Basket Slough National Wildlife Refuge - May 2024
Basket Slough National Wildlife Refuge is a rare gem in the Willamette Valley, standing out amidst centuries of land use changes, the displacement of the Kalapuya tribes from their ancestral lands, alterations in their traditional burning practices, and the encroachment of conifers into the valley. Yet, just west of Salem, this wildlife refuge preserves a remarkable oak savannah habitat that's part of the Willamette Valley NWR complex. Here, a tapestry of life thrives, including several endangered species such as the Fender’s Blue Butterfly and Nelson’s Checker-mallow.
Hiking into this refuge, I was on a mission to find Tolmei’s Mariposa Lily, a species of Calochortus that had eluded me for years. Lucky for me, I came upon thousands of them; it was a Mariposa Lily paradise! As I continued on, I came across Lomatium nudicale and some of the largest Oregon White Oaks I’ve ever seen. Among them, I saw Kinkaid’s lupine for the first time, which is the host plant for the Fender’s Blue Butterfly. Since they weren’t in bloom, I’ll have to come back in a few weeks. What makes the Basket Slough NWR so special is that it hosts the largest population of the endangered Fender’s Blue Butterfly within its range.
Many of the species I saw today I’ve only read about in books, so it was really exciting to experience them in person. Moments like these remind me of the complex and interconnected tapestry of life that surrounds us and the importance of preserving these havens of biodiversity for future generations. It’s a truly remarkable site, I do recommend visiting if you haven’t been!
Calochortus tolmiei
Calochortus tolmiei
Calochortus tolmiei
Quercus garryana
Quercus garryana
Quercus garryana
Quercus garryana
Quercus garryana
Lupinus sulphureus (host plant to Fender’s Blue Butterfly)
Camassia leichtlinii
Castilleja attenuata
Castilleja attenuata
Myosotis discolor
Sidalcea nelsoniana
Sidalcea nelsoniana
Sidalcea nelsoniana
Sidalcea nelsoniana
Sidalcea nelsoniana
Lomatium nudicale
Ranuculus occidentalis
Plectritis congesta
Plectritis congesta
Linum sp.
Red winged blackbird
Great Blue Heron
Lupinus bicolor
