The community of High Desert Partnership and the collaboratives we support are made of people from within Harney County and many who live beyond the sagebrush. This year we began providing profiles of who makes up this community and how they spend their time listening and being heard for the betterment of Harney County and our most daunting challenges—restoring healthy forests and wetlands, mitigating wildfire, creating opportunity for youth and growing Harney County's economy. Read about the people you see pictured above and watch for more profiles in 2020.

You are looking at a picture of Thai Carp Sausage made by chef Lyf Gildersleeve with Flying Fish in Portland. This is one of three tasty bites made with carp that was served at The Wetlands Conservancy's annual event known as Wetlands & Wellies in Portland Thursday, November 14. The other carp bites on the menu were Smoked Carp Soup and Smoked Carp Mousseline Stuffed Eggs. And yes, the carp used in these recipes came from Harney County; they were caught in Moon Reservoir thanks to the fishing efforts of High Desert Partnership and Malheur National Wildlife Refuge staff. The Wetlands Conservancy has been a long time partner with the Harney Basin Wetland Initiative, one of High Desert Partnership's collaboratives, and serving carp to the folks who support the work of the The Wetlands Conservancy proved a valuable and tasty way to share some of the challenges the Harney Basin Wetlands Initiative faces in reviving Malheur Lake.

"Because it is so exciting. It's just so exciting to create a budget that enables you to carry on, and at the same time to create healthier grasslands, create healthier forests, create employees who enjoy working here that have kids going to our school. All that results in a quality of life. It's such a fascinating puzzle to figure out; what could you possibly do that would compete with that?" These are the words of rancher Jack Southworth from his profile in the book A Generous Nature by Marcy Cottrell Houle. On Wednesday, November 6, at an Oregon Community Foundation event at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Jack was honored along with more than 20 other individuals for their contributions to bettering Oregon's landscapes and the book, A Generous Nature, that profiles each of those honored, was launched. Jack Southworth is a past High Desert Partnership board member, an award-winning Seneca rancher and a long-time facilitator of the Harney County Restoration Collaborative. The book, A Generous Nature will be available at the library and can be purchased from OSU Press.