Bend Nest

Bend Nest is a place to discuss, consider and laugh about all that parenting brings. A quarterly magazine produced by some of the finest writers, editors and photographers in Central Oregon, Bend Nest is smart and informed.
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Special Help for Special Kids

High Desert programs connect parents with invaluable resources
by Elizabeth Warnimont

Receiving news that your child has special needs can prompt a devastating turn of events. “The future you imagined, it’s all changed,” says Leslie Seidel, whose son Luke was diagnosed with autism at age two. Fortunately, early childhood special education resources are available through the High Desert Education Service District, which includes Bend-La Pine, Crook […]

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Nest Bookshelf

Two great reads for kids
by Paige Bentley-Flannery

Birds: What Do Flamingos, Owls and Penguins Get up to All Day? By Alex Bond, illustrated by Henry Rancourt Explore a full day of birds and discover a variety of new facts through sky dancing, scavengers and migration. Did you know flippers are the wings of a penguin and that pink flamingos can dance? Bond asks […]

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Best Photographer: Natalie Stephenson

Captured With Love
Avatar photo by Jared Rasic

Natalie Stephenson always knew she wanted to be a photographer. “I was given my first camera at age nine, creating a lifelong love for photography and a desire to be a professional photographer from a young age,” says Stephenson. “For me, it was a passion for creativity in capturing people’s expressions or a beautiful scene, inspiring emotion in […]

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Health Expert Q&A

With Mary Rogers, MD FAAP: Central Oregon Pediatrick Associates
by Dr. Mary Rodgers, M.D. FAAP

Mary Rogers, MD FAAP Central Oregon Pediatric Associates Q: My six-year-old son was diagnosed with asthma a year ago. We have since moved to Bend and thankfully, he has had zero symptoms here. Should we see a physician about his condition or just assume he has grown out of it? A: That is amazing that […]

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Learning Made Fun

Children’s Museum of Central Oregon prepares for brick-and-motar launch
by Annette Benedetti

Due to the Great Recession, Bend’s last brick-and-mortar children’s museum, Working Wonders, closed in 2009, leaving families of young children with few options for indoor, hands-on learning. Children’s Museum of Central Oregon, a nonprofit founded in 2015, is aiming to change that by raising enough money to build a learning center with STEAM-based exhibits, projected […]

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Career-Changed K9 Finds a Forever Friend

10-year-old girl finds comfort with canine companion, Zinny
by Damian Fagan

Abby Durrell, a 10-year-old homeschooler in Sunriver, Oregon, was struggling with anxiety and stress due to various medical conditions that caused speech delays, balance issues and blurred peripheral vision. “In May of 2020 we ended up in the ER where she was diagnosed with chiari malformation [a condition where brain tissue invades the spinal canal],” […]

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Editors Note Summer 2023

Wild and domestic, it’s baby season in Central Oregon!
Avatar photo by Angela Switzer

What a sight to behold—a line of ducklings trailing proud parents as they navigate the river currents, a bucking kid goat frolicking in the field and a nest of peeping chicks visible from the window. Here, at my house, we also have a new baby! Poppy is a bouncing Aussie/heeler puppy who is melting our […]

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It’s Baby Season!

Where to experience new animal life in Central Oregon
by Joshua Savage

After a long winter, most Central Oregonians look forward to warmer weather and a little color to the landscape. The High Desert morphs as flowers bloom, leaves sprout and the opportunity to spend more time outdoors finally arrives. Spring and summer signal a time of new life, especially for the array of animals, domesticated and […]

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The 2023 Best of the Nest

See the winners!
by The Source Staff

Loving what you do and working hard at it are the keys to success. Thanks to our vibrant community of dedicated individuals and businesses who deliver top-notch services and products on the daily, raising a family in the high desert is a dreamy endeavor. This year, Nest followers rallied in great numbers to voice their […]

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Food and Farm Trail for the Whole Family

Experience Central Oregon’s robust agricultural community
by Nicole Blume

Here in Central Oregon, we are blessed to live in a thriving agricultural community where farm-fresh produce grows right around the corner. From juicy purple plums to crisp green kale, and grass-fed beef to local honey, so many nourishing options abound! Children love picking out food and are more likely to eat their vegetables if […]

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