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News Release

Walker Point Meadow Project Buzzing With Native Pollinators Thanks To Unique Work Partnership (Photo) - 12/02/25

Veneta, Ore.--An energetic work party consisting of volunteers and staff from the Oregon Hunters Association – Emerald Valley Chapter, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Oregon Department of Forestry gathered at the Walker Point meadow habitat project site to remove invasive vegetation, including foxglove and thistle, earlier this year. 

 

“This is the second year for the meadow, and our summertime pollinator monitoring found the restored meadow was buzzing with native pollinators including five bumble bee species, as well as numerous butterfly and other various bee and insect species,” said Randy Smith, ODF State Forests Wildlife Biologist.

It takes a lot of work to keep the native pollinator plants thriving at the meadow.

 

“All the partners came together for the day to remove the invasive plant species to reduce competition with the native pollinator plants that we seeded the previous year,” said Smith.  “We removed everything by hand, eliminating the need to spray herbicides within the meadow,” said Smith.  

 

The four-acre Walker Meadows site is located about 13 miles west of Veneta and is at an elevation of 2,300 feet. It’s at the top of Walker Point, where there are also three communication towers and an ODF smoke detection camera. The 2020 wildfires prompted a timber sale to reduce fire risk and limit potential damage to infrastructure from falling trees from the 84-year-old timber stand on the point. At the same time ODFW was looking for suitable sites for an upland meadow. The two agencies worked together to prepare the site, with ODFW receiving grant funding to remove 4.3 acres of stumps and level the ground to make the area ready for replanting. Last year all the planting of native species was completed.

 

Now the project is seeing good results in its second year.

 

“The meadow is not just for pollinators but a wide ranges of wildlife,” said Smith. “Donated nest boxes installed the first year successfully fledged violet-green swallows, and ODFW Conservation Strategy Species including western bluebirds and purple martins this nesting season.”

It also provides good forage for larger mammals like deer and elk and an array of small ones too.

 

“The Oregon Hunter’s Association—Emerald Valley Chapter was looking for a volunteer project, and this project aligned with both our goals,” said Smith. “Four acres doesn’t sound like a big area until you start pulling those weeds.  They were key in providing enough people to get those invasive plants out.”

Recently after native plants finished flowering, ODFW mowed a large portion of the meadow to promote native plant development, improve forage quality for wildlife, and further reduce invasive plant competition.

 

“Our goal is to keep this going for years to provided unique habitat and long-term research on species of interest,” said Smith.  “A huge thank you to our partners for continuing work to maintain a unique habitat feature in the Coast Range.”

 

For more information on ODF’s efforts see the State Forests webpage under the heading of “Conservation and Restoration”  

For more information on ODFW, see their Wildlife Division website. 

For more on the Oregon Hunter’s Association—Emerald Valley Chapter, see their Facebook page. 

Attached Media Files: A group of volunteers pull out invasive foxglove from the Walker Point meadow habitat project site. The volunteers from the Oregon Hunters Association – Emerald Valley Chapter, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Oregon Department of Forestry worked to keep native pollinator plants thriving at the meadow., This group of snag trees that were intentionally left standing in the middle of the meadow project provides a place for nest boxes, a trail camera, and even the pollinator habitat sign for this special project. The snags provide critical habitat for a variety of species., The meadow was seeded with native plants, and they grew quickly the first year., The meadow was mowed this summer, the second year of the project, to promote native plant development, improve forage quality for wildlife, and further reduce invasive plant competition.,

Walker Point Meadow Project Buzzing With Native Pollinators Thanks To Unique Work Partnership (Photo) - 12/02/25

Veneta, Ore.--An energetic work party consisting of volunteers and staff from the Oregon Hunters Association – Emerald Valley Chapter, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Oregon Department of Forestry gathered at the Walker Point meadow habitat project site to remove invasive vegetation, including foxglove and thistle, earlier this year. 

 

“This is the second year for the meadow, and our summertime pollinator monitoring found the restored meadow was buzzing with native pollinators including five bumble bee species, as well as numerous butterfly and other various bee and insect species,” said Randy Smith, ODF State Forests Wildlife Biologist.

It takes a lot of work to keep the native pollinator plants thriving at the meadow.

 

“All the partners came together for the day to remove the invasive plant species to reduce competition with the native pollinator plants that we seeded the previous year,” said Smith.  “We removed everything by hand, eliminating the need to spray herbicides within the meadow,” said Smith.  

 

The four-acre Walker Meadows site is located about 13 miles west of Veneta and is at an elevation of 2,300 feet. It’s at the top of Walker Point, where there are also three communication towers and an ODF smoke detection camera. The 2020 wildfires prompted a timber sale to reduce fire risk and limit potential damage to infrastructure from falling trees from the 84-year-old timber stand on the point. At the same time ODFW was looking for suitable sites for an upland meadow. The two agencies worked together to prepare the site, with ODFW receiving grant funding to remove 4.3 acres of stumps and level the ground to make the area ready for replanting. Last year all the planting of native species was completed.

 

Now the project is seeing good results in its second year.

 

“The meadow is not just for pollinators but a wide ranges of wildlife,” said Smith. “Donated nest boxes installed the first year successfully fledged violet-green swallows, and ODFW Conservation Strategy Species including western bluebirds and purple martins this nesting season.”

It also provides good forage for larger mammals like deer and elk and an array of small ones too.

 

“The Oregon Hunter’s Association—Emerald Valley Chapter was looking for a volunteer project, and this project aligned with both our goals,” said Smith. “Four acres doesn’t sound like a big area until you start pulling those weeds.  They were key in providing enough people to get those invasive plants out.”

Recently after native plants finished flowering, ODFW mowed a large portion of the meadow to promote native plant development, improve forage quality for wildlife, and further reduce invasive plant competition.

 

“Our goal is to keep this going for years to provided unique habitat and long-term research on species of interest,” said Smith.  “A huge thank you to our partners for continuing work to maintain a unique habitat feature in the Coast Range.”

 

For more information on ODF’s efforts see the State Forests webpage under the heading of “Conservation and Restoration”  

For more information on ODFW, see their Wildlife Division website. 

For more on the Oregon Hunter’s Association—Emerald Valley Chapter, see their Facebook page. 

Attached Media Files: A group of volunteers pull out invasive foxglove from the Walker Point meadow habitat project site. The volunteers from the Oregon Hunters Association – Emerald Valley Chapter, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Oregon Department of Forestry worked to keep native pollinator plants thriving at the meadow., This group of snag trees that were intentionally left standing in the middle of the meadow project provides a place for nest boxes, a trail camera, and even the pollinator habitat sign for this special project. The snags provide critical habitat for a variety of species., The meadow was seeded with native plants, and they grew quickly the first year., The meadow was mowed this summer, the second year of the project, to promote native plant development, improve forage quality for wildlife, and further reduce invasive plant competition.,