Upland oak and prairie habitats are among the Willamette Valley?s most distinctive and threatened landscapes. Once stretching across much of the valley floor and foothills, these open woodlands and grasslands now remain only in scattered patches. Yet where Oregon white oaks still stand tall and native prairie plants bloom, they continue to support a remarkable diversity of life.

This custom design is inspired by the vibrant communities that depend on these upland habitats. It features an acorn woodpecker?an energetic, social bird known for storing thousands of acorns in tree trunks?alongside Oregon white oak, the keystone species that anchors this entire ecosystem. Look closely and you?ll also find sprigs of mistletoe, a native plant that, although parasitic, plays a crucial role in the food web by providing nectar, berries, and a nesting habitat for many birds and insects.

Across our service area, we are privileged to help protect and care for numerous upland oak and prairie properties, each of which helps preserve these rare landscapes. On the ridgelines of Native Oaks Ridge, the return of good fire as a restoration tool is helping young oaks thrive and native grasses spread once again. And at the Willamette Confluence property, visitors can see acorn woodpeckers chattering among the branches and watch as camas, lupine, and buttercups dapple the hillsides with color each spring.

Native upland oak and prairie habitat stretches across the ridgeline at the South Fork Spencer Creek conservation area in south Eugene, OR.