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.

Watch Latest: S36 E2

28m 44s

Sea Lions

9m 36s / TV-G

West coast sea lions now number 300,000 strong and must travel farther afield for food. That has brought record numbers to the Columbia River. Government and tribal biologists believe the sea lions eat too many endangered salmon. They now have permits to harass and kill the sea mammals. Sea lion advocates believe sea lions kill a fraction of the salmon killed by the impacts of hydro-electric dams

Halfway Calendar

7m 57s / TV-G

What's a novel way to promote the outdoors lifestyle and raise a little money for community projects? How about put together a calendar starring the hunting-gathering women of Halfway? That's just what happened last year and the success of the 2015 calendar has prompted the community to do it again for 2016.

Desert Frogs

7m 59s / TV-G

Columbia Spotted Frogs require full time water yet find a way to live in the desert. Researchers conducting a remarkably long study have returned to Dry Creek in far southeastern Oregon each year since 2001 to keep learn more about these frogs of the desert.

Sandcastle Contest

6m 9s / TV-G

Every summer, thousands of people flock to the Oregon Coast for the sights and sounds of the annual Cannon Beach Sandcastle contest. Join us as we follow one family, the Jessops, through the ups and downs of the competition. How do they build these elaborate sand creations? What keeps them-and the crowds-coming back for more?

Dam Removals

2m 36s / TV-G

In the past decade, several high-profile dam removals have happened in the Northwest. But not all dams are created equally. Not all pose insurmountable problems for migrating fish. But dams can fundamentally change large swaths of river ecosystems. And age, disuse and advances in technology have made many dams obsolete. That’s changing how we as a society think about dams.

Urban Beavers

8m 58s / TV-G

A building boom by beavers has backed up water in streams all around Portland. A decade ago, many of the beavers would have been trapped and killed. Now, local governments are more likely to let the beavers stay in the name of natural flood protection and restoring habitat.

Could a Mushroom Save a Honeybee

5m 40s / TV-G

Honeybees throughout the United States have been struggling for nearly a decade. Now, two scientists in Washington State are teaming up to help the pollinator. And they are investigating an unconventional remedy: the mushroom.

Pasta Seed Pods

8m 33s / TV-G

An Italian pasta machine and a doughnut maker might help regrow burned deserts. Scientist in Oregon use the machines to mash seeds together and give them a boost so they have a better chance of sprouting and surviving in sagebrush country after wildfires have burned the landscape. Until now, reseeding efforts have spread seeds that largely died in the desert crust.

Cormorant Vs. Salmon

9m 50s / TV-G

Salmon face serious challenges in the Northwest. But how far should we go to protect them? The nation’s largest colony of double-crested cormorants is feasting on wild salmon. To protect the fish, the Army Corps of Engineers decided to kill thousands of these cormorants. Bird advocates say that’s going too far.

Sand Labyrinth

6m 53s / TV-G

Denny Dyke began drawing classical labyrinths on the sandy beaches near Bandon in 2011. Once completed, he walks the labyrinth to the center and out again. Recently, Denny's expanded his repertoire of labyrinth-types, and now even makes up his designs on the spot. Tourists and locals alike flock to see Denny's work and to walk the mysterious and beautiful labyrinths before the tides takes it.

Wildlife Crossings

9m 5s / TV-G

The fall months of October and November are peak season for deer to be on the move. They’re migrating. The Oregon State Police says those are also the top months for car crashes with wildlife. A few years ago, the Department of Transportation built the state’s very first large scale wildlife passage structure. Hidden cameras show wildlife flock to it.

Behind the Scenes Mt St Helens Glacial Cave

10m 33s / TV-G

In 2014 Oregon Field Guide set off to explore the possible findings of a new cave system rumored to exist inside the glacier on the crater's south side of Mt St. Helens. The segment aired with a fascinating story of its discovery but the shoot did not end as hoped. This behind the scenes view will reveal the difficult challenges and circumstances that lead to a dramatic departure from the crater.

Unprepared Documentary Trailer

6m 10s / TV-G

Unprepared: An Oregon Field Guide Special is part of an integrated radio, TV and online effort that examines our region's vulnerability to a mega-quake. Can we prepare? And what lessons can we learn from earthquakes elsewhere? Join us for the premiere airing of this documentary October 1, 2015. This short trailer will demonstrate how important it is that we explore steps to be better prepared.

Reflections of Summer: Getting that Iconic Snow Geese Shot

1m 13s

Producer Vince Patton, along with the Oregon Field Guide team, reveals tips to filming wildlife and getting that magical shot of thousands of snow geese for the iconic opening of the Field Guide program.

Reflections of Summer: The Secret of Filming Elk

1m 19s

The Oregon Field Guide team takes you behind-the-scenes and reveals the secret behind getting those impressive shots of elk. Learn the tricks of the trade from videographer, Michael Bendixen. Pictured here, producer Jule Gilfillan and photographer Bill Wallauer putting it to the test!

Reflections of Summer: Wild Kiger Mustangs

44s / TV-G

Todd Sonflieth, Oregon Field Guide's chief videographer has shot and edited hundreds of segments for Oregon Field Guide since the show's inception. Todd reflects on one of his favorite stories filmed in Southwestern Oregon in 1992 - Wild Kiger Mustangs

Spotted Owls

8m 42s

The most-famous bird in the northwest, the Northern Spotted Owl, was at the center of an environmental and political controversy, and is now quietly vanishing. Biologists use the latest AI computer technology to monitor their decline to eventual extinction.

Reflections of Summer: Behind the Scenes on the Chetco River

1m 49s / TV-G

Join Producer Ed Jahn and Senior Videographer Nick Fisher as they recall one of Oregon Field Guide's toughest trek's ever - what it takes to see the pristine upper headwaters of the Chetco River in the heart of the Kalmiopsis wilderness.

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