Oregon WildBlog

I recently had the honor to travel to our nation’s capital and advocate on behalf of Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife and water. I had not been to Washington D.C. in over 10 years, and never in this capacity. After a turbulent plane ride (that did not help my nerves!) I was soon greeted by the familiar faces of my colleagues. We were scheduled to meet with various offices of Oregon’s delegation, the Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior, even an office directly next to the White House. I was still nervous.

My name is Eleanor Solomon, and I’m an intern at Oregon Wild. I’m fourteen years old, and I’m interested in how my daily activities and lifestyle affect the environment. Currently, one of the biggest environmental challenges is global warming.

Well, what is global warming anyway?

On June 29, 2014 , I co-led an Oregon Wild and Klamath Siskiyou Wildland Center wildflower hike to a 5400 to 5900 foot southern Cascades botanical hot spot just outside of Ashland called "Grizzly Peak”.  Around 300 flowering plants have now been identified in this area of western Oregon BLM lands. One of the featured wildflowers on the way in is Cimicifuga elata, Tall Bugbane, growing here at the southern-most end of its geographic range. Below are photos of just some of the wildflowers to be found on this hike.

Three months ago, if someone would have told me there was an internship that involved hiking, camping, and hanging out at beer festivals, I would have said they were crazy. But sitting here on my last day as the Crater Lake Wilderness Summer Intern at Oregon Wild, I now know jobs THAT amazing actually do exist.

Designated by Congress in 1968, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness is located in the northwestern part of the state, sharing its northeastern border with the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.  Mt. Jefferson itself is the pinnacle feature of the High Cascades. With elevations over 10,000 feet Mt. Jefferson provides one of the steepest and most challenging summit for hikers in the state of Oregon. Five glaciers exist on the slopes of the mountain: Whitewater, Waldo, Milk Creek, Russell and Jefferson Park.

We live in an age where the answer to any question is no further away than the widget in your pocket. We’re bombarded by websites, articles, and videos promising to show us “the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen”…and they often deliver.

In such a world, I’ve become fond of saying “it’s nice that there’s a little mystery left in the world.”

Earlier this summer during the Oregon Wild Wolf Rendezvous, that conviction was put to the test.

Cassandra Robertson was looking for her missing cat when she found the first victim. Before dying, the coyote had chewed off some of its leg. Her shock turned to disgust when she found a live raccoon in another trap.

Asking around, she discovered that Oregon State University’s Sheep Center, her neighbor in the hills outside of Corvallis, was using the infamous federal agency Wildlife Services (WS) to trap and poison coyotes. She protested; the traps were removed.

The Obama administration has some seriously bad news for Oregon’s 3 resident wolverines -- it’s overruling the conclusions of federal scientists and denying wolverines protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Hmmm. Well, surely the administration is basing this decision on sound science. Right?

By Danica Swenson, Oregon Wild's 2014 Wildlife Intern

I’m Eleanor Solomon, and I’m a 9^th grader at Riverdale High School. I am a part-time intern at Oregon Wild, and I care deeply about wildlife. The wildlife that are struggling to survive have no hope against hunters, poachers, and just ordinary human beings, so it’s our job to stand up for them and protect them. This month, as my first post, I have decided to write about gray wolves being taken off the endangered species list.