Just a few of us went on this field trip to Oregon Gulch, a secluded natural area of City-owned land in southwest Redding, but we enjoyed clear skies and views of the surrounding mountains. This natural area has an ephemeral stream, oak woodlands, chaparral and oak savanna habitats and, while it has been disturbed by man, it has largely healed and has a natural look. There are still some problems with OHVs, but thanks to the Bower Charitable Foundation, Shasta Environmental Alliance, and Redding Community Services, the area has been blocked off in part with barriers, and fencing of slopes.
Little was blooming, but we did find naked buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum), vinegar-weed (Trichostema lanceolatum), and Fitch’s spikeweed (Centromadia fitchii) still in bloom. The naked buckwheat was surprisingly thick in the Oregon Gulch floodplain. At Oregon Gulch, this buckwheat has white flowers, while in some areas of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, the flowers are yellow.
We walked the entire length of the 380-acre area and back, just enough to keep us in shape for the next field trip. ~David Ledger