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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2008)
* 'lackamas Print 1 Art ______________________ Wednesday, May 21, 2008 ulture 3 Naturalist recounts stories about invasive species Ceiridwen Terrill informs the audience using her recently published book “Unnatural Landscapes: Tracking Invasive Species”' Emily Walters Arts & Culture Editor Kayla Berge Clackamas Print i Terrill demonstrates ripping g ivy. Doing so prevents it ring out plants in yards. Invasive species of plants and animals are encroaching every day, destroying native inhabitants - and scientists aren’t the only ones who can stop the destruction. On Thursday, May 15, from 3 to 4 p.m., Dr. Ceiridwen Terrill regaled an audience of about 25 in Roger Rook Hall 220 with tales of her experiences involving invasive spe cies and advice on how to stop them. Terrill is a writer and naturalist, and cur rently is an assistant professor of English at Concordia University in Portland. Last year, she published a book called “Unnatural Landscapes: Tracking Invasive Species.” In the book she focuses on islands for a couple of reasons. “If it works on an island, it will likely on the mainland,” she said, explaining that because islands are more isolated, they make for easy testing grounds of what works to deplete habitats of invasive spe cies. The other motive she had for choosing islands was more for personal pleasure. “I love to kayak, so I kayaked to many of these places,” she said. Selecting one of her favorite passages from the book about the Owens pupfish in Nevada, Terrill launched into a reading. She relayed meeting one of her idols, Phil Pister, in person. A few decades before, Pister had been among a few men who saved the Owens pupfish from dying out. The technical writing was enjoyable and peppered with witticisms. Clearly, Terrill takes her own piece of advice — which she offered to the audience - in her writing: “Stay jolly and be informative at the same time.” At the end of the talk, she handed out a sheet outlining “Actions The Citizen Scientist Can Take!”: 1) In landscaping, prefer native plants over exotic ones. Support nurseries that specialize in native plants and get behind bans of nursery sales of invasive plants. Native plants attract birds and butterflies, and will lower the risk of birds ingesting exotic seeds and spreading them. 2) Buy birdseed for feeders that has been cracked or cooked so that it doesn’t germi nate and spread. 3) Remove the ivy from die-yard - rip, roll it up like carpet and bag. 4) Shake out camping gear so that any seed hitchhikers are not carried around, hose car tires and hiking boots and pick seeds out of the shoelaces. 5) Learn which plants are exotic species in the area and report any newfound inva sions. 6) Leash dogs in wild areas, because they can carry around seeds in their fur and between their toes. Also, they break down soil around stream banks, which invasive plants will thrive in. 7) Horse people who trail-ride should buy weed-free feed, being persistent with asking the local feed stores to keep some in stock. 8) Don’t own exotic pets, or at the very least don’t let them go to become invasive. Big problems come especially from released snakes, fish and aquatic plants. 9) Boaters should empty bilge water, hose the boat down with hot water and allow it to dry completely before entering a new waterway, preventing taking any snails, mussels or plant species into a new habitat. 10) Try being really gung-ho and using invasive plants in cooking and to make medicines. Find the useable parts and destroy the plant itself. 11) Volunteer at a local organization on a day when they are encouraging citizens to help to control invasive plants: look for the Nature Conservancy’s Weed Watchers Program. Terrill as a speaker was both informa tive and helpful in presenting just what the average Joe or Jane can do to stop invasive species from taking over unnatural environ ments. For further information on Terrill and invasive species, visit her Web site at http:// faculty.cu-portland.edu/cterrill/index.html. “Unnatural Landscapes: Tracking Invasive Species” can also be found at Powell’s Books. rince Caspian’ keeps the string j excellent fantasy movies alive 1 newest film from “The Chronicles of Narnia ” series high level of action that makes for great entertainment ri Walters ilture Editor avid reader and personal original “Namia” series by asist C.SL Lewis, it is not I applaud tire second film Ct“The Chronicles ofNarnia: aian” as being better than shocking is the fact that I > been firm in my belief that ■jd into movies never quite 1 written counterparts - yet contradicting myself. Growing up reading about Narnia and watching the terribly bad 1970s British Broadcast Company (BBC) film renditions of the stories, the plot of “Prince Caspian” was my least favorite. It lacked the vivid sparks of action that kept me completely captivated with the stoiylines in die other novels. Therefore, I support the genius who had enough insight to know that chang ing up tire original book would be the best course of action. The outcome is wonderful entertainment and — when coupled with spectacular computer animation and acting - may L just ’ give its money. The war scenes are among the major alterations, In hi the / book, there is only really battle that Lewis describes in depth. The others are merely men tioned as losses that deplete the morale and numbers of the face led by rightfill ruler Prince Caspian, along with the Pevensie quartet he calls back from England. An emotion the film captures extremely well is that very despair and dwindling hope. This can espe cially be said of the added battle at the Telmarine-built castle, in which the usurper and Caspian’s uncle, Miraz, J one Photo illustra tion by f Megan Koler Clackamas Print draws close to taking over the throne. The other variations from book to film are mainly minor tweaks in order of occurrence and do not mutate the central theme of patriotism The one bone I have to pick is that the characters of Prince Caspian and Susan Pevensie are somewhat violated by the ever-present, obvi ous sexual tension between them, which finally climaxes in a very public kiss. 1 didn’t actually have a problem with them making Prince Caspian older than Lewis had intended, because it made his character possess more depth and relateability than he would have had he been barely chin-hair-growing age. However, it opened the door for an out-of-place teenage romance. That is not what tire story is supposed to be about, and it took up moments in which more plot-building could have transpired. I must admit, though, Susan was somewhat saved, for me, by the display of truly badass archery skills - while clad in flattering armor, no less - and the fact that she and other female char acters were part of the fighting scenes. Also, Iamutterlythankfi.il for com puters, which made effects such as the walking trees possible, not to mention my favorite character from the book, Reepicheep the mouse, who is brought to life on screen when high-tech visu als blend with the fantastic voicing of Eddie IzzarcL Sorry, BBC, but your dwarf in a mouse costume is a miserable attempt in comparison. All in all, “Prince Caspian” is anoth er force to be reckoned with in a grow ing vault of usually great fantasy films. 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