One of the most wonderful things I enjoy about writing this column is all the help I get from friends who enjoy the wild things around us as much as I do. The great American writer and illustrator Maurice Sandak used the title, “Where The Wild Things Are” for his delightful 1963 children’s book. This […]
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Women’s Rugby Gains Momentum
Bend Lady Roughriders reach regional playoffs
“Rugby? I didn’t even know it existed in Bend,” says Mara Burnell in summarizing the common response when the sport is brought up in conversation. There is women’s rugby competition in Bend – and at a high level thanks to the Bend Lady Roughriders, whose following is growing as the sport becomes more popular. They […]
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Spiders in the Northwest
Revisiting hobos, widows and violins
Judging from the phone calls, emails and text messages, things have gotten out of hand in the spider world, especially regarding those thought to be dangerous. Hence, right from the get-go, let’s put the real “Bad One,” the brown recluse, also known as the violin spider—behind us. One, it does not and cannot live in […]
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Go Here 4/20-4/27
High Desert Naturalist Hikes Bend Park and Recreation District is offering two sessions of hikes May 16 to 23 and June 6 to 13 that explore the region’s geology, wetlands, birds, and flowers. Each hike is 4 to 6 miles and runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. In-district cost is $50 and out-of-district cost […]
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Taking a Stand for Wilderness
Central Oregon’s Great Old Broads
In some social circles the term “great old broads” might be considered offensive. However, the Great Old Broads for Wilderness are proud of the label. The organization was formed in 1989 as a protest to Utah Sen. Orin Hatch who opposed a wilderness proposal in his state, declaring that wilderness is inaccessible to the elderly […]
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Bee Well
Backyard beekeepers buzzing along
Tumalo Bee Academy is led by long-time local beekeeper Stephen Harris, who has been working with bees in Central Oregon for about the past 40 years. His business card reads, “Saving the honey bee one new beekeeper at a time.” The goal of the bee academy is to educate and encourage as many new beekeepers […]
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Mountain Bikers Seek Changes to 1964 Wilderness Act
Conservationists fear too much is at stake
Thus far, 2016 has been a controversial year for federal public lands, especially in Oregon where the federal government manages more than 50 percent of the state’s geographic area. First, there was the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge south of Burns. Then, Malheur County residents overwhelmingly voted against creating a possible National […]
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Go Here 4/6-4/13
Oregon’s Spectacular Desert On April 26, the Oregon Natural Desert Association presents its final event in the High Desert Speakers Series in Bend with a discussion of many of the high desert’s most spectacular places. ONDA’s Gena Goodman-Campbell will team up with the Great Old Broads for Wilderness for this 90-minute discussion at Bend’s Old […]
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Oregon’s Moose Count
Every time I drive over the Ochoco Forest summit I start looking for a moose. The willows along the banks of Marks Creek and quiet switchbacks with the deep forest close by give one the impression of really great moose habitat, and, if that were in the Umatilla or Wallowa-Whitman forest, there would probably be […]
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The Life and Times of a Golden Eagle Family
The Central Oregon country is blessed with people who are always ready to pitch in, and “get the job done!” That’s why the free cam streaming the only life-and-times of a golden eagle nest is up and running again this year: www.GoldenEagleCam.com. As anyone who has set up this kind of system knows, it ain’t […]