With a tuft of evergreen basal leaves and seasonal flowering stalks, native perennial bunchgrasses provide a host of ecological services. Read Kristi's article about this iconic species, the critters that depend on it and the challenges bunchgrasses face.
If you ever peer into a half-rotted log you might be so lucky to find a slippery pair of eyes staring back at you. If you’re extremely lucky those eyes could belong to a Pacific giant salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus). Usually seen wriggling through woody debris or eating a mildly toxic banana slug, these marbled beauties are found throughout western Oregon.