Join the Springwater Cycle Stroll and help raise money for watershed restoration and protection while enjoying the Springwater Corridor Trail along Johnson Creek!

During the month of September the JCWC is hosting the Springwater Cycle Stroll, a benefit event where participants gather per-mile pledges or flat donations for miles they travel on the Springwater Corridor Trail throughout the month. Participants of all ages ride their bikes, walk, run, jog, or skip along the Springwater Corridor Trail, logging their miles and collecting pledges from family and friends.

There will be some friendly competition along the way with prizes for most miles biked, most miles walked and most pledges raised. The donations raised through this event will support the Council's restoration, education and outreach programs.

Registration will open in mid-July. Updates will be available on our website and in e-bulletins.

We hope to see you out on the Trail in September!

You are invited to attend our Summer House Party, an evening full of music, food, friends and fun! We'll barbeque some summer classics and be entertained by various musicians during the open mic session. Stay tuned for more details, including date, location and ticket price.

JCWC's Greg Ciannella will be giving a tour of the Johnson Creek Watershed on Wednesday, July 8th. There are about 10 seats still available on the bus. Please contact Lori Sams at if you'd like to sign up. This event is free to attend and departs from the Reed College campus at 12pm with an expected return time of 3:30pm.

Join us for an afternoon in the park! JCWC will have information tables and kids activities set up at two parks in the watershed: Johnson Creek Park in SE Portland and Main City Park in Gresham. Event activities are from 11:30am-1:30pm. Pack a picnic and meet us at the park!

• Johnson Creek Park: SE 21st and Clatsop, Portland
• Main City Park: 219 S Main, Gresham

Join the Overland Park Coaltion for a creek clean up from Luther Street to 45th Avenue to improve the natural habitat for fish and wildlife. Meet at Mill Park (corner of Overland and Linwood). Sign-in is from 8-9am, clean-up is from 9am-1pm, with a Post Clean-up Party from 1-3pm.

For more information, call 503-788-7661 or at the Overland Park Coalition website.

The JCWC has a unique volunteer opportunity this summer. We are looking for someone who would like to develop an audio tour of Johnson Creek along the Springwater Trail that could be downloaded from our website. The volunteer would develop the speaking points and may assist with the recording. The project would need to be completed by August 18th. If you are interested in volunteering for this project, please contact Lori at .

The latest release by Matt Clark and Noah Jenkins, "The Three Wise Men of JCWC" debuted live at the Annual Meeting in May. If you missed the performance, but heard the stories, you can now hear the song for yourself online.

The song, so aptly titled, honors 3 retiring board members: Walt Mintkeski, Jeff Uebel and Gary Rydout. The Council is grateful for their countless contributions to the organization and the community. If you would like to make a donation in their honor, please contact our office at (503) 652-7477 or .

Instead of our regular "Weed of the Month" section, we will be presenting invasive plants commonly found in gardens, along with a native alternative to use instead. Happy gardening!

Hogweed Leaf

Invasive: Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)

Characteristics

Giant hogweed is a very large member of the parsley family, reaching as much as 4.5 m (15 ft) in height. First-year growth is a bushy rosette of deeply-incised, compound leaves, 30 cm to 1.5 m (1 to 5 ft) wide, with coarse, dense hairs on the underside. Plants flower in their second year or later, depending on how quickly root development occurs. The stalk may be up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter, and has coarse white hairs and red-purple blotches; white flowers are borne at the top of the stalk in flat-topped umbels up to 0.8 m (2.5 ft) across in late June and early July. Several plants in the parsley family look similar to giant hogweed, but are not nearly so "supersized."

Note: Sap from this plant reacts with sunlight to cause severe burns. If you suspect you have this plant, avoid contact with bare skin and eyes.

Spread

Giant hogweed spreads by seeds, which may be dispersed by wind, water or animals. Though not yet widespread locally, each hogweed plant may produce up to 20,000 seeds, which can remain viable in soil for many years. Native to Asia, it was introduced here as an ornamental, but naturalized readily and can be found in a variety of disturbed areas throughout North America.

Pacific Ninebark

Control

Small patches of giant hogweed can be dug up by hand; repeated cutting or mowing can also keep the plant controlled, as can appropriate herbicide application (for larger/established populations). Do not let giant hogweed go to seed. Be sure to cover all skin and wear eye protection when working on or around giant hogweed to avoid exposure to the juice/sap. The Oregon Department of Agriculture considers giant hogweed an "A-list" noxious weed, and would like information on its location. If you see giant hogweed, you can report it at 1-866-INVADER or online at http://oregoninvasiveshotline.org/.

Native Replacements

For a smaller but similar-looking native species, try cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum), which grows to just over 2 meters (up to 7 ft); note, however, that this species can cause a similar skin reaction. Pacific ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus) is a native shrub with pretty white flowers in umbels that does well in conditions similar to those occupied by giant hogweed.

For more information..

• Hogweed profile at dnr.wi.gov
• Hogweed profile at OSU
• Giant hogweed profile at oregon.gov
• Photo of ninebark at esveld.nl