On those rare occasions when faced with a rainy day the High Desert Museum is a great destination. Critters to check on and the quarterly installation to take in. We’re becoming big fans of this Central Oregon cultural center.
The museum’s curated projects go beyond the boundaries of their exhibit space set on 135 acres south of Bend. One of these events is a lecture series held at McMenamins Old St. Francis School.
The Natural History Pub Series presents lectures on a wide range of topics including: animal behavior, natural resource restoration, and geological activity…all set in a very unclassroom–like setting.
This past week we learned about “First Foods Management with a River Vision.” Eric Quaempts, Director of Natural Resources for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, spoke about a unique approach to water management and natural resource development. His department makes decisions based on the concept of water being a First Food; water, fish, game, roots and berries.
As frequent stream visitors, his detailed presentation on Umatilla River restoration projects was particularly interesting. The basic idea that a riparian is the river resonated with us.
Quaempts management plan doesn’t exclude or attempt to minimize man from the natural resource equation. Rather it places us right in the middle of managing our environment, which now that he says it makes perfect sense.
There are an abundance of birds and water fowl taking advantage of the expanded flood plain. Ducks, mostly mallard pairs, and of course flocks of Canada geese. To the year round residents there is a marked increase in song birds, particularly robins and red-winged black birds. The black birds are aggressively staking claim to territory with red flashes from their shoulders and loud calls. There are also small birds that flit too fast for easy identification, but are adding their voices to the choir.
The day begins with coffee, 
We opt for the Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge, offering a perfect location, just off Highway 31 near the the town of Summer Lake and to the north end of the town’s namesake.
Weather wise it has been a very odd start to our spring. There was the late winter snow fall. Then…this week, within one single day, it started with snow, ended with warm sunshine, and included thunder and lightning with freezing pellets.
The Crooked is a very fishable stream, easy enough to wade and small enough to get to any spot a fish might be holding. There are quite a few people on the river, but you rarely bump into anyone and at most see another fisher up or down stream a few hundred yards.
Chalk this up to cabin fever. Tired of walking neighborhood paths, we headed off to a “year around” trailhead. Rim Rock Springs wildlife area is listed as “open all season.” Because it is pretty much out in the open, there was hope the trail would be somewhat snow clear or at least passable. It wasn’t.
The trailhead is a few miles east of Madras on Highway 26 and the real draw for this mile plus loop trail is an abundance of wildlife. Despite being located in basically a barren landscape, there is a marsh and with it lots of birds and critters in the area. For now, we’ll move it to the ‘a bit later’ spring hiking list.
The road had been plowed, so we did manage to get to the overlook and of course JQ shot a few frames. We had a picnic lunch. Tip chased a ball and sniffed some sagebrush. The only thing we didn’t get in was some hiking mileage. Just have to double up on the neighborhood loop tomorrow.