Elena’s love for nature is no accident. Since she was just a gleam in her mother’s eye, Elena has been exposed to the wonder and magic of nature. Elena’s parents have made getting outdoors—rain, shine, and snow—a priority. As a result, Elena—a curious, bright and engaged preteen—finds an abundance of joy and wonder in nature. For half her life, Elena has explored the trails of Bald Hill Farm with her beloved fur-companion, Freddie. Freddie—named after Freddie Mercury—is a soft, brown, adorable mini-Aussie who greets every opportunity to get outside as if he’s won the lottery. “He’s playful and curious. Sometimes my parents call me Freddie Read More

The Willamette River is the ecological life-line that runs through our Valley, but we often forget that it’s there. Bridges allow us to sweep over it in a blink and steep fortified banks make it hard to approach the water. But last week’s flood closed Highway 34 and forced us all to stop and appreciate the power of the River. Over the years, 13 dams have been placed on the Willamette and its tributaries in order to reduce the damaging impacts of widespread flooding in the Valley. While that has benefitted all of us in one way or another, it has had significant impacts on Read More

“We support the greenbelt concept because it provides a happier way to live in cities large or small. Corvallis and Philomath are blessed with a most interesting and varied physical setting. Every dictate of reason and desire tells us to retain some of the green fields and wooded hills where we can see them daily and reach them easily. Walking the footpaths and wooded trails of the greenbelt would become our most popular recreation, and a passionate pursuit for many. The healing hand of Nature would lift the spirits of those burdened by the loneliness and disappointments of life. Everyone would enjoy a greenbelt, and Read More