Love to visit birding hot spots? Excited about birds, but don't know where to start? Looking to connect with the land in a new way? Become a Land Trust bird surveyor! Goldfinch, photo by Kris Kristovich
Greetings!
Early in May the Friends Board of Directors and staff spent a full weekend engaged in visioning sessions and business meetings. It might not surprise you to read that I LOVE this sort of thing. The ideas and energy generated in those rooms are so inspiring to me.
Birds need our help. Habitat loss is the #1 threat facing birds and we can do something about it in our outdoor spaces, gardens, and landscapes.
Learn about the GARDEN FOR BIRDS PROJECT
from Cornell Lab of Ornithology
OSPREY WATCH is a global community science project that tracks osprey nesting activity over time. Think Wild is leading local efforts here in Central Oregon with participation from ECBA volunteers. Observing, monitoring nests, and submitting data on a regular basis contributes to a much larger data base that is growing all the time.
Oregon Desert Land Trust needs help with sunrise point counts in wet meadows and creeks at Trout Creek Ranch, which lies 40 miles south of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Join in one or both 4-hour surveys to document migratory birds and guide restoration plans across this nearly 17,000-acre private property. ODLT needs 4 more volunteers for each survey.
Photo courtesy of ODLT.
Take a close look! Some familiar folks here from last year’s surveys.
Greetings!
Putting together this monthly newsletter is one of the great joys of my job. I place a pretty high value on the role it plays in keeping you connected to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Sometimes this means that in order to give it the attention I feel it deserves while also being fully involved in the work of FOMR on the ground, it gets delayed.
In 2025 we were experimenting with different types of crop cover to enhance native seed germination and growth. We put out a black plastic crop cover and plastic perforated trays to see which was more effective for seed germination and growth.
Photo by Harry Johnson
Harney County Migratory Bird Festival is a mere two weeks away! While we are excited about spring arrivals on the Refuge we never forget that the entirety of Harney County is coming alive all around us.
The City of Redmond has significantly grown and changed since it installed its first wastewater treatment facility in 1978. The projected population in Redmond by the end of 2045 is 54,000. The current system can process and treat 2.8 million gallons per day; the current system will need to be expanded to treat the 4.6 million gallons per day required for the projected population growth.