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Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Digging in! Tree planting
Below is a list of WHERE to pick up a FREE copy of the print edition of the News-Advertiser. Also available every week at: thechronicleonline. com and at thechiefnews.com CLATSKANIE • CLATSKANIE SAFEWAY • HI SCHOOL PHARMACY IN CLATSKANIE • CLATSKANIE MARKET SCAPPOOSE • ROAD RUNNER GAS & GROCERY • JACKPOT 76 • ENGSTROM CHEVRON • B&B MARKET • FRED MEYER • SMOKE SHOP • NELSON NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET • ACE • GROCERY OUTLET
Otto Petersen students engage in the tree planting at Veterans Park in Scappoose. See more photos with this story at thechronicelonline.com.
Kelli Nicholson / The Chronicle
Originally published in The Chronicle Vol. 140 March 16, 2021 KELLI NICHOLSON
chronicleclassifieds@countrymedia.net
Otto Petersen fourth graders, together with Scappoose Bay Watershed and Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, planted 100 native trees and 200 native shrubs at Veterans Park in Scappoose Monday, March 14. The students planted Pacific Ninebark, Snowberry and Cascara along the banks of Scappoose Creek. Once the trees and shrubs are fully grown, they will provide much needed shade to help keep the water temperature down to benefit the salmon, beavers and other wildlife that make this area home, according to organizers of the event.
ST. HELENS • CHUBB’S CHEVRON • SHERLOCK’S • YANKTON STORE • ZATTERBURG’S • MARKET FRESH • WALGREENS • BEST WESTERN • MOLLY’S MARKET • WALMART • ACE • DON’S RENTAL DEER ISLAND • DEER ISLAND STORE COLUMBIA CITY • COLUMBIA CITY GROCERY & GAS
Mason Ashlock and Gavin Klobes get their hands dirty planting shrubs along the bank of the Scappoose Creek.
Kelli Nicholson / The Chronicle
RAINIER • ALSTON STORE • DOLLAR GENERAL • GROCERY OUTLET
Spring Whale Watching: A ton of fun
Courtesy from the OPRD
People seeking a good view of the whale migration are encouraged to find safe locations along the shoreline.
Originally published in The Chief Vol. 130 March 18, 2021 JEREMY C. RUARK jruark@countrymedia.net
The spring whale migration is underway this month along the Oregon Coast. Some 25,000 gray whales will pass by the shores from late March to June on their way to cool Alaskan waters. Many will be accompanied by their calves, born during
the winter in the warm lagoons off the coast of Baja, Mexico. According to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s communication representative Chris Havel, people are fascinated by the large, wild animals for good reason. “People are clever and good at inventing and building ways to survive and thrive, and wildlife like whales do the same thing through sheer awesome power,” he said. “There’s
still some mystery about their lives and seeing them in action is a thrill. Seeing them in real life is also a reminder of how we affect all marine life and have a responsibility to eliminate pollution and be careful stewards of the planet’s resources.” Havel said people are naturally attracted to the whales’ beauty, mystery, and power. “But we also appreciate being reminded of our place in these natural systems,”
A gray whale rises out of the ocean along the Oregon Coast.
and it makes us all feel part of the family,” he said. Designated whale watching sites offer the best chances of spotting whales because of their locations, usually slightly elevated above the ocean and in areas where whales are more easily seen. Havel urges anyone seeking a good location to view to the migration, to do so cautiously. • Take care to stay well back of cliff edges. There
are fences in some places, and respect them, but not everywhere. Be your own best safety coach and be careful. After rain and wind storms, cliff edges are unstable and can give way without warning. • Check the weather and bring the right clothing to stay warm and dry. Trained volunteers will not be on site and the Spring Whale Week hosted by OPRD and volunteers is canceled for 2022.
Courtesy from the OPRD
Although the Whale Watch Center in Depoe Bay remains closed, OPRD is bringing back the popular whale watching livestream on the Oregon State Parks YouTube channel. The livestreams are scheduled daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 21-25. The Whale Watch Center will reopen to visitors in late spring 2022. Learn more about the whale migration at https:// stateparks.oregon.gov and following the links.