People Who Collaborate
"From the time I was a little kid, I loved the land, the fish, the trees. When life was hard, my sanctuary was the little wooded creek beyond the apricot orchard behind our house. When I learned that such places were in danger of pollution, degradation and more something in my heart vowed that I would work to change that. It wasn’t a conscious choice—more like a deep sense that I had a duty to take care of the land that had taken care of me." More about Pam.
Pictured: Pam Hardy, attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center, Harney County Restoration Collaborative volunteer and High Desert Partnership board member.
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Harney County Experiences Few Significant Fires In 2020While the West has had an unprecedented and catastrophic fire season this year, Harney County had a relatively quiet one.
Jacob Gear, a fire management specialist with the Burns Interagency Fire Zone (BIFZ) in Burns and a member of the Harney County Wildfire Collaborative, noted that BIFZ responded to about 60 wildfires. On about a quarter of those, the BIFZ worked with Rural Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs). Gear noted that a strong initial attack is crucial to getting wildfires under control. “The RFPA advantage is having resources spread throughout Harney County,” he said. READ MORE. This link takes you to the Harney County Wildfire Collaborative resources page. Once at this page click on the headline Harney County Experiences Few Significant Fires in 2020.
Pictured: The Brattain fire in Lake County at dusk September 18, source Inciweb. The Brattain fire consumed more than 50,000 acres.
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The Quiet Work of CollaborationThe latest blog from Brenda Smith, an introvert in an extrovert's world.
It is a wonder to me to watch and listen to someone who can seemingly think and speak—all at the same time. They seem to relay a verbal stream of consciousness that makes sense. And, you say—well isn’t that what all people do? You would think the answer would be a “yes”. Yet, I am that person who first has to consider, process and think before I speak. And, when given the choice between speaking and listening, I much prefer listening. I'm an introvert in an extrovert’s world. Somehow, though, I find myself surrounded by introverts in Harney County with the collaborative work I do with High Desert Partnership. READ MORE.
Photo by Jeremy Hill, jhillimages.com.
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Shop Harney: Keeping Local Dollars LocalIn an effort to support the small frontier
businesses of Harney County, a new program has emerged — Shop Harney. Shop Harney is a grassroots digital gift card program developed by partners working together in the BizHarney Opportunity Collaborative. How Shop Harney works:- Visit shopharney.com or the Harney County Chamber of Commerce and purchase a digital Shop Harney gift card that is instantly available and accessible from your smartphone. The card can also be printed. You can purchase a card for yourself or as a gift.
- Browse the list of at least 40 local businesses at shopharney.com that are participating and easily make purchases in-person or online.
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Invasive Annual Grass Workshop
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SageCon 2020 SummitBefore the Invasive Annual Grass Workshop attend the SageCon 2020 Summit December 8 & 9. Learn much more here and register.
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Families are Going to the Birds!Once again, Harney County youth and families are going to the birds! The 2nd Annual CBC4Kids will give youth and families an opportunity to get outside, count birds, and contribute to science in a fun and COVID-safe environment.
As with last year, youth and families who want to take part can form their own teams. However, this year we are limiting the number of participants per team to 6 people from no more than two households, OR 6 people per team, including youth that are in the same classroom or part of the same “pod” (sports teams, out-of-school groups, etc.). Teams will arrive at the Harney County Library Saturday, December 19, between 9:00 and 10:00 to register and pick-up their event packets. Binoculars will be available for check out and use during the count. All participants will be given a CBC4Kids button to keep and to wear during the count.
During the count, families will have the opportunity to count birds at a number of bird feeders and popular birding areas around Burns and Hines. Families that visit at least three sites in their area, take a picture with the CBC4Kids goose, and post their pictures to social media will earn a Cedar Waxwing bird patch. Several awards will be given for categories such as: Best Family Photo, Most Quail Counted, Best Team Name, Most Bird Species Seen, etc. The count will wrap-up between 11:30 and 12:00. As participants return their binoculars and count numbers, they will receive a free lunch coupon/gift card and their Cedar Waxwing patch. Prizes will be awarded after the count.
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The Harney Internship Program is designed to enrich and inspire high school-aged students in discovering local career opportunities. The program aims to cultivate a homegrown workforce, motivated and prepared to pursue fruitful careers in a range of industries right here in Harney County. Find much more about this program including how students can apply for an internship and businesses can register their business to offer an internship, HERE.
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2020 Upcoming Events
Thursday, December 3 | Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan Collaborative Meeting
Tuesday, December 8 & Wednesday, December 9 | Sage Grouse Conservation Partnership Summit
Monday, December 14 & Tuesday, December 15 | Invasive Annual Grass Workshop
Wednesday, December 16 | High Desert Partnership Board Meeting
*All meetings are virtual meetings that can be accessed via ZOOM conferencing or a phone call. Contact Ben Cate at ben@highdesertpartnership.org for conferencing links and numbers.
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Harney County Wildfire Collaborative and
Megafire Prevention
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