Canemah Bluff, formed by ancient lava flows and carved by the force of the Missoula floods, stands tall surrounded by the hustle and bustle of daily life in Oregon City. Now Metro’s efforts to preserve this unique stretch of nature take a major step forward with the purchase of two critical pieces of land. The $2.2 million investment triples the size of this protected natural area from 90 acres to some 271 acres. That’s 181 additional acres that will now be publicly owned, conserving more habitats and protecting water quality.

Hit the “play” button, and you’ll be transported to a few of the forests and trails, clearings and creeks protected by Metro’s voter-approved Natural Areas Program. A new film makes you a virtual tourist on a handful of the 11,000 acres that voters have protected over the course of 16 years and two bond measures.

Many high school students struggle to balance schoolwork, extracurricular activities and a part-time job. De La Salle North Catholic High School freshman Vishal Narayan is no exception. He spent his weekdays going from English to Phys Ed., from home to soccer practice and from school to work this academic year. The difference is where Vishal spent his Fridays and alternating Mondays, working as an intern in the Metro Council office from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Oregon Zoo caracal Peggy gave birth to three healthy kittens, two females and one male, on June 8. According to keepers, the first-time mother and her babies are doing well, with all three kittens nursing regularly and starting to move around their behind-the-scenes nesting box. Caracals are a cat species native to the woodlands and savannas of North Africa, Southwest Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. Watch a video of the kittens here!

In 2007 Oregon set a 2020 greenhouse gas reduction goal that is almost 30 percent below today's levels (10 percent below 1990 levels). The Oregon Global Warming Commission was appointed by the governor to recommend ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the state and also to help local governments and residents prepare for the effects of climate change. Last fall the OGWC unanimously adopted a roadmap of ideas and is now embarking on a “road trip” to get public input on the proposals.

The Clackamas County Board of County Commissioners is now scheduled to take action next week on the Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Project Steering Committee’s recommendation for the streetcar alternative to advance for further study. The county action follows affirmation of the steering committee recommendation by the cities of Lake Oswego and Portland and the Portland Streetcar Inc. Board of Directors earlier this spring. Public testimony will be accepted at the meeting, which will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 9.
Visit the county's site to view the agenda

In early April, I joined Greenlight Greater Portland in a "best practices" trip to Barcelona to learn about that city's successful urban redevelopment. The city has been transforming itself over the past 30 years from one of Europe's least hospitable communities, to one of its most popular – for tourists and businesses alike.

Join me at Metro Regional Center on Wednesday, June 22 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. for my brown bag presentation on Barcelona's Ecology of Innovation.