Driftnet fishing is so efficient that it's contributed to overfishing around the world.
Koll Creekside Marsh: The Koll Creekside Marsh is a wildlife refuge and a high tech industrial site. Paragliding: All you need is a chute and the courage to run off a 500 foot hill with the chute open.
Lyme Disease: Watch out for Oregon ticks that may carry Lyme disease. Smith Rock Climbing: Smith Rock State Park is known around the world as a top rock climbing destination. S.O.A.R. A profile of the SOAR organization which builds confidence for those with disabilities.
Seals and Sea Lions: Commercial fishermen blame seals and sea lions for increasingly low catches. Peregrin Falcon Reintroduction: Join us for a trip to the Hells Canyon Birds of Prey Area and see efforts to bring the falcon back to Oregon. Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge: Summer Lake is a bird oasis in the middle of hundreds of miles of desert. Steam Mill: Visit a steam mill and meet the man who has run the placce for more than 50 years.
Rodeo horses and bulls are athletes in their own right. Scientists monitor and study the life cycle of the Dungeness crab.
Join a group of modern-day explorers as they attempt to run Falls Creek in Washington.
The Marmot Dam is scheduled for removal, but how will this affect the Sandy River? Hidden beneath the old bunkers at Fort Stevens State Park is a network of secret tunnels. We visit with an 87-year-old man who builds traditional horse drawn wagons.
Scientists use modern technology to gain a better understanding of deadly Tsunamis. Experts climb up sheer, vertical ice in the frigid outback of avalanche country.
Follow three Oregon State troopers as they patrol the Snake River in Wallowa County. Follow BPA linemen as they climb massive towers to keep the electricity flowing.
Join us on our search for an unnamed, unmapped waterfall in the Mt. Hood wilderness! Canoers and kayakers want to create a "river trail" on the lower Columbia River. Biologists study songbirds to learn more about the human brain.
In Oregon’s dangerous back-country we search for the rare and elusive wolverine. Follow some high-climbing engineers as they work to provide Oregon with a good TV signal. A pair of local sandboarders explore the terrain of the Oregon Dunes.
This special explores the issues with the return of the West's most controversial animal.
The 20th-anniversary special re-visits Oregon Field Guide's most memorable adventures, locations and people. It goes behind-the-scenes to see the funny and sometimes frightening things the crew endured to get the story. From an angry peregrine falcon dive-bombing our videographer as he clings to a narrow beam hundreds of feet above the Willamette River, to a runaway horse nearly dragging a reporter over a steep mountain trail.
See what it took for the men of the Lewis and Clark Expedition just to put a little salt on the table. In the winter of 1806, Lewis and Clark needed salt to preserve meat for their return trip. Their men had to boil seawater over a campfire in order to obtain their salt. Scientists such as Dr. Steve Hammond and Dr. Bill Chadwick of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration study the eruption of undersea volcanoes off the Oregon Coast. The scientists use robotic submarines to examine these massive underwater eruptions and gain a better understanding of the chemical processes at play. Through this research scientists hope to find solutions to the ocean's increasing acidification. A retired Oregon police officer, Mike Full traded his badge for scuba gear in order to search the South Yamhill riverbed for prehistoric fossils. An underwater detective, Mike has collected over 30 percent of the pieces to a giant mammoth skeleton, which other paleontologists call "exceptional". As Field Guide cameras accompany Mike under the water, watch as he makes the discovery of a lifetime right in front of our eyes.
We visit Bagby Hot Springs in the Mt. Hood National Forest and see all the work going on to clean it up and protect the visitors. In the 1990's Bagby had a reputation for alcohol, drugs, vandalism and other crimes. Thanks to improved law enforcement and the work of volunteers from the Northwest Forest Conservancy, families are returning to Bagby. Volunteers have removed trash, maintained trails, educated the public, and restored buildings. Pneumonia is killing off wild bighorn sheep in the Wallowas. Biologists believe that domestic sheep are carrying pathogens that infect the wild bighorns, but ranchers disagree. Watch the incredible lengths biologists go to in their attempt to save the wild sheep and why efforts have ignited a new battle between Oregon and Idaho over how to use public lands. We take you to a beautiful secret garden on Oregon's central coast near Reedsport. Spruce Reach Island is the former estate of O. H. Hinsdale, who planted azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons on the five acre site, now owned by the BLM. After nearly half a century, there's a good chance the public may finally be able to go there. Come see a volcanic lake in the blast zone of Mount St. Helens in southwest Washington. Videographer Michael Bendixen takes you for an up-close visit to the waters of Spirit Lake, including underwater shots of trout swimming in the lake.
The fisher, a member of the weasel family, once thrived in the Pacific Northwest. But now it’s rare to see one. We take a look at what is happening to the population. There may be fewer than 50 fishers in the cascade range. Fishers are elusive, scientist have set up 16 monitoring stations to try to film the secretive mammal. They also try to capture fisher hair by using sticky tape. Hair samples are then sent to labs for DNA analysis. We follow 'reptile hunters' Chris Rombough and Sarah Petrakis into the wilds of the Willamette Valley and the Columbia Gorge to see just how many snakes and other reptiles we can find. Their finds include a garter snake, gopher snake, racer, ringneck snake, western rattlesnake, and an alligator lizard. You may be surprised to see what's hiding right along the trail. A grand experiment ten years ago attempted to save endangered salmon from feasting Caspian terns. We return to East Sand Island near the mouth of the Columbia River and find it seems to have worked. Except now there’s a new danger from an even larger group of double-crested cormorants who have moved in.
Worldwide, a fungal skin disease called chytridiomycosis is decimating frogs and salamanders. The disease may be responsible for declines in some frog and salamander populations in Oregon, but a biologist finds that an ancient species of frog called the tail frog, which lives only in the Pacific Northwest, remains healthy. We follow the camera crew that produces Google’s Street View feature. Immersive Media is on the cutting edge of video technology. Their camera uses eleven lens to capture 360 degree views. The separate angles are stitched together using powerful software, to give one of a kind views of the world around us. We explore the many different uses of this emerging technology in the virtul world. OFG update looking at what dreams did and didn't come true at the Oregon Garden since we last visited in 1999. After a surge in the vole population, farmers and scientist debate whether the underground critters are harmful or helpful. Voles create elaborate underground tunnel systems that can be destructive to fields and crops. However, using probe cameras, scientists are learning new information about voles and vole holes that suggests voles might play a vital role in nature after all.
This has to be one of our most treacherous but beautiful climbs ever, as three climbers from OSU ascend Mount Washington in the central Oregon Cascades. Using harnessess and ropes, they take us along narrow ledges and up sheer cliffs while trying to avoid falling rocks -- it may be dangerous, but what a view from the top! Do you know how to get slug slime off your hands? What’s that weird hole in the right side of every slug? Learn from an Oregon woman who now loves slugs and welcomes them in her garden. Lee Spencer is a volunteer who spends his time watching over a unique pool, called the Dynamite Hole, on the Umpqua river that is a seasonal home to spawning Steelhead Salmon. He spends twelve hours a day at the river's edge to ensure poachers do not disturb this fragile environment. His work ensures the salmon can finish their treacherous journey up river to lay their eggs so that the cycle of life can continue into the future.
An archaeological team is investigating the wreck of a Spanish galleon -- a transport ship -- that went down with as many as 400 people aboard off the coast at Manzanita about 1690. The cargo from that vessel has been washing up on the Oregon coast for more than a century. Now the search is on for the remains of the ship itself. Watch as John Wayland's electric car, the White Zombie leaves high powered gas cars in the dust as Portland makes a home for the National Electric Drag Racing Association. John claims that his car is the world's fastest accelerating street legal electric car. See this 1972 Datsun time and time again take advantage of the electric motor's full torque in the first instant and continue to break world records. Oregon’s native bumblebees are disappearing. We’ll show you why and what one farmer is doing to help bring them back.
Celilo Falls has been the center of an emotional controversy for more than fifty years... we all know it disappeared when the Columbia River was dammed but some tribal members believe the government blew it up first. You'll see brand new history-making images which might finally settle the matter. There is growing concern over the safety of ancient native Columbia River rock art because of housing developments, vandalism and theft. In the past archaeologists tried to keep the locations secret-now there’s a new effort to actually expose the art to the public as part of an educational campaign that encourages ownership.
Oregon's first hut-to-hut biking route is a doozy of a ride through the backcountry around Mount Hood. We follow the Bright boys who enjoy the scenery even as they struggle to stay on course. A tiny beetle which has devastated entire forests in western North America has returned with a vengeance to Oregon. See how the mountain pine beetle is being dealt with. Colorado's mature lodge pole pine forests have been decimated, see how Oregon foresters hope to avoid the same fate. We’ll show you the latest technology to monitor the health of our streams.
An unusually dedicated group of students from Catlin Gabel school not only volunteer, they pay to spend a week in the woods doing forest restoration. The annual Elana Gold Project serves as a living legacy to a former student who died 15 years before. Follow a biologist down dangerous cliff faces and along 300 foot drops in a quest to identify condor nests along the Columbia. Some of the nests are over 100 years old. It's all part of a research project that may help bring the condors back to the Pacific Northwest. Fifteen years ago Oregon Field Guide reported from the crowded banks of the Deschutes river where litter and chaos ruled. Today, the scene is much quieter. But the management plan responsible for reigning in the chaos over the last decade has also had consequences for business and personal freedom.
The wild pigs invading parts of Oregon not only look dangerous-they are. They are vicious predators that are also doing a lot of damage to the land. We’ll show you what’s being done to try and control them. The Oregon Field Guide team profiles how State and private property owners are trying to control this invasive species. Dr. Jason Dunham a USGS Aquatic Ecologist shows you a side of fresh water ecosystems rarely seen. His secret a stationary underwater camera. Scientist can study specimens in the lab, but could not see how they survive in the wild. The underwater camera helps researchers turn entire fresh water streams into laboratories. See up close shots of Rainbow Trout as well as spawning Steelhead Salmon. Standing water and thousands of hungry birds usually mean death to a farmer’s crops. See why a few people in Oregon are intentionally turning to a new form of farming. They’re growing wetlands. Willamette Valley farmer Mark Knaupp's Mud Slough wetland is such an example. Also called a wetland mitigation bank Mark has partnered with the The Wetlands Conservancy to help restore vital habitat.
Hummingbirds aren’t just fun to watch, they're also on the cutting edge of science. The Oregon Field Guide team heads to the University Portland campus to see how scientists are studying hummingbird flight. Their research is being used in both sports medicine, and robotics. In the future tiny robotic vehicles using characteristics from hummingbird flight could be used for surveillance or in search and rescue operations. As the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge turns 100 years old it faces a serious crisis. An invasion by hundreds of thousands of carp threatens this linchpin in the Pacific Flyway. Trumpeter Swan, Whitefaced Ibis and Egret's are just a few of the many birds you can see at the Malheur refuge. Sadly you will not see many birds at Malheur lake as it has been overrun by introduced carp, but efforts are underway to help prevent further habitat loss. After three years of continuous eruption, Mount St. Helens has gone quiet but has not stopped changing. A new glacier has formed in the mouth of the crater and continues to expand. Scientists from the US Geological Survey have deployed a variety of equipment, allowing them to constantly monitor this dynamic environment. Take a rare trip into the crater to see what scientists continue to learn from the Northwest’s most active volcano.
Find out the truth about cats and birds in the Portland metro area. The Oregon Field guide crew introduces you to Bob Sallinger (Conservation Director for the Audubon Society of Portland), and the Audubon's rescue efforts to save wild song birds from cat predation. To help prevent the thousands of song bird attacks per year. Audubon and the Oregon Feral Cat Coalition have teamed up to promote a Spay/Neuter program. Most people can't put the concept of kayaking and fishing together. But for one Oregon couple, it's the only way to fish. Field Guide journeys to the waters off the beautiful Beverly Beach to see how these two kayak fishermen can get into areas that big boats can't and catch prized lingcod. We head into the ocean for a look at new technology designed to keep our coastline safe for seagoing vessels. See how NOAA (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is mapping the coastline off Oregon's coast using multibeam sonar. Join the crew of the research vessel Rainer as they plot the depths of the Columbia River Bar and Grays Harbor in Washington state. As well as the historic wreck of the Admiral Benson passenger ship. The spotted owl may have retreated from the headlines, but it's still in deep trouble. In addition to logging and habitat loss, one of the biggest threat is an invasion of east coast barred owls. A new plan proposes to kill barred owls in certain areas to help give the spotted owls a competitive edge. But will Oregon tolerate shooting one owl to save another?
Learn more about the Eagle Cap Extreme, Oregon's only Iditarod qualifier. Mushers lead their teams through the Wallowa Whitman National Forest in one of two races either the 100 mile or the 200 mile. The Oregon Field Guide crew accompanies the teams and along the way they become part of the story. In addition this episode of Field Guide has some incredibly beautiful shots of the Wallowa's at dawn and dusk. Portland boasts more bicycle riders than most U.S. cities so it's no wonder city planners are doing all they can to make the area as bike friendly as possible. Portland traffic and safety engineers are coming up with innovative ways to prevent accidents. Solutions modeled in bike friendly Holland are migrating to Portland. Bike boxes and designated bike routes are just a couple of the ways Portland leads the nation in bike safety. We check back in with a team of archaeologists searching caves near central Oregon's Summer Lake.
Jim Newman, veteran producer, reporter and "The Voice" of Oregon Field Guide, is hanging up his hiking boots after more than 20 years of covering virtually every corner of the state. This week Field Guide pays special tribute to Jim.
In 2005, just as it seemed Oregon’s urban-rural divide had grown into an unbridgeable chasm, a handful of ranchers from rural Grant county did the unexpected. They invited kids from Portland's Sunnyside Environmental school to live and work along side them and see their side of life. The Urban-Rural exchange has continued every year since. Follow a group of students as they share in both the joy and the misery that comes with real rural life.
Elsie Elzroth is one very dedicated woman. She has spent most of her life helping restore Western bluebird populations to the Corvallis area. The ancient forest that surrounds Portland's Bull Run water supply is off limits to logging after decades of controversy. But questions loom large over fire, climate change, and the risk of leaving a water supply untreated in one of the most pristine watersheds in the nation. Streaked Horned Lark ground-nesting species probably should be extinct by now except that, surprisingly, it has survived in the Portland area because of industrial development.
It takes an expert to build a traditional, seaworthy boat from scratch, right? See how a group of complete amateurs come together to hand-build a traditional style 12 person skin-on-frame "umiak" in just one week. Sixgill Sharks which normally spend their lives at the bottom of the world’s oceans have been found living in the relatively shallow waters of Puget Sound. Recreational divers and researchers lure sixgill sharks in for up close encounters. It’s believed Puget Sound is a sixgill shark nursery: a safe place to give birth and raise hundreds or perhaps a thousand or more young sharks. There has never been a report of a sixgill attack on a human. There’s research to show that the tsunami risk is far more severe than scientists previously thought. We look at Indian oral tradition recounting tsunamis that seem eerily accurate in light of new research. We look at the evidence that proves the risk is great, and what is being done about it in coastal communities.
Knowles Creek used to be a floundering ecosystem, but Charley Dewberry and his team have successfully brought the stream back to life. In their attempts to restore the watershed basin surrounding Knowles Creek, Charley's team's efforts have caused the number of juvenile coho to triple since their restoration began in 1992. Once a controversial project, the scientists who defied conventional wisdom demonstrate how well the project has worked. Turkey Vultures are among the smartest birds in the worlds. Join Oregon’s foremost raptor expert, Jim Anderson, as he takes us on a comical journey from caves to canyons to a roadkill graveyard, all in search of a bird most people dismiss as “just plain ugly”. No, they’re not pretty, and yes, they eat food only after its long dead and stinky, but think about it… what would our world be like it all that dead stuff were left lying around? Update on Oregon State University project to use ocean waves off the Oregon coast to generate power.
In Oregon's central Cascades along the Metolius river, timber harvesters and conservation groups are working together to find a better way to maintain the forests and prevent catastrophic forest fires. The process of selectively thinning restores the health of the forest and provides economic benefits to timber harvesters. Volunteer cleaners nit pick the Oregon Caves. But they’re not looking for trash. The hunt is for something much, much smaller. Even lint and hair contaminates and alters the sensitive cave ecosystem. Explore the fascinating history of Portland's hidden and not-so-hidden public stairways.
The Wallowa River bends again at the 6 Ranch near Enterprise, Oregon. It had been straight for a century. The ranch sacrificed some pasture to restore the river to a more natural path in order to restore endangered fish. Enjoy a little time on the greens with some enthusiastic golfers with special needs. Invasive garlic mustard and Japanese Knotweed are washing like a tide over the west hills toward the Tualatin River. But one Tualatin basin agency is reaching beyond their jurisdiction and sending foot soldiers out to beat back the invaders before they infest the watershed. Two Portland men create a wildly popular bike ride by going out of their way to make it the most difficult ride in the state.
We head to Pacific City to learn more about the growing community of hardcore surfers. There's a place in the coast range so steep, rugged and disorienting that trails don’t go there. Many have trekked in and spent unplanned nights among the ancient trees trying to get out. That place is The Devil’s Staircase, a 30,000 acre area that redefines off-trail adventure. The reward for making it to the heart of this ancient forest, a chance to lay eyes on a rarely visited waterfall and swimming hole along wild, crystal clear Wassen Creek. Washington County wants to expand Hagg Lake to secure enough water for the next 50 years of growth. After years of planning, they’ve hit an expensive snag. New tests show the current dam does not meet today’s standards for earthquake safety.
Every spring, half a million seabirds called common murres come to nest on the rocks off the Oregon coast. As the number of bald eagles has increased in recent years, their attacks have brought havoc to the murre's breeding grounds. Tag along with an Oregon family as they go Geocaching - a game that was born in Oregon and has swept the globe. Using hand held GPS devices players scour the countryside in search hidden treasure. Sometimes hidden in a cave or under a rock these caches contain a log book and some sort of trinket. Players sometimes leave a trinket of their own, if they take what they find, but the real reward is in the hunt for more and more hidden caches. If you’ve taken a drive through the gorge lately, you’ve seen that turbines seem to be sprouting up faster than grass. Wind energy is big business now. Unfortunately, those turbines are taking an unexpected toll on migrating bats.
If you own a boat that runs on gas, maintaining your boat has changed dramatically since the State of Oregon mandated ethanol blend at the pumps. When we think of surveyors, we think about the guy along the road with a laser level. Well there’s another kind of surveyor who’s job is to hike into the wilderness, ensuring that the history of Oregon’s first statewide land survey from the 1800’s isn’t lost to time. Join a 3-day journey deep into the Eagle Cap Wilderness in search of a truly ancient tree. Discovered on a dangerously steep mountain, the limber pine could be among the oldest trees in Oregon – and it’s still alive.
The ocean is turning more acidic as CO2 emissions rise, and shellfish are struggling to survive in the more acidic sea. For those interested in learning more about what is a very complicated topic, check out the following resources; some are fairly academic, others are "plain speak". A tiny, seldom seen bird is discovered alive and well in an unexpected place. Join a biologist who spent more than 300 days tracking dozens of elusive pygmy owls in the middle of city of Portland. They live in Forest Park. Portland hopes to capture some of the 10 billion gallons of rain that flows off 12,000 acres of roofs in the city by promoting eco-roofs. The city and Oregon State University find roofs covered in plants and soil soak up and hold 40 to 55% of the rain that would normally run down storm drains.
The brown pelican has rebounded so successfully, the government has removed it from the endangered species list. Today, the largest pelican roost site in the Northwest sits in Oregon. But when thousands of pelicans lingered too long, winter storms caused severe injuries. Volunteers with the Wildlife Center of the North Coast rushed to save them, nurse them and months later, release them to the wild. Painful, thrilling, crazy -- these are just some of the terms freeriders themselves use to describe their sport. Freeriding is a new twist on a style of mountain biking that originated in Canada where wooden ramps and bridges and logs were laid so bikers could avoid muddy forest trails. Join a group of these daring thrill-seekers in the Oregon forests as they negotiate trails over four-inch logs, high platforms, and bone-rattling jumps. Several endangered Oregon species, including the Kincaid's lupine, rely on oak savannah, a type of habitat that once covered a million acres in the Willamette Valley. Now only pockets of the distinctive landscape of huge oaks and open grassland remains.
A one time dead zone off Oregon’s coast turns out not to be an isolated incident. Oxygen levels are plummeting every summer now. Scientists deploy an army of sensors, including a diving robot explorer, to learn what’s changed in our ocean. For the last 40 years salmon and steelhead have been missing from a place called Whychus creek. But they’re about to come back, and ecologists are getting busy with bulldozers as they prepare for their return. A trip to the Oregon Coast Aquarium for a look at what it takes staff and volunteers to care for thousands of animals.
Arctic White Geese Hundreds of thousands of migrating geese create a blizzard which blankets the sky and covers farmers’ fields. The birds move north from Klamath Falls to Summer Lake to the farms near Burns during their annual migration to the Arctic. The hungry birds create one of the easiest, closest wildlife viewing opportunities in the state. Paragliding Race The Rat Race Paragliding event is like a yacht race in the sky, and attracts 160 of the best paragliding pilots in the world in a mesmerizing display of color and skill. Treeverse Filmmaker John Waller teams up with tall-tree arborists on an unprecedented “treeverse” through the canopy of Oregon white oaks near Canby. The 5-day quest will test the ingenuity and grit not only of the climbers but every shooter, rigger, and John himself. Why brave the cold, mud and storms of March in treetops? To find out if it can be done, sure. But also to celebrate the majestic beauty of these rapidly disappearing native groves.
Elk at Mount St. Helens Thousands of elk live have returned to the landscape around Mount St. Helens. Are there too many for the land to sustain? Scientists go to great lengths to count elk, measure their health and restore elk grazing land washed away in a flood. Lighthouse Photoessay Wonder at the beauty of Oregon's coastal lighthouses. Snowkiting Matt Thames grew up snowboarding in southern Oregon, but once he saw his first snowkite, he was hooked. Now he combines his love of snowboarding with “kiting” to reach heights of 80-100 feet.
Bighorn Release ODFW continues 60 years of bighorn restoration with their latest release in historic sheep country near the John Day Fossil Beds. Within months many of the sheep had spread out through remote canyons and newborn lambs were leaping with them up cliffs. But one group of rams wandered another direction, leading to a serious setback which resulted in their deaths. Photogeology Tour A beautiful tour of the stunning Jordan Craters and Leslie Gulch as we learn more about the wonders of Oregon geology. Willamette Valley Fen Have you ever heard of a fen? These unique geographic features used to be fairly common in Western Oregon and Washington but now they are rare. We visit what may be the last intact fen left in the Willamette Valley and see plant species that exist nowhere else.
Bald Eagle Recovery More bald eagles spend the winter in Oregon than anywhere in the U.S. outside Alaska. The national symbol is no longer endangered. Yet there is one area in Oregon where eagles have trouble successfully hatching eggs. Cyclocross We head to Estacada to witness the bruising sport of Cyclocross, a sport that combines the grit of mountain biking, the speed of road racing, and the crashes of a steeplechase course. Race Organizer Brad Ross has been organizing the Cross Crusade series of races for years, races that now draw up to 1500 people per race. That’s a far cry from what we saw during Oregon Field Guide’s first story on cyclocross 15 years ago. Jim Anderson Jim Anderson is one of Oregon’s most beloved naturalists. We celebrate his legacy and the many stories he’s been involved with over the decades on Oregon Field Guide.
Nature Sounds Recording John Hartog is a nature sound recordist. Just as painters paint a landscape, or photographers photograph it, John heads into the countryside (Sauvie Island and Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge) with a microphone and a recording deck to capture the natural sounds of wild Oregon. These audio ‘snapshots’ in time tell us something about the place we live, and the wildlife that share it with us. Silver Falls State Park 1.5 million people every year make Silver Falls State Park the most popular state park in Oregon. They may be surprised to learn that 80 years ago that a town sat there, the area was full of stumps and the biggest waterfall was a daredevil's playground. Silver Falls was saved by a single-minded photographer determined to protect it for everyone to enjoy. Zumwalt Cooperation Despite a century of cattle grazing, Oregon's Zumwalt Prairie remains healthy. A new study by Oregon State University shows low to moderate levels of grazing does not harm the survival of ground nesting birds. The Nature Conservancy's Zumwalt Prairie Preserve also allows grazing in a rare partnership of ranchers and conservationists.
Avalanche Safety We follow students taking a level-one avalanche course with regional expert Glenn Kessler. The course includes snow profile analysis, avalanche beacon drills and basic snow science. Fishing Quotas Join a trawler on the high seas as he makes the worst catch imaginable: highly restricted canary rockfish. He must handle the unwanted haul under a brand new set of rules imposed on the industry in 2011. Catch shares now give out individual quotas of fish and hold those trawlers accountable when they catch too many. It's the biggest change to west coast trawling in 50 years. Music in Nature We follow musicians Deklun and Pace from Mount Hood to the coast as they find natural homes for their unique Electronic/trumpet musical improvisations. With a 1000 watt sound system, a computer and a trumpet, they don’t play for crowds. They play for an audience of nature alone.
Columbia Gorge: The Fight for Paradise As the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Act turns 25, a look back at its dual mandate of protection and economic development.
Open Water Swimming When you think about competitive swimming you probably picture what you see at the Olympics. Long pools. One swimmer per lane. But many people prefer something different: swimming across open lakes. Late in the summer of 2011, Eel Lake near Coos Bay, Oregon featured some serious racing - and a goofy obstacle course. Pine Butterflies An exceedingly rare population explosion of pine butterflies fills the Malheur National Forest with a virtual snowstorm in August. The mysterious outbreak may occur for 2 or 3 years and then disappear for 3 decades. The beauty extracts a price: the butterflies, while caterpillars, ate needles off 250,000 acres of trees. Radon Public health authorities tell us that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US, and the highest among non-smokers. But scientists have only been aware of radon as a health hazard since the early 1980s. So, just how big a health risk is radon? We take a look at the geologic conditions that account for radon’s presence in Oregon as well as the current health science, testing and mitigation thinking on the subject.
Chetco River Revisited Oregon Field Guide journeys back to the remote, Chetco river almost 10 years after the massive Biscuit fire engulfed the Chetco’s remarkable wilderness river canyon. We discover that the river remains as remote and difficult to access than it was before the fire, and yet it’s even more enticing. Gold Fish We follow a team of ODFW fish biologists as they try to stop one of the state’s most destructive invaders – gold fish. It turns out that the harmless gold fish most of us had as pets are far from harmless. In fact, if gold fish find their way into Central Oregon’s Crane Prairie reservoir, they could spread throughout the upper Deschutes watershed and destroy the region’s lucrative sport fishing economy. Muddy Boots Worms, chickens, bees and gardens of fresh veggies lure children to play and learn outdoors. Portland's Muddy Boots Family Nature Club tackles "nature deficit disorder" by getting kids away from video games into a world of wonder.
Beacon Rock Climbing Jim Opdycke is the unofficial “mayor” of Beacon rock. He’s climbed this spectacular basalt monolith in the Columbia gorge for over 40 years and has contributed perhaps more than anyone else to the unique traditional, or traditional, climbing culture of Beacon. We join Jim on a climb up the 900 foot face of Beacon Rock, cameras in tow, and learn about the specialized style of climbing known as “trad”- considered the most pure of climbing styles. Ditch Fish Willamette Valley farmers learn that in addition to their intended crops, they’ve been raising fish in their fields for years and never knew it. Researchers found young native fish thriving in ditches that fill with water during the winter, an unrecognized habitat until recently. Newberry Crater Geothermal EGS, Enhanced Geothermal Systems, hopes to get hot water out of a dry well just outside the Newberry Crater. The experiment hopes to create massive reservoirs two miles under ground. The earth would heat the cold water injected into fissures in the rocks and pumps would bring the hot water back out for energy production.
Balloon Archaeology Archaeologists trade working on hands and knees for a viewpoint floating high overhead. Rare access to a helium balloon and remote controlled camera provides the clearest view of the most intriguing discovery in Oregon in years: stone circles that resemble the medicine wheels found in Wyoming and farther east. Biscuit Fire 10 Years Later Bernard Bormann, with the Pacific Northwest Research station, had been studying the forests’ of the Siskiyou mountains for years. When the 500,000 acre Biscuit fire burned through his research plots, he first thought all was lost. But in the 10 years since the fire, he’s been able to compare life before and after fire to reveal an amazing amount of new information about how life returns to the forest after fire. Collier Glacier For more than a century, photographers have been taking pictures of the Three Sisters’ Collier Glacier. What they didn’t know was they were also documenting the dramatic retreat of Oregon’s largest glacier. USGS Geologist Jim O’Connor takes us to this beautiful area to take this year’s photo and learn what it all means from PSU glaciologist Andrew Fountain.
Kite Festival Tonight we have a story about a sport that includes floating.. fighting.. and synchronized dancing. That's one way to say: this isn't your grandfather's way to fly kites. Field Guide's Vince Patton and videographer Michael Bendixen found kites from two inches wide to the size of a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon… at the largest kite festival in Oregon, in Lincoln City. Trees and Pollution Emerging research shows that if plants and trees are planted in certain locations, they can make air pollution worse. The plants emit isoprenes which combine with man-made pollutants to create ozone. Ultralight Hiking Clint “Lint” Bunting came to backpacking late in life, but once he took to it he went “all in”. He has hiked over 14,000 miles, including all of the big American Thru hikes: the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Ice Age Trail and the Continental divide Trail, some of them twice! What’s more, he now hikes for weeks at a time with an 8-pound pack, significantly less than the 40-50 pounds many backpackers typically carry.
Bug Chicks Kristie Reddick and Jessica Honaker are two entomologists on a mission. They want people to think differently about bugs. Canoe Journey Tribal canoe journey and science connect in Salish Sea. Cape Arago Photo Essay Revisited Videographer Nick Fisher beautifully captures sunsets, rolling clouds and stunning shots of the beach at high and low tide. Pacific Crest Trail Think about what it takes to hike over 2600 miles in a summer. Now, think about what it takes to do it as an 11 year old! That’s what one father/daughter team from Salem did one summer as they hiked the entire Pacific Crest trail from Mexico to Canada. And they shared with us an amazing story of their adventure.
From all around our region, Mt Hood sits on the horizon like a tantalizing gem. Who hasn’t dreamed of climbing it? In fact, people come from around world to do just that. But as Oregonians, we’re lucky enough to have it in our own back yard. Tonight, Jule Gilfillan explores the history, challenges and rewards of climbing our highest peak.
Cranberry Farming Oregon cranberry farmers call the south coast the NAPA valley of cranberry farming in the US. A longer growing season produces sweet berries. But don’t believe the myth that they grow in watery bogs. Cranberry fields are flooded only two days a year to help the farmers get the berries off the vine at harvest time. Grebes Walk on Water How on earth do grebes dance on the surface of the water? Thanks to high speed cameras we see just how grebes can propel themselves as if they walk on top of the water in the Upper Klamath Lake. It is an amazing sight. North Umpqua Geology Join us on a journey to another Oregon location that is unique in the world. Southern Oregon’s North Umpqua River is one of our more dramatic landscapes: a place where rivers collide and three distinct mountain ranges meet. It is an incredible trip into this geologic wonderland.
Citizen Science Scientists are increasingly turning to citizens for help gathering data. Ice Diving Why would anyone intentionally dive into a frozen lake? Field Guide follows ice divers from the Klamath County Dive Search & Rescue Team into a dangerous world of freezing temperatures and surprising beauty. Time-lapse Photography We follow photographer Ben Canales to find out how he gets his stunning time-lapse imagery.
Cattle Drives A historic cattle ranch in southeastern Oregon moves cows every day. In many ways, cattle drives there have changed little since a century ago. The ranch herds cattle from one end of a million acre range to the other over the course of a year. Gorge Weeds The Columbia Gorge is one of our favorite playgrounds. But recreational use brings in noxious weeds that crowd out native species and upset the area’s ecological balance. We take a look at the challenges state agencies, land managers and non-profit groups face in trying to control the influx of these invasive “game-changers” and their efforts to coordinate these efforts. Timberline 75th Oregon’s Timberline Lodge was part of FDR’s Works Progress Administration - a program that not only put people to work, but also preserved some of the finest of the Northwest’s indigenous arts. Despite the museum-quality art and hand-made furnishings, Timberline is still open to the public today. Could a large-scale public works project like Timberline, focused on recreation be built today? Probably not. But this year’s 75th anniversary provides an opportunity to celebrate our region’s enduring heritage.
Mt. Hood's Volcanic Past Mt. Hood is an active volcano with a history of relatively recent eruptions. Warren Falls A man-made waterfall in the Columbia Gorge blocks a natural fall. One man wants to end that. Yellow Tuft Alyssum A new invasive species from Europe has been introduced in the Illinois River valley.
Cloud Cap Inn Cloud Cap Inn on Mt Hood’s north side endures as the oldest alpine lodge in the US. Drift Diving Take a dive into the chilly Wilson River as we hunt for Salmon, Steelhead, and Trout as part of a research project to see how well they're doing. Jim Rogers Jim Rogers helped create two wilderness areas on Oregon’s south coast along the Elk River.
Aerial Fish Stocking Oregon uses helicopters every other year for aerial fish stocking in high mountain lakes. Hiking from Portland to the Pacific Coast A Portland man finds a way to hike from Portland to the coast without building new trails. Stormwater Stormwater is a toxic cocktail of sediment, grease, road grime, tire wear and any litter small enough to slip into storm drains. And that’s just what can be seen. There’s much more.
Autumn Rivers Photo Essay A beautiful tour of Oregon's rivers in Autumn. Condors and Lead Bullets Endangered condors released to the wild get ill and die from lead poisoning. Outdoor School Outdoor School has been part of life in Oregon for more than 40 years. We look at the past and present of this beloved institution.
Christmas Bird Count The Christmas Bird Count provides the nation’s best record of the rise and fall of bird populations. Forest Park BioBlitz Follow an army of wildlife experts and volunteers as they scour Portland’s Forest Park for every animal species they can find in twenty-four hours. Llama Backpacking Like the backcountry but can’t carry a heavy pack? Try a llama.
Backpacking the Olympic Coast Three women backpack along the rugged Olympic Peninsula wilderness coastline. Columbia River Toxins Tests show the mid-Columbia river shares the same contamination as the lower river. Portland Fruit Tree Project Learn how one non-profit is turning Portland’s many fruit trees into a community resource.
River of the Rogues River of the Rogues tells the story of the people and events that shaped the Rogue River.
Diving for Science Science divers brave hostile waters & see a world of life and beauty off the Oregon coast. Hanami Each spring, Portlanders are treated to a spectacular display of Yoshino cherry blossoms.
The White Salmon River Runs Free: Breaching the Condit Dam The Condit Dam removal helped endangered salmon. But is removing dams the new norm?
Dory Builder Pacific City, Oregon owes its identity, and its fishing industry, to dory boats. The flat-bottomed, no-keel boats take off from dry sand directly into the surf. When they return, fishermen throttle up full blast to slide back in using the beach as their brakes. A group of students from Linfield College are making a major effort to preserve the unique history of the dory boats and the community that relies on them. The Tuesday Crew Since the early 80s, one group of dedicated volunteers has shown up, rain or shine, snow or ice to help maintain Portland’s Hoyt Arboretum. Thanks to efforts, this 187-acre tree museum and its 12 miles of trails stay in good condition year-round. Willamette Greenway One of the boldest plans ever proposed in Oregon called for a park 200 miles long, lining the banks of the Willamette River all the way from Springfield from Portland. The plan hit opposition from farmers when the state started seizing farmland. The Greenway still exists but in a much different form today.
Classroom at Crater Lake Through the Classroom at Crater Lake program, Ona’s students get a special outdoor learning experience, bringing them face-to-face with fallen log ecosystems, Central Oregon geology, species unique to high alpine forests, and autumn weather. Photographer Bill Wallauer Oregonian Bill Wallauer grew up hunting and enjoying the outdoors in Joseph and Grants Pass. But when he joined the Peace Corps in 1989 and befriended renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, his life changed forever. 20 years later, Bill himself has become an internationally known wildlife photographer and behavioralist. We go along with Bill to a closed and protected natural research laboratory at Mt St Helens to photograph some of the Northwest’s most camera-shy inhabitants, elk. Wolf Haven International For many people the opportunity to learn more about one of nature’s most efficient predators, the wolf, only comes from TV, books and the Internet. A wolf sanctuary near Tenino, Washington, Wolf Haven International is one of the few places where people are guaranteed to see and sometimes hear this elusive creature up close. Although Wolf Haven’s primary mission is to rescue captive born wolves and give them a comfortable place to live, they also provide a unique educational experience for thousands of students and visitors each year.
For 25 years now, Oregon Field Guide has been bringing stories of the most beautiful places in the Pacific Northwest to OPB TV. Join producers and videographers - both past and present - for behind-the-scenes stories and memories in this one-hour special.
Mountaineers Brent McGregor and Eddy Cartaya invite the OFG crew on an expedition to film and photograph the largest known glacier cave system in the lower 48 states — located on the Northwest face of Mt. Hood.
Sneaker Waves; Glacier Caves - Behind the Scenes; Frank Moore Segments Oregon Coast Sneaker Waves Can Take Deadly Toll Behind the Scenes of Glacier Caves Frank Moore
Wolverines Found; Buzz Bowman; School for the Blind Ski Day Segments Wolverines Found In Oregon Buzz Bowman, Ski Patroller School for the Blind Ski Day Hands-On Environmental Education In Hood River
Disappearing Frogs Update; Imperial Stock Ranch; Thundereggs Segments Amphibian Declines Driven by Complex Causes Imperial Stock Ranch Geologic Snowflake Hunters Flock To Oregon For Thundereggs
Trout Creek Raptors; Apple Detectives; Double Damned Race Segments Hidden Beauty: The Palisades of Trout Creek Apple Detectives Try To Save Thousands Of Varieties Double Damned Race
Disappearing Lake; Ice Crawlers; Mushrooms Segments Disappearing Lake Ice Crawlers Mushrooms
Oregon Land Use; Smith Rock Revisited; Sea Cave Kayaking Segments Oregon Land Use Smith Rock Revisited Sea Cave Kayaking
Oregon Field Guide photographers dive below the ocean and scale volcanic mountains to bring you exquisite wonders many Oregonians have never seen.
Oregon Field Guide special: Mustangs of Oregon. Wild horses are in crisis as more now live in captivity than in the wild.
Grande Ronde Wildflowers- One very special spot in the Grande Ronde Valley is home to some of the rarest flowers in Oregon. First Salmon Ceremony- We travel to Gold Hill, OR in time to join the Siletz Tribes for their first salmon ceremony. Snow School- Educational Recreational Adventures takes students whose family roots trace to Africa and the Middle East to Snow School.
McKenzie River Trail: 26-miles of natural wonders earn this trail the nickname "America's #1 Trail"
Black Rock Mountain Biking: A group of dedicated mountain bikers have constructed ramps, jumps, banks and crazy features for one of Oregon's only designated 'bike only' trail systems. The all volunteer-created Black Rock mountain biking area outside of Salem has grown to become a destination for thrill seeking 'freeriders' from all over the West.
Crystal Springs Restoration In the early 2000s we visited Portland’s Reed College campus to look at what was then the beginning of an effort to bring salmon back to an urban stream. We returned this past summer to see how things have turned out. We find an urban creek that's now home to river otters, brook lamprey, steelhead and salmon. Tsunami Anniversary The March 27, 1964 "Good Friday" earthquake rocked Southcentral Alaska with 5 minutes of shaking. The magnitude 9.2 earthquake left communities in ruins and triggered a tsunami that traveled south at over 500 mph towards Oregon. When the tsunami struck Oregon and California hours later, it destroyed homes, flooded communities and killed 11 people. It remains the largest tsunami in U.S history. Wilderness Medics The Reach and Treat Team trains every month to take professional paramedic skills into the wild. AMR provides advanced life support in the wilderness when medics join in rescues in the snow, dangling from ropes and in rushing rivers.
In 2012, the 100 foot-tall Condit Dam was removed from the White Salmon River in southeast Washington, making it the largest dam in the world ever removed. The goal was simple: Restore habitat for threatened salmon. This first-ever project tested the ingenuity of those tasked with the massive project. But it may also represent a turning point. In a region built on hydropower, is removing dams for threatened salmon the new norm?
Oregon Field Guide spent a year-and-a-half probing into the state of Oregon’s preparedness, and found that when it comes to bridges, schools, hospitals, building codes and energy infrastructure, Oregon lags far behind many quake-prone regions of the country.
A story behind the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife plans for more overpasses for wildlife that will save both wildlife and drivers. See what went wrong on a behind-the-scenes look at a 2014 story of a Field Guide shoot on Mt St Helens, and discover sand labyrinths created by resident Denny Dyke in Bandon.
This week on Oregon Field Guide. East Sand Island is home to a large colony of Cormorants who are feasting on wild salmon. Learn what the Army Corps intends to do to protect those salmon. Other stories this week - See how an Italian pasta machine and a doughnut maker might help regrow burned deserts. And can a mushroom save the honeybee? We end the night with a photo-essay of Oregon's lighthouses.
A record number of sea lions are showing up on the Columbia River. Government and tribal biologists believe they are eating too many endangered salmon. Are severe measures needed? And a story about oysters, which, like wine, take their distinctive flaor from the aquaculture of their home bays. Learn more about their unique "meroir".
A geologic mystery in the Cascades captivates tourists heading over Santiam Pass. Lost Lake has two holes, acting like bathtub drains but where does the water go? Join us also for the Maryhill's "Festival of Speed", a gravity sports festival attracting racers from around the world, and Tenkara, an ancient simple form of fly-fishing from Japan.
Meet a couple who like waterfalls so much, they visited over 300 elusive, hidden falls away from any trail or tourist. We will also follow members of the Umatilla Tribe who are in the final phases of relocating Meachum Creek. And Portland's Christmas ships - a 60-year-old tradition. We ride along and get to know some of the local crews!
A stand-up paddleboard adventure down the John Day River, the longest undammed river in Oregon. Field Guide takes you behind the scenes as we head into the Oregon wilderness in search of a hidden geologic wonder. A visual journey of the forests and waterfalls of the upper north fork Lewis River.
We investigate why natural meadows are disappearing from the Pacific Northwest. 98 year old Frankie Dugal carries on a ranch tradition of horse-hair “mecate” ropemaking and is passing it on to the next generation in the southeast Oregon town of Jordan Valley. We travel to Washington's Methow Valley to see how they're adopting a new form of recreation - fat bikes.
Bar pilots brave weather & dangerous seas as they help commercial ships navigate the treacherous Columbia bar. Join us for a tour of Wasco County and get a look at small town living as we meet some of the interesting characters that call Dufur, Oregon home.
Oregon Field Guide revisits a story that originally aired in 2009. When it seemed that Oregon's urban-rural divide had grown into an unbridgeable chasm, a handful of ranchers from rural Grant county invited Portland school students to live and work alongside them, to see their side of life.
Who's watching out for the 600 sensitive species of Oregon wildlife? Find out why many biologists say Oregon is falling behind when it comes to protecting species across Oregon. Inspired by our recent visits to the Valhalla slot canyon, we wondered just how these unusual features form. And see how the Columbia River system's once-abundant smelt runs are officially threatened.
Join us on a remote expedition down 22 miles of the Wenaha river in Oregon's Blue Mountains where we encounter low water, log-jams and the blackened forest burned by the Grizzly Bear fire of 2015. We'll take you outdoors to a preschool with no buildings and visit with Erl McLaughlin of Enterprise, a wheat rancher, who spends his winters collecting and refurbishing tractors of every shape and size.
Prior to the eruption of Mt St Helens, few people realized there were mountain goats living in the area. Oregon Field Guide joins a survey to check on these high-climbing, sure-footed mammals. Meet Lynn and Bob Tompkins, an eastern Oregon couple who started Blue Mountain Wildlife, a raptor rescue facility. And see how bird advocates are testing out a replacement chimney for roosting swifts.
A look at how the isolated, storm-battered lighthouse on Tillamook Rock earned the nickname "Terrible Tillie." See the pleasures of river snorkeling and all lies beneath even the smallest bodies of water. And a simple broadcast of the comings and goings of ships passing Astoria has evolved into the most popular show on KMUN. It illuminates the sometimes invisible world of mariners.
Oregon Field Guide joins geologist Dr. Liz Safran and river guide Audrey Gehlhausen for a journey through the geologic wonderland of the Owyhee Canyonlands. Beginning in the small town of Rome, Oregon, our cameras reveal a raw and breathtaking landscape sculpted by lava flows, landslides and volcanic eruptions.
The once spectacular glacier caves documented by Oregon Field Guide in 2013 are disappearing far faster than anyone predicted. Why? What role is climate and weather playing in the formation and destruction of these caves?
We follow prisoners at the Snake River Correctional Institution as they grow and transplant specially selected sagebrush seeds to assist the BLM in future eastern Oregon restoration efforts. And the beauty and sounds of Oregon - a visual celebration from around the state - under the stars at Oregon's Star Party, at the great Steam Up in Brooks, Oregon, blooming gardens and frozen lakes!
Bats across the Northeast started dying by the millions back in 2006. The culprit was a mysterious disease called white-nose syndrome and now its in the Northwest. South Prairie is a mysterious 85-acre lake in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest of SW Washington. It appears each spring, and disappears each summer. What's the secret? We remember Jeff Douglas and show one of his favorite stories.
1. Circling Crater Lake In Winter Is No Summer Picnic: To circle Crater Lake in the summer is easy. In the winter, it is an entirely different story. 2. OPB Tower Engineers Help Rural Community Stay Connected: OPB's field engineers are like the intrepid letter carriers, braving snow, wind, ice, scorning sun and everything in between to maintain the hardware that carries OPB’s radio and TV signals. 3. Photographing Parkdale In Winter: Parkdale, Oregon, is known for its agriculture, but the quiet winter months offer supreme opportunities for photography, especially with the majestic Mount Hood as its backdrop.
1. Finding Oregon's Tallest Trees Gets Help From Technology: LiDar technology helps identify Oregon's tallest trees. But humans still need to climb the trees to confirm those readings. 2. Trek The Spectacular Wallowa Mountains With Legendary Mule Packer: Trek the backcountry of the Wallowa Mountains the old school way, with mules taking the heavy loads. 3. By Removing A Derelict Fence, Volunteers Make Way For Wildlife: A group of backcountry volunteers are racing against a deadline to remove a derelict fence from the land. These old barbed wire fences are hazards to wildlife, a last vestige of ranching.
1. Oregon Scientist Hunts For New Species In 1 Man’s Backyard: You don’t have to delve into the densest rainforest or the deepest ocean trench to discover new species. Chris Marshall finds them in the most familiar places. 2. California Or Mars? Rafting In The Red Canyons Of North Fork: The North Fork is a pocket of red planet oddness here on Earth. 3. Portland Photographer Captures The Art Of Oil Pollution: Portlander Kevin Coulton is on a crusade to bring awareness to oil runoff through photography, one drip at a time. 4. Oregon's Agricultural Landscape Can Take Your Breath Away: A photographic essay showcasing the beauty of Eastern Oregon's agricultural landscape.
1. Step Back In Time At This Small Town Ski Hill: Warner Canyon: It's small, it's simple — and locals work hard to keep it that way. 2. Friends Of Trees: Putting Down Roots In Winter: Friends of Trees has spread from a neighborhood cooperative to a regional tree-planting powerhouse. 3. On A Wing And A Prayer: A Butterfly Rescue On San Juan Island: Rising seas test a rare butterfly’s comeback. The Island Marble thought to be extinct was rediscovered on San Juan Island. Biologists are scrambling to keep it alive.
1. The Trail That's Not A Trail Through The Oregon Desert: Oregon's newest long-distance trail charts a rugged course through the heart of the desert. 2. The Hidden World Of Oregon's Overlooked Falls: Surrounded by derelict shells of old mills and factories, the largest waterfall in Oregon has been a mystery to most. Until now. 3. Pyrosomes: Mysterious, Pickle-Shaped Visitors Of The Deep: The pickle-shaped sea creatures known as pyrosomes are rarely seen along the West Coast, but this year millions of them showed up. No one knows why they're here or how long they'll stay.
1. All Aboard The World's Largest Miniature Railroad: Train Mountain is the world’s largest miniature railroad, with 36 miles of tiny track, weaving through 2,300 acres of forest in remote southern Oregon. 2. The Tricky, Terrifying, Tedious Work On A Tug Boat: A trip down the Snake and Columbia Rivers aboard one of the tugs that push barges of grain, wood chips, garbage and other payloads between Lewiston and Vancouver year-round. 3. Horse Logging At The Harmons: Oregon’s last horse logger and a family of foresters look to the future by carrying on a legacy of the past.
Mount Hood: Climbing Oregon's Highest Peak: Jule Gilfillan explores the history, challenges and rewards of climbing our highest peak.
1. Truffle Dogs Sniff Out Culinary Gold In Oregon Forests: With the help of dogs, the Oregon Truffle Festival is elevating the international reputation of Oregon truffles. 2. Looking For Food In All The Wild Places: John Kallas teached people how to harvest a flavorful bounty of weeds, plants and shellfish to supplement the culinary desert of the modern supermarket. 3. Oregon's 'Napa Valley' Of Cranberry Farming: Thanks to a longer growing season that produces sweet berries, Oregon's south coast has earned a reputation among some producers as the "Napa Valley" of cranberry farming. 4. The Sweet Taste Of Autumn At Cedar Creek Grist Mill: A picturesque gristmill in southwest Washington state revives the joys of nostalgic traditions.
1. Drones In Research: A new generation of drones are giving scientists new ways to research the natural world. 2. Legacy Of A View: The Secret Story Of The Shire: How an architect, an activist and a curious piece of land saved the Columbia River Gorge. 3. A Greener Future For Oysters?: Could eelgrass and kelp protect a $100 million Northwest oyster industry from the effects of ocean acidification and climate change? 4. Valley Of The Giants: A tour through the Valley of the Giants, an intact grove of ancient hemlock, cedars and Douglas fir in the Oregon Coast Range.
1. Threatened Oregon Silverspot Butterfly: An Oregon native butterfly has been federally listed as a threatened species for 30 years. 2. The Lloyd Brothers Of Mount Adams: Find out why the Lloyd twins have committed a lifetime to Mount Adams – the overlooked giant of the Cascades. 3. Western Bog Lily On The Decline: The Western bog lily once thrived in the marshes and bogs of southwestern Oregon – but they’re on the decline. 4. Winter Dawn At Hosmer Lake: At the height of summer, a trip to Hosmer Lake in the Deschutes National Forest means suiting up for battle against thick clouds of mosquitoes. That’s why "Oregon Field Guide’s" Nick Fisher waits for winter to break out his camera.
1. A Turning Of Seasons At Alpha Farm: A commune from a colorful era hangs on deep in the Coastal Mountains 2. Freshwater Mussels Of The Willamette: A large population of native freshwater mussels has been found thriving in an urban stretch of the Willamette. But what do they really tell us about the health of the river? 3. Unlikely Hikers: A Hiking Group For The Rest Of Us: Not everyone feels welcome in the outdoors. Unlikely Hikers wants to change that.
1. Urban Falconry: A Very Portland Solution: Lots of urban areas have crow problems. But Portland may have pioneered a novel solution. 2. Climbing Back Up: The Return of The Northwest's Fishers: The cat-sized tree climber is mounting its comeback, inspiring one of the largest species reintroduction projects in the Pacific Northwest. 3. Ain't No Mountain High Enough: Photographer Todd Sonflieth: "Oregon Field Guide" photographer Todd Sonflieth is not afraid of heights. 4. 'Oregon Field Guide' Hikes, Captures Scenes From The Olympic Coast: "Oregon Field Guide" photographer and editor Michael Bendixen shares stunning imagery of the Olympic Coast, at Washington's Olympic National Park.
After a massive bee die-off, scientists launched a new effort to determine exactly how many bee species still call Oregon home. Also, meet self-taught mechanics who build and sail steamboats. Then join three skiers on a 22-mile trek through the Three-Sisters backcountry.
Visit Siletz Bay for Bill Lackner's annual free clamming and crabbing clinics. Then learn why wildlife managers are transporting sea lions out of Willamette Falls, and follow the Siskiyou Mountain Club as they carve out a trail system in the once fire-ravished landscape of Oregon's Kalmiopsis Wilderness.
Master gardener Ron Spendal has taken it on himself to learn more about mason bees, a native pollinator and backyard favorite. Every year, volunteers snorkel Northern California’s entire Salmon River Watershed to count, and hopefully protect, its spring Chinook. And scientists are finding that certain songbirds are thriving in Oregon's old growth forests, even as they're declining in numbers elsewhere.
Astoria is home to a program that’s launching the careers of America’s next generation of merchant mariners. The oceans are getting noisier, and scientists are trying to learn how that sound pollution may be affecting whales. What if you love speed and the freedom of sailing? One solution is to head to the desert and rig up up your sails there. And enjoy autumn splendor on the Metolius and Deschutes rivers.
A former chemical weapons depot has become a refuge for ground-nesting owls. Biologist Dave Johnson heads the effort to save them. Follow a team of students from the University of Oregon's Institute of Marine Biology as they pry up rocks and wiggle into tight crevices in search of diverse ocean specimens. And view the 2017 total eclipse from a unique perspective.
Ghost towns, planes with trees growing through them...and a cult of followers who share all that is Abandoned Oregon. One of the most beautiful and sought-after maps of the United States was designed by a man who sees maps as art. And he lives right here in Oregon. Canadian lynx, huckleberries, even spring chinook salmon — many species have adapted to wildfire and depend on it for their survival.
Columbia River Water Trail: An exploration of the 140-mile canoe and kayak trail down the Columbia River. Great Grey Owls: Wildlife photographer Ken Shults searches Central Oregon for the elusive great grey owl. Columbia River Model Railroad Club: Explore an epic replica of the Columbia Gorge — in miniature — where train lovers are powering the hobby full steam into the future.
An Oregon Field Guide special report: Unprecedented numbers of non-native species are showing up on Northwest shores after hitching a ride on plastic debris. Plastics are a growing problem in the world's oceans, and more than half of that trash gets there through rivers. How is Oregon contributing to the problem? We'll travel the state, testing some of our most iconic rivers for tiny plastics to see where the trash is showing up. Scientists predict that plastic in the ocean will eventually outweigh fish in the ocean. Many of those plastics are ending up in our seafood.
Tide Pooling with Jane Lubchenco: We tag along the OSU distinguished professor and former NOAA chief as she explores the tide pools of the central Oregon coast with her family. The multi-generational outing allows Jane to lead her grandchildren through a hands-on investigation of the clever strategies these tenacious and beautiful lifeforms use to thrive in a harsh environment, as well as reflect on the future health of our oceans. WAAAM Museum: We take to the road and sky in a bygone way, thanks to the volunteers of the Western Antique Areoplane & Automobile Museum in Hood River, Ore. Tilly Jane: Some mountain getaways are sought out for seclusion, but the historic Tilly Jane A-frame on Mount Hood is designed to bring people together.
Rogue River Wooden Boats: Greg Hatten and Randy Dersham run the Wild and Scenic Rogue River in hand-made wooden drift boats. An homage to the early age of river running on Oregon's iconic river in fall. Ferment Works: Kirsten and Christopher Shockey moved to the Applegate Valley with humble homesteader dreams. Instead, they became pioneers of a global food movement.
Discover new species in Oregon caves. Join Oregon coast volunteers who sift the sand for micro-plastics. Meet a man who guards a pool on the Umpqua River where wild steelhead congregate. Enjoy a photo essay depicting morning in the coastal community of Garibaldi.
The Nature Conservancy is inviting elk hunters onto its Zumwalt Prairie Preserve. Blacksmith Darryl Nelson brings old-time style and art to the magnificent Timberline Lodge. A photographic tour through the wintry landscape of Three Sisters Wilderness.
The narrow spit of land that separates Tillamook Bay from the Pacific Ocean was once home to a thriving resort known as "The Atlantic City of the West." Today, the area is a seldom-visited, well-kept secret recreation area administered by Tillamook County.
Help celebrate Oregon Field Guide's award-winning work over the years: a Gracie Award-winning look at a coastal Oregon town where an elk herd has taken up residence; a NW Emmy-honored story about a packraft trek down a river that few have ever seen; go behind the scenes with our photographer Todd Sonflieth, who's been honored with a Silver Circle Award for lasting contributions to the TV industry.
An important West Coast fishery makes a comeback; a scenic mountain highway where cyclists get to ride, car-free; 5th-graders embrace science, learn about the ocean, and reach out to peers across the Pacific with boats of their own creation.
Meet a group who is helping make sure the feeling of joy that comes from skiing is available to everyone. That pink snow that appears in the mountain contains a secret: it's alive. Take a slow ride on a Willamette River ferry boat.
Three stories from southeastern Oregon: a desert landscape that's loaded with lizards, a hotspot for glider enthusiasts and a campaign to save the sagebrush desert that involves repurposed pasta-making machinery.
Discover what it takes to compete in the Eagle Cap Extreme dog sled races in northeastern Oregon; meet a fishmonger who brings the bounty of the Pacific from the docks of Newport to her loyal customers; enjoy a photo essay of orchard trees in blossom in the Hood River valley.
Our bright lights are robbing wildlife of the night's natural darkness; two adventurers go by bike from Portland to the Oregon Coast; an aerial flight over Oregon's picturesque Willamette Valley.
Three stories that examine the 30 year legacy of the timber wars in the northwest. Scientists get creative to locate the last spotted owls in Oregon; a small town celebrates its logging history; and a unique partnership between environmentalists and timber workers looks to move beyond a history of conflict.
Three stories look at life on Mount Saint Helens 40 years after the eruption. Miss Dish was a climbing pioneer who sparked a tradition of climbing in dresses on Mother's Day; scientists study the return of elk to the blast zone; a photographer journeys beneath Spirit Lake in the volcanic blast zone.
Dragon boat racing is a popular Portland pastime. Meet the women of Pink Phoenix, America’s first breast-cancer survivor dragon boat team. In 2016, we introduced you to an isolated population of American Pika living in the Columbia River Gorge. How did these Pika fare after the massive Eagle Creek fire? Rehabilitation efforts underway by biologists to return native Lamprey fish to Miller Lake.
Surf Yogini: An all women's surf camp is thriving on the Oregon coast. Coronavirus and Wildfire: COVID-19 is adding new challenges to the already difficult job of being a wildland firefighter. Crater Lake Bull Trout: Remaking a Crater Lake creek to connect isolated bull trout. Mare's Eggs: Searching in Upper Klamath Lake for Mare’s Eggs.
Scientists wonder if we have learned enough to bring sea otters back to the Oregon coast again. Fish traps were banned from the Columbia River more than 80 years ago, but if reintroduced, could they help save endangered salmon? Local climbers find freedom and release in scaling Smith Rock when the State Park finally reopens after months of Covid-related closures.
Meet the woman behind the ‘The Ship Report,’ an entertaining daily radio report of all the ships that pass by Astoria. Join Field Guide for a high country pack trip with mules in the Wallowas. Tim Palmer has canoed, rafted and kayaked nearly every major river in Oregon. Enjoy a photo essay from the newly created Klickitat Canyon Conservation Area, shot on land set aside by the Columbia Land Trust.
Native Americans on Oregon’s north coast are reunited with 18 acres of their homeland in Seaside, Oregon. Join the Field Guide team behind the scenes at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, where a ‘jelly mom’ offers an up-close look at the fascinating world of sea jellies. Author Vince Welch tells the story of Oregon River Legend Buzz Holmstrom, who died mysteriously on the Grand Ronde.
Shantae Johnson and Arthur Shavers are rewriting the narrative of what it means to be a Black farmer in Oregon. Oregon's Haystack Rock is the last spot on the West Coast to see these charming seabirds from the shore, but the question is: for how much longer? Columbia River Gorge wind sports have continued to evolve since wind surfing became popular in the 1980s-hydrofoiling is the latest rage.
Marbled murrelets have long been a mystery to science. But now their survival, as well as the fate of millions of acres of coastal forests, depends on discovering what these seabirds need to survive. Not only is lavender one of the loveliest and most fragrant flowers, it’s also one of the most useful. A photo essay on riffles in the sand.
In many small towns, rodeo is a big part of community life. Meet Najiah Knight, a 14-year old Native American rodeo star from Arlington, Oregon. When Condit dam was blown up a decade ago, everyone had high expectations for what the future of a free-flowing white Salmon river might look like. How did things turn out? A visual journey to Dog Mountain, thanks to the photography of Michael Bendixen.
Northwest scientists are using ancient trees to uncover the seismic history of the region. Anyone who's been to a ski resort, knows that the folks in red jackets are looking out for your safety. At Mount Bachelor, there's a special unit dedicated just to avalanche rescue--and the training starts young! Wood River Photo Essay.
One year after the Beachie Creek wildfire burned through the Opal Creek wilderness, Oregon Field Guide takes a rare tour of this ancient forest to see how it's changed; Forget drones and eDNA, one of the most powerful tools in field research is man's best friend. Rogue Dogs trains shelter dogs to sniff out everything from cougar scat to grape viruses in order to help scientists around the world.
A look at efforts underway in the Klamath Basin to save the Short Nosed and Lost River suckers; We meet big, beautiful birds of prey at a Eugene center focused on education and rehabilitation; A picturesque gristmill in southwest Washington state revives the joys of nostalgic traditions, cider pressing. It's powered by the water of Cedar Creek.
Field Guide follows bar pilots as they encounter crashing surf, unpredictable currents and fierce winds of the infamous Columbia River Bar—a gauntlet that has killed nearly 2,000 men and sunk 700 vessels since record-keeping began; The annual invasive species cook-off challenges everyday people to turn invasive plants and animals into tasty dishes. NOTE: Aired out of order as Ep. 6
We return to the site of recent wildfires to find a reason to hope; At first glance, it’s just a fox. But this fox has outfoxed even the best researchers; Portland mountain bikers have a new trail to enjoy close to home in the Tillamook State Forest; Fort Creek Photo Essay. NOTE: Aired out of order as Ep. 4
We look at the role beavers play in preventing and protecting from wildfires; When a near-fatal stroke left avid outdoorsman Geoff Babb in a wheelchair, he got inventive. He compensated for the loss of strength in his limbs by coming up with a wheelchair rugged enough to get him back out onto the trails; Photographer Michael Bendixen takes us to one of the wildest coastlines in America. NOTE: Aired out of order as Ep. 5
A beautiful tour of the stunning Jordan Craters and Leslie Gulch as we learn more about the wonders of Oregon geology; When Bill Wallauer joined the Peace Corps in 1989 and befriended renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, his life changed forever; Portlander Kevin Coulton is on a crusade to bring awareness to oil runoff through photography, one drip at a time.
Kailey Kornhauser and Marley Blonsky are on a mission to welcome everybody to the cycling world; Despite their unappealing name, Slime Molds, these one-cell wonders have been fascinating (and baffling) scientists for centuries; Enjoy a photo essay made for the love of lava by Oregon Field Guide photographer Michael Bendixen.
Meet Acosia Red Elk. She is a well known, world champion powwow jingle dancer. There is myth and mystery lurking in the glimmer of Oregon’s state gemstone; Take a moment along the shores of the Wilson River.
John Hartog heads into the countryside not with a camera, but with a microphone to capture the beautiful natural soundscapes of Oregon; Dory Builders: Meet the makers behind these unique fishing boats that make a splash whenever they land on the beaches of Pacific City; Frankie Dugal, Master Mecate Maker, carries on a ropemaking tradition with roots over a hundred years old in the Jordan Valley.
A 1hr20min special released separately on DVD and popular during pledge drives, Oregon Splendor contains little narration and very few spoken words by its subjects. It is a visual overview of the landscape and culture of the state of Oregon, from East to West.
Snow adventures atop Steens Mountain, the Wallowas, Broken Top and Mount Bailey are featured. Included: two women learn to handle sled dogs; a mountain-rescue team trains; a skiier who hits 100 mph while skiing downhill. Also: a look at mountain wildlife, including bears, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and mountain lions.
Wild horses in captivity now outnumber those in the wild, trapped in a $76 million bureaucracy that captures, feeds and stockpiles more horses than any other in the nation. Fierce battles pit horse advocates, ranchers and the BLM on a collision course. Meanwhile, horse lovers step up to try to help, including teenagers who gentle and train mustangs to make them more adoptable.
After 28 seasons, Steve Amen is retiring from Oregon Field Guide. In this half-hour special, we sit down with Steve to talk about his favorite memories of the show, as well as what his life is like behind the scenes. We also hear from longtime producers and crew members Todd Sonflieth; Jule Gilfillan; Michael Bendixen; and Ed Jahn, who will be taking the reins from Steve next season.
Oregon Field Guide spent a year-and-a-half probing into the state of Oregon’s preparedness, and found that when it comes to bridges, schools, hospitals, building codes and energy infrastructure, Oregon lags far behind many quake-prone regions of the country.
