Colorful carp acclimated to water temperature before being released Tuesday
Ashland.news staff report
One of the missing pieces of the new Ashland Japanese Garden in Lithia Park was put in place Tuesday as seven large koi were brought to Ashland by Jeff Mangin. His family gifted more than $1.3 million to create an authentic Japanese garden for the people of Ashland.
Mangin picked the koi up in Sacramento earlier in the day and drove them to Ashland. The koi floated in the pond in the plastic bags they traveled in for over 20 minutes to acclimate them to the temperature of the pond.
The reconstructed garden reopened in October after being closed for two years. Toru Tanaka, former director of the Portland Japanese Garden, designed and helped build the space.
In Japanese, koi is a homonym for another word that means “affection” or “love,” according to an article about koi on the Portland garden website; koi are therefore symbols of love and friendship in Japan. Koi can live very long lives, but the average lifespan is about 25-30 years-old in most ponds, the article adds.
Email Ashland.news Executive Editor Bert Etling at betling@ashland.news or call or text him at 541-631-1313.
