April is a very special month in Lake Oswego and here are five reasons why:

1. Soil Your Undies Campaign. In conjunction with Earth Day and Arbor Month, the Lake Oswego Watershed Council is inviting Lake Oswegans to participate in the 2021 Soil Your Undies Campaign. Why you ask? By burying a pair of cotton undies at least six inches underground and then digging them back up in 60 days, you can see just how busy the microscopic organisms are in your soil. The more broken down your underwear is, the more active soil microbes you have in your yard. You can pick up a free pair of 100% cotton tighty-whities at either Lakeridge or Lake Oswego High Schools on April 24 between 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (Pre-registration required). The rest is up to you!
2. The days are getting longer. On April 1, sunrise will be at 6:50 a.m. followed by a 7:39 p.m. sunset, giving us 12 hours, 49 minutes and 2 seconds of daylight. By the end of the month, we’ll gain another 1 hour and 28 minutes of (hopefully) sunshine which puts us well on our way to June 21 when sunrise will be at 5:22 a.m. and sunset at 9:02 p.m., for a grand total of 15 hours and 40 minutes of glorious summer daylight!
3. Trilliums. These heralds of spring can be spotted in natural areas in and around Lake Oswego, especially along the trails in Tryon Creek State Natural Area. Their sheer beauty and abundance has caused many an Oregonian to mistaken them for the state flower (that title belongs to the Oregon grape) but they still deserve our respect—no picking allowed as they may not recover or could take years to recover.
4. Dennis’ 7 Dees Gardening Classes. We are all itching to get our hands dirty in the yard and these classes will help. All you need to do is RSVP online and then mark your calendar for these Livestream classes: Spring Container Makeover on April 1, Indoor Plants for Low Light on April 8, and Growing Edibles and Herbs in Containers on April 15. All classes begin at 10:00 a.m.
5. Virtual Drink and Draw. Felt artist Le Brie Rich will lead crafters in an easy-for-beginners needle felting project on April 22 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Participants will end up with a felt bird in a nest at the end of the class. The $40 fee includes the instruction as well as the materials which can be picked up at 41 B Avenue the week before the class.

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