Glide Wildflower Show 2008

A beautiful dogwood in full bloom greeted spectators as they entered Glide Community Center. Posters from shows gone by decorated the entry way, a fitting prelude to the exhibit housed inside. Volunteers were quick with a friendly smile and a map of the display as we entered the room.

The smell of freshly baked pies and chili filled the air masking the subtle aromas of moss and damp earth. The home baked goodies were enough to lure tourists and locals alike to this little town just over 20 miles from the I-5 Highway. If I remember correctly this year's main course was Lasagna

Over 600 species of wildflowers, mosses, lichens, ferns, liver worts, trees, grasses and shrubs were displayed in vases or in miniature worlds, labeled with both botanical and common names. Some displays gave further information on the location and varieties of flowers. Some tables gave picture tours of hiking areas and the level of expertise needed to make a successful journey. A corner was filled with books, postcards of wild flowers and a few souvenirs of this year's show to browse through and purchase.

Another table was set up showing seeds and pine cones, with Dorothy Terry of Umpqua, Oregon, handing out flyers on Poison Oak, that nasty little bush that is famous for painfully itchy rashes. She introduced me to Jeanne Moore of Idleyld, Oregon, who told me the story of how the Glide Community Center's benefit wild flower show was started. Reggie Miller in 1965 started with plants she had picked on her own property. The benefit was held at the newly opened Idleyld Lodge, hosted by owners Mr. and Mrs. James Hanson.

The U. S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Society of American Foresters have joined in volunteering man hours and experience to the event. In a tent outside there was a display of "noxious" weeds set up showing just which non native plants need to be weeded out or rooted up. Information on eradication was being handed out. Amazing how beautiful some of the invasive shrubs are like Scotch Bloom with it's vivid yellow flowers and Hawthorne with it's berries and delicate blossoms.

In the words of the late Reggie Miller spoken over 40 years ago, "Wildflowers are often abundant, but they are not indestructible; many of our loveliest ones are in danger of extinction by our carelessness. By knowing our wildflowers, we can better preserve them for ourselves and for the future."