As a young girl, Beckie Elgin was the daughter of a zoo director in Des Moines, Iowa. That’s where she first encountered wolves. As she studied them, she became fascinated by their secretive and wild nature. She also knew they were not meant to be pets and needed to be free to roam in the […]
Oregon Explored
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Natural World: Why Coyotes like it in Town
(Hint: There are cats there)
A recent television report about coyotes living in Bend surprised some people. It shouldn’t, since there are coyotes living all over North America today, eating mule deer fawns, chickens and cats—thanks to the actions of the government trappers that started killing coyotes over 100 years ago. They thought they could kill coyotes as easily as […]
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Natural World: Who’s In Your Wood Shed?
One of the things I enjoy about burning wood to keep my home warm is the added enjoyment I have watching who and what falls out as I put the wood in the wheelbarrow. When I’m burning mixed conifer, wood-boring beetles seem to be the most abundant insects that fall out of the firewood, and […]
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Winter Wheels
Snow and ice? Nothing a well-prepped cyclist can’t handle
When the snow hits the ground, it doesn’t mean your bike tires have to leave it. Between the potentially slippery roads, the restrictive snowfall and the unpleasant chill, it seems like an easy choice for cycling commuters to store away their bicycles for the season. Handling winter weather can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. […]
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Making Indian Ford Creek healthy again: Youth ChalleNGe cadets join the restoration fight
As he digs up another shovelful of rock from an illegal dam on Indian Ford Creek, 17-year-old Jason McCabe says, “Im glad to be out here, this is my favorite part of the program, a chance to give back to the community.” The Damascus resident is a cadet in the Oregon National Guard Youth ChallenNGe […]
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Snow Bros
Local brothers are rising stars in the ski and snowboard worlds
Throughout history, many of the greatest teams are siblings: the Williams sisters swept professional tennis, the Wright brothers reached the skies, and the Super Mario Bros. dominated video games. Jonah and Jared Elston may be among those names, soon. The Montana-raised brothers have racked up accolades for their performances in their respective snow sports. The […]
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Quick Fit
Local shoe company lets Special Olympians and other athletes get their kicks on faster and easier
After recovering from a 2010 bike accident that broke his neck and back, George Pierce had another dilemma. The world champion duathlete wanted to make a comeback, but was losing a lot of time changing shoes during the races. “I asked myself, ‘How could I solve this problem? How could I get into the shoes […]
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Don’t Forget the Water!
All summer long the farmers, gardeners, anglers, water skiers, swimmers and just about every insect and other animal on this beautiful Earth are using water to stay alive and enjoy life. In winter, the robins who pig out on juniper berries and other fruit must have water to go with their veggies or they will […]
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Gobble, Gobble, Run!
Get moving before (or after) your feast with these Central Oregon Thanksgiving runs
I Like Pie Run/Walk FootZone’s annual Thanksgiving-themed run/walk is untimed and all about getting some fun exercise before reveling in the holiday. There’s a family-friendly 2k circuit through Drake Park as well as a 5k and 10k option for experienced trotters. The entrance fee is a donation of $5 and 5 lbs. of food for […]
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A Story of Hope
Shooters target one beautiful bird—but a Sisters rehab facility is nursing it back to health
In late October, the staff of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Summer Lake Wildlife Management Area found a severely wounded adult Trumpeter swan and transported it to Broken Top Veterinarian Clinic between Bend and Sisters. The staff of Broken Top contacted Elise Wolf of Native Bird Care, a Sisters wildlife rehab center. From […]