Polk County Historical Society and Museums

OCTOBER 17 The Decade of the Oak

Craig’s talk connects Polk County’s local oak history to a much greater regional effort. He is part of the official Decade of the Oak communications team, a grassroots campaign spearheaded by Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture on behalf of the Pacific Northwest Oak Alliance, a network of nine regional partnerships spanning oak country from British Columbia down to northern California. Today, most Pacific Northwest residents live within these historic oak landscapes, even as the open meadows and savannas that once defined them have steadily given way to development, making oak habitat one of the region’s top conservation priorities. Craig will share how this multi-state campaign and the local efforts he helps lead are working to reverse that trend, one community and one tree at a time.  He’ll also invite the audience to contribute their own stories and memories of Polk County oaks, tying personal and community history to the conservation case for these iconic trees.  Attendees can expect a hands-on, story-driven approach that draws directly from the exhibits in the PCHM. Polk County needs oaks, and oaks need the care and attention of the folks in Polk County to keep local cultural and natural history alive.