Wildlife

Wolves once had a range that covered a vast majority of North America. A concentrated killing campaign drove wolves to the brink, and it is only through hard-fought conservation efforts that these native animals have started to re-establish across their range. Wolves are still slowly returning to the places their ancestors once howled and roamed. Unfortunately, short-sighted politicians have resumed the last century's war-on-wolves, threatening to undo decades of recovery. This webcast provided a thorough overview of the status of wolf protections.

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Bats serve as nature’s fluffy pollinators, pest control agents, and key indicators of cave health. In Oregon alone, there are 15 bat species with the most elusive being the spotted bat. However, important surveys conducted in 2015 in Central Oregon hinted that the species may be more common than initially thought. Learn more about the spotted bat and how community science might be the key to solving this mystery.

Without a doubt, salmon is one of the most iconic species of the Pacific Northwest. Its significance is far-reaching, and for thousands of years, has been at the center of cultural rituals and economic activities. Salmon are also an indicator species, in that they serve as a key measure of ecosystem health and vitality. 

Jeremy FiveCrows of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission spoke about the various salmon species in the state and discussed the cultural and ecological importance of restoring them and their fragile habitat.

Experts Dr. Erica Fleishman, Director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, and Lynn Tompkins, Executive Director of Blue Mountain Wildlife, discussed the recent heatwaves, how they impacted forests and wildlife, and what we can do to combat climate change, restore fragile ecosystems, and support wildlife care centers and their incredible work to protect injured animals.

Don't judge a book by its cover - lampreys may simultaneously be Oregon's most misunderstood and most important fish species! If you look beyond their boneless bodies and slightly terrifying disc mouth, you'll find there's a lot to respect. These fish (yes, they are fish!) are some of the Columbia River Basin's most ancient inhabitants, with origins dating back several hundred million years. That means they pre-date dinosaurs! This webinar features lampreys, their habitat and the historical relationship between the Nez Perce and the species.

Oregon's incredible wildlands are inhabited by an abundant diversity of fish and wildlife. But some of the heftiest members of the state's native megafauna club no longer range its forests, hills, and valleys. Naturalist Ethan Shaw explored the history of two of the West's most iconic species - the mighty American bison and grizzly bear - and their relationship to Oregon. Ethan dived into some of what we know about the where and the when of these big beasts in the Beaver State and how they may have once integrated into local ecosystems.

C’waam and Koptu are sucker fish sacred to the Indigenous peoples of Southern Oregon. This video includes guests from the Klamath Tribes who discuss the importance of these fish, and how drought, water quality, and climate change are bringing them to the brink of extinction.

In October 2017, The Oregonian released a series starring a newborn polar bear cub named Nora, which swiftly went viral. Kale Williams who reported the story went on to win the Scripps Howard Edward J. Meeman Award and the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award for his work on the series, which also won a regional Emmy. Since then, Williams has continued to follow Nora's story, while expanding his lens, spending time with traditional Arctic hunters and closely tracking the research of one of the leading wildlife biologists studying how polar bears are struggling to adapt to climate change.

Learn about the Tongass National Forest - it protects a multitude of fish and wildlife, supports the cultural heritage of indigenous communities, and provides one of the most powerful carbon sinks in the world.

Dogs are well-known as man's best friend, but Rogue Detection Teams also proves that they can be conservation superheroes! This remarkable team of rescued dogs and field researchers help scientists tackle important conservation concerns - like collecting data on endangered species through scat detection in remote locations.