Oregon WildBlog

Oregon’s old growth is usually threatened by a predictable cast of characters: timber companies like Lone Rock, organizations like the Association of O&C Counties, and politicians like Rep.'s Greg Walden and Kurt Schrader. You’d probably be surprised by another name on that list: The Oregon Department of Transportation.

If you’re one of the roughly 67% of Americans that gets at least some of their news through Facebook, you’ve probably noticed some changes in your newsfeed. 

Hi there! My name is Heather Lewis and I am the new Marketing and Graphic Design Intern at Oregon Wild’s Portland office. I am going to be a Senior at the University of Portland this fall, where I’ll be studying abroad in Rome and graduating with a B.A. in Communications.

An Experience of a Lifetime

I’ve spent a lot of time in ancient forests over the past year as I work on the new guide to Oregon’s Ancient Forests. Like, a lot, a lot. The forest around Opal Creek is, hands down (and I know I'm not alone in this), one of my favorites.

Oregonians love their Wilderness areas. But some of these fragile landscapes are becoing overwhelmed with visitors. How do we protect what we love?

Many Oregon elementary school children have the opportunity to attend Outdoor School, essentially a blend of camping-plus-school that takes children into the forest to talk about wildlife, water, geology, and plant life. Through songs and traditions, as well as hands-on learning, it’s a fantastic experience that sticks with students for their entire lives. Oregon children are instilled at a very young age with an appreciation of nature.

It’s officially prescribed fire season in many parts of Oregon. Here is a bit of background and a run down of some of the advantages and disadvantages. 

As uncomfortable as it is for many of us to accept it (human nature), wildfire is a normal process for Oregon’s forests, a process that was suppressed for much of the last century. Our forests have evolved over thousands of years with fire, with some of our tree species like the knobcone pine requiring fire to reseed.