Audubon Adventures

I opted out of volunteering with the Friends of Trees neighborhood tree planting today, for a number of reasons: 1. The ground has been frozen solid for a week now, and I didn't want to kill my wrists. 2. It started raining this morning (after a week of being crystal clear and below freezing), and I just didn't want to go out. Instead, I accomplished some much-needed organizing in my apartment -- I can see my desk and my coffee table again!

I did go out this afternoon, because I was scheduled to attend the Audubon Society of Portland's volunteer orientation. They have a ton of cool volunteer opportunities, not just helping out with the birds, so I thought I'd check it out. I put my name on the list for "Sanctuary Restoration and Trail Maintenance" (they usually have a monthly work party) and the "Restoration Team" (which does restoration projects in surrounding areas, not just on the reserve), as well as the "Sanctuary Tour Guides," which involves taking groups of first- through eighth-graders through the sanctuary and teaching them about the natural history, native plants, birds, etc. I have two half-days of training for that one (it's really three, but the first is my last day at work, so I can't make it), and then I can start teaching our next generation of naturalists! :)

Another reason I'm excited to volunteer with Audubon is that it will "force" me to get outside and be in nature more. The only way I can really get there, in fact, is by a half-hour hike through Forest Park - how's that for a commute?! :) I took some pictures today, because it was so beautiful, though the trail got a bit dicey at times... remember that rain I mentioned? Well, it was no ordinary rain - it was freezing rain, a concept I'd never quite grasped before, but experienced first-hand today. Basically, the air was warm enough that the precipitation comes down as rain and not snow, but the ground was so cold that the rain freezes on impact. So, the rocks and gravel in the trail that would normally be great for traction... not so much. Next time I'm bringing my Yak Trax!

On the upside, there were some incredible icicles and other ice formations on the hillsides and in the creek. The rocks in the creek were coated in ice, and the little waterfalls cascaded down right next to some massive icicles that were created by the spray. I was almost late to the orientation because I kept stopping to look at them. :) The pictures don't do it justice, but you can at least get some idea of what it was like.