Later, I researched it a bit more and found that the lecture series is a function of the Salem Parks department and saw a synopsis of the lectures that were coming up, including the fact that the next topic was "Little Brown Fishes of the Willamette Valley." As Tuesday night inched closer, I could not find anyone to go to the lecture with me. That's not super surprising because sometimes I like to do offbeat things, and I love nature and science more than the average person.
I was still determined to go, so when Tuesday night rolled around, I got home from work, grabbed my sunglasses and water bottle, put on shorts since it was a warm night, and headed over to the park via the streets of downtown a little before 7pm. As I walked, the sun was on its way down and made my favorite type of shadow - the long extended ones that warp the way things look.
When I got to the park, the splash pad was going and I heard the excited shouts of kids shrieking from the pleasure of the cold water. I took a shortcut across the big expansive grassy area to make it to the amphitheater quicker.
As I approached, I knew I was in the right place because I saw a small setup with a microphone and speaker, but otherwise I might have thought I got the time or place wrong. There was hardly anyone there, which I guess should not have surprised me, but I thought it was a unique experience that more people would want to take part in! I looked around at one point and counted 13 people in the crowd, including me. And, I think I was the youngest person by far. Almost everyone looked to be of the grandparent variety. But don't let the small size or the average age of the crowd fool you, it was still a cool event!
First John Yoder opened it up. He's part of Salem Environmental Education LLC, which I think cosponsors the event. Fun fact - he's also a DJ of a local radio station, KMUZ. He said that the lectures have been going on every Tuesday night since June! Wow! Somehow I never heard of it till now, too bad! He introduced the main speaker - Karen from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Karen was great. She started off by saying that fish are her passion, and that definitely came through during her lecture, which made it enjoyable to listen to. She explained that others of her colleagues study the "big" fish like trout and salmon, but she studies the smaller less popular fish. She calls these the "little brown fish." Karen said that there are 25 native species in the Willamette Valley, and launched into telling us fun facts about each fish, then passing a picture of the fish through the crowd. I learned about a fish that eat parasites that harm salmon, and about a fish that sparkles. I learned about a vilified fish (the northern pike minnow). I learned that we had an endangered species (Oregon Chub) that recovered its numbers and became the first de-listed fish in America. I heard about the lamprey (kinda looks like an eel but is not an eel) where the mates both build a nest (called a redd) together, then they both die after spawning. My favorite comment she made was when she asked us, "Have you ever known someone who was attractive but every time you see a picture of them you're like, 'ugggg!'? That's this fish!" She was talking about the three spine stickleback, which is apparently not very photogenic. Fun fact - hearing her talk about the three spine stickleback made me remember this book on tape from my childhood!
The lecture only went about half an hour, which was a good length of time in my opinion. It really was an enjoyable experience. I liked sitting outside in the setting sunlight next to the Willamette River, being with a other nature-minded people, learning about my home, and watching groups of people run by through the park. It also made me feel super Oregonian.
After it was over, she passed out a little fish card (though it was for the more popular fish) and then I had a pleasant, calm, short walk home through the city. I found it interesting that it got warmer and warmer as I entered the concrete jungle. It had been nice and almost too cool for shorts next to the river.
If you'd like to partake in the lecture series, there are still two more opportunities left. Next Tuesday (August 23rd) the topic will be the creeks in our area, and the last lecture (August 30th) will discuss park opportunities and ways to use our parks. Check it out!
No comments:
Post a Comment