Oregon Field Guide

Series / 35 Seasons

Oregon Field Guide is your destination for outdoor recreation, ecology, natural resource and travel stories from across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

26m 30s

Crayfish vs. Newt

6m 54s / TV-G

At Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, the surface water temperature is on the rise. This may not seem to be a big deal, but there’s an invasive crayfish that is loving the new warmer waters -- putting the lake’s clarity and native creatures in jeopardy.

1 Million Plants In A Year

7m 54s / TV-G

A bold project aimed to plant 1 million trees and shrubs in a single year. Organizers call it the largest community based restoration program in the U.S. It started years ago as an alternative to avoid spending $150 million to cool wastewater discharge into the Tualatin River and morphed into an ever growing stream restoration involving rural farmers and urban utilities, parks and governments.

Buzz Holmstrom

8m 17s / TV-G

Oregon river legend, Haldene "Buzz" Holmstrom, was the first person to run the entire length of the Green and Colorado rivers, including through the Grand Canyon. He died mysteriously from a gunshot while rafting the grand Ronde. Author Vince Welch spent a lifetime guiding rivers and hearing the stories of Buzz Holmstrom, and retired from commercial river running to write the story of Buzz's life.

Alvord Desert Gliders

6m 38s / TV-G

Glider pilots enjoy the thrill and beauty of the big wild above the Alvord desert. Once a year a group of 20-30 pilots gather for a week of soaring above the playa, but their method of getting airborne is unique. Using the 18 mile long playa as their runway, these gliders forgo the traditional airplane tow, opting instead for a tow cable hitched to a fast car.

Bull Run Quake Science

8m 28s / TV-G

A Cascadia earthquake will spell trouble for Portland's water supply. But is there any way to know how bad the shaking will be? Divers explore the protected Bull Run Lake, source of Portland's water, in search of evidence from past earthquakes that could shed light on how big the "big one" will be for the Portland area.

Swan Transplants

8m 44s / TV-G

The state of Oregon offers free food and lodging to relocate to Summer Lake, as long as you’re a trumpeter swan. Biologists have learned that transplanting swans works best when they are young. Cygnets imprint on the land where they learn to fly and are much more likely to return to the spot in the future.

Invasive Species BBQ

8m / TV-G

The annual invasive species cook-off challenges everyday people to turn invasive plants and animals into tasty dishes like Cajun-fried American bullfrog legs, dandelion-thistle spanakopita and red swamp crayfish salad. The event is designed to raise awareness of a major environmental problem.

Monarchs & Milkweed

9m 30s / TV-G

Monarch butterfly populations have declined 90 percent across the US. A key piece of their habitat has been wiped out by farms and urban sprawl. Milkweed is the single most important plant for monarchs. It’s the only one they lay their eggs on and young caterpillars eat. People are encouraged to plant milkweed wherever they can to help monarchs along their long migration routes.

Pika

8m 41s / TV-G

Pikas are the adorable masters of the high country. These potato-sized members of the rabbit family squeak like plush toys and live among the rocks and under deep blankets of snow on the highest cascade peaks. So why are thousands of them living in the Columbia River Gorge?

Behind The Scenes with Michael Bendixen

2m 40s / TV-G

Oregon Field Guide's videographer, Michael Bendixen, shares his experiences scuba diving in a frozen lake near Klamath Falls. Shot in 2012, Bendixen did special training to get certified as an ice diver and shares some astonishing shots under the surface that very few of us would have a chance to see!

Behind The Scenes on Oregon Revealed - Coastal Wonder

6m 50s / TV-G

Enjoy a behind the scenes look at the making of Oregon Field Guide's special: Oregon Revealed - Coastal Wonder with OPB's Senior Videographer, Todd Sonflieth. Todd shares a glimpse into what is involved to create these magnificent shots and the challenges that come with that.

Christmas Ships

8m 8s / TV-G

Every Christmas season, boats of shapes and sizes parade down the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. We ride along with the fleet's leader and get to know some of the local crews that take part in this 60-year-old Portland tradition.

Moving Meacham Creek

7m 46s / TV-G

A massive restoration project is underway in Northeast Oregon, where a creek is not only being restored but literally moved back to its original location prior to 1855. Salmon are at risk, but so too is an entire tribe’s way of life. We explore the connection between Meacham Creek and the ‘First Foods’ of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation.

Waterfall Hunters

8m 38s / TV-G

Two of Oregon’s most adventurous waterfall hunters set a goal to see 365 waterfalls in a year despite a crippling injury to one of them. Hiking. Especially off-trail, became great therapy and they blew past their goal, ultimately seeing 500 in a single year. In the process, Tim Burke & Melinda Muckenthaler discovered waterfalls not on any maps and with no evidence of being photographed before.

Tenkara

7m 45s / TV-G

An ancient simple form of fly-fishing from Japan has become popular in US. Tenkara rods have no reel, a short but extendable rod and a fixed length of light line. Fans say it makes fly fishing possible even on small mountain streams.

Gravity Sports

7m 25s / TV-G

The world cup Maryhill Festival of Speed is the largest gravity sports event in North America where downhill skateboarders and street lugers battle it out in downhill racing. It takes place each year in a place most people have never heard of: historic Maryhill Loops Road in Goldendale, Washington.

Hole in the Lake

8m 39s / TV-G

A geologic mystery in the Cascades captivates tourists heading over Santiam Pass. Several holes have been found in the bottom of Lost Lake. They act like bathtub drains and suck the water away underground. Geologists say they feed a subterranean plumbing system that feeds other lakes in the McKenzie River system.

Oyster Meroir

14m / TV-G

Oysters, like wine, take their distinctive flavor from the aquaculture of their home bays. We visit an oyster hatchery, a small oyster farm on Netarts Bay as well as the largest shellfish producer in the US to learn how these delectable marine animals are seeded, grown, and savored for their unique "merior."

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