http://www.oregonmetro.gov/parks/cooper ... ature-park
**Camera nerd stuff**
1/50th of a second plus panning down gets stuff like this:
Cooper Mt. Flowers
Cooper Mt. Flowers
For those that live on the west side, this is a neat little spot:
http://www.oregonmetro.gov/parks/cooper ... ature-park
**Camera nerd stuff**
1/50th of a second plus panning down gets stuff like this:
Same idea, just going from 400mm to 200mm during that 1/50th of a second time period:
http://www.oregonmetro.gov/parks/cooper ... ature-park
**Camera nerd stuff**
1/50th of a second plus panning down gets stuff like this:
Same idea, just going from 400mm to 200mm during that 1/50th of a second time period:
Re: Cooper Mt. Flowers
Nice photos. Thanks for posting these! I liked the camera nerd pictures, despite not understanding the camera nerd info 
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adamschneider
- Posts: 3717
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:02 pm
- Location: SE Portland
- Contact:
Re: Cooper Mt. Flowers
Too bad most of the flowers in those pictures are weeds. 
(The larkspur's cool though.)
(The larkspur's cool though.)
Re: Cooper Mt. Flowers
Well they did set it on fire 2 years ago, and it looks much better now... 5 mins from where I live > 3 hours / 75 cars at every trailhead in the gorge.adamschneider wrote:Too bad most of the flowers in those pictures are weeds.
(The larkspur's cool though.)
Re: Cooper Mt. Flowers
Mark,
Thanks for the superb images from Cooper Mountain Nature Park! We've run into each other a couple of times at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. I pointed you towards those newts doing the dance in the water.
Your images from all these local areas are great. It's wonderful having these places nearby. Otherwise, as you pointed out, one can wrap up hours getting to one of the popular Gorge hikes. Anymore, many of those hikes fill their parking areas to capacity by mid-morning.
With the ongoing, upward trend of commercial and residential development, places like Cooper Mountain are little local treasures. At least it's some measure of setting aside a token space for nature. Even the "weeds" are a pleasure seeing after a grind in traffic commuting home.
I wish each and every piece of flora and fauna were native to the region, but most of the time, we have to accept that it's not a Garden of Eden, and understand every effort is being made to return these urban parks and preserves to a majority of endemic species. It takes time and effort restoring these areas to their natural state. Moreover, there are ample volunteer opportunities to get out and help remove some of the invasive plants.
Until then, it's great getting out there and enjoying all of it. Again, local hikes may not have the rock-star popularity of a Gorge or Mt. Hood hike, but I've been to Cooper Mountain many times and had the place to myself, almost. Conversely, Dog Mountain and many others have become an ant hill of hikers jockeying for position up, and down the trail on busy weekends.
Just yesterday I took some visitors from Germany up to Multnomah to hike one of the trails near there. The traffic was backed up both directions for what seemed miles. When I finally drove by the visitor center, there were two motorists out of their cars, shaking their fists and arguing over who was there first for the next parking spot. No thanks. I've never had parking or crowd issues at these nearby parks.
I was excited seeing the Larkspur for the first time this past week. From everything I researched online, these are considered quite rare. They are listed as endangered by Oregon, and "species of concern" by the Feds. Pretty cool seeing something so rare and realize the local staff are planning, and grooming the place for native species. It takes a little time.
The camera geek images were great, too!
Thanks for the superb images from Cooper Mountain Nature Park! We've run into each other a couple of times at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. I pointed you towards those newts doing the dance in the water.
Your images from all these local areas are great. It's wonderful having these places nearby. Otherwise, as you pointed out, one can wrap up hours getting to one of the popular Gorge hikes. Anymore, many of those hikes fill their parking areas to capacity by mid-morning.
With the ongoing, upward trend of commercial and residential development, places like Cooper Mountain are little local treasures. At least it's some measure of setting aside a token space for nature. Even the "weeds" are a pleasure seeing after a grind in traffic commuting home.
I wish each and every piece of flora and fauna were native to the region, but most of the time, we have to accept that it's not a Garden of Eden, and understand every effort is being made to return these urban parks and preserves to a majority of endemic species. It takes time and effort restoring these areas to their natural state. Moreover, there are ample volunteer opportunities to get out and help remove some of the invasive plants.
Until then, it's great getting out there and enjoying all of it. Again, local hikes may not have the rock-star popularity of a Gorge or Mt. Hood hike, but I've been to Cooper Mountain many times and had the place to myself, almost. Conversely, Dog Mountain and many others have become an ant hill of hikers jockeying for position up, and down the trail on busy weekends.
Just yesterday I took some visitors from Germany up to Multnomah to hike one of the trails near there. The traffic was backed up both directions for what seemed miles. When I finally drove by the visitor center, there were two motorists out of their cars, shaking their fists and arguing over who was there first for the next parking spot. No thanks. I've never had parking or crowd issues at these nearby parks.
I was excited seeing the Larkspur for the first time this past week. From everything I researched online, these are considered quite rare. They are listed as endangered by Oregon, and "species of concern" by the Feds. Pretty cool seeing something so rare and realize the local staff are planning, and grooming the place for native species. It takes a little time.
The camera geek images were great, too!
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gratefultrails
- Posts: 82
- Joined: October 21st, 2015, 8:08 am
- Location: Eugene
Re: Cooper Mt. Flowers
Great photos, I love the variety of ecosystems at Cooper Mountain. The main savanna was packed full of native blooms in April like monkeyflower, saxifrage, camas, and plectritis... interesting to watch it transition to the non-native bloom later in the season. Keep burning it! More fire=more flowers 
(https://gophervalleyjrnl.files.wordpres ... n-2006.pdf)
(https://gophervalleyjrnl.files.wordpres ... n-2006.pdf)
Re: Cooper Mt. Flowers
Adam,
Are you saying they are weeds because they are non-native / invasive??
Are you saying they are weeds because they are non-native / invasive??
Kelly
There is no shortcut to anyplace worth going to.
PM me about the soon to be released:
Skamania 231
"How to really get off the beaten path in Skamania County"
There is no shortcut to anyplace worth going to.
PM me about the soon to be released:
Skamania 231
"How to really get off the beaten path in Skamania County"
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adamschneider
- Posts: 3717
- Joined: May 28th, 2008, 10:02 pm
- Location: SE Portland
- Contact:
Re: Cooper Mt. Flowers
Yes. Bachelor's buttons and ox-eye daisy are definitely invasive and cause trouble for native ecosystems. Winter vetch is non-native, but it's used commonly as a cover crop and people don't seem to be too concerned about it.K.Wagner wrote:Adam,
Are you saying they are weeds because they are non-native / invasive??
Re: Cooper Mt. Flowers
By pure coincidence, I ran into Metro's Native Plant Materials Scientist, Marsha Holt-Kingsley, next to the savanna, today. Metro is the managing authority of Cooper Mountain Nature Park, and other sites. She and some of their naturalists / botanists were there today. I took the opportunity to ask about accurate I.D. on a few images I'd captured. Seems there's always some little treasure I discover but stumble with correct I.D.
Since we were standing next to that savanna with the profusion of bachelor buttons, I asked about Metro's management plans, specifically, removing bachelor buttons. It was one of those "by the way" opportunities with a credible source. I asked if Metro or other groups have plans to eradicate the non-native bachelor buttons, and, how much threat these specific weeds are to native plants like larkspur and checker mallow.
She said there's been much discussion about them [bachelor buttons]. It was decided, she said, that "treatment" (removal) would "cause more harm, than good." Moreover, she said, the bachelor buttons are not out-competing lark spur and other priority natives. She said there are other non-natives -- like the proliferation of vetch -- posing greater threat to native flora than the bachelor buttons do. To what degree, or measure the periodic burns play in their management plans, I forgot to ask. Burning must help, it seems. Next time I happen upon one of their staff, I'll ask about the burns. They were busy working, and I was facing a small elevation gain with no canopy in that blazing sun, so I kept my discussion brief.
It appears there are so many bachelor buttons across that field that they'd out-compete anything else. They are thick across that field to the extent it's about all I could see. No doubt they are colorful and pleasing to the eye, but I remind myself lots of aesthetically appealing flora aren't native and may pose a threat to the struggling native flora. Not the case, apparently, with the bachelor buttons.
That said, I understand how there is often a disparity between how something appears, and the reality or supporting science for agencies' management plans. I trust they are the experts, and managing in favor of native flora. If "treatment" indeed causes more harm than good, then leaving them be is apparently the best choice for now. Too, she and the others mentioned they have staff and volunteer efforts working towards non-native plant removal, but bachelor buttons aren't the priority for removal. The vetch and others pose greater threats, so they are probably allocating more resources towards other plant removals, first.
I'm sure she and others within Metro's staff would gladly answer anyone's specific questions, or address concerns regarding their plans. Answering questions and addressing concerns is part of their job. It was refreshing speaking with a public servant genuinely interested in their work. They were all sincerely enthusiastic about joe hiker (me) barging in on their work to discuss the local flora. Since we were standing in the epicenter of all that bloom, I was able to confirm I.D.'s on several plants and appreciate their assistance.
Since we were standing next to that savanna with the profusion of bachelor buttons, I asked about Metro's management plans, specifically, removing bachelor buttons. It was one of those "by the way" opportunities with a credible source. I asked if Metro or other groups have plans to eradicate the non-native bachelor buttons, and, how much threat these specific weeds are to native plants like larkspur and checker mallow.
She said there's been much discussion about them [bachelor buttons]. It was decided, she said, that "treatment" (removal) would "cause more harm, than good." Moreover, she said, the bachelor buttons are not out-competing lark spur and other priority natives. She said there are other non-natives -- like the proliferation of vetch -- posing greater threat to native flora than the bachelor buttons do. To what degree, or measure the periodic burns play in their management plans, I forgot to ask. Burning must help, it seems. Next time I happen upon one of their staff, I'll ask about the burns. They were busy working, and I was facing a small elevation gain with no canopy in that blazing sun, so I kept my discussion brief.
It appears there are so many bachelor buttons across that field that they'd out-compete anything else. They are thick across that field to the extent it's about all I could see. No doubt they are colorful and pleasing to the eye, but I remind myself lots of aesthetically appealing flora aren't native and may pose a threat to the struggling native flora. Not the case, apparently, with the bachelor buttons.
That said, I understand how there is often a disparity between how something appears, and the reality or supporting science for agencies' management plans. I trust they are the experts, and managing in favor of native flora. If "treatment" indeed causes more harm than good, then leaving them be is apparently the best choice for now. Too, she and the others mentioned they have staff and volunteer efforts working towards non-native plant removal, but bachelor buttons aren't the priority for removal. The vetch and others pose greater threats, so they are probably allocating more resources towards other plant removals, first.
I'm sure she and others within Metro's staff would gladly answer anyone's specific questions, or address concerns regarding their plans. Answering questions and addressing concerns is part of their job. It was refreshing speaking with a public servant genuinely interested in their work. They were all sincerely enthusiastic about joe hiker (me) barging in on their work to discuss the local flora. Since we were standing in the epicenter of all that bloom, I was able to confirm I.D.'s on several plants and appreciate their assistance.