What do 70,000 urban acres, the great blue heron, and a microbrewery have in common? They're all part of urban naturalist Mike Houck's master plan to save the urban streams and woods of Portland, Oregon. Houck's Metropolitan Greenspace Initiative is dedicated to the survival of the metropolitan area's natural corridors and greenways, and of the animals and people dependent on them. The great blue heron frequents these streams, to the delight of all who spot them. To enhance awareness of the watershed and its importance to Portland's quality of life, Houck got the heron designated as Portland's official city bird, and convinced a local microbrewery, Bridgeport Brew Pub, to craft a Blue Heron Ale in honor of Portland's commitment to its wildlife in-residence.
This wasn't Houck's first effort, nor his first win. A tireless conservationist since his college days in the early 70's, Houck helped organize the National Coalition to Restore Urban Waters and co-authored a US Senate bill to fund urban stream restoration throughout the country. He's active in the Pacific Northwest network of watershed protection groups, planning, staging and speaking at major area conferences. In Portland, Houck initiated the Urban Streams Council as well as the Metropolitan in the Greenspaces Program, which is now housed at Metro, the region's planning agency.
None of it has been easy. Movers and shakers, especially those as charismatic and visible as Houck, attract fire. Houck has had harassing phone calls at home and has been attacked in public by "wise users" and public property rights advocates. But his pace hasn't slowed down; he puts in 60 or more hours a week in his efforts to kep the Portland metropolitan region livable for future generations.
Houck's current passion is as co-founder of the Coalition for a Livable Future, founded in 1994, an alliance of social and environmental justice advocates and mainstream conservationists who are dedicated to keeping the Portland metropolitan region a place where both people and nature are important. Quality of life, to Houck, means quality for everyone, not for just a few who can afford it. As American cities face increasing environmental and social crises, Portland has become a model of using urban ecology to create a quality-of-life that's treasured by residents and visitors.
Delighted Portlanders have Houck to thank. Maybe the city's microbrewers should create another honorary beer: Houck Hock sounds good!
Update: Michael Houck is currently the Executive Director of Urban Greenspaces Institute in Portland.