Showing 189 results for tag Environment

Pantoum for an Uncertain Future

Poem by Alyssa Ogi

Magazine | December 15, 2023

People, Places, Things: The Dalles, Oregon, 1988

A photograph from "Scene Shifting: Photographs from Left of Iowa" by Dan Powell

Magazine | December 15, 2023

Hope and the Climate Crisis: The Tension Between Reality and Possibility

With evidence of the climate crisis reaching all corners and communities of the world, the reality of what we are up against as a species is more present and overwhelming than ever before. In a recent conversation with Krista Tibbett on the podcast On Being, marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson asks a pivotal question about climate action: What if we get it right? With the 24-hour news cycle constantly reminding us that climate change is far worse and coming far faster than predicted, slipping into despair seems all too easy—but what about hope for a future full of solutions we’ve already imagined? What about what is possible? This conversation will open space to explore the tension between the reality of where we are, where we could go, and what it will take to get there. How does it feel to hold the scale of the challenge and also the possibility of a better future? This event will take place in the Boxer Pause room at Washburne Hall

Event | November 9, 2023

Collecting Sunrises

Hannah English writes about the many challenges that face seasonal wildlife biologists—and the love of adventure that keeps them going.

Beyond the Margins | August 11, 2023

Conversation Project: Are You Safer Outside?

Outdoor spaces took on new significance during the recent pandemic. While some of us rediscovered parks and trails that we once took for granted, others may still feel the stressors of unwelcoming or inaccessible outdoor areas. Join facilitator Mareshah “MJ” Jackson to discuss what makes an outdoor space a “safe” space. How does one’s identity intersect with security in a park, on a trail, or on a patio? In what ways have our perceptions of these spaces changed, and how may they change in years to come? This conversation is a chance to reflect on the role open spaces play in our lives and how our perceptions may differ from each other’s.

Register for this free online conversation here.

Event | September 5, 2023

Turkeys

Aileen Hymas writes about struggling to raise poultry and live her sustainable farming ideals.

Beyond the Margins | July 20, 2023

Full Catastrophe Eating, from Soil to Soul

Diane Choplin on experiencing the joys and pains of consuming meat mindfully.

Beyond the Margins | June 23, 2023

We Will Be Here

Lana Jack writes about the mourning, resilience, and resistance of the Celilo Wy-am.

Magazine | April 19, 2023

Trip to Richland

Laura Feldman writes about trying to make sense of a secret history.

Beyond the Margins | April 3, 2023

The Toxins Beneath Us

Ruby McConnell on the long legacy of groundwater contamination in Oregon

Magazine | January 9, 2023

“We Are the Original Conservationists”

Jennifer Perrine writes about Oregonians of color working in the environmental justice movement.

Magazine | January 9, 2023

Bridging the Gaps: The Future of the Intergenerational Climate Movement

Amidst devastating wildfires, a global pandemic, and a rapidly changing world, young people across the planet have stepped up to lead in the movement for climate, racial, and social justice. In this workshop, high school organizers Adah Crandall and Danny Cage will offer dialogue and case studies from their involvement in youth-led projects and campaigns: the good, the bad, and the somewhere-in-between. This workshop will invite participants to join in a conversation about collaborative organizing and to imagine the possibilities for a powerful, multigenerational social movement—one that cultivates adult allyship, supports youth, and makes space for youth voices.

Event | March 22, 2023

Woksemi

In this video—the first in a series of stories about life in Oregon called Yamatala—filmmaker Ke-As Ne-Asht Sheshatko follows a family on the Klamath Tribes' reservation during Woksemi, or Wokas harvest season.

Beyond the Margins | October 13, 2022

We're Here for Each Other

Jennifer Perrine writes about how Oregonians of color are building relationships in the outdoors.

Beyond the Margins | July 8, 2022

Indigenous Culture Day

Culture Day is a celebration of the reclamation of traditional lands for Indigenous Peoples that provides an accurate cultural experience for the whole community. This free, all-ages event offers the chance to listen and learn from Indigenous educators in the culturally rich land now known as Tryon Creek State Natural Area.

Event | May 7, 2022

Binding Fenrir

What are our responsibilities to wild animals in a human-altered world?

Magazine | April 26, 2022

Re-Beavering a Monument

Scientists, activists, and government officials are working to bring beavers back to the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

Beyond the Margins | January 28, 2022

Hotter, Drier, and Less Predictable

Amanda Waldroupe writes about how climate change is affecting Oregon's agricultural sector and how some farmers are adapting.

Magazine | December 15, 2021

Conversation Project: Are You Safer Outside?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor spaces have taken on new significance as we struggle to address the need for connection without the health risk that now comes with enclosed places. While some of us may be rediscovering parks and trails that we once took for granted, others may be feeling the stressors of unwelcoming or inaccessible outdoor areas more than ever before. Join facilitator Mareshah “MJ” Jackson to discuss what makes an outdoor space a “safe” space. How does one’s identity intersect with security in a park, on a trail, or on a patio? In what ways have our perceptions of these spaces changed since the pandemic and recent protests, and how may they change in the years to come? This conversation is a chance to reflect on the role open spaces play in our lives and how our perceptions may differ from each other’s.

Register for this event here.

Event | December 9, 2021

Conversation Project: The Meaning of Climate Change

We live in a time of tremendous transformation as the reality of climate change and its effects on our communities become more apparent with every passing year. While there is still much that can and must be done to mitigate the range of impacts climate change might have, we are confronting the certainty of a crisis that will continue to unfold no matter what we do. What is the meaning of this extraordinary moment in human history? The meanings we construct about climate change affect how we think about it, our feelings about it, and our willingness to take action. Portland State University instructor David Osborn leads a discussion exploring different meanings of climate change and how our understanding of meaning relates to action.

Event | January 20, 2022

Who Gets to Fight Climate Change?

JL Jiang on navigating climate activism as a second-generation Asian American

Beyond the Margins | October 15, 2021

Consider This with Robin Wall Kimmerer

Join us for an online conversation with Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass and Gathering Moss. Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. This event will be streamed live as part of our series American Dreams, American Myths, American Hopes.

RSVP for this event

Event | March 10, 2022

Earth and Motherhood

Melissa Matthewson on the wildness that surrounds us.

Beyond the Margins | September 10, 2021

Sagebrush Solar

Juliet Grable writes about how Lake County is embracing renewable energy.

Magazine | August 19, 2021

Climate

Editor Ben Waterhouse writes about choosing the theme "Climate" amid a summer of heat waves and fires.

Magazine | August 12, 2021

Burn Down Valley

Theo Whitcomb writes about the 2020 fires in Southern Oregon, cooperative land management efforts, and finding hope for the future.

Magazine | August 12, 2021

People, Places, Things

Tabitha Espina remixes the Oregon Department of Energy’s 2020 statement on climate change and energy in Oregon.

Magazine | August 12, 2021

Bringing Otters Back to Otter Rock

Heather Wiedenhoft talks with Robert Kentta about how the Elakha Alliance and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians are working to return a lost population of sea otters to the Oregon coast.

Beyond the Margins | July 29, 2021

The Meaning of Climate Change

The meanings we construct about climate change affect how we think about it, our feelings about it, and our willingness to take action. Portland State University instructor David Osborn leads a discussion exploring different meanings of climate change and how our understanding of meaning relates to action.

Event | August 4, 2021

Can the Land Make Us One People?

An excerpt from Jacqueline Keeler's book Standoff contrasts the standoffs at Malheur and Standing Rock.

Magazine | April 27, 2021

Rekindling Our Ancestral Relations through Food with Michelle Week

In this So Much Together workshop, Farmer Michelle Week will talk about what inspires her and what fuels her hope as she builds food sovereignty and connection through Good Rain Farm. Throughout the event, participants will have the opportunity to explore their unique heritages through activities, dialogue, and reflection, reconnecting to practices of reverence for place and for all those we share our homes with.

Event | March 20, 2021

Consider This on the Klamath Basin

A discussion on the history and future of settlement and water use in the Klamath Basin with panelists Russell Attebery (Chairman, Karuk Tribe), Mark Bransom (CEO, Klamath River Renewal Corporation), Don Gentry (Chairman, Klamath Tribes), Becky Hyde (Klamath Basin rancher), and Joe James (Chairman, Yurok Tribe).

Event | March 15, 2021

Connect in Place: The Meaning of Climate Change

We live in a time of tremendous transformation as the reality of climate change and its effects on our communities become more apparent with every passing year. What is the meaning of this extraordinary moment in human history? Portland State University instructor David Osborn leads a discussion exploring different meanings of climate change and how our understanding of meaning relates to action.

Event | January 26, 2021

People, Places, Things

A photo of the Wood River by Paul Robert Wolf Wilson

Magazine | December 17, 2020

Into the Woods

Dionisia Morales writes about what happened when she dragged her her father, a life-long New Yorker, to see the California Redwoods for the first time.

Beyond the Margins | December 10, 2020

Without a Towel

Dani Nichols writes about the lessons learned during a lifelong battle with water.

Beyond the Margins | November 13, 2020

Heavy and Hiking

Being big and hiking has its challenges, not least the judgement and impatience of others. But Oregon’s trails were made for me too. An essay by Karina L. Agbisit

Beyond the Margins | October 27, 2020

XXXX

We live in a time of tremendous transformation as the reality of climate change and its effects on our communities become more apparent with every passing year. What is the meaning of this extraordinary moment in human history? Portland State University instructor David Osborn leads a discussion exploring different meanings of climate change and how our understanding of meaning relates to action.

Event | February 1, 2019

Cuentos del Rio (River Tales)

Program Coordinator Rozzell Medina will interview director Julie Schroell after this online screening presented by Portland EcoFilm Festival.

Event | September 24, 2020

Editors' Note: Outside

In this issue, we’ve taken an expansive view of what it means to be outside. In addition to stories about outdoor recreation and who gets to enjoy it, you’ll find stories of living outside, on city streets and amid the woods; stories about leaving the places we feel safe for work and about making new spaces outside the mainstream.

Magazine | August 25, 2020

Foremothers of Photography

Raechel Herron Root on how the creative lineage of Southern Oregon’s separatist lesbian lands can help us reimagine the future.

Magazine | August 25, 2020

Taking Up Space

Mareshah “MJ” Jackson writes about how the story of Blackness in the outdoors is more than a narrative of tragedy.

Magazine | August 25, 2020

Reciprocity of Tradition

Photographer Joe Whittle explores how traditional practices of Native Americans of the Columbia Plateau strengthen communities and preserve connections to the land.

Magazine | April 27, 2020

Posts

Readers write about “Union.”

Magazine | April 27, 2020

CANCELED Conversation Project: How Do Our Values Influence Environmental Policy?

Most of us would agree that natural resources and our surrounding environment have value, but what that value is—and how to protect it—are usually up for debate. Given competing interests and visions of the public good, how do we protect our common resources such as land, water, and air? Join philosopher Monica Mueller to explore our environmental values and question how those values are reflected—or not reflected—in current local, national, and global environmental policies.

This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date.

Event | March 12, 2020

CANCELED - Conversation Project: Seeing the Forest and the Trees

We live in a state with abundant forests, and yet we don’t all see the same thing when we look into the woods. Oregon is known for both its timber industry and its deep environmental values. For many decades now management of our public forests has made headlines and driven apart neighbors. Facilitator Mariah Acton will lead this conversation to explore the values, identities, and beliefs we each have about our forests and what we, as a state, do to steward, manage, and protect this special resource. This event will take place in the large meeting room.

This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.

Event | March 28, 2020

CANCELED - Seeing the Forest and the Trees: Stewarding Our Public Forests

We live in a state with abundant forests, and yet we don’t all see the same thing when we look into the woods. Oregon is known for both its timber industry and its deep environmental values. For many decades now management of our public forests has made headlines and driven apart neighbors. Facilitator Mariah Acton will lead this conversation to explore the values, identities, and beliefs we each have about our forests and what we, as a state, do to steward, manage, and protect this special resource.

This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.

Event | March 12, 2020

CANCELED - The Meaning of Climate Change

We live in a time of tremendous transformation as the reality of climate change and its effects on our communities become more apparent with every passing year. While there is still much that can and must be done to mitigate the range of impacts climate change might have, we are confronting the certainty of a crisis that will continue to unfold no matter what we do. What is the meaning of this extraordinary moment in human history? The meanings we construct about climate change affect how we think about it, our feelings about it and our willingness to take action. Portland State University instructor David Osborn leads a discussion exploring different meanings of climate change and how our understanding of meaning relates to action.

This event has been postponed and may be rescheduled.

Event | April 21, 2020

The State That Timber Built—2012

Tara Rae Miner considers what Oregon owes to the struggling timber communities that helped shape the state’s identity in this essay from the 2012 “Here” issue.

Magazine | December 23, 2019

Challenging Questions for Oregonians

At the 2019 Portland Book Festival, we asked attendees to share some challenging questions for fellow Oregonians.

Beyond the Margins | November 22, 2019

Conversation Project: The Meaning of Climate Change

We live in a time of tremendous transformation as the reality of climate change and its effects on our communities become more apparent with every passing year. While there is still much that can and must be done to mitigate the range of impacts climate change might have, we are confronting the certainty of a crisis that will continue to unfold no matter what we do. What is the meaning of this extraordinary moment in human history? The meanings we construct about climate change affect how we think about it, our feelings about it and our willingness to take action. Portland State University instructor David Osborn leads a discussion exploring different meanings of climate change and how our understanding of meaning relates to action. This event will take place in the Grange Hall. The admission fee is $5.

Event | January 23, 2020

Conversation Project: Seeing the Forest and the Trees

We live in a state with abundant forests, and yet we don’t all see the same thing when we look into the woods. Oregon is known for both its timber industry and its deep environmental values. For many decades now management of our public forests has made headlines and driven apart neighbors. Facilitator Mariah Acton will lead this conversation to explore the values, identities, and beliefs we each have about our forests and what we, as a state, do to steward, manage, and protect this special resource.

Event | December 11, 2019

Castles Made of Sand

Geologist Ruby McConnell writes about how coastal homeowners' efforts to save their properties from rising sea levels put their neighbors at risk—and how she became responsible for the riprapping of Rockaway Beach.

Magazine | August 13, 2019

Bridge City

Anna Vo writes on the dark side of local pride and the changes in our attitude toward place required to make Portland a welcoming home for all.

Beyond the Margins | July 29, 2019

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Oregonians love the wild beauty of our 363 miles of coastline, but finding truly local seafood can be hard, even on the coast. The US imports approximately 90 percent of its seafood and ships out nearly as much to the global market. Why aren’t we eating more local seafood, now that preserving and distribution technologies are the most sophisticated they have ever been? Why do we consider seafood more a delicacy now than it has been in the past? In this conversation, food writer Jennifer Burns Bright helps participants explore our relationship with the products of the sea and cultural traditions involving fishing, eating seafood, and understanding the ocean’s bounty and challenges.

Event | May 29, 2019

Conversation Project: Sharing Our Lives with Animals

Whether we find ourselves on farms or ranches, in cities, or in other places between, our lives are entangled with the lives of other species. Our experiences with domestic animals—in particular those considered pets or livestock—affect the ways we understand relationships with them, who we value and depend upon in wildly different ways. As scientific research and broader cultural shifts challenge common notions about the intelligence and emotional lives of other beings, we face complex quandaries of how to respectfully recognize and care for the needs of domestic companions. For this conversation, artist and educator Karin Bolender Hart invites us to share our own animal stories, consider how our personal experiences and beliefs about the lives of animals shape the stories we tell, and reflect on how these stories in turn affect our choices as caretakers, farmers, consumers, and companions.

Event | April 27, 2019

Conversation Project: The Meaning of Climate Change

We live in a time of tremendous transformation as the reality of climate change and its effects on our communities become more apparent with every passing year. While there is still much that can and must be done to mitigate the range of impacts climate change might have, we are confronting the certainty of a crisis that will continue to unfold no matter what we do. What is the meaning of this extraordinary moment in human history? The meanings we construct about climate change affect how we think about it, our feelings about it and our willingness to take action. Portland State University instructor David Osborn leads a discussion exploring different meanings of climate change and how our understanding of meaning relates to action. Admission Fee: $5

Event | July 12, 2019

Conversation Project: The Meaning of Climate Change

We live in a time of tremendous transformation as the reality of climate change and its effects on our communities become more apparent with every passing year. While there is still much that can and must be done to mitigate the range of impacts climate change might have, we are confronting the certainty of a crisis that will continue to unfold no matter what we do. What is the meaning of this extraordinary moment in human history? The meanings we construct about climate change affect how we think about it, our feelings about it and our willingness to take action. Portland State University instructor David Osborn leads a discussion exploring different meanings of climate change and how our understanding of meaning relates to action.

Event | May 21, 2019

Conversation Project: The Meaning of Climate Change

We live in a time of tremendous transformation as the reality of climate change and its effects on our communities become more apparent with every passing year. While there is still much that can and must be done to mitigate the range of impacts climate change might have, we are confronting the certainty of a crisis that will continue to unfold no matter what we do. What is the meaning of this extraordinary moment in human history? The meanings we construct about climate change affect how we think about it, our feelings about it and our willingness to take action. Portland State University instructor David Osborn leads a discussion exploring different meanings of climate change and how our understanding of meaning relates to action.

Event | May 15, 2019

Conversation Project: Seeing the Forest and the Trees

We live in a state with abundant forests, and yet we don’t all see the same thing when we look into the woods. Oregon is known for both its timber industry and its deep environmental values. For many decades now management of our public forests has made headlines and driven apart neighbors. Facilitator Mariah Acton will lead this conversation to explore the values, identities, and beliefs we each have about our forests and what we, as a state, do to steward, manage, and protect this special resource.

Event | April 11, 2019

Conversation Project: Ecology of Creative Space

What can an Aspen grove teach us about communication? What can we learn from a flock of geese about collaboration? Or from a mushroom about transformation? Oregon is experiencing a shift in the landscape of creative spaces in our communities. Population changes, (dis)investment, public policy or the lack of it, and climate change have all had a hand in opening, closing, and changing places that are important to us culturally and creatively. The natural world—of which we are a part—is constantly changing and evolving and has much to teach us about living in these times. Join facilitator Maesie Speer for a conversation that asks, Can we find inspiration from our natural surroundings to imagine new ways to build creative spaces? This conversation will include some hands-on activities.

Event | March 16, 2019

Conversation Project: Sharing Our Lives with Animals

Whether we find ourselves on farms or ranches, in cities, or in other places between, our lives are entangled with the lives of other species. Our experiences with domestic animals—in particular those considered pets or livestock—affect the ways we understand relationships with them, who we value and depend upon in wildly different ways. As scientific research and broader cultural shifts challenge common notions about the intelligence and emotional lives of other beings, we face complex quandaries of how to respectfully recognize and care for the needs of domestic companions. For this conversation, artist and educator Karin Bolender Hart invites us to share our own animal stories, consider how our personal experiences and beliefs about the lives of animals shape the stories we tell, and reflect on how these stories in turn affect our choices as caretakers, farmers, consumers, and companions.

Event | March 14, 2019

Conversation Project: How Do We Create Equitable Spaces Within Our Public Lands?

The land and waterways of Oregon have always provided for its people and inhabitants, since time immemorial. In the last 200 years, the landscape has changed drastically. What does the past and present mean for the future of our natural lands? And for those who have been removed from these areas? Educator Gabe Sheoships leads a discussion about what a relationship with nature means, how we can provide inclusive and equitable spaces within our public lands and natural areas, and how we can begin to work toward healing relationships with our land. RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-do-we-create-equitable-spaces-within-our-public-lands-tickets-60426434091

Event | June 11, 2019

More Similar than Different

Tricia Gates Brown reflects on rehabilitating a thrush and letting it go

Beyond the Margins | February 28, 2019

Conversation Project: How Do We Create Equitable Spaces Within Our Public Lands?

The land and waterways of Oregon have always provided for its people and inhabitants, since time immemorial. In the last 200 years, the landscape has changed drastically. What does the past and present mean for the future of our natural lands? And for those who have been removed from these areas? Educator Gabe Sheoships leads a discussion about what a relationship with nature means, how we can provide inclusive and equitable spaces within our public lands and natural areas, and how we can begin to work toward healing relationships with our land.

Event | March 4, 2019

Conversation Project: Seeing the Forest and the Trees

We live in a state with abundant forests, and yet we don’t all see the same thing when we look into the woods. Oregon is known for both its timber industry and its deep environmental values. For many decades now management of our public forests has made headlines and driven apart neighbors. Facilitator Mariah Acton will lead this conversation to explore the values, identities, and beliefs we each have about our forests and what we, as a state, do to steward, manage, and protect this special resource.

Event | March 7, 2019

Conversation Project: Ecology of Creative Space

Gathering Inspiration from the Natural World

Event | February 16, 2019

Conversation Project: Ecology of Creative Space

Gathering Inspiration from the Natural World

Event | February 17, 2019

Conversation Project: The Meaning of Climate Change

Portland State University instructor David Osborn leads a discussion exploring different meanings of climate change and how our understanding of meaning relates to action.

Event | January 15, 2019

Conversation Project: Seeing the Forest and the Trees

Stewarding Our Public Forests

Event | February 22, 2019

Conversation Project: Good Food, Bad Food

Oregon boasts a multibillion-dollar agricultural economy that includes both industrial agriculture and small-scale efforts such as community supported agriculture memberships, farmers markets, and community gardens. These smaller, community-based efforts are on the rise as means to nurture community and create local and autonomous food systems. In this conversation, author Kristy Athens will ask participants to think about the impact of their food choices. Are these choices as consequential as consumers would like them to be? Does “voting with your dollars” significantly shape our agricultural systems?

Event | April 26, 2019

Conversation Project: Good Food, Bad Food

Oregon boasts a multibillion-dollar agricultural economy that includes both industrial agriculture and small-scale efforts such as community supported agriculture memberships, farmers markets, and community gardens. These smaller, community-based efforts are on the rise as means to nurture community and create local and autonomous food systems. In this conversation, author Kristy Athens will ask participants to think about the impact of their food choices. Are these choices as consequential as consumers would like them to be? Does “voting with your dollars” significantly shape our agricultural systems?

Event | May 23, 2019

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Oregonians love the wild beauty of our 363 miles of coastline, but finding truly local seafood can be hard, even on the coast. The US imports approximately 90 percent of its seafood and ships out nearly as much to the global market. Why aren’t we eating more local seafood, now that preserving and distribution technologies are the most sophisticated they have ever been? Why do we consider seafood more a delicacy now than it has been in the past? In this conversation, food writer Jennifer Burns Bright helps participants explore our relationship with the products of the sea and cultural traditions involving fishing, eating seafood, and understanding the ocean’s bounty and challenges.

Event | June 4, 2019

Engagement and Environment

OPAL seeks to bring more voices into conversations about environmental justice.

Magazine | December 13, 2018

Conversation Project: How Do We Create Equitable Spaces Within Our Public Lands?

Educator Gabe Sheoships leads a discussion about what a relationship with nature means, how we can provide inclusive and equitable spaces within our public lands and natural areas, and how we can begin to work toward healing relationships with our land.

Event | March 6, 2019

Conversation Project: Good Food, Bad Food

Oregon boasts a multibillion-dollar agricultural economy that includes both industrial agriculture and small-scale efforts such as community supported agriculture memberships, farmers markets, and community gardens. These smaller, community-based efforts are on the rise as means to nurture community and create local and autonomous food systems. In this conversation, author Kristy Athens will ask participants to think about the impact of their food choices. Are these choices as consequential as consumers would like them to be? Does “voting with your dollars” significantly shape our agricultural systems?

Event | April 25, 2019

Conversation Project: How Do We Create Equitable Spaces Within Our Public Lands?

The land and waterways of Oregon have always provided for its people and inhabitants, since time immemorial. In the last 200 years, the landscape has changed drastically. What does the past and present mean for the future of our natural lands? And for those who have been removed from these areas? Educator Gabe Sheoships leads a discussion about what a relationship with nature means, how we can provide inclusive and equitable spaces within our public lands and natural areas, and how we can begin to work toward healing relationships with our land.

Event | June 14, 2019

Conversation Project: Ecology of Creative Space

What can an Aspen grove teach us about communication? What can we learn from a flock of geese about collaboration? Or from a mushroom about transformation? Oregon is experiencing a shift in the landscape of creative spaces in our communities. Population changes, (dis)investment, public policy or the lack of it, and climate change have all had a hand in opening, closing, and changing places that are important to us culturally and creatively. The natural world—of which we are a part—is constantly changing and evolving and has much to teach us about living in these times. Join facilitator Maesie Speer for a conversation that asks, Can we find inspiration from our natural surroundings to imagine new ways to build creative spaces? This conversation will include some hands-on activities.

Event | July 24, 2019

Conversation Project: The Meaning of Climate Change

Portland State University instructor David Osborn leads a discussion exploring different meanings of climate change and how our understanding of meaning relates to action.

Event | February 20, 2019

Conversation Project: Sharing Our Lives with Animals

Whether we find ourselves on farms or ranches, in cities, or in other places between, our lives are entangled with the lives of other species. Our experiences with domestic animals—in particular those considered pets or livestock—affect the ways we understand relationships with them, who we value and depend upon in wildly different ways. As scientific research and broader cultural shifts challenge common notions about the intelligence and emotional lives of other beings, we face complex quandaries of how to respectfully recognize and care for the needs of domestic companions. For this conversation, artist and educator Karin Bolender Hart invites us to share our own animal stories, consider how our personal experiences and beliefs about the lives of animals shape the stories we tell, and reflect on how these stories in turn affect our choices as caretakers, farmers, consumers, and companions. Admission Fee: $5

Event | May 29, 2019

Conversation Project: Ecology of Creative Space

Gathering Inspiration from the Natural World

Event | November 25, 2018

Conversation Project: The Space Between Us

Immigrants, Refugees, and Oregon

Event | December 4, 2018

Conversation Project: Seeing the Forest for the Trees:

Stewarding Our Public Forests

Event | October 26, 2018

Conversation Project: Ecology of Creative Space

Gathering Inspiration from the Natural World

Event | November 4, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | October 11, 2018

Conversation Project: How Do Our Values Influence Environmental Policy?

Given competing interests and visions of the public good, how do we protect our common resources such as land, water, and air? Join philosopher Monica Mueller to explore our environmental values and question how those values are reflected—or not reflected—in current local, national, and global environmental policies.

Event | October 16, 2018

Conversation Project: Sharing Our Lives with Animals

Artist and educator Karin Bolender Hart invites us to share our own animal stories, consider how our personal experiences and beliefs about the lives of animals shape the stories we tell, and reflect on how these stories in turn affect our choices as caretakers, farmers, consumers, and companions.

Event | September 27, 2018

Out of the Woods

Ruby McConnell on meeting a lost boy in a Cascades forest

Magazine | August 30, 2018

How Do Our Values Influence Environmental Policy?

Given competing interests and visions of the public good, how do we protect our common resources such as land, water, and air? Join philosopher Monica Mueller to explore our environmental values and question how those values are reflected—or not reflected—in current local, national, and global environmental policies.

Event | September 20, 2018

Conversation Project: Good Food, Bad Food

Agriculture, Ethics, and Personal Choice

Event | September 20, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | June 29, 2018

Conversation Project: How Do Our Values Influence Environmental Policy?

This conversation explores our environmental values and questions how those values are reflected—or not reflected—in current local, national, and global environmental policies.

Event | June 28, 2018

Conversation Project: Good Food, Bad Food

Agriculture, Ethics, and Personal Choice

Event | June 20, 2018

Conversation Project: Good Food, Bad Food

Agriculture, Ethics, and Personal Choice

Event | June 21, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | June 2, 2018

Conversation Project: Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Stewarding Our Public Forests

Event | May 6, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | July 6, 2018

Conversation Project: How Do Our Values Influence Environmental Policy?

This conversation explores our environmental values and question how those values are reflected—or not reflected—in current policies.

Event | May 31, 2018

Unclaiming the Land

Melissa Madenski writes about leaving her home of forty years and what binds us to the places in our lives.

Beyond the Margins | February 26, 2018

Film screening: No Man's Land

The High Desert Museum presents a screening of David Byars' documentary about the 2016 occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, followed by a facilitated discussion. This program is made possible in part by a Responsive Program Grant from Oregon Humanities.

Event | April 5, 2018

Astoria Call to Life: An Earth Day Ingathering

Clatsop Community College Foundation presents a collaborative performance and discussion by philosopher Kathleen Dean Moore and pianist Rachelle McCabe. This program is made possible in part by a Responsive Program Grant from Oregon Humanities.

Event | April 20, 2018

Whose Land?

The High Desert Museum presents a community conversation about public lands. This program is made possible in part by a Responsive Program Grant from Oregon Humanities.

Event | May 22, 2018

Malheur Reflections, Two Years Later

A discussion of the Malheur occupuation, restoration, and public lands in Oregon. This program is made possible in part by a Responsive Program Grant from Oregon Humanities.

Event | February 21, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | March 11, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | April 24, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | March 10, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | May 23, 2018

Conversation Project: Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Stewarding Our Public Forests

Event | June 14, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | May 22, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | May 24, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | February 9, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | February 6, 2018

The Original Laws

Joe Whittle writes about the sacred ethics of Columbia River tribes and how they provide a guide for restoring ecosystems damaged by European colonization.

Magazine | December 15, 2017

Posts

Readers write about Harm

Magazine | December 15, 2017

Conversation Project: The World to Come

How Our Fear about the Future Affects Our Actions

Event | January 25, 2018

Conversation Project: Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Stewarding Our Public Forests

Event | March 29, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | January 12, 2018

PLAYA Presents: Calligraphy of the Wind

A discussion with PLAYA resident and novelist Leslie Schwartz about the ways that specific places and communities shape the creative process.

Event | December 9, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | January 11, 2018

Conversation Project: How Do Our Values Influence Environmental Policy?

Given competing interests and visions of the public good, how do we protect our common resources such as land, water, and air? Join philosopher Monica Mueller to explore our environmental values and question how those values are reflected—or not reflected—in current local, national, and global environmental policies.

Event | February 18, 2018

Conversation Project: The World to Come

How Our Fear about the Future Affects Our Actions

Event | February 28, 2018

Conversation Project: How Do We Create Equitable Spaces Within Our Public Lands?

Educator Gabe Sheoships leads a discussion about what a relationship with nature means, how we can provide inclusive and equitable spaces within our public lands and natural areas, and how we can begin to work toward healing relationships with our land.

Event | April 16, 2018

PLAYA Presents: Earth Shaking News

A discussion with noted vulcanologist Katharine Cashman about how our landscape got here and how we live on it now. This program is made possible in part by a Public Program Grant from Oregon Humanities.

Event | November 11, 2017

What's Brewing?

The Crook County Foundation hosts this public forum on current events and issues happening locally, regionally, and at the state level. This is an Oregon Humanities grant-funded event.

Event | October 25, 2017

Conversation Project: The World to Come

How Our Fear about the Future Affects Our Actions

Event | February 21, 2018

Growth in Portland: Whose Livability?

Adam Davis, executive director of Oregon Humanities, moderates a panel discussion on the Portland comprehensive plan.

Event | October 24, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | January 10, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | October 20, 2017

Conversation Project: Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Stewarding Our Public Forests

Event | March 10, 2018

Conversation Project: Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Stewarding Our Public Forests

Event | November 16, 2017

Conversation Project: The World to Come

How Our Fear about the Future Affects Our Actions

Event | January 10, 2018

Conversation Project: Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Stewarding Our Public Forests

Event | June 16, 2018

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | October 26, 2017

Conversation Project: Good Food, Bad Food

Agriculture, Ethics, and Personal Choice

Event | October 10, 2017

A City's Lifeblood

As efforts to clean up Portland Harbor begin, the communities most affected by pollution see a chance to reconnect to the Willamette River. By Julia Rosen

Magazine | August 22, 2017

History in the News

A panel discussion putting the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse in social and historical perspective with other monumental natural phenomena. This event is funded in part by a grant from Oregon Humanities.

Event | August 17, 2017

Conversation Project: Good Food, Bad Food

Agriculture, Ethics, and Personal Choice

Event | May 18, 2017

Confluence Story Gathering

Oregon Humanities is a cosponsor of this event.

Event | May 6, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | July 10, 2017

Conversation Project: Good Food, Bad Food

Agriculture, Ethics, and Personal Choice

Event | April 20, 2017

Conversation Project: Good Food, Bad Food

Agriculture, Ethics, and Personal Choice

Event | April 18, 2017

Confluence Story Gathering

Oregon Humanities is a cosponsor of this event.

Event | April 15, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | April 12, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | July 13, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | April 11, 2017

"Fish Tales" Seafood Panel Discussion

Exploring local seafood on the North Oregon Coast. Oregon Humanities is a cosponsor of this event.

Event | April 29, 2017

History in the News: Crowds and Controversies in Oregon's Parks and Wilderness

Discuss current events in historical context at a monthly roundtable. This is an Oregon Humanities grant-funded event.

Event | April 20, 2017

Conversation Project: Good Food, Bad Food

Agriculture, Ethics, and Personal Choice

Event | May 17, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | June 10, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | July 11, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | June 28, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | June 15, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | May 18, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | August 24, 2017

Gaining Ground Film Screening and Discussion

This is an Oregon Humanities grant-funded event.

Event | March 21, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | March 16, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | March 15, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | August 23, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | May 8, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | May 6, 2017

Conversation Project: Good Food, Bad Food

Agriculture, Ethics, and Personal Choice

Event | March 11, 2017

A Pollinator's Plight

A discussion and screening on the importance of native bees. This is an Oregon Humanities grant-funded event.

Event | April 6, 2017

Supporting Pollinators

A panel discussion on ways to support native pollinators in our communities. This is an Oregon Humanities grant-funded event.

Event | May 31, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | February 25, 2017

Confluence Story Gathering

Event | February 18, 2017

Conversation Project: Fish Tales

Traditions and Challenges of Seafood in Oregon

Event | February 16, 2017

Wonder, Bread

Seeking the sacred in the mundane world. An excerpt from Great Tide Rising: Toward Clarity and Moral Courage in a Time of Planetary Change by Kathleen Dean Moore

Magazine | August 11, 2016

Not Built for Ghosts

Writer Helen Hill on consequences she faced after leaving her beloved home in the hands of others

Magazine | April 11, 2016

Between Ribbon and Root

Hope and a history of tragedy live together in a Cowlitz woman's son. An essay by Christine Dupres

Magazine | April 11, 2016

This Way through Oregon

Illustrating the systems that move salmon, waste, traffic, and legislation

Magazine | December 18, 2015

Posts

Readers write about Safe

Magazine | August 11, 2015

Life's Winter

The opportunities seem endless, but the season is not. An excerpt from Building a Better Nest: Living Lightly at Home and in the World by Evelyn Searle Hess.

Beyond the Margins | July 27, 2015

The River Fix

Journalist Valerie Rapp on the complexities of dam removal

Magazine | April 7, 2015

Gone Astray

A humanitarian aid worker in Sri Lanka finds herself caught up in a race to harvest the tusks of a dead elephant.

Magazine | December 8, 2014

Epigenetics and Equity

Zip code may be more important than genetic code when it come's to determining a person's health. A film produced by Dan Sadowsky for Oregon Humanities.

Beyond the Margins | October 7, 2014

Before You Know It

Your health may be determined by stresses experienced by your great-grandparents. How does this change how we plan for the future?

Magazine | July 31, 2014

Origin Stories

The surprising beginnings of six of Oregon’s claims to fame

Magazine | July 31, 2014

This Land Planned for You and Me

J. David Santen Jr. on what Oregon's communities look like forty years after the passage of Senate Bill 100

Magazine | December 5, 2013

In-Between Place

Brian Doyle argues that life in the suburbs is far from the bland prison it is made out to be.

Magazine | December 5, 2013

Belonging and Connection

Bette Lynch Husted on imperfect small-town life in Pendleton.

Magazine | December 5, 2013

On the River

Debra Gwartney on learning to love the isolation of her adopted home on the McKenzie River.

Magazine | December 5, 2013

Why We Stay

Monica Drake on raising a family in an urban neighborhood instead of a more serene but less vibrant rural place.

Magazine | December 5, 2013

Water Wars

Journalist J. David Santen Jr. on how battles, compromises, and resolutions abound in a state flush with water.

Magazine | August 7, 2012

A Region by Any Name

From Ecotopia to Cascadia Megaregion, visions of the Pacific Northwest have been secessionist in nature. An essay by Carl Abbott

Magazine | April 8, 2012

Home Economics

Using the house to bridge the public/private divide.

Magazine | December 10, 2011

Where We Live Now

Abandoning the tragedy of the city for a new way of thinking and talking about place. An essay by Matthew Stadler

Magazine | April 4, 2011

What Remains

A search for the site of a notorious massacre in Hells Canyon

Magazine | March 17, 2010

Distance as an Illusion

John Yeon and the landscape arts of China and Japan. An essay by Kevin Nute

Magazine | November 23, 2009