Today has been the first chilly day we’ve had in the Portland area in quite some time. The air is brisk, the sky clear, and the leaves falling from Tryon Creek’s trees are every imaginable shade of yellow, orange, red, and brown. They litter the ground, swirl and twirl in the creek’s water as they make their slow journey to the Willamette River, and provide a mosaic underfoot that reminds one just how verdant, how living, the natural world is, even at the time of year when plants and animals prepare to sleep for the winter.
As leaves and other fall foliage biodegrade throughout the park, nutrients and habitat for insects, worms and other park critters is created. The forest is its own perfect recycling center and is both complex and simple in its form and function.
As the “season of giving” draws near, it is our sincere hope that everyone takes time from the rigors of modern life to take a walk in the nearest park or wild space. Witnessing the changing of the seasons before our very eyes; breathing in fresh, clean air; and experiencing the calming effect that one enjoys when communing with nature… these are timeless gifts that each one of us should give ourselves.
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