During the winter months, birds prepare their bodies to combat the cold and retain their body heat. In summer they must expend heat and keep their body temperature at a safe level. Physically, birds can prepare their bodies to combat overheating in a number of ways.
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In November of 2021, the City of Portland released a draft Floodplain Resilience Plan “to reduce the impacts of future flooding and the degradation of floodplain habitat for endangered and threatened fish species.” The plan is a direct result of a lawsuit brought by Portland Audubon and other conservation groups against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Audubon Society of Portland v. FEMA) in 2011.
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A well-treed urban landscape is not only beneficial for wildlife, it also provides a diverse set of co-benefits that are important for the human communities to thrive in an urban environment. For these reasons, trees have served as a pillar of Portland Audubon’s urban conservation policy advocacy.
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The Bird Days of Summer is a series of beginner-friendly programs for anyone curious about birds and nature. We combine community-building, exploration, and fun to create safe spaces for people to get to know each other, as well as the birds.
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Portland Audubon is thrilled to welcome our new executive director, Stuart Wells, to the Portland Audubon flock. We wanted to start off his tenure by helping our community get to know Stuart, his background, and why he’s so passionate about protecting habitat and wildlife and connecting people with nature.
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On June 17, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission took a major and long overdue step forward in reforming trapping regulations in the state. After a marathon hearing that extended more than three hours, the ODFW Commission voted 6-1 to require trappers using live-animal restraining traps, such as leg-hold traps, to check the traps every 48 hours.
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Anthropomorphism begins when we ascribe human motives and reasoning to behaviors, and it can lead to a serious disconnect. Through raising awareness and recognizing when we do it, we can unlearn what has been instilled in us and begin to appreciate wildlife behavior in a more authentic light.
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Although it lasted only 35 days, the 2022 Legislative Short Session resulted in some remarkable gains for conservation in Oregon. Portland Audubon’s top two legislative priorities—advancing new stream protections under the Oregon Forest Practices Act and creating a new Elliott State Research Forest—passed with strong support from both conservation and timber interests and with strong bipartisan support.
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The Bureau of Reclamation has announced another year of severe water shortages in the Klamath Basin. Endangered sucker fish in Upper Klamath Lake, endangered salmon in the Klamath River, farmers, and the refuges will all compete again for scarce water, estimated to be less than a seventh of what is typically allocated in a wetter year.
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Drone disturbances have been documented to negatively impact nesting success of many bird species. To minimize such impacts we need to ensure drone rules are informed by the best science and take a precautionary approach given that recreational drone use is a relatively new phenomena and impacts are just beginning to be understood.
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