Look Back: 2025 Speaker Series

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Great Horned Owls and Western Screech Owls

Great Horned Owls and Western Screech Owls

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Sage-grouse Mating Dance

Sage-grouse Mating Dance

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Greater Sage Grouse and Sparrows at Hart Mountain

Greater Sage Grouse and Sparrows at Hart Mountain

A Year in the Life: Oregon’s High Desert Owls

Paul Bannick, wildlife photographer and author, took us on a captivating journey through a year in the lives of high desert owls. Through stunning photos, he introduced us to burrowing owls, northern pygmy owls, long-eared owls and other species that call the desert home. From spring to winter, Paul revealed the challenges these birds face and the adaptations that help them thrive.

Desert Tip: When asked about photographing owls, Paul suggested first learning how they live. Understanding their preferred habitat, food sources and nesting structures will improve your chances of finding and capturing these remarkable birds on camera.

Tiny Titans: Insects of the High Desert

Dr. Tara Cornelisse, invertebrate zoologist, connected us to the high desert by highlighting key butterfly, moth and beetle species found in eastern Oregon. She discussed how climate change and habitat loss affects high desert insects, and explained why conserving the high desert is vital for the future of insect populations and the entire ecosystem.

Interesting Insight: Western aphideaters are critical to the high desert ecosystem because they perform two different roles during their life. As larvae, they eat aphids, and as adults, they pollinate wildflowers.

Watch the Recording

Fossils and the Future: Lessons from Oregon’s Ecological Past

Dr. Samantha Hopkins, University of Oregon Professor and Earth Sciences Department Head, took us back in time to explore the ecology of the high desert spanning from 45 million years ago to the present. She underscored how the region’s fossil record reveals ecosystem changes during past climate events and how that affected species biodiversity. We left this event with a deeper understanding of how ancient life shapes the present and what it can tell us about our future.

Memorable Quote: “Once you figure out what [habitat] matters to a particular organism, maintaining that allows us to retain diversity in ecosystems. It doesn’t necessary take a huge amount of habitat to maintain diversity, but if you lose that habitat entirely, or if you alter it, then you may not have something that will support biodiversity.” – Dr. Samantha Hopkins

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Beneath the Surface: Desert Mussels

Alexa Martinez, Wildlife Biologist at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, took us on a tour of freshwater mussels in eastern Oregon. She shared insights from recent mussel surveys at the refuge and explained how mussel populations reflect the differing conditions of desert streams. Alexa also emphasized the vital role these often-overlooked creatures play in maintaining healthy waterways and sustaining other species of desert wildlife.

Interesting Insight: Malheur National Wildlife Refuge has all three native, freshwater mussel species found in the Pacific Northwest. Western pearl shell, western ridge mussel and floaters live throughout the refuge and thrive on the snowmelt coming from the Steens Mountain watershed.

Watch the Recording

We extend our thanks to the presenters who shared their deep knowledge on these desert topics. And, thank you to all participants for your interest and enduring conservation advocacy.

Thank you to our presenting sponsor Killian Pacific and our additional sponsor First Interstate Bank, as well as our event sponsors WYLD and Visit Bend for supporting high desert conservation.

If you have any thoughts about the High Desert Speaker Series, we’d love to hear your feedback. Fill out our anonymous feedback form or send us a note to share your perspective.

Learn More

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

A centerpiece of Oregon’s high desert, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is located at the foot of Steens Mountain, from which the Wild and Scenic Blitzen River provides a constant and […]

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Species Spotlight: Burrowing Owl

A Funny Little Owl By LeeAnn Kriegh Pronghorn are perhaps the most graceful animal native to the high desert country of Central and Eastern Oregon. Golden Eagles are the most […]

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Look Back: 2025 Speaker Series

By on April 3, 2025 | Posted in: Look Back

Author: Claire Cekander  |  Published: April 3, 2025  | Category: Look Back Reflections on this year’s High Desert Speaker Series. Each year, Oregon Natural Desert Association presents the High Desert […]

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Six Inspiring Ways to Conserve Oregon’s High Desert

By on November 19, 2024 | Posted in: Profile

Author: Claire Cekander  |  Published: November 19, 2024  | Category: Profiles Stories of giving from our community. Our supporters contribute to Oregon desert conservation in many meaningful ways. Some restore […]

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Experiencing Sunrise in the Owyhee Canyonlands

By on June 6, 2024 | Posted in: Where-to

Author: Claire Cekander  |  Published: June 6, 2024  | Category: Where-To This article originally appeared in The Bulletin on May 31, 2024. Appreciating dawn in the high desert I wake […]

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Look Back: 2024 Speaker Series

By on May 6, 2024 | Posted in: Look Back

Author: Claire Cekander  |  Published: March 6, 2024  | Category: Look Back Reflections on the 2024 High Desert Speaker Series Each year, Oregon Natural Desert Association presents the High Desert […]

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How-To: Plan a Trip to the Owyhee Canyonlands

By on January 29, 2024 | Posted in: How-To

Author: Claire Cekander  |  Published: January 29, 2024  | Category: How-To This article originally appeared in The Bend Bulletin on January 26, 2024. The West’s largest expanse of unprotected wildlands […]

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12 Ways to Connect with the Desert

By on November 4, 2022 | Posted in: Look Back

Author: Claire Cekander  | Published: November 4, 2022  |  Category: Look Back Yes, there are plenty of ways to enjoy winter in the desert, but many of us spend the […]

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Six Alternative Ways to Give

By on May 28, 2020 | Posted in: How-To

Author: Claire Cekander  |  Updated:  November 22, 2022  |  Category: How-To  Eastern Oregon is home to extraordinarily intact sagebrush steppe, rushing waters that support abundant wildlife, a night sky studded […]

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