Oregon WildBlog

Contributed by Sofia Green

In the past few months, we’ve seen incredible momentum in the United States for our leaders to take bold, concrete action on climate change and environmental justice.

Hello everyone! My name is Shannon, and I am so excited to be joining Oregon Wild as a Climate and Forest Policy Intern this summer! I'll be working to develop an alternate model for federal county payments that promotes more conservation of our federal forestlands and their wildlife. Born and raised in Western Oregon, I have a deep connection to and appreciation for the diverse ecosystems of this state. I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to help guide the conversation on federal actions that could help protect them.

The wild landscapes of Utah are breathtaking, but offer much more than what meets the eye. Three adventurers from Oregonians for Wild Utah (OFWU) provided a virtual tour and explored how to advocate for public lands.

Beloved and abused

Think of one of your favorite, and most beautiful hikes. Now think of one of the most overrun, busy, and abused places you’ve been in recent years. For many people, Tamolitch Pool on the McKenzie River probably falls into both of these categories. As the word has spread about the relatively easy (and beautiful) hike and the gorgeous pool at its destination, this special place is one of those in danger of becoming “loved to death”. 

Oregon's incredible wildlands are inhabited by an abundant diversity of fish and wildlife. But some of the heftiest members of the state's native megafauna club no longer range its forests, hills, and valleys. Naturalist Ethan Shaw explored the history of two of the West's most iconic species - the mighty American bison and grizzly bear - and their relationship to Oregon. Ethan dived into some of what we know about the where and the when of these big beasts in the Beaver State and how they may have once integrated into local ecosystems.

C’waam and Koptu are sucker fish sacred to the Indigenous peoples of Southern Oregon. This video includes guests from the Klamath Tribes who discuss the importance of these fish, and how drought, water quality, and climate change are bringing them to the brink of extinction.

In October 2017, The Oregonian released a series starring a newborn polar bear cub named Nora, which swiftly went viral. Kale Williams who reported the story went on to win the Scripps Howard Edward J. Meeman Award and the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award for his work on the series, which also won a regional Emmy. Since then, Williams has continued to follow Nora's story, while expanding his lens, spending time with traditional Arctic hunters and closely tracking the research of one of the leading wildlife biologists studying how polar bears are struggling to adapt to climate change.

- Contributed by Sam Krop

Biodiversity is the key to resilience in the face of a changing planet, and my hope was to give the biodiversity of the Monument an opportunity to speak for itself.