Nature talks, benefits and field days this week in Central Oregon
Whether you want to learn about a southern Oregon lake’s importance to the Great Basin ecosystem, dabble in beekeeping or support native fish and wild rivers, there are a variety of nature-related events to go to this week.
Honey Bee Field Day & Picnic
The day will begin with informative talks and lessons on bees, foraging, Varroa mites and hive inspecting. Then there will be honey tasting, hive box painting, a scavenger hunt, hive observation and melon sampling.
Attendees should bring a lawn chair, water bottle, clothes that can get dirty, picnic lunch and possibly a food or drink item made with honey to share. This event is perfect for experienced beekeepers, aspiring beekeepers and non-beekeepers of all ages.
Saturday 9:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; free, registration requested; Well Rooted Produce, 20377 Swalley Road, Bend; cobeekeeping.org or 458-202-9968.
Native Fish Society — Homewaters Roundup
The Native Fish Society (NFS) invites community members to attend its annual Central Oregon celebration and benefit for Oregon’s native fish and wild rivers. The evening includes live music, charcuterie spread and libations from Deschutes Brewery will be available as well as a special selection of cocktails from Crafted Life.
The organization also has a virtual auction, which started Aug. 10, also benefiting wild, native fish, free-flowing rivers and thriving local communities. It has hosted fishing days with NFS staff to quality rods and reels, Patagonia gear to hot air balloon rides. Registration is requested.
Saturday 4-7 p.m.; free, registration requested; The Miracle Barn, 65599 Tweed Road, Bend; nativefishsociety.org.
Know Migration — OSU’s Northwest Bat Hub
Sara Rose, assistant coordinator for the Northwest Bat Hub and project lead for the Audible Bats Project, will discuss bat diversity and ecology. Attendees will learn how researchers study bats through the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat) and discover the collaborative work of the Northwest Bat Hub in assessing bat persistence and extinction risks. The presentation will also touch on how inter-agency collaboration enhances bat conservation efforts and the Audible Bats Project, which focuses on elusive spotted and pallid bats.
The Bat Hub is a part of the HERS Lab at OSU-Cascades. Rose joined the Bat Hub in 2018 as a seasonal field technician and has served as crew lead and assisted with data management, call processing, volunteer management, and community outreach. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from OSU-Cascades in natural resources fish and wildlife conservation.
Wednesday 6-7 p.m.; free; Downtown Bend Public Library, 601 NW Wall St., Bend; deschuteslibrary.org or 541-617-7050.
Natural History of Lake Abert
Hear about Southern Oregon’s culturally and ecologically extraordinary hypersaline lake, Lake Abert, from Ron Larson, who believes its future is at risk. Larson’s presentation will focus on his newly published book, “A Natural History of Oregon’s Lake Abert in the Northwest Great Basin Landscape,” and he will share photos, videos and why he thinks the lake needs ongoing attention to remain an essential part of the Great Basin ecosystem.
Larson has a Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University, a Master of Science degree from the University of Puerto Rico, and a doctorate from the University of Victoria in British Columbia. After conducting a post-doctorate at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Florida, he had a lengthy career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Georgia, Mississippi and finally in Klamath Falls, before retiring in 2014. His interest in Lake Abert started in 2008 and he continues to be involved with studies and conservation of the lake through the Oregon Lakes Association and the newly formed Partnership for Lake Abert and the Chewaucan.
