Oregon’s high desert – that vast expanse of sagebrush between Bend and Boise, Idaho, – is a truly spectacular place with wonders that reveal themselves through frequent visits and close, quiet observation. While many people confine their desert visits to the spring and fall to avoid summer’s heat and winter’s cold, the desert is enjoyable […]
Natural World
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Species Spotlight: Great Horned Owl
Who’s hooting in the middle of winter?
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 […]
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A Complicated Tree
The ubiquitous Western juniper warrants a closer look
If it seems to you like juniper are everywhere, well, they are. Western junipers are among the most common trees in Oregon — in some areas, essentially the only tree. Once thought to be all one species, recent scientific work has shown that there are actually two species of Western juniper, although the one you […]
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Talking Turkey This Thanksgiving
Entertain friends and family with these turkey tidbits this holiday season
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 […]
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Virtual Fencing: A Paradigm Shift to Livestock Management
Ranchers use technology to manage cattle from the comfort of their home
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 […]
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Natural World Treasures
Some of our favorite recent quotes from Naturalist Jim Anderson
Last week we printed an obituary written by the family of Jim Anderson, who passed Sept. 22 after a long life filled with caring about the natural world—and writing about it, too. While Anderson’s absence will be felt far beyond the pages of this newspaper, where he regularly penned columns for “Natural World,” it is […]
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Aspen, more than your average tree
Glorious fall foliage is just one benefit
Every fall the aspen trees of Central Oregon light up the forest with their brilliant changing colors. There’s just something about their stark white bark, round yellow and orange leaves and delicate quaking sound that is so enchanting. But, did you know that aspens are more than your average tree? They provide year-round benefits to […]
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Jim Anderson, Champion of the Natural World
An ode to our longtime naturalist contributor, who went out among the stars Sept. 22
Jim was born James Oscar Anderson Jr. on March 27, 1928, in West Haven, Connecticut and raised on a small farm. For 16 years, he never had cold hands or a cold forehead—thanks to his grandfather teaching him how to milk cows. He leaves wife Sue, who has lived with him for nearly 50 years, […]
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Boy, Are Millipedes Old!
Do these creatures really have 1,000 legs?
There are probably not too many of you wonderful readers who play games with millipedes and centipedes every day, and probably wouldn’t care if one got into your old socks—but in case you’ve ever been curious about them, please read on. I gotta’ tell you, I’ve been seeing and wondering about ’em since I was […]
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Mariposa Nocturna in Your Backyard
What denizens of the dark roam your backyard at night?
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 […]