People Who Collaborate

While earning a bachelor's degree in wildlife conservation from Louisiana Tech Greg Green's first wildlife-oriented position was in Harney County at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 1995. "Leaving rural north Louisiana to spend a summer in Oregon was quite the experience. This opportunity ignited a conservation-related passion for waterfowl and waterbirds that led to several other technician positions in Canada, Oklahoma and Texas. My time at Malheur and southern Oregon also instilled a strong professional interest and personal love of the West." Following his undergraduate studies and time in Harney County Greg went on to receive a Master's degree in Rangeland Ecology from Texas A&M. READ MORE.

Southeast Oregon Wildfire Resiliency Project Infused with $3.8 Million More

The Southeast Oregon Wildfire Resiliency Project will continue with round 2. Thanks to additional funding of $3.8 million from the Oregon Department of Forestry through the Landscape Resiliency Program, wildfire resiliency treatments, implemented by the Harney County Wildfire Collaborative, of more than 22,000 acres in southeast Oregon will take place in 2024-25. This expands the acreage treated for the Southeast Oregon Wildfire Resiliency Project to more than 100,000 acres in Harney and Malheur Counties. Read More.

Pictured: Aerial application of pre-emergent herbicide being applied August 2022 to invasive nonnative annual grasses in southeast Oregon. Photo by Brandon McMullen.

Song Meters Help Identify Birds for Cooperative Projects

Those in natural resource careers often work in the field collecting data for monitoring or research. As technology evolves, certain tools can make that fieldwork more effective. One such tool is an autonomous recording unit (ARU), also called a song meter. Song meters record sound, in this instance bird songs, to help biologists identify species of birds present in targeted areas.

Portland Audubon and the Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative (HBWC), a High Desert Partnership collaborative, are working together using song meters to help monitor birds in the Harney Basin. This information will help researchers better understand how birds utilize and adapt to habitat quality influenced by ever-changing weather conditions, as well as the stewardship strategies implemented by land managers. Read More.

Pictured: One of the 17 song meters in the Harney Basin, this one at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Teresa Wicks, Portland Audubon Eastern Oregon Biologist.

Community Building as a Philosophy Webinar

Add to your calendar February 2, 12-1pm a webinar about community building as a philosophy. The Ford Family Foundation (TFFF), a long-standing supporter of Harney County and High Desert Partnership, is hosting this online conversation with TFFF staff and community partners like Brenda Smith, HDP's Director.

The conversation is centered around a recent published paper, Community Building as a Philosophy, Not an Initiative.

"The foundation is pursuing community building not as a stand-alone strategy or “initiative,” but as a philosophy that guides local community development efforts based on capacity building and grantmaking based on partnerships. The shift to a community-based approach allows it to engage with rural communities on a nearly issue-agnostic basis and support them in developing the “Four Cs”: connections, capacity, community-led action, and a culture of community building."

Harney County Migratory Bird Festival

Spend an amazing weekend witnessing the spectacular spring migration in the Harney Basin of Southeast Oregon. View thousands of migratory birds as they rest and feed in the wide-open spaces of Oregon's high desert. The festival offers non-stop birding activities as well as historical and cultural information.

Registration for tours and events begins in February. Find more HERE.

Photo by Brandon McMullen

*The Harney Basin, a critical migratory bird rest stop along the Pacific Flyway, is a landscape where private ranch lands and wildlife habitat coexist. Check out this short film and web page from The Oregon Lottery, who funds the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, a long-standing supporter of the Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative.

Land Water Sky Soul | Harney County

2024 Upcoming Events

Tuesday, January 17| High Desert Partnership Board Meeting

Tuesday, January 23 | Youth Changing the Community Collaborative Meeting

Tuesday, January 23 | Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative Meeting

Tuesday, February 13| Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative Meeting

*Wednesday, February 14| Happy Anniversary HDP, 17 Years

Wednesday, February 14 | Harney County Forest Restoration Collaborative Meeting

Tuesday, February 20 | Harney County Wildfire Collaborative Meeting

Tuesday, February 21| High Desert Partnership Board Meeting

Tuesday, February 27 | Biz Harney Opportunity Collaborative Meeting

Thursday, April 11 - Sunday, April 14 | Harney County Migratory Bird Festival

Check out High Desert Partnership's event calendar.

Six Collaboratives Supported By

High Desert Partnership

HDP Website

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