Submitted by: Carlotta Lucas
Category Archives: Wildlife in the Garden
Oregon Snakes
One of many nice qualities about living in Oregon, is its non-poisonous snakes, well all but one!
Western Rattlesnake – Photo By Gary Stolz, U.S. Fish & Wildlife/Wikimedia
Snakes are beneficial to gardeners, they eat mice, voles, rats, slugs, Japanese beetle grubs and other gardening pests. Only one snake species in Oregon can harm humans, and that is the venomous Western Rattlesnake.
The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) reported, “there are two sub-species of the Western Rattlesnake in Oregon, the Northern Pacific subspecies, found in southwestern Oregon, in the middle and southern Willamette Valley, as well as the Columbia Plateau. The Great Basin subspecies is found in Oregon’s south central areas and the southeastern region. ”
ODFW says Gopher Snakes (Pituophis catenifer) are often mistaken for Rattlesnakes, because Gopher Snakes shake their tail, hiss and strike out with their head, but Gopher Snakes are not venomous, nor do they have rattles on their tails. Other snakes in Oregon are also harmless to humans and they are beneficial to the environment, too.
Gopher snake – Photo by Julia Larson/Wikimedia
Oregon snakes:
- Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer)
- Western rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)
- California Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis zonata)
- Common Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula)
- Northwestern Garter snake (Thamnophis ordinoides)
- Pacific Coast Aquatic Garter snake (Thamnophis atratus)
- Common Garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
- Racer snake (Coluber constrictor)
- Western Terrestrial Garter snake (Thamnophis elegans)
- Ground snake (Sonora semiannulata)
- Striped whipsnake (Coluber taeniatus)
- Sharp-tailed snake (Contia tenuis)
- Ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus)
- Night snake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea)
- Rubber Boa (Charina bottae)
Rubber Boa – photo by USDA Forest Service
To learn more about Oregon’s snakes, click on the links below:
http://www.oregonlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2015/06/meet_the_snakes_of_oregon.html
Download Oregon’s Fish & Wildlife Brochure … Oregon_Living With Snakes pdf
By: Carlotta Lucas
Working for the Mother Earth!
Oregon Zoo releases 1,183 endangered butterflies into wild.
Butterfly Gardens
Monarch Butterfly
Robin McKenzie, Master Gardener and principal designer for Rockbird Gardens, gave an outstanding presentation on Monday at the Ashland Garden Club meeting. Robin specializes in creating sustainable backyard ecosystems for wildlife, and for people. Monday she talked about “Planning and Growing a Butterfly Garden”, her talking points were:
• Research the items you need to attract butterflies
• Find a sunny garden location. ( 6-8 hrs of sun)
• Create a garden plan for your yard: flowerbeds, raised beds, and/or containers
• Know the timeline needed to create a garden
• Prepare the soil for your plants, add amendments, make sure you have good drainage
• Install borders and hardscape before you plant (*see mud-puddle below)
• Decide your plant choices: purchase and/or grow your plants, then plant according to their specific directions, don’t crowd your plants!
Butterfly Puddle
*Butterflies need water, so make them a mud puddle!
Use a shallow dish such as a plastic or terracotta plant saucer in a sunny area of your garden that is protected from the wind. Fill the bottom of the pan with sand, gravel, and a few small stones, add water to the dampen sand.
Host plants:
Attract more butterflies by having plants for larval food in your yard, for instance:
Milkweed
Milkweed for Monarchs
Tarragon for Swallowtails
Angelica for Anise Swallowtails
Violas for Great Spangled Great Spangled Fritillary
Note: Be prepared for heavy munching on these host plants, these plants are caterpillar food!
See list of host plants here:
http://nababutterfly.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/southwestern-Oregon-butterfly-garden-guide.pdf
And here….http://extension.oregonstate.edu/4hwildlifestewards/pdfs/butterfly.pdf
How to become a Certified monarch Butterfly Station: www.monarchwatch.org
Lecture was by Robin McKenzie www.rockbirdgardens.com
Monarch Butterfly image by Simon Koopmann on Wikimedia Commons
Submitted by: Carlotta Lucas
Bee City: Ashland Food Bank
The Ashland Emergency Food Bank has Ashland’s first pollinator garden recognized by Bee City USA Ashland. It’s in bloom now at 560 Clover Lane. You can see it M-F, 9:00am-12:30, and get ideas for your own garden. Plant list is available.
Do you want to get your Ashland garden recognized? Visit the City’s website to learn more.
by: John Love
