Last Saturday morning, the Gresham Library welcomed not only Gresham area residents and their little ones, but two turtles, a mass of red-legged frog eggs, and an ensatina salamander to their Community Room for a presentation on the wonderful wildlife found in and around Johnson Creek in Gresham. Photographer Carol “Caz” Zyvatkauskas and Dr. Katie Holzer, Watershed Scientist with the City of Gresham showed photos – nearly all of which were taken within a mile of the library, and many in Caz’s backyard.
As a family-friendly event, kids were encouraged to get their wiggles out and curiosity met by getting up during the presentation to check out not only the live animal area, but also a table with a collection of skulls, nests, and eggs of various watershed fauna. With time before and after the presentation for up-close looks, though, the youngest attendees were mostly spellbound in their seats looking at photos of animals from coyotes to Oregon Slender Salamanders, videos of beavers playing and lampreys building redds, smelling beaver castoreum, and more. A highlight was a look at the “Ghost Weasel of Gresham”, thought to be a mink with leucism.
The presentation played out largely as a dialogue between attendees and the presenters, with questions encouraged and stories told throughout. This was the third event of its’ kind – stay tuned!
