On a recent hike along Pamilia Creek, I came across this clump of Indian Pipe growing under a dense stand of large Douglas fir. It caught my eye, because even though it’s a herbaceous plant, it looks more like a fungus. In fact, I always assumed Indian Pipe, like many fungi, lived off of the…
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Devil’s club or devil’s walking stick is a large shrub native to the cool moist conifer forests. It is found from Alaska to western Oregon and eastward to western Alberta and Montana. This native shrub always catches my eye in the late summer. Those clusters of showy red berries remind me of Christmas. I’ve…
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The strip of land beside your stream is a great place to plant trees. First of all, the 20 feet or so directly beside the stream probably isn’t practical to use for most other purposes. Second, the banks are too steep. Third, there will probably be seasonal flooding. Besides, a forested buffer zone along…
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If you’ve ever driven through the Santiam Canyon, you’ve probably seen Stout Creek. It runs pretty close to State Highway 22 for a couple of miles before it joins the North Santiam near Mehama. On the other hand, you might have missed it. It isn’t very big, the entire watershed is about eleven and a…
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