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Not too long ago I went on a rampage about birds being one of the best helpers in our “battle with insects.” I fear I’ve left people with the impression that all insects are “bad” and that we’re in constant peril from ravenous arthropods. If I left you with that image then I did our […]
School’s out for summer! (I hope you sang that in your best Alice Cooper rock voice!) For those of you with kids, this week heralds the arrival of summer—that precious window of time chock full of summer camps, playing outside and swimming in our lakes and rivers. Like many Central Oregon parents, one of my […]
This past year was a rough one, even for volunteers. Many nonprofit organizations canceled group volunteer projects to minimize exposure during the pandemic. One local described that experience. “I tried to volunteer last year, but COVID derailed that,” said Jess Beauchemin, a volunteer with the Oregon Natural Desert Association. This year, she’s signed up to […]
Spring is here in all its glory, bringing bright greens, purples and yellows to our sagebrush desert! One of the best ways to soak in the colors of the season is to explore the diverse world of Central Oregon wildflowers. May and June bring peak wildflower season in the high desert and Cascade foothills, and […]
Ya’ just have to admit, those Harlequin drakes are a showpiece. They look like they were posing for Roy Low when he found them all ganged up on the rocks on the Southern Oregon Coast, enjoying the crashing surf. Harlequin ducks can be found all winter hanging out along the Oregon Coast, on the western […]
The Vaux’s (rhymes with foxes) swift is a 4½-inch long, fast-moving bird (it’s a swift after all) that resembles “a cigar with wings.” The smallest of all North American swifts, these aerial acrobats put on a nightly show during their annual migrations through downtown Bend. From their winter range which is the tropics of Mexico […]
Earth Day is upon us, and with it the time of year during which many think about their relationship with Earth. It’s tempting to write tips for the top five things you can do to save the earth, or easy ways to make a difference, but the reality of the natural world on this Earth […]
During spring, have you ever found yourself bobbing and weaving to avoid being bonked in the head by half-inch-long fuzzy missiles? Those big buzzers are bumblebees—bumblebee queens, to be exact. Every male bumblebee in North America died by the start of last winter, so the future of bumblebee species depends, as always, on the queen […]
Spring is always a joyful time in Central Oregon, and all the more so this year as we inch closer to the end of the pandemic. To help you celebrate this all-too-short season, we emailed local botanists, birders and other naturalists to ask them which signs of spring they most look forward to encountering at […]
Traditionally, one of the first signs of spring in Central Oregon takes place this month, when flocks of optimistic new residents purchase annuals in full flower from big-box retailers. A second sign of spring arrives weeks later, when those same people, now less optimistic, return to buy new flowers to replace those that were killed […]
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