Stumptown U.S.A.

On Saturday my children and I set out to explore Tryon Creek State Natural Area.  We had the pleasure of getting a descriptive tour of the park with Ranger Christal who takes visitors on guided nature hikes. The theme of Saturday’s hike was “Stories About Stumps”, and true to the title, Ranger Christal walked us through Tryon Creek’s history with particular focus on the area’s trees.

We learned that the acreage around Tryon Creek was originally logged for its old growth Doug fir. The wood was used as charcoal to smelt pig iron for Oregon Iron Works. Cedar stumps are still visible today and have morphed into “nurse stumps”, miniature ecosystems that are created as the stump gradually breaks down and becomes a fertile host home to its own living community of plants, animals and insects.

I learned more interesting things about Tryon Creek’s trees, such as the fact that cedar is very long-lived due to a naturally occurring chemical that is fungi, insect and rot-resistant. This makes cedar ideal for building (now I know why cedar decks are so popular).  Douglas Fir, the Oregon State tree, is not nearly so fortunate. They rot quickly and stumps do not last long. All trees rot from the center of the tree (known as the heartwood) outward because the heartwood is dead once it is formed.

In response to a question, Ranger Christal told the group of us hikers that Tryon Creek has very little poison oak due to the lack of light (the trade off being plenty of shade in warm summer months).  Instead, she said, the plant most likely to cause a rash and irritation is the stinging nettle. It is common in the park, and although a run-in with stinging nettle isn’t pleasant, the rash is short-lived and can be treated naturally by rubbing the affected area with dock leaf, elderberry or the spores of ferns (all of which grow in the park).

We had occasion to discuss some non-plant species, too.  There was a gorgeous pileated woodpecker busily looking for insects in a tree near the path we were on.  We learned that steelhead and Coho salmon still inhabit Tryon Creek, although fishing is prohibited because their populations have declined.

As my children and I put on our hoods and rainboots in anticipation of the hike I was reminded to be grateful for this beautiful forest that has so many stories to tell. Our guided tour, sponsored by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and the Friends of Tryon Creek, was a wonderful way to spend a chilly Oregon morning.      

Dr. Seuss-style nurse stump

Shroom with a view

Pileated woodpecker

Pacific Northwest carpet