Tour old-growth oaks and blooming camas at the 3-Creeks Natural Area this Saturday

The public is invited to a guided tour on Saturday, May 21, of the 3-Creeks Natural Area. The 89-acre area is in northern Clackamas County where the Mt. Scott, Phillips, and Deer creeks meet. The tour is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will be led by the all-volunteer stewardship group, the Tsunami Crew, which formed in 2001 to restore the area.

The tour is a prelude to Clackamas County’s open house on May 23 to discuss the Sunnybrook Boulevard extension, which would destroy many of the old-growth Oregon White Oaks there. Because the trees represent regionally significant habitat, Friends of Trees and a number of other groups, Clackamas residents, and businesses oppose the road extension.

All who are interested in the tour should meet at the picnic tables next to the Aquatic Park at 7300 SE Harmony Road in Clackamas. This is a great opportunity to see some of the largest old-growth Oregon White Oaks in the Northern Willamette Valley and the wetlands and streams that they protect. And the camas is in bloom!

Dress for the weather and a bit of soggy ground. Bring water and a snack. There’s no need to RSVP. Just show up and enjoy the day.

In 1999, the first of many tree plantings took place with community volunteers, and in 2000 Friends of Trees helped lead the plantings. The Tsunami Crew formed that year as a project of Friends of Trees in coordination with Water Environment Services, Friends of Kellogg & Mt. Scott Creek, and the North Clackamas Urban Watershed Council.

You can learn more about the 3-Creeks Natural Area and the road project at www.3-creeks.org.