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Black-tailed jackrabbits are common to Malheur NWR and the surrounding sagebrush steppe. Golden eagles depend on these desert hares as a primary food source which leads to changes in their presence or reproductive success directly related to the jackrabbit population. Learn more about golden eagles of eastern Oregon from retired Wildlife Biologist Rick Vetter in this OregonLive Article.
Photo by Dan Streiffert
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Last week when I arrived at Refuge Headquarters the very first thing I saw was a black-tailed jackrabbit. I have been thinking about ecological dependency - the interconnectedness of it all - a lot lately. The jackrabbit I watched bound off into the brush brought the topic some clarity to my thinking.
In my work I am working constantly to stay tuned into local, state, and federal policies that will impact Malheur NWR and our public lands more broadly. I am keeping an ear open to our Partners, Refuge staff of course but also their partners, for opportunities to collaborate, leverage one another's resources for good, and spread the word about the important work being done. I watch over our own operations from the store to our social media, stewardship work parties and ongoing projects. And in it all I am finding the connective threads, how these efforts all play off of one another for the core mission of promoting the conservation and appreciation of Malheur Refuge's natural and cultural resources. (Photo below of lupine growing in the Blitzen River Valley by P. Pearsall)
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In this same vein, I find myself drawn to working with regional and national affiliate organizations. Both the Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates and the National Wildlife Refuge Association are champions for the Refuge System and the network of organizations like ours who are on the ground and in the field, so to speak. Together, they and we, are an amplified voice shouting out to bring attention to the importance of places like Malheur NWR. Case in point, this Refuge System Fact Sheet published by NWRA.
It's empowering and also all connected to our own mission. For if we cannot successfully advocate for the national wildlife refuge SYSTEM and the flyways that run through them - how can we be effective stewards of our individual Refuge? Maybe it is a bit cliche to muse over how magical it is that All of this is All connected, but it's true. After all, most cliches are born out of a natural truth and that inspires me.
In Service to Malheur,
Janelle Wicks
Executive Director
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President's Message; July 2025
Written by Bill Tweed
Photo of great egret by Lane Wintermute
It will come as no surprise to those who know Malheur to be reminded that our refuge exists as a part of a larger world. Malheur is, after all, a sanctuary for migratory birds, creatures that move across the landscape in a ceaseless symphony of adaptation.
The National Wildlife Refuge System recognizes this fact. This is why places exist like the six refuges of the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge complex and the multiple refuges of the Sacramento Valley of California. Here in Oregon, desert lakes like Summer and Abert also play an important role for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. Other native species rely on the protected expanses of Hart Mountain and Sheldon national wildlife refuges, the two enormous reservations near the desert corner where the boundaries of Oregon, Nevada, and California come together. Read More
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Restoring Oregon's Trumpeter Swans, One Swan at a Time
Written by Dr Gary Ivey
Photo above post swan release at Summer Lake Wildlife Area, June 2025
Since 2009, Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, The Trumpeter Swan Society, and Malheur Refuge staff have partnered on the Oregon Trumpeter Swan Restoration Project. The goal of the program is to develop a self-sustaining breeding flock of Trumpeters in Oregon and to develop connections between the Summer Lake and Malheur Refuge swans.
On Friday, June 20, 2025, a total of 19 Trumpeter Swan yearlings were released at Summer Lake Wildlife Area. These yearlings were provided by several zoos and Sun River Nature Center. The zoos donated their swans to the Project and paid for their transportation costs. Read More
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Watching Birds Migrate w/ Birdcast Pt 2
Written by Andy McCormick
Andy writes on birds and conservation issues regularly in Eastside Audubon’s Corvid Crier and has been published in Northwest Science, Western Birds, and Rainier Audubon’s Heron Herald.
This is the second of a two-part series on tracking migrating birds. The first column presented information about BirdCast which follows birds in migration using next generation radar (NEXRAD). This column focuses on a finer grained way to follow the migrations of individual bird species using Audubon’s Migration Explorer.
Migrating birds have made amazing journeys of thousands of miles from the tropics to seek suitable breeding areas in the northern boreal forest and tundra in North America, Europe, and Asia. Most of this migration occurs at night when most humans are sleeping, but researchers in recent years have developed techniques to track birds during their spring and fall migrations.
BirdCast, a collaboration of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Colorado State University, and UMass Amherst uses artificial intelligence to learn from big data sets from next generation weather radar (NEXRAD) to track millions... Read More
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Photo Gallery: Baby's First Wildlife Refuge
Written by Peter Pearsall
Photos by Dan Streiffert
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is famous for its spectacular concentrations of wildlife, which are attracted to the Refuge’s habitats and abundant water resources in an otherwise arid landscape. With more than 340 bird species and 67 mammal species, there is always something to see at Malheur. While bird migration in spring and fall is rightfully renowned here, one must-see event in the summer is the abundance of new life, born and raised right on the Refuge. See More
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Lisa's Summer Update!
Written by Lisa Leen, FOMR Bio Tech
My first few weeks here at the refuge have been very exciting. My first week was composed of new names and faces of the refuge staff and volunteers. We were fortunate enough to have an archaeologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife come by so we could check for any culturally significant artifacts at a few sites for new interpretive signs, bat condos, and other habitat enhancement projects. I also got the chance to go out on the airboat with Dominic, the aquatic biologist, and Kate, High Desert Partnership’s Technician. The water level for Malheur Lake is incredibly high this year, so we saw many fences half-submerged underwater. We also saw miles of nesting colonies for white-faced ibis and Franklin’s gulls. Read More
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News from the Neighborhood
Thinking Regionally; Safeguarding the Future of Our National Wildlife Refuges
Written by John Fitzroy, US FWS
The early 1900s brought serious threats to wetlands in the Intermountain West. Amid this uncertainty, conservationist William L. Finley led efforts to protect wetland habitat critical to North America’s migratory birds. His regional vision, which recognized the deep connections between landscapes, watersheds, and wildlife, helped establish both Lower Klamath and Malheur National Wildlife Refuges within the same year, preserving key wetland areas in southern Oregon and northern California.
Today the SONEC region—southern Oregon, northeastern California, and northwestern Nevada remains a critical migratory hub, supporting about 70% of the Pacific Flyway’s waterfowl. Fueled by spring snowmelt, its wetlands flood seasonally, providing essential stopover habitat for millions of birds in the Harney Basin, the Klamath Basins, Spring Valley, and the Modoc Plateau, each National Wildlife Refuge in the region shares a unified mission: to protect and manage habitat for migratory birds. Read More
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Species Spotlight; Swainson's Hawk
Written by Peter Pearsall / Photo by Dan Streiffert
Soaring high over the grasslands and agricultural fields of western North America in summer, the Swainson’s hawk is a long-distance migrant that is considered uncommon at Malheur Refuge, typically encountered in spring and autumn at Malheur Refuge.
Named after the English naturalist William Swainson (though he never saw one himself), Swainson’s hawks are medium-to-large raptors, roughly the size of a red-tailed hawk but slenderer overall, with long, pointed wings and a slim body. Their plumage varies, but most have a pale belly and dark bib across the chest, with brownish upperparts. In flight, the contrast between dark flight feathers and pale underwings is distinctive. Read More
| | Volunteering with Friends | | |
June Volunteers at Malheur are a hearty bunch, willing to brave the threat of mosquitoes, and we could not be more grateful. Thank you to all of our June Volunteers and a huge Kudos to FOMR's Crane's Nest Manager, Jill Bachman, for volunteer coordinating!
Dan Streiffert, Craig Walker, Cheryl Hunter, Larry Hill, Janet Willhaus, Phil Woodford, Susan Gyorog, Valita Volkman and every Board Member!
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The 2025 Stewardship Project Schedule
August 8-10 - Sod House Ranch; Every year the historic Sod House Ranch site must be prepared for visitors in advance of its August 15th opening date. Other tasks will be taken on as time and energy allows. Follow-up bat surveys will also be conducted in the evenings. HOUSING IS AVAILABLE at the Malheur Field Station and paid for by FOMR.
September 19-21 - Stewardship tasks TBD
October 17-19 - Stewardship tasks TBD
If you have any questions or would like to sign up for a Stewardship Weekend,
please email friends@malheurfriends.org
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Outreach & Events
Be sure to check out the incredible opportunities below and see our website's event calendar for more. Click the links below to learn more about these programs and sign-up!
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June'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.
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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!
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Annual Membership
Membership does more than contribute funds that sustain our work in service to Malheur NWR. FOMR's 1400+ Members demonstrate a strength in community and that's community's passion for Malheur NWR.
Unsure of your Membership status? Email us at friends@malheurfriends.org
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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) Barn swallows by P. Pearsall
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Crane's Nest Nature Center & Store
OPEN 7 Days/Week from March 1 - October 31
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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NEW ONLINE STORE - LIVE NOW!
All of the classic Malheur apparel and keepsakes, books, gifts, and more are now available through our new and improved online store.
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JULY FEATURED ITEM:
Trumpeter Swan Plush
Do you need your own personal Trumpeter Swan? The dream is now possible with the Swan Stuffie!
Trumpeter swans are stunningly beautiful birds. Their awe-inspiring size and 7-foot wingspan make them the largest waterfowl in the world. Cuddle your own limited-edition Trumpeter Swan Society plush today!
This stuffed animal is an Eco Cuddlekins from Wild Republic.
GET YOURS for just $28!
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Malheur HQ Visitor Center
OPEN 7 Days/Week from March 1 - October 31
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
The Refuge HQ Visitor Center is completely dependent on the availability of volunteers. When volunteer availability is low the VC will be closed, but the Nature Store will remain open. Visitors are encouraged to ask any questions of the volunteers or staff in the Crane's Nest Nature Store at Refuge Headquarters.
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