Invasive Species in Oregon is the Subject of a Presentation on March 7 in Portland
OutdoorHub 02.15.12
Portland, OR— Oregon Wildlife (Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation) invites you to learn about two of Oregon’s most destructive invaders, feral swine and common carp, what is being done to control them and how they impact the state’s native species and landscapes. The presentation will be held on Wednesday March 7 at 6 p.m. at the Ecotrust Building in Portland’s Pearl District.
Rick Boatner, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Invasive Species coordinator, will discuss his work to eradicate feral swine. To date, the wild pigs have been reported in 17 counties in the state and their increasing population is estimated between 1,000 and 5,000. Enormously destructive, the pigs can tear up a hillside, field or stream bank overnight. Less obvious is the damage they inflict on native wildlife through depredation and disease.
Common carp, native to Eurasia, have had a profoundly negative impact on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon, especially on the waterfowl that once populated the lakes and wetlands of the refuge. Tim Bodeen, Refuge manager, and Linda Beck, Fish biologist, will talk about why waterfowl production is down 75 percent, why migratory bird use of the Refuge has fallen precipitously and what is being done to address the problem.
The presentation will be held at the Billy Frank Jr. Conference Center of the Ecotrust Building in Portland’s Pearl District, 721 NW Ninth Avenue, Portland. Admission is free, but registration is required. Register online at the Foundation’s website, www.owhf.org/discoveringwildlife.
For more information or questions, contact the Foundation at (503) 255-6059.
Other topics in the 2011-12 Discovering Wildlife Lecture Series include Pacific lamprey and burrowing owls.
