The only salamander that shares Columbia County’s namesake, the Columbia Torrent salamander, had never been officially recorded in the county and that just didn’t seem right. These “Torrents” were one of the first salamanders I ever searched for as their habitat niche is in the spray zones of the waterfalls I love. Years ago theContinue reading “The Elusive Columbia Torrent Salamander”
Category Archives: St. Helens area
What makes Liberty Hill special
Soon after my exciting first visit to Liberty Hill, Matt went to take a look. He reported back to me that he had found skinks there. Skinks weren’t known to exist in Columbia County! I had to see this for myself. The meadows of Liberty Hill were as beautiful as they had been at firstContinue reading “What makes Liberty Hill special”
Stepping foot on Liberty Hill
Some vistas capture you at first sight. Years ago I returned home to visit my parents after having spent time working abroad. They now lived in Yankton (I grew up in St. Helens proper), and my father mentioned that he had passed an interesting hill that might be worth a look. I had noticed theContinue reading “Stepping foot on Liberty Hill”
Fall walk at Nob Hill Nature Park
A couple weeks ago I took a stroll at the Nob Hill Nature Park. The trail was basically empty. It provided a quiet place of beauty in the middle of downtown St. Helens. Driving up to the Plymouth Street entrance, I noticed that the adjacent water treatment facility sported quite a few birds. At leastContinue reading “Fall walk at Nob Hill Nature Park”
Nostalgia at Dalton Lake
There isn’t a natural place with more childhood memories for me than the “bike trail” by Dalton Lake. It’s where my father and I used to go running twice a week when I was in elementary school, the spot we found my first rubber boa, the hill where my soccer team trained, the woods IContinue reading “Nostalgia at Dalton Lake”
