Oregon Wildblog

In Search of the Belted Kingfisher

Whether hovering or diving from a branch, a belted kingfisher's headfirst plunge to snap fish near the surface is swift and precise. The jay-sized birds flourish across North America where water is clean, and in places with plentiful fish, perches, and coveted earthen nest banks. Oregon's many rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, wetlands, and coastal bays offer refuge for this dazzling bird.

Oregon’s Marine Mammals

Learn about our state's journeying marine mammals. From the biggest animals on Earth like the blue whale, which weighs as much as 33 elephants (~200 tons) and has a heart the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, to some of the smartest and most agile, like the bottlenose dolphin, Oregon's ocean has it all. We gave a warm whale-come to Dr. Ballance, the Director and Endowed Chair for the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University. She discussed the cutting edge science surrounding marine mammals, threats, and what can be done to protect them.

 

5 Key Takeaways from the River Democracy Act

As spring turns into summer and we all start to turn to the outdoors to spend these long warm days, it is important to remember that many of our beloved areas are still under threat. In this blog post, we will go over 5 key takeaways from the River Democracy Act, a bill currently making its way through Congress (that needs your support to make it over the finish line!)

Why we’re opposing Rep. Blumenauer’s new Mount Hood bill

Oregon Wild has a long history of working to safeguard Mount Hood and its surrounding wildlands from logging and development, dating back to our founding in 1974. From protections for the Bull Run watershed and Portland’s drinking water to the 2009 expansion of Wilderness areas on and around the mountain, we’ve continually sought a vision for Mount Hood that supports the natural and human communities that rely on it and limits the commercial exploitation of its forests, rivers, and wildlife.

Webcast: Biden's Executive Order on Forests and Climate

On Earth Day, President Biden signed an Executive Order that recognized the importance of mature and old-growth forests as a climate solution but stopped short of protecting these forests from their #1 threat: logging across federal public lands.

So what does this order actually do?

A Dire Year for Oregon’s Wolves

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) released the 2021 annual wolf report this week. Unfortunately, the report shows that 2021 was not a great one for wolves.