Oregon Field Guide

A mysterious landscape known as Crowberry Bog on the Olympic Peninsula is like no other place in Washington. It’s a bog that sits like an inflated bladder, rising higher than the surrounding forest. And to walk through it is like walking on a waterbed that is chock full of rare and surprising life.

Roughly 250,000 people float the Deschutes River through Bend in Central Oregon each summer. Many lose belongings along the way. But thanks to some dedicated local divers, some treasured items are making it home. And even trash can score a second chance in the hands of a master river looter.

Life on Axial Seamount Photo Essay

Axial volcano is one of the most active volcanoes on the planet and it exists just off the coast of Oregon. Volcanologist Bill Chadwick is on a quest to discover what it can teach us about predicting volcanic eruptions.

OPB crew works around the clock following scientists at sea studying an active volcano.

OPB crew works around the clock following scientists at sea studying an active volcano.

Tugboat races at Olympia Harbor Days celebrate Pacific Northwest maritme history.

A blizzard creates a winter wonderland at Teacup Lake, Oregon.

Every October, the residents of Tualatin take 1,000 pound pumpkins, carve them into boats, and race them around the Lake of the Commons.

Tree Climbing School at Dorena offers a demanding 4-day training to teach ecologists and scientists the skills they need to ascend some of the world’s tallest trees.

The legacy of salt making is explored, from the days of Lewis and Clark to the modern salt-making facilities of Jacobsen Salt Company.

Geologist Nick Zentner (of “Nick on the Rocks” fame) takes us on an entertaining road trip to explore the "ginkgo" lava flow that erupted in central Washington and flowed all the way to the Oregon Coast 16-million years ago.

Photographer Brandon Swanson showcases the loveliness of the North Umpqua River during a rainstorm.

Exploring the surprising natural oasis in the most urban watershed in Oregon with the folks of the Columbia Slough Watershed Council and a dedicated volunteer helping to clean it up.

A visual exploration of Smith Rock State Park by photographer Todd Sonflieth.

In 2006, invasive green crabs were just starting to show up in Oregon bays. Nearly two decades later, these non-native critters are multiplying at alarming rates and threatening Pacific Northwest shellfisheries.

This zany race combines Ford Model T’s, pigs and a dirt track at the Tillamook county fairground. The Pig-N-Ford has been an Oregon tradition for nearly 100 years.

The Sunflower Sea Star once flourished along the west coast of the US. However this beautiful echinoderm has been dying out in large numbers due to a mysterious syndrome known as wasting. Jason Hodin is part of a team of University of Washington scientists that are attempting to preserve this sea star by spawning multiple generations that are more resilient to wasting.

A storybook Christmas comes to life in the small-town of Sumpter, Oregon.

Spiders have bad eyesight, so how do they "see" what's happening on their webs? Oregon State University scientists create models to understand the way web vibrations serve this function... and can even create music.