White-winged scoters are a coastal bird throughout the winter months. Western birds will migrate through and breed in boreal forests in Alaska and Canada. They are exceptionally rare in Harney County so you might imagine the thrill when a female AND male were recently spotted at The Narrows. The duo was first identified by Katie Sorenson and Peter Olsoy on October 31. Another was located by Joan Suther and Rick Vetter at the Burns Sewage Ponds.
Photo by Rick Vetter | | The winter season is one of contradictory realities. It can be harsh and uncomfortable while it can also be serene and calm. The holidays we human beings celebrate this time of year are diverse and offer the joyous counterpart to the less enjoyable elements such as short days, icy mornings, and cold nights. It is also a time of surprises - my favorite. | | |
A surprise dinner guest. A surprisingly breathtaking sunset. A gift that you were not expecting and that warmth of gratitude we feel just for the presence of loved ones.
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge may surprise you with the gift of a rare white-winged scoter or an American tree sparrow (photo left by Rick Vetter).
You may surprise Malheur with a gift that will help to sustain habitat enhancement, wildlife and resource monitoring, and outreach programs. There is quite literally no better time to give than right now.
| End of year donations help nonprofits like ours understand the financial landscape as we head into the new year. With these donations we are able to give back to Malheur all year long. Please consider making your 2025 donation to our End of Year campaign early and generously. | | |
Inspired by Malheur,
Janelle Wicks
Executive Director
| | |
President's Message; December 2025
Written by Bill Tweed
While the human world at year’s end swirls around us in energetic complexity, it is worth a moment to consider nature’s alternative —the profound quiet of the northern Great Basin in December.
Those who know the region well are familiar with the description of it as a cold desert. We can sometimes forget this on hot summer days, but in December this truth cannot be ignored. As the sun approaches the winter solstice, a profound chill settles over the Malheur Refuge and the open spaces that surround it. Read More
| | |
Science Shows Birding is Good For Us!
Written by Rachel White, FOMR Board Member
As many of us have experienced at Malheur, birdwatching is a source of enchantment and connection to nature. In case you need an additional excuse to indulge in this delightful pastime, science backs up what we already know in our hearts: birding is an antidote to the frazzled pace of modern life. In fact, it provides measurable health benefits. Read More
| | |
COMING SOON: Osprey Platform Upgrade
Written by Janelle Wicks, FOMR Director
Photos by Gary Kegel and Greg Weiter
The ospreys have built and rebuilt a nest on the same derelict power poll for as long as anyone can remember. The poll is located within a closed area of the Refuge which serves as a private residence for onsite staff. Most people may see the birds coming and going from the river but would likely not know much about the nest location if anything at all. The pole had once experienced an electrical fire. It is leaning substantially and the boards which the birds nest upon are tilted downwards.
In the summer of 2025, a high wind event knocked their nest and two nestlings to the ground. A tragic event. Read More
| |
New Nest Platform on Hwy 205
Written by Rick Vetter
Photos by Rick Vetter
The iconic ferruginous hawk nest south of Burns on Hwy 205 a few miles north of the Narrows has a new nesting platform.
The original nest was in a lone juniper tree, but the weight of the nest crushed the center of the tree and it fell to the ground in 2022. We modified the center of the tree with strategic bracing of additional branches and a simple platform before the nesting season in 2023. The hawks started adding sticks within a week, built a 1 foot high nest in 10 days and successfully nested that year and in 2024. Read More
| |
Star Lab Visits Harney County
Written by Janelle Wicks, FOMR Director
Laying under a blanket of stars we listed to educator, Kyle Koyle, explain how the stars move in the sky relative to our position on Earth. She shares stories of common constellations and tips for finding our way, wayfinding, with the stars. Then with the click of her mouse she shifts the sky above our heads and we are transported to the moon where she begins explaining lunar days versus solar days and how eclipse events happen. Read More
| | New Board Members Share Gifts of Malheur | | I was fortunate to have spent my youth in a rural area having several woodlots and a lake within walking distance of our home. Combine that setting with parents who allowed me to roam, so long as I checked in now and then, and you have the perfect environment to stimulate a young mind. That stimulation has remained with me through many years and was reinvigorated in me when I was given the opportunity to join the leadership of the Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Spending time on the refuge reminds me of all the memorable experiences I’ve had in the outdoors. Those experiences continue to motivate me to work toward ensuring that others may find similar appreciation of the beauty and natural wonder that in Malheur has to offer.
- Walter Duffy Ph.D., Board Member | | |
A liberating sense of purpose. I had the good fortune of working at Malheur for a few years after graduating college. Malheur was a powerful cure for my low self-confidence. The shock and wonder of so much wild biodiversity in the middle of an ocean of scruffy greasewood filled me with a desire to protect this place for future generations. Years later Malheur continues to give me the gift of feeling connected to something bigger than me.
Self-reliance. The remoteness, quiet, and solitude of Malheur are a rare luxury. But they come with a cost. While working there, I learned to be prepared. I learned to change a tire, wear the right clothing, bring extra water. I learned how to drive with an overheating radiator, and when all else fails, to suck up my pride and call for help.
- Rachel White, Board Member
| |
|
Giving Tuesday - December 2nd GOALS:
50 Donors
$5,000
Last year 32 people made Giving Tuesday donations totaling $2,874.00. With a community that grows every day, I know we can surpass these numbers!
Giving Tuesday kicks off our year's end fundraising campaign. At the end of the year, we are looking ahead and making plans for our work in the coming year. The money we raise on Giving Tuesday and throughout the month of December helps bring what is possible into focus. These funds are critical for funding biological technicians, supporting volunteer efforts, purchasing field equipment, and conducting education programs for Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. YOUR donations matter.
Mark your calendar for Tues. Dec 2 and give generously to empower what is possible.
| |
Change of Guard at Malheur Field Station
Written by Elizabeth Basa, incoming MFS Director
After 8 years, Rose Garacci, MFS executive director, is retiring. In her dedicated time at the field station, Rose has re-established lodging to significantly improved and useable levels. Rose came in at a time where she had to tackle major infrastructure problems with septic, potable water, and infestations. Her hard work and commitment have put MFS back on its feet, and onto a path for continued growth into the future.
The new director, Elizabeth Basa, a transplant from Chicago, brings her science education and business background, wrapped in a lifelong love of nature and conservation, to grab the MFS torch. Read More + The Malheur Field Station is hiring for TWO positions!
| | |
Species Spotlight; Bald Eagle
Written by Janelle Wicks / Photo by Dan Streiffert
Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) are perhaps the single most recognizable bird in North America. You don’t have to be even a novice birder to be familiar with this national symbol with its iconic white head, large razor-like bill, and powerful yellow talons. These, of course, are the characteristics of an adult individual. Juveniles, on the other hand can prove quite challenging for even an experienced birder. Read More
| | Volunteering with Friends | | |
We are endlessly grateful to our volunteers that do everything from staffing our nature store to pulling weeds or digging fence post holes to pouring drinks at the annual fundraiser. We could not do what we do for Malheur Refuge without YOU!
In 2025 we had 40+ volunteers contribute over 3,000 Hours!
Want to join them next year? Watch this space for volunteer opportunities or email Janelle with your ideas for how you might lend your unique set of skills to our work.
friends@malheurfriends.org
| | |
PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES
If you know of or are associated with a group that would be interested in a Malheur NWR themed presentation, please reach out to FOMR Director Janelle Wicks to coordinate.
Potential topics are as diverse as the Refuge itself.
Virtual or in-person depending on seasonal availability.
Email: friends@malheurfriends.org
Pictured left: East Cascades Bird Alliance gathering at Worthy Brewing.
| | |
2025's Most Popular
Every month there is excellent content on the Friends Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages. Here we will feature the most popular post of the month.
| | |
May 2, 2025 - Malheur Lake is currently measuring at 67074.3 acres! This is not including with the meadows to the north which are visually indistinguishable from the Lake and are measuring at another 22721.34 acres. Combined, the region is a total of 89,795.6 acres!
There is water is spreading all the way to Wrights point and beyond. To the west of Highway 205, Mud Lake is around 2522.9 acres and Harney Lake it is at 24115.014 acres.
#MalheurNationalWildlifeRefuge #MalheurFriends #greatbasin #HarneyCounty #harneybasin #springvibes
Follow the Friends of Malheur on Facebook and Instagram at Malheurfriends
| | |
Amazon Wish List!
The needs of the Friends and Refuge's programs are changing all the time. This Amazon WishList will be updated seasonally with items supporting the Biology Dept, Volunteer Program, Stewardship Projects and general operational needs!
| | | |
Annual Membership
Membership does more than contribute funds that sustain our work in service to Malheur NWR. FOMR's 1410+ members demonstrate a strength in community and that community's passion for Malheur NWR.
Unsure of your membership status? Email us at friends@malheurfriends.org
| | |
Not a member or need to RENEW?
Simply visit OUR WEBSITE!
Prefer to send a check? Easy.
Fill out THIS FORM and mail it with your dues to:
Friends of Malheur NWR
36391 Sodhouse Lane
Princeton, OR 97721
Photo (left) Sandhill crane by Lane Wintermute
| | |
Crane's Nest Nature Center & Store
Store at Headquarters is now CLOSED for the season.
We will see you again March 1, 2026
| | | | |
WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN THIS?
GAMES * PUZZLES * PLUSH
NECKLACES * EARRINGS * HATS
SOCKS * T-SHIRTS * SWEATSHIRTS
MUGS * CARDS * BOOKS
BIRD FEEDERS * BAT HOUSES
ORNAMENTS * STICKERS
BONUS: Your purchases directly support Malheur NWR!
You are gifting a little something to Malheur and yourself with every order.
ORDER THIS WEEK TO ENSURE YOU GET YOUR GOODIES IN TIME FOR HOLIDAY GIFTING!
| | |
Another Year at the Crane's Nest!
Another year at The Crane’s Nest has come and gone. This year came with new growth and learning opportunities as well as a new set of challenges. I continue to be blown away by the absolute beauty and serenity of the Refuge throughout the seasons. I still think I work in the most beautiful place in the world. I get so much joy from looking up while working at my computer and seeing a warbler on the tree just outside of my window. Read More from Jill
| | |
Malheur HQ Visitor Center
CLOSED until March 1st
| | | | |
