I rboretum: I relax q among te wildlife aekamas Community College's Ecology Arboretum serves not only as a com- t>le, relaxing area for students, but as en for a variety of animals. f the many animals to be seen at the return the most interesting is the nutria, beavers, nutria are members of the ^t family and are similar in appearance jtfor their round tails. utria are primarily vegetarians and were sjht to the United States 30 years ago sitheir pelts. Later, farmers learned that ¿rofit could be made from selling the hand the animals were released, [according to the Oregon State Game IBBssion, the Ecology Pond was too al for the nutria to adapt to, but Jerry mann said the nutria has adapted very to its new environment. "It's amazing the nutria has domesticated," said iamann. According to Herrmann the nutria been beneficial to the Ecology Pond a because it eats weeds and keeps the rways open. she Ecology Pond also serves as a home Idarge-mouth bass which were donated he project by the Oregon State Game ^mission. Chuck Scott of the Clackamas /limunity College Science Department e the initial contact for obtaining the ■ and Herrmann said that the bass will used for studying purposes. The bass keep the insect population down and : spring the fish will carry out their /ning cycles. Ither animals that have made their home the Ecology Pond are a large turtle ated by the OMSI Outdoor School, two krats which moved in, a raccoon that isionally visits to eat the crawfish that a planted, and deer which frequent the at night. ’he fowl population at the pond con- of 14 ducks, a teal, which is a small, flying duck, and a diversity of birds i as kildeers, barn swallows, tree swal- s, and flickers which use the bird feeding lities. During the summer Herrmann said different species of birds were seen at pond area. /isitors to the ecology pond and arbore- i near Smuckers can find an abundance flora and fauna to explore and observe. >ve right, Mike Dinges, an Ecology Cen- employe, poles a float raft out to the ter of the pond. Right, one of the lest creatures inhabiting the pond is this e nutria, an animal which resembles a ent/beaver cross. I I I I I I I I j I Photos by Born Chhay