Oregon Wildblog

Webcast: Dammed to Extinction

The early-to-mid 20th Century was marked by an era of dam building across the United States. These dams came at a cost to watersheds, freshwater ecosystems, and indigenous communities. Every year, millions of salmon were blocked from reaching their historic spawning beds, eventually resulting in the collapse of salmon runs across the west. The Columbia River basin was once home to the world's most productive chinook salmon runs. These fish traveled all the way into the central mountains of Idaho to spawn.

Unveiling Nature’s Kaleidoscope

Talented local artist Jeremy Nicols spent 14 days painting an intricate ecosystem of Pacific Northwest imperiled species in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Hiking in Old-Growth Forests – Seeing the Forest and the Trees

Visitors to old-growth forests may know that these forests are ecologically important, but for most people, myself included, it is the more emotive aspects of an old forest that inspire and motivate us. A brief summary of a few hikes in the Willamette National Forest illustrating some of this diversity is provided below.

Bad Bill Roundup: Imperiled Species Under Attack

In Congress, there are 24 bills and counting that threaten imperiled species listed under the Endangered Species Act including wolves and grizzly bears. Tell Senator Merkley to help stop these bad bills in their tracks!

Webcast: Hiking the Tillamook State Forest

The Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests in the northern Oregon Coast Range are an unappreciated wonder. Surrounded by clearcut logging plantations, the Tillamook and Clatsop provide a possible refuge for the wild plants, fish, and animals that were once abundant throughout the Oregon Coast Range but whose presence has been diminished by corporate tree farms. It is also an incredible place for hiking and exploring, offering opportunities for solitude where so many other places in Oregon feel like they're bursting at the seams.

Saying the quiet part out loud

We know many politicians prioritize the industries that strip-mine public lands for profit and leave the public to clean up the mess, but rarely is the sentiment expressed so openly.

Webcast: Marbled Murrelet - A Seabird of the Forest

Enter the mysterious world of the marbled murrelet, a rare seabird that nests in the dwindling old-growth forests of Oregon's Coast Range. For years, scientists struggled to understand where these birds nested - eventually finding them intimately tied to the forest ecosystems of the coast that were also home to salmon, northern spotted owls, and many other species at risk from extensive clearcutting. Out at sea, these birds face a different set of challenges to survival - especially in a warming climate.