Oregon WildBlog

Oregon Wild is saddened to learn of the recent passing of Jim Baker, a long-time advocate for the McKenzie River and old-growth forests state-wide.

Jim was a labor union organizer, a lineman for a telephone company, a rural resident, and a ferocious advocate for his beloved McKenzie River during the heyday of old-growth clearcutting in Oregon. He was among Oregon Wild’s earliest members, attending meetings and conferences as far back as 1974, and he went on to become our longest-serving board member before his retirement in 2012.   

Oregon Wild's webcast on how and where to snowshoe in Central Oregon. Wilderness Program Manager Erik Fernandez presents suggestions regarding everything from safety to gear to picking the most scenic trails. This webcast also covers some "Snowshoeing 101" for those new to the activity as well as some tips on locations that would be applicable to all ability levels.

Maps

Avenza PDF Maps App

The Klamath Mountains that span northwest California and southwest Oregon are a place of endless wonder. Michael Kauffmann, an ecologist and author, talks about what makes this place so unique.

Our presenters from the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) discussed how they are centering climate justice in their work to protect mature and old-growth forests.

Learn about Oregon’s native freshwater turtles and traveling sea turtles

Wildfires can destroy homes and induce fear, however they are vital for our forest ecosystems. Fire recycles nutrients back into the soil, provides habitat for insects and animals, and has many tree species that rely on it like lodgepole pines and oaks. 

The Forest Service’s public comment period on mature and old-growth forests ended on August 30th, and climate activists and conservation advocates have much to be proud of. Since February, Oregon Wild has been a driving force of the Climate Forests campaign, an alliance of more than 100 groups from across the country calling for durable protections for mature and old-growth forests on federal lands as a cornerstone of U.S. climate policy.

When Mark Bennett, the director of Global Works Community Fund, reached out to Oregon Wild about doing a hike or workshop with this year’s cohort of youth at first I thought “Yes, great! I love leading hikes!” My later thought was “Oh no! Teens!” I shouldn’t have been worried. Not only were these teens eager hikers, they also asked great questions and absorbed information about fire ecology, forests and climate change, and river and salmon health like sponges. 

Not long after moving to Eugene for graduate school, I took a field trip to the Warner Creek fire area outside of Oakridge. At that time it was 10 years since the 1991 fire. I remember the tall black snags rising tall above, and sapling trees crowded all around me -- head high and coated in dew that soaked through my sub-par rain gear.