By Patrick Norton, CSP volunteer
The second annual Salmon Festival at Westmoreland Park was different than last year's, which was also the Grand Opening of the newly restored Westmoreland Park. This year it was was paired with the Tilikum Crossing Sunday Parkways event, which brought many more participants by over the course of the day. There was much less formal program, speeches etc, more enjoying the day and interesting activities. Many of the booths had particularly engaging displays and activities this year.
The second annual Salmon Festival at Westmoreland Park was different than last year's, which was also the Grand Opening of the newly restored Westmoreland Park. This year it was was paired with the Tilikum Crossing Sunday Parkways event, which brought many more participants by over the course of the day. There was much less formal program, speeches etc, more enjoying the day and interesting activities. Many of the booths had particularly engaging displays and activities this year.
Judy Bluehorse Skelton and Karl Lee at the opening of the event. Sept. 27 2015
The event was opened by PSU Indigenous Nations Studies Professor Judy Bluehorse Skelton, who welcomed the participants and provided a blessing. CSP member Karl Lee also spoke, thanking the various sponsors and participants.
Another shot of Judy Bluehorse Skelton and Karl Lee at the opening of the event. Sept. 27 2015
Since the event this year was paired with Sunday Parkways it occurred a moth earlier we were not joined by the Coho salmon that joined us last year; the fall Coho run is some weeks off still. The weather was much more pleasant than last year- no rain squalls and tent-lifting gusts to contend with! The native plantings in the restored riparian areas are maturing nicely and filling in. The native plant: weed ratio is pretty good too. Be sure to check our calendar page for work parties at Westmoreland Park to help keep it on track.
The First Nations contingent held a salmon bake and provided samples for the participants.
I spent most of the day at the CSP table so I didn't get to see many of the activities. Of those I did get to visit I particularly enjoyed the aquarium at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation booth. Filled with creek water, sediment and aquatic plants the aquarium features macroinvertebrates such as: signal crayfish, snails (at least two types), backswimmers (Notonectidae- look them up, they're cool), various other aquatic insects, and three Anodonta mussels. Also present were a three-spines stickleback and some variety of sucker (both fish).
Super-cool Xerces Society aquarium featuring native Anodonta mussels, aquatic insects, signal crayfish, three-spined stickleback (fish) and some variety of sucker (also a fish). Sept. 25, 2015
Seeing the live mussels was a real treat since normally they are virtually invisible in the creek. Most times if you see a native mussel it is merely the shell of a deceased individual that has been exposed by the current. During the annual mussel surveys we get to handle hundreds of live mussels but never see them filter-feeding and moving about in the sediment using their muscular foot; as soon as they are removed from the streambed they retract their foot and close their valves (shell-halves). In the Xerces display the mussels had recovered from the shock of having been removed from the creek and went about their business filter-feeding and finding the most suitable situation in their temporary home. Their oddly pale feet were extended against the glass of the tank and their incurrent (for inhalation) and excurrent (for exhalation) siphons were extended and working. After a short while the water in the tank became noticeably clearer as the fine suspended material was removed by the mussels.
Xerces staffers Celeste Mazzacano and Michele Blackburn with the super-cool aquarium featuring Crystal Springs Creek biota. 9/25/2015
Below is another good view of one of the native (Anodonta or floater) mussels with its siphons working. The frilly bit at the right-hand edge is the incurrent siphon, while the smaller protrusion immediately up-slope is the excurrent siphon. Water enters through the incurrent siphon and passes through the gills where oxygen, nutrients, and sediment are extracted. Deoxygenated water is expelled through the excurrent siphon. Mussel excrement is bound up in a form that settles and becomes a food source for other aquatic creatures, thus removing organic material and fine sediment from suspension. In the process a large amount of stream water is clarified.
A good view of one of the Anodonta mussels with its siphons extended. Photo: Xerces Soc. 9/25/2015
There were numerous other interesting booths at the event but I didn't have time to visit or take good photos of the others- my apologies to the other organizations. Here are a few organisations that attended:
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission which had a great display concerning the Pacific lamprey, one of several species of lamprey to be found in the watershed (see photo below).
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission which had a great display concerning the Pacific lamprey, one of several species of lamprey to be found in the watershed (see photo below).
An ammocoete (the filter-feeding larval stage) of the Pacific lamprey at the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission booth. Approx. 4 cm long.
The City of Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services had a booth featuring handmade rubber stamps of street trees and native wildlife (made by the myself) and another table featuring the ever-popular salmon hats.
The Bureau of Environmental Services art stamp table (BES employee Leah Wilson at left) in full swing. 9/27/2015
I also visited the OakQuest booth. OakQuest is, according to their Facebook page:
a project backed by 16 partners in the Portland metropolitan area, to build a comprehensive map of native Oregon white oak trees, for future conservation and restoration efforts. Using the fulcrum app, trained volunteers mark individual oak trees and stands in their neighborhoods.
I intend to download their smartphone app (I think this is the link for Android phones) and upload locations of Oregon white oak trees when I come across them.
I think the event was a success in terms of connecting the community at large with the community that is concerned with the return of the salmon and the restoration of an intact and functioning ecosystem in the watershed.
I hope to see you there next year!
a project backed by 16 partners in the Portland metropolitan area, to build a comprehensive map of native Oregon white oak trees, for future conservation and restoration efforts. Using the fulcrum app, trained volunteers mark individual oak trees and stands in their neighborhoods.
I intend to download their smartphone app (I think this is the link for Android phones) and upload locations of Oregon white oak trees when I come across them.
I think the event was a success in terms of connecting the community at large with the community that is concerned with the return of the salmon and the restoration of an intact and functioning ecosystem in the watershed.
I hope to see you there next year!
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