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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The USDA confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in two non-commercial backyard flocks in Linn County OR and Pacific County WA, the first confirmed cases of this strain (H5N1 Eurasian strain) of avian influenza in Washington and Oregon.
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In January, a Ruffed Grouse made a crash landing outside of Canyon Creek Middle School in Washougal, Washington. A large raptor was seen flying away after the bird was downed, so we believe they may have just escaped becoming a meal!
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Portland Audubon Education is dedicated to creating opportunities for all people to connect to nature in ways that are meaningful for them. Summer camp is a vital element of this platform, offering children the opportunity to explore, learn, and delight in nature for weeks at a time, while providing essential child care to families. This year we committed to expand access to camp by piloting a sliding scale payment model.
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For decades, the 826 acres of wildlife habitat on West Hayden Island has been one of the most conflicted and contested parcels in the Portland metropolitan region. However, an unprecedented opportunity now lies before us to permanently protect one of the largest and most ecologically valuable unprotected natural areas in the region.
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