Read the spring 2018 issue of Our Big Backyard

photo of kayaker paddling through ludiwigia-infested off-channel habitat downstream of Albany

Ludwigia has taken over many off-channel habitats downstream from Albany. The middle reach of the Willamette River has ideal conditions for ludwigia to thrive. Photo by Marci Krass

Learn more about invasive ludwigia and efforts to control it at Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area and other slow-moving river channels throughout Oregon.

Visit Canemah Bluff Nature Park this spring and see colorful wildflowers, including camas, white fawn lilies, brodiaea lilies and more.

Visit Canemah Bluff Nature Park this spring to see colorful wildflowers, including camas, white fawn lilies, brodiaea lilies and more.

photo of Masaaki Muroi at Blue Lake Regional Park dunk tank

Meet Masaaki Muroi, vice president of the Japanese Shokookai, which has held its annual picnic at Blue Lake Regional Park for six years.

rendering of Willamette Falls public yard and alcove

A rendering of the Willamette Falls public yard gathering space and restored alcove habitat.

Read an update on the Willamette Falls Legacy Project and plans for a public riverwalk to provide up-close views to long-hidden Willamette Falls.

photo of MetroPaint location on Swan Island

Go behind the scenes at MetroPaint, meet some of the people who work at the paint recycling production facility and the skills they've learned on the job.

April 9, 2018 3:54 p.m.



        Click this image to read the spring 2018 issue of Our Big Backyard in PDF format.

People love living here because of the greenery. But not all greenery is good.

That's the case with invasive ludwigia, an aquatic plant native to South America that threatens to choke backwaters, oxbow lakes and warmer river channels in Oregon. Ludwigia is the worst invasive aquatic plant in the state, said Glenn Miller, an invasive plants specialist at the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

Read the spring 2018 issue of Our Big Backyard, Metro's quarterly parks and nature magazine, to learn more about this game-changing plant and efforts to control it at places like Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area.

Find a copy of Our Big Backyard at a local public library branch, the Oregon Zoo, a Metro park, or at various community centers and senior centers. Or read individual stories online on Parks and Nature News or click the image on the right to read a PDF of the magazine.

Also in the spring 2018 magazine:

Learn about seven awful invasive weeds common in local backyards and tips for getting rid of them.
Get an update on the Willamette Falls Legacy Project, which aims to build a public riverwalk at Willamette Falls.
Meet Masaaki Muroi, vice president of the Japanese Shokookai group that has picnicked at Blue Lake Regional Park for six years.
Explore Canemah Bluff Nature Park with the latest field guide.
Go behind the scenes at MetroPaint, the facility that recycles paint and teaches important life skills.
Find fun nature classes, events and more.
Get out and explore nature with free parking at all Metro parks and boat ramps during 17 days in 2018.
And more!

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Read individual stories or view a PDF of the magazine on Parks and Nature News