On any given morning, patient bird-watchers come to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge with tricked-out binoculars, hoping to see some of the urban wetland’s 100-plus species of migratory and resident birds, including bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and red-tailed hawks. Oaks Amusement Park’s Ferris wheel and roller coaster stand guard over the meadow. Packs of chatty moms jog by on the raised walkways, warranting glares from said bird-watchers for scaring off the wildlife with their footsteps and laughter (guilty). The 160-acre Sellwood refuge includes mammals, such as deer, raccoon, beaver, mink and otter, plus about 350 species of vascular plants.
“To have that diversity of wildlife in the heart of the city is pretty damn amazing,” says Mike Houck, director of Urban Greenspaces Institute.
Now, with some upcoming changes neighboring the refuge—a sky-high drop tower at Oaks Park and a planned apartment complex—neighbors and environmental activists like Houck are organizing to make sure the wetland stays protected.
As is, the refuge is teeming with life, which is especially impressive for a former landfill…