects. Other summer residents included kingfishers, Canada geese, mallards, gadwalls, and wood ducks. We spotted a couple …

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What’s with the Water?

July 7, 2025

By Ezra Cohen A stark change has marked the transition from spring to summer in Oaks Bottom this year. The lake is drying up. Mud has crept outward from the edges of the basin, leaving dirtied, rivulets of water in its wake. Visitors to the refuge have noted this change, often worriedly, and theories abound: …

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A small, green and brown bird with a long skinny beak perches on a narrow branch.

The Tiny Architects Among the Trees: Anna’s Hummingbirds at Oaks Bottom

June 10, 2025

If you’ve ever walked the trails at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge and caught a glimpse of something tiny zipping past — a flash of green, a glint of rose — chances are you’ve crossed paths with one of the refuge’s smallest residents: the Anna’s hummingbird. These birds are not just eye-catching; they’re remarkable in every …

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Get Your Ducks in a Row: The Common Ducks of Oaks Bottom

May 18, 2025

Article and photos by John Sparks In recent years, 23 species of duck have been observed at Oaks Bottom, including two exotics (Muscovy duck and Mandarin duck). Some ducks, such as red-breasted merganser, cinnamon teal, greater scaup, and common goldeneye, pop up only occasionally. Others are seen with seasonal frequency; these include ring-necked duck, bufflehead, …

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FOOB Work Party: April 12th, 2025

April 15, 2025

Getting instructions – Photo: Andrew Cohen On April 12th, Friends of Oaks Bottom worked on mulching plants in Oaks Bottom’s South Meadow. These young native plants (Oregon grape, spiraea, serviceberry, etc.) need some protection in order to survive our dry summers. There were 18 volunteers, including a cohort of Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) members, as …

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The Frogs of Oaks Bottom

Leave a Comment / January 21, 2025

Article and photos by John Sparks Three species of frog, one of them a predatory interloper, call Oaks Bottom home. Two native frogs, the well-known Pacific chorus frog and the red-legged frog, seem to be increasing in numbers. The “interloper” is the American bullfrog, which – alas – is the amphibian you are most likely …

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2024 – Year in Review

Leave a Comment / December 30, 2024

As the end of the year approaches, we wanted to take stock of all the wonderful work that we’ve done together to take care of our beloved refuge. Here are the highlights. Jenna and Wayne (FOOB crew leaders) with Christian (Portland Parks) at a litter pickup in July Over the course of the year, we …

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