Outside
Posted inNatural World

Bend into Balance: Willis Mitchell of the Loving Fungi

Mushrooms and humans share a lot more than one might think
by Adriana Mariño

Willis Mitchell’s passion for mushrooms does not go unnoticed. His eyes light up as he enthusiastically explains why he has devoted his life’s work to this remarkable kingdom. During our podcast conversation, he mentioned that fungi are more closely related to humans than to plants — a statement that immediately piqued my curiosity. Rather than […]

Posted inOutside Features

BOO is Bend’s Best-Kept Secret

Bend Oregon Outrigger provides community and Hawaiian cultural connection in the High Desert
by Jada Olson

If you’ve walked around Old Mill or Riverbend in the summer months, you’ve probably seen the 40-foot canoes hauling up to the Healy bridge and back again. Or perhaps you’ve heard the calls of “hut” and “ho” from the riverbank and wondered who was out on the river yelling. Somehow, despite their unavoidable size and […]

Posted inOutside

Bend Adventurer to Tackle Arctic Expedition

Jeska Clark has summitted mountains in North and South America, dove in oceans around the world and even attended space camp. The Arctic is next.
Avatar photo by Dallas Finn Calvert

Imagine dangling upside down, 200 feet in the air, unexpectedly caught in the device that’s supposed to be helping you rappel down the mountain. That’d be enough to make most people panic. Not Jeska Clark. “This sounds so silly, but my hair was hanging down — I had longer hair then — and it got […]

Posted inOutside

Welcome to Gamblertown

Thousands of self-described “Gamblers” descended on Madras on the weekend of June 26 for the 13th annual Gambler 500
by Eli Zatz

  Wind whips through the dry field as large plumes of dust flee spinning tires. The combination of wind and the sound of screaming two-stroke motors sets the ambience for the 2026 OG Gambler 500 weekend. What started out as a 13-person bachelor party in the Oregon woods has grown into the sweeping event that […]

Posted inNatural World

Wolf Coexistence: Compromise & Rethinking

Humans have so altered the natural world that allowing displaced species to re-establish is more challenging now that the wild is often bordered by human activity
by Sue Dougherty DVM MA DACVIM Think Wild Board President

Wolves have certainly been in the news lately! Multiple confirmed sightings of gray wolves have already been recorded this year in La Pine, Sunriver and even Bend. Many people are giddy with the idea of wolves in our nearby forest ecosystems. Yet, some people are fearful and feel this is too close to home. Education […]

Posted inOutside

Protecting Our River that Fish, Plants and Wildlife Need to Thrive

Volunteers are wanted for the 30th annual Deschutes River cleanup
Avatar photo by Nic Moye

Each year, the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council organizes volunteers to clean out the river and riverbanks at six different sites. Last year, about 300 volunteers removed approximately 2,500 pounds of garbage and invasive weeds. The Watershed Council’s Education and Development Director Kolleen Yake says the popularity of the river is taking a toll. “There’s been […]

Posted inOutside Features

Using AI to Detect Wildfires Faster

Multiple agencies in Oregon are using a “human-in-the-loop” model while incorporating AI technology
Avatar photo by Nic Moye

Agencies and officials tasked with keeping vigilant watch over remote areas prone to wildfires have been incorporating artificial intelligence into their toolkit. PacifiCorp, which is embattled in a class action lawsuit for its role in four major wildfires in Oregon during 2020, says its recently invested in advanced cameras and camera networks to monitor wildfire […]

Posted inNatural World

The Buzz on the Sunriver Wildflower and Pollinator Festival

The 35th annual event will showcase native plants, pollinators and habitats
by Damian Fagan

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Central Oregon Wildflower Show and Pollinator Festival, sponsored by the Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory on June 27. This annual event highlights the beauty of native wildflowers and flowering shrubs, and their relationships with a diversity of pollinator species, and coincides with National Pollinator Week, June 22-28. […]

Posted inNatural World

Parasite Thriving in Warming Waters of Upper Klamath River Killing Off Young Chinook Salmon

About one in five Chinook juveniles tested in the Upper Klamath River near the Oregon-California border were infected with lethal levels of the parasite
by Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle

Earlier this month, in an act of urgency after finding many young Chinook salmon dead in the vegetation along the Upper Klamath River near the Oregon-California border, scientists drove to an Oregon expert with several of the fish carcasses they normally would have mailed. Dead fish typically sink to the depths of the river or […]

Posted inOutside Features

Bend into Balance: The Power of Water

An interview with Dr. Bruce Becker
by Adriana Mariño

As I was getting out of the Juniper pool after my regular swim, I couldn’t help noticing the lively masters team getting ready to start their “Fast Friday” session. While Coach Bob was writing the workout on the dry board, swimmers ranging from early thirties to mid-eighties were stretching on land, putting their swim googles […]

Verify your email

We'll send a verification code to .

Sign up for newsletters

Get the best of The Source - Bend, Oregon directly in your email inbox.

Sending to:

Gift this article