Marine Reserves - People standing on rocks in front of the ocean with hands up in the air

Turn the Tide: Fully Fund Oregon’s Marine Reserve Program

A decade ago, Oregonians recognized the importance of our ocean and the value of protecting it with the creation of the state’s Marine Reserves Program. Despite its success, this legislative session, both the governor’s office and legislative leadership have proposed cuts to the Marine Reserves Program in the next biennium which wouldn’t just threaten the designated sites themselves, but would threaten the good will of ocean communities and stakeholders.

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People planting together

Digging Deeper: Backyard Habitat Certification Program Update

In 2022, BHCP hit a programmatic milestone of enrolling the 10,000th participant! Our enrolled participants’ land now totals over 2,453 acres, which together is about four times the size of Powell Butte Nature Park in East Portland. These pockets of habitat form important corridors to support wildlife, manage stormwater, and increase access to greenspaces within urban spaces.

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Julio the Great Horned Owl in her new enclosure

Visit Julio and Xena at Their New Enclosures

After our tearful goodbyes to Aristophanes the Raven and Ruby the Turkey Vulture as they left for a new adventure at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington, we prioritized moving our other resident ambassador birds to the spacious enclosures on our campus trails. We are thrilled to announce that Julio, our Great Horned Owl, and Xena, our American Kestrel, have moved into their new homes after we adequately prepared these large enclosures for each of them.

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Lights Out, Oregon!

A recent study on the change in visibility of stars from 2011 to 2022 shows that sky brightness is increasing globally by nearly 10% per year, effectively doubling sky brightness every eight years. Light pollution not only robs us of our own view of the heavens, it also has serious ecological consequences, with demonstrated impacts on over 200 species of birds, fish, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, and plants.

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A Tufted Coquette, a tiny and brilliant orange and green hummingbird is sipping nectar from a magenta flower.

The Nature of Being

Why must there be a deeper connection? At this pivotal moment in time, there cannot be too many environmental stewards. Those who speak for nature can theoretically include every one of us, and this is what passively observing nature induces. Specifically, this practice of being in nature encourages the observer to see beauty and commonality in all things.

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