From the Field

Squirrels: The Science Behind the Stash

September 8, 2024

As summer winds down, squirrels are already preparing for the colder months ahead. These clever cachers gather and bury nuts throughout their territories, relying on impressive spatial memory to find them later. Research suggests they even organize their caches by type, a technique known as spatial chunking. They may also take risks for prized foods and use deception to protect their stash from watchful neighbors. Take a closer look at the surprisingly sophisticated ways squirrels prepare for winter.

283 Acres of Rare Oak and Prairie Habitat Protected Forever in Eugene’s Ridgeline Area

September 5, 2024

In early September McKenzie River Trust ensured the permanent protection of 243 acres of rare oak woodland and savanna habitat just outside Eugene, OR. The project builds on initial conservation efforts in 2022, which leveraged membership donations to protect 40 adjacent acres for fish and wildlife habitat. Long identified by area partners as a potential “anchor” site in the ridgeline area, the South Fork Spencer Creek conservation area builds on the City of Eugene’s open space protection efforts, contributing significant habitat to the wildlife corridor.

Growing Finn Rock Reach – 636 Acres Protected on the McKenzie River

July 2, 2024

McKenzie River Trust took a major step forward to safeguard our namesake river last week by purchasing 636 acres of former timberland in Finn Rock, OR. The protection project, which begins near the town of Blue River and ends near Nimrod, returns three parcels to a growing mosaic of conservation lands in the middle McKenzie River Valley.

245 Acres Protected Forever on the North Fork Siuslaw River

June 17, 2024

Efforts to protect estuarine wetlands in the lower Siuslaw River watershed got a big boost this month with the addition of 245 acres of conservation land. Protected through a partnership between The Nature Conservancy in Oregon and McKenzie River Trust, with support from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and private donors, the area on the lower North Fork of the Siuslaw River provided the “missing piece of the puzzle” in a larger effort to promote a more resilient watershed through land protection and restoration activities.

Finn Rock Landing Reopens on the McKenzie River

June 14, 2024

McKenzie River recreationists are celebrating the re-opening of the Finn Rock Landing on the McKenzie River. One of the more popular launches for the McKenzie River’s whitewater opportunities, the Finn Rock Landing serves thousands of visitors annually. The improved landing, slated to reopen on Saturday, June 15th, was designed based on community feedback in partnership with Cameron McCarthy Landscape Architects. Work was completed by Delta Sand and Gravel Company and included creating defined parking spaces, pedestrian safety routes, places to gather out of traffic, and installing bird-friendly lighting.

Balancing Nature’s Needs and Our Need for Nature

June 4, 2024

Can you love something you’ve never seen? As a changing climate increases the need and opportunity for land and water conservation, an ongoing tension continues to grow between setting aside space for wildlife to be wild and providing recreational access to land. People and land need each other, but how can we interact with nature in a way that is additive to clean water, habitat abundance, and thriving communities? That is an ongoing question McKenzie River Trust wrestles with as we work to care for land and water in western Oregon.

Partners Resume Restoration on the Siuslaw River Estuary

May 16, 2024

Partners from the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, the Siuslaw Watershed Council, and McKenzie River Trust are preparing for a second season of restoration on the Siuslaw River at Waite Ranch. Beginning in summer 2023, the tidal restoration project is working to return around 200 acres of estuarine wetlands to the Siuslaw River system.

Birding By Ear – Songs of Spring with Charlie Quinn

April 18, 2024

In 1995, I was volunteering at The Nature Conservancy as a bird researcher and hike leader, just before getting my first paid job as a field trip coordinator that fall. My first volunteer project in Oregon was working on the production of a birding by ear guide. This guide was created to teach high school students how to aurally identify birds in bird surveys for the Audubon Society of Portland’s Green City Data Program. Now, nearly thirty years later, this guide as been transferred from cassette to cd, cd to mp3, and is now matched with photos of each species to continue sharing my love of birding.

Lessons from a Beaver on International Beaver Day

April 7, 2024

Beavers have important lessons to teach us about how to care for the living rivers in our backyard. As we celebrate the start of the 54th annual Earth Month, we also celebrate one of our area’s most incredible caretakers of land and water, the North American Beaver.

430-acre Yakona Nature Preserve & Learning Center protected forever!

March 14, 2024

Local conservation organizations Yakona Nature Preserve and McKenzie River Trust have partnered to permanently protect 430 acres on the Yaquina River estuary. Founded by longtime Newport residents JoAnn and Bill Barton, Yakona Nature Preserve & Learning Center offers educational programming, community events, and guided access to the historic site. This month, the area was permanently protected through a conservation easement with McKenzie River Trust, ensuring the site’s future remains focused on serving the community through conservation, education, and building cultural connections.

On This Land 2024

February 14, 2024

Our Winter Writers Series weaves stories of connection between people and place. From logging camps to Wild and Scenic Rivers, the frontlines of climate activism, and off-grid retreats into the wilderness, we are met with grief, connection, hope, and humor.

Improvements Underway at the Finn Rock Boat Landing

January 30, 2024

Exciting changes are underway for the McKenzie River recreation community! Beginning in November 2023, McKenzie River Trust broke ground on a large-scale improvement project for the Finn Rock Boat Landing. Generously funded through the Oregon State Parks Recreational Trails and Permits grant program, investments from the Lane County Parks Levy, and the generous support of private donors, large and small; this project will have wide-reaching benefits for recreational river users and commercial outfitters alike.