Natural World Archives - Page 8 of 56 - The Source

Where to Find Desert Wildflowers

Head east of Bend anytime between early spring into high summer to see Oregon’s high desert painted in color

by Scott Bowler July 5, 2023June 8, 2025

I‘m often asked, “Where can I go to find wildflowers?” If I’m feeling snarky, I might reply, “Seriously!? Pretty much anywhere!” But truthfully, while there are abundant locations in which to find beautiful flowers, several sites in Oregon’s high desert really stand out. Those areas are listed below in bloom order, beginning in early spring […]

Outside

Butterflies of Central Oregon

These summertime “flying jewels” abound in the region

by Damian Fagan June 21, 2023August 3, 2025

Summer is the season when butterflies flit and flutter through wildflower meadows or neighborhood gardens. To the ancient Greeks and Romans, butterflies were the symbolic representation of the human soul. British broadcaster and longtime naturalist Sir David Attenborough claimed that watching butterflies is good for our mental health. No matter the appeal, butterflies serve important […]

Outside

Oregon’s Prairie Ghost

The resilient pronghorn has raced through millennia, but their future is in our hands

by Renee Schiavone June 7, 2023May 16, 2025

Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) may be the most recognizable of all wildlife in Oregon’s vast sagebrush sea. Commonly — but mistakenly — also referred to as “antelope,” this migratory species is an indicator of the health and resiliency of their sagebrush habitats. If pronghorn populations are faring well, then likely so is their ecosystem. Where pronghorn […]

Outside

Photographing the Desert

Experienced local photographers offer pointers for capturing the beauty of Oregon’s high desert

by Renee Schiavone May 10, 2023June 13, 2024

The high desert landscape that covers 27.6 million acres of Oregon is packed with opportunities to take profound photos. Photographers can fill a frame with impressive canyons, alkali flats, sagebrush seas, herds of antelope and – if you’re lucky – the occasional big horn sheep. To gather a range of insight on what makes for […]

Outside

Re-wilding Oregon Conference

Gathering focuses on desert and forest ecosystems, carnivores, native fish and the America the Beautiful Initiative.

by Damian Fagan April 19, 2023July 17, 2025

What is your definition of wildlands and how do you think management of public lands leads to that definition? That is a component of the Re-Wilding Oregon Conference to be held at the Lake Creek Lodge in Camp Sherman on May 13. The all-day conference will feature panel discussions on desert and forest ecosystems, carnivores, […]

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Volunteering as Climate Action

Help reverse the overwhelming impacts of climate change by participating in local restoration projects

by Gena Goodman-Campbell April 12, 2023March 27, 2024

Many people see the desert as a dry and barren landscape, but Oregon’s high desert is defined by water. Wetlands and riparian areas, essential habitat that occurs along the edges of rivers and streams, make up only 2% of the high desert, yet nearly all of the wildlife in the region depends on these oases […]

Outside

Understanding Habitat Needs for Greater Sage-Grouse

Local Audubon chapter volunteers engaged in sagebrush-steppe habitat study

by Damian Fagan March 15, 2023March 12, 2025

Greater sage-grouse are iconic birds of the sagebrush landscape. Their entire life history centers around this habitat type, from nesting sites to food sources, making them a key species across 11 western states and two Canadian provinces. But as icons, this doesn’t make them immune from impacts. Threats to the sage-grouse such as habitat loss, […]

Outside

An Awesome Lizard

Venture into the high desert to see side-blotched lizards strut and hunt

by Scott Bowler March 8, 2023July 31, 2024

Lizards are awesome, right? Colorful and interesting. Like snakes, but faster and with legs. Many of the resident lizards in Oregon’s high desert have interesting and evocative names, such as the long-nosed leopard lizard or desert horned lizard or western whiptail. And then there’s the one that might benefit from a PR review: the ubiquitous […]

Outside

Say Hello to Big Sagebrush

This quiet ecosystem engineer builds communities from the ground up

by Rachel R. Renne February 8, 2023February 13, 2025

In May 2021, I hiked the entire 750-mile-long Oregon Desert Trail, touring the high desert plant communities of central and eastern Oregon on foot. Throughout this otherwise lonely trek, one plant was my constant companion: big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.). All three of the major subspecies of this aromatic shrub are found in Oregon. Lower-elevation […]

Outside

Sowing the Seeds of Summer in January

Gardeners plan for vegetable and flower gardens in the middle of winter

by Damian Fagan January 18, 2023April 22, 2024

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 […]

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