Property Donation Protects Coho Salmon Habitat on Oregon Coast
In March of 2023, the Estergard family donated 85 of their original 300 acres of farmland on the North Fork of the Siuslaw River to McKenzie River Trust. The site, located a few miles upstream from the confluence with the mainstem Siuslaw River, provides important habitat for native species including Coho Salmon, lamprey, and waterfowl.
On This Land
Our Winter Writers Series (2022-23) weaves stories of connection between people and place. From old log ponds and logging camps to kitchen windows that reveal a nation’s painful past, we are met with loss, connection, hope, and humor.
Nurturing an Ecological Crossroad at the Willamette Confluence Preserve
After a decade of habitat restoration and successful reconnection of the river to its historic floodplain, The Nature Conservancy has completed the transfer of the Willamette Confluence Preserve, a 1,305-acre natural area, to a local conservation organization, McKenzie River Trust.
Letting the River Roam
From frogs to fish, beavers, and otters, our rivers are home to an incredible abundance of animals. Reconnecting our rivers to allow for water to slow and spread not only improves water quality and retention on the landscape but also provides important habitat for the beloved animals around us.
Conserving Cherished Places on Oregon’s Coast
Working in collaboration with our partners, McKenzie River Trust protected Cape Foulweather in August 2022 as an interim landowner. We’ll hold the property until it can be transferred to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in the coming years.
Exploring Connections – Winter Writers Series
McKenzie River Trust is collecting love letters to the lands and rivers of Oregon. We invite you to join us in reflection and appreciation of all our natural world provides. From the mountains and coastlines, rivers and swamps, lands far away, and birds in the backyard, join us in honoring all that our natural world provides.
Researchers Track Purple Martins Migratory Path
In hopes of saving a species, Dr. Sarah Rockwell, a Research Biologist with the Klamath Bird Observatory, is set on finding out where west coast populations of Purple Martins overwinter.
Restoration Underway at Coyote Spencer Wetlands
Maintaining oak savanna and prairie habitats plays a key role in species conservation and ecological reinvigoration. In the Willamette Valley, less than 3% of oak savanna and less than 7% of oak woodlands remain.
Tidal Wetlands Critical for Climate Resiliency on the Oregon Coast
Coastal habitat conservation is essential for helping tidal wetlands sequester blue carbon effectively. Smart investments in tidal wetland restoration today are critical for a stable climate future on Oregon’s central coast.
Perspectives on Land
McKenzie River Trust works at the intersection of people and place. Across the conservation sector, our collective understanding of exactly what that means is deepening through the intentional probing of our history on the land and the impacts of settler colonialism on communities of non-European descent in the United States.