A group that has worked to restore upper basin flows in the Deschutes River says short-term steps must be taken immediately to improve habitat for the endangered spotted frog. The Coalition for the Deschutes was formed in 1985 as a not-for-profit corporation to protect the economic, recreational and environmental future of the Deschutes River basin. […]
The Green Issue
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Under the Ice
Glacier cave explorers look for answers
When Brent McGregor and Eddy Cartaya, of the Oregon High Desert Grotto (OHDG) cavers, took on the gigantic project of exploring Snow Dragon glacial cave on Mt. Hood, they didn’t know where it would lead. They took Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Oregon Field Guide crew in to film their under-the-ice adventure, and the success of the […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
The Greener Side of Life
VegNet Bend
Founded in Bend in 2008 by Judy Petullo, VegNet Bend is a local nonprofit that raises awareness about the benefits of a plant-based diet for reasons including health, animal rights and Earth preservation. It all started six months after Petullo lost her daughter in a car accident. “I was walking downtown and saw a pamphlet […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
SOLVE IT for Earth Day April 22 and 23
Earth Day is celebrated all weekend with many volunteer opportunities available in Central Oregon. Hundreds of volunteers are being coordinated through Volunteer Connect for SOLVE IT, Oregon’s largest environmental service event. Community members of all ages are encouraged to join more than 6,000 volunteers across the state on Friday and Saturday, April 22-23. Below are […]
Posted inNews
Side Notes 4/20-4/27
Saving Monarch Butterflies in Central Oregon Monarch butterflies are declining drastically with 80 percent of the population of eastern monarchs lost in the last decade. Central Oregonians can learn how to protect monarch butterflies at two upcoming events in May. May 10 ~ Tom Landis from the Southern Oregon Monarch Advocates will present “Bringing Monarchs […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Ochoco Creek Restoration
The young student from the Powell Butte Community Charter School exudes pride as he successfully plants a willow tree along Ochoco Creek east of Prineville. Along with about 30 other students from the Crook County School system in Prineville, he is participating in field day activities helping to restore a quarter-mile section of Ochoco Creek […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
The Green Issue: Earth Day
All Hands on Deck
Earth Day is coming, Friday, April 22, and this day and the weekend that follows have become a global effort to make the world a better place. Founded in the U.S. in 1970, Earth Day is now celebrated by 193 countries. It’s traditionally a day for education, awareness and volunteering to help with the environment […]
Posted inNews
The Green Issue
Stories of Bend’s Environmental Avengers
It is like the perfect storm—in a good way: The combination of large budgets and the idealism of college-age students. Across the country, college campuses are serving as some of the most impressive laboratories for sustainability practices. And, Oregon State University-Cascades campus is no different, both in regard to the hardware (the buildings) and the […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Change Starts at Home
Local grad encourages community conversations
If Sam Newman’s passion for sustainability could be tapped, it might just qualify as an alternative fuel source. The recent graduate of OSU-Cascades’ Sustainability Program is at once energetic and thoughtful, cycling between rapid-fire commentary and deep reflection. When he talks about the importance of preserving the environment for future generations, Newman has trouble sitting […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Clearly Marked
Sign project aims to mitigate damage to public lands
The Deschutes Paddle Trail is a stunning stretch of nature, skirting along the twisty river, and ducking in and out of fir forests. But that beauty also creates a paradox: The Deschutes River’s beauty attracts hordes of visitors, but not all manage to preserve its natural habitat, trampling off-trail plants and unintentionally damaging adjacent land. […]