User:Jdigmann07/sandbox

Plants and Wildlife
The Pacific Northwest climate allows for many diverse species of plants and animals to thrive.

Along with the flora and fauna indigenous to Oregon in general, the ones that are more specific to Yamhill county are categorized as wildlife species of the northwest region. This list contains animals in four different categories including amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles. Surprisingly enough, Wolverines have also recently been discovered in the Oregon territory as well, though their populations seem to be very small. For a full list of these animals, please visit the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's species page. Additionally, a number of native Oregon plants can also be seen in this region. For those interested in learning more about the native Oregonian flora species including resources for purchasing them, please see the Native Plant Society of Oregon's website.

Oregon Conservation Efforts
The ODFW in Yamhill county is taking necessary steps toward the conservation of some of the indigenous plant and animal species. Some of the plants and animals listed on the endangered species are: the marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). Some of the endangered plants are, the Willamette daisy (Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens), the Kincaid's Lupine (Lupinus sulphureus ssp. Kincaidii), and the Nelson's Checker-Mallow( Sidalcea nelsoniana ), to name a few.

For people interested in getting more involved in nature conservation for Oregon, more information can be found on the ODFW website, and the Yamhill Oaks Preserve website. For a map of other regionally recognized places to view wildlife, visit the ODFW's wildlife viewing section.

Hobbies and Exercise
There is a ¼ mile or 0.2-mile (320 m) easy hike along a paved trail to the top of the hill past a vineyard and orchard. It is relatively flat with a gradual incline, until the last 100m which has a decidedly steeper incline. The rock sits at the end of the path, just over the incline.

The Erratic Park area also provides a venue for participating in some of the more popular hobbies related to the area. The hobbies include birding, butterfly collecting, photography, and Geocaching.

Birding
Birdwatchers will find a lot of resources for their hobby in Yamhill county. There are a number of bird watching sites in Yamhill county, and Erratic is one of them. For a complete list of popularly viewed Oregon birds, see the Oregon Birds Checklist. For more information on additional connection opportunities and notifications on rare bird alerts, visit the Birding Oregon website.

Butterfly Collecting
Butterfly collectors will find many different species of butterflies in the Erratic area. Some of the species include, Swallowtails (Papilioninae), Parnassians (Parnassiinae), Whites (Pierinae), Sulphurs (Coliadinae), and more. A butterfly species, the Fender's Blue Butterfly, can also be viewed in this area. It is, however, on the endangered species list, so should not be collected. A large collection of indigenous Oregon butterflies can be seen at the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve to serve as a documentation of everything Oregon has to offer.

Photography
The opportunities for photography vary from nature-focused to landscape. For more information on photography clubs, or other popular nature sites to visit, see the Oregon Foto Guide.

Geocaching
Geocaching is the outdoor recreational real-world treasure hunt that is happening all over the globe. Cache availability and sizes are dependent on those who place and maintain them. Erratic Rock State Park features at least one traditional size cache. Erratic Park is a participant to the Geocaching alternative sport, Tangleboxing, created and hosted by Yamhill County and City of McMinnville Parks and Recreation. Tanglebox is an outdoor summertime treasure hunt. Tangleboxes have been hidden in eleven different Yamhill Park sites. The Tanglebox is clearly labeled, but hidden.