For the second straight year, Friends of Oaks Bottom sponsored a booth at Sundae in the Park, an event that has embodied the spirit of the Sellwood neighborhood for decades. Throughout the day hundreds mingled under the welcome shade of the fir trees at the South end of Sellwood Park, where they could enjoy live music, a smattering of local booths, and the events’ namesake: slightly melted, yet delicious ice cream “Sundaes.” Most stopped by at the FOOB booth to learn more about the Oaks Bottom and the efforts to preserve it.
Because afternoon temperatures were forecasted in the high-nineties, the group decided to set up the booth early, with committee member, Andrew Cohen taking the lead on the heavy-lifting. Then, just prior to the official, noon-time start, John Sparks and Marianne Nelson, longtime committee members, arrived and put the finishing touches on the booth. The jazz music was already wafting off the main stage, and hundreds of neighbors emerged began to arrive.
The FOOB table had an appropriately “natural” feel to it. Spread across the middle were leaves and stems of various common native plants from Oaks Bottom, complete with placards naming each species. A large Sword Fern seemed benign enough; more ominous was the Poison Oak, though John, FOOB’s resident naturalist, was quick to inform people that it would cause no harm as long as one picked it up with finger tips alone. Off to the right, a smattering of photos taken in the wildlife refuge adorned a tri-fold. Mink, Bald Eagle, Nutria, and Osprey are all found readily year-round in Oaks Bottom, and each of them was recognized here.
But it was quickly apparent that the star of the display was the identification game created by Marianne. The goal was to match photos of common refuge birds and animals with their names. And as the afternoon wore on, an ever-present stream of children were all too eager to test their knowledge, lured by the promise of a sweet treat. Said Sparks, “We didn’t get rid of all the lollipops, but I wouldn’t say more than ⅔ of the lollipops disappeared.”
While the kids were entertained with the games, their parents and other adults chatted with committee members. Many were unfamiliar with the work Friends of Oaks Bottom does in the refuge and were excited by the possibility of engaging in trash cleanups, invasive species removals, and planting events throughout the year. Some dropped donations into the donation box, admiring the carved and painted Great-blue Heron model made by Reuben Cohen that stood next to it. And a few people purchased “Bottom Walker” sweatshirts, made by Friends of Oaks Bottom to support their work. “We got quite a bit of interest throughout the day,” John said.
Five different committee members worked at the booth throughout the day, as did Crew Leader, Wayne Howard, and all agreed that the event was a big success in terms of engaging and educating the community in meaningful ways. But the work, of course, isn’t done. John is already looking forward to next year’s event and planning accordingly. He has an idea for a game focused on the many invasive species found in Oaks Bottom. “Everyone knows blackberry and ivy,” the “stars of the invasives,” he explained. But most don’t know about the huge variety of other non-native species that live in the refuge. In the meantime, there will be plenty of opportunities for the community to get involved with the refuge and the ongoing efforts of FOOB, beginning with the next community clean-up on August 10th.
Ezra Cohen is the co-Founder of Friends of Oaks Bottom and a co-director of a forthcoming film about the Refuge. He is a passionate birder, a lover of the outdoors, and an all-around sports enthusiast. He is currently a sophomore at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, where he plays Ultimate Frisbee, writes for the MAC Weekly, and will be majoring in Geography and Writing.
