Brown Bag Talks

  • Portland Urban Meadowscaping Pilot (PUMP)

    Date: 
    Friday, June 7, 2013
    Time: 
    12:15 to 1:00 pm
    Location: 
    Metro, Room 370 A/B, 600 NE Grand Ave, Portland, OR
    Speaker: 
    Mary Logalbo
    Affilitation: 
    West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District, Urban Conservationist

    Portland Urban Meadowscaping Pilot (PUMP) is a collaborative effort to develop lawn replacement recommendations to increase storm water infiltration and wildlife habitat in Portland's urban landscape. As homeowners become more aware of the environmental impacts of their landscape choices, naturescaping programs are receiving more requests for lawn replacement options. Although common, lawns provide little benefit to storm water infiltration, water quality, or wildlife habitat and require polluting inputs such as fertilizers and mowing. The goal of PUMP is to provide public education, technical support and assistance with the planning, planting and monitoring of meadowscapes on residential landscapes and in public parks to increase wildlife habitat and stormwater infiltration in the urban realm.

    About the Speaker: 
    Mary Logalbo has been working as a conservation planner with Soil & Water Conservation Districts in Oregon for the past seven years with an emphasis on native plant restoration, invasive species control and environmental education. Mary received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Plattsburgh State University (PSU) in northern New York. She had the opportunity to study abroad in Queensland, Australia and completed research projects on the Great Barrier Reef and tropical rainforests of Cairns. After graduating from PSU, Mary worked as the Executive Director of the Au Sable River Association (ASRA), a non-profit watershed organization. Mary also served as a Technical Research Specialist for the Northwest Service Academy’s AmeriCorps program and has worked on biodynamic organic farms. Mary currently works as the Urban Conservationist with the West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District and coordinates the District’s invasive species and urban habitat restoration programs. When Mary is not at work she can be found enjoying the great outdoors on her bike, skis, raft or gardening in her yard.

  • Integrating habitat components into trails crossing urban environments to assist dispersal

    Date: 
    Friday, July 12, 2013
    Time: 
    12:15 to 1:00 pm
    Location: 
    Metro, Room 370 A/B, 600 NE Grand Ave, Portland, OR
    Speaker: 
    (1) Elaine Stewart and (2) Robert Spurlock
    Affilitation: 
    (1) Metro, Natural Areas Program and (2) Metro, Park Planning and Development

    Urbanization may block dispersal of native wildlife and plants at a critical time when climate change may require many organisms to shift their ranges. The Washington-Multnomah-Clackamas county area urban development is becoming contiguous from the Coast Range to Cascade Range. The network of riparian corridors, parks and natural areas within the urban area is essential for many species to begin needed movements and range shifts. However, organisms requiring open habitat will not be served by wooded corridors and patches. For them, urbanization's east-west extent may be a barrier to northward range shifts. Improvements in open habitats such as power line corridors may increase permeability for open country wildlife. Metro and partners are taking this approach with the Westside Trail, which follows a north-south power line corridor for approximately 12 miles from the Tualatin River to the Willamette River near Sauvie Island.

    About the Speaker: 
    (1) ELAINE STEWART is a Senior Natural Resources Scientist with Metro. She serves as project leader for natural area restoration projects, managing and overseeing feasibility analyses, project scoping, development of project funding, project implementation and evaluation of project effectiveness. Her ecological restoration projects encompass nearly every ecosystem in the lower Willamette Valley. Areas of special interest include conducting applied research individually and in partnership with academia. Ms. Stewart completed her B.S. degrees at Oregon State University’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and she holds a M.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife from the University of Missouri. (2) ROBERT SPURLOCK is an Associate Regional Planner with Metro. He has more than 10 years of experience in urban planning and natural area land management. His project work includes regional trail master planning, active transportation system planning, site planning, right-of-way acquisition and public involvement. Prior to Metro, Robert worked in Managua, Nicaragua as an Afro-Caribbean music promoter, high school teacher and restorer of liberation theology-themed murals. He holds a B.A. in geography and urban studies from Macalester College, and has completed graduate coursework in urban and regional planning at Portland State University.