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Damian Fagan is a freelance writer, outdoor enthusiast and avid birder. He is the author of several wildflower field guides including "Wildflowers of Oregon" and "Wildflowers of North America." Fagan lives in Bend with his wife, Raven, and a pollinator-friendly garden.
So how are those New Year’s resolutions going? Learning to salsa dance? Learning a new language? Taking up birdwatching? While I can’t help you with the first two, I can with the birding. In February, Central Oregon is a great place to watch waterfowl. Many different species of ducks and geese stop here on their […]
For many gardeners, January is a great time to start thinking about next season’s garden. A horticultural support organization, Direct Gardening Association, declared January as National Mail Order Gardening Month in order to reinforce this planning concept. Gardeners have probably already been receiving mail order catalogs to peruse for plants to grow and to place […]
Federal passage of the Saline Lakes Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act Recently, Congress and the House of Representatives passed Senate Bill S. 1466, legislation backed by the National Audubon Society and other organizations which directs the U.S. Geological Survey to establish a scientific monitoring and assessment program to protect saline lakes in […]
It’s early morning around 4 am. I’m parked along the edge of Tumalo Reservoir and standing outside my truck on this cold, December morning. The night sky’s brilliance is amazing, but I’m here to listen for the deep hooting, territorial calls of Great horned owls instead of just enjoying the stars above. These owls, named […]
Thanksgiving is a great time to have the turkey talk with friends and family. Wild turkey, that is. So, here are some facts and falsehoods for you to entertain your holiday dinner guests. What’s the number one call a turkey makes? If you’re thinking “gobble, gobble, gobble” you might have to have a double helping […]
In 1874, Joseph Glidden’s product was proclaimed to be, “lighter than air, stronger than whiskey, and cheaper than dust.” Plains Indians called it, “the Devil’s rope” and homesteaders used it to protect their claims. The “it” is barbed wire. During westward expansion, thousands of miles of barbed-wire fence were put up to either define grazing […]
Get set to explore the mystical and magical world of mushrooms during the Fungi Festival hosted by the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory and the Central Oregon Mushroom Club on Saturday, Oct. 8. There will be walks and talks, a mushroom ID station staffed by members of the Cascade Mycological Society, children’s activities and a […]
Inspiration happens through various formats. The Wild and Scenic Film Festival presented by Oregon Natural Desert Association and sponsored by E2Solar at the Tower Theatre brings inspiration through visual storytelling on Friday, Sept. 30. The short films highlight activists working on environmental issues across the globe. And in the case of “National Parks ‘One Star […]
Moths (known in Spanish as polillas or la mariposa nocturna) are the Rodney Dangerfield of the Lepidopteran world—they “don’t get no respect.” These denizens of the dark flit around our neighborhoods and woodlands under the cover of darkness unbeknownst to most of us. The often dark, “hairy” bodies of moths don’t ignite the interest meter […]
August is a great month to view shorebirds, which have departed from their nesting grounds and stop in at various Central Oregon watering holes to fuel up for the rest of their journeys to their wintering grounds. “The numerous shallow lakes, wetlands and wet meadows, and even flooded fields in southeastern Oregon are crucial pit […]
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