An artist’s brush is like a treasure hunt where each stroke is a revealing clue that can lead you somewhere new.
For me, it was a chance encounter with wildlife artist and La Grande resident, Jan Clark, whom I met at the Foot Hill Road Viewpoint within the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area.
Photos: Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area
Jan Clark is a local artist from La Grande who arrived in the area more than 30 years ago and never left. She fell in love with the scenery, the wetlands and the wildlife and now she paints it all – every chance she gets.
“Well, I simply love the scenery with the Wallowa Mountains in the background,” noted Clark. “Plus, it’s usually just quiet out here, really quiet – except for the birds.”
In the silence, broken only by the rough sound of her brush across the canvas, it felt as though you could reach out and touch the wetlands, the wildlife and the history of the Grande Ronde Valley.
State wildlife biologist, Cathy Nowak, said that 50 years ago you would not have seen much bird life or much wildness because it had all disappeared.
“At one time, the valley had about 40,000 acres of wetlands in it,” noted Nowak. “But that was before settlement and by the 1950’s, there were just a couple hundred acres that had not been drained for agriculture. So, the chance to see any wildlife was a pretty rare event in those days.”
That began to change when the first Wildlife Area Manager, Bill Brown, developed the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area (name for nearby Ladd Creek).
Brown’s first purchase was nearly 300 acres.
Today, there are more than 6,000 acres and half of that is in wetlands and marshland.
ODFW’s Dave Larson noted that the site is the largest protected marsh in Northeast Oregon.
“At one time we had a lot of support from the hunting community, but now that we are opening up the wildlife viewing and a new Auto Tour Route, we’re seeing a lot more support from folks who travel here to look at wildlife. And they come from all over too,” he said.
The Ladd Marsh Auto Tour Route is a little over a mile long but there are also six miles of hiking trails that take you into the wetlands for closeup views to more than 225 different bird and other wildlife species – perhaps deer, elk and even antelope.
Speaking of watching wildlife, don’t leave home without the binoculars -- they make a big difference enjoying the show.
You can also enjoy a unique event called the “Ladd Marsh Birdathon” that is held during the third weekend in May.
All of the trails are open with experts: artists, teachers and biologists on hand to teach you more about what you are seeing – plus, many exhibits and children’s activities that are set up too.
Nowak added that it is a fun and educational weekend outdoor experience:
“It is not competitive, it’s a celebration! A celebration of the birds, bird watching and the out of doors. So, it is an exciting time of the year with migrating species moving through, plus the young are hatching everywhere across the wildlife area. You can see something new everyday.”
If you would like to visit more of Oregon – consider a walk on the wild side with my new book: “Grant’s Getaways: Oregon Adventures With the Kids.” You’ll find activities to engage any kid, from archery to clamming on the coast to hunting for thundereggs to zip-lining through trees in an aerial adventure park.
In addition, be sure to check out “Grant’s Getaways Guide to Wildlife Watching in Oregon.” You will enjoy 48 uniquely Oregon adventures highlighting my fish and wildlife encounters. Scores of colorful photos by Grant’s Getaways photographer, Jeff Kastner, show off some of our finest moments in the field. You can also learn more about many of my favorite Oregon adventures in "Grant's Getaways: 101 Oregon Adventures."