At the northernmost end of the Great Basin in western North America lies Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Set aside in 1908 as a bird sanctuary by President Theodore Roosevelt, and added to over the century since, Malheur today consists of 187,757 acres of wildlife habitat, including Malheur, Harney and Mud Lakes, plus the Blitzen River Valley. Interestingly, in learning about the history of the Harney Basin, I discovered that we all owe a debt of gratitude to a wildlife photographer–William L. Finley. His photographs and advocacy are largely responsible for the designation, which eventually came to be a wildlife refuge, both here and in the Klamath Basin, roughly 200 miles to the south and west.

Crane Training

On this day, the fourth anniversary of the day I pulled up roots and went vagabond, it seems appropriate to look back, not only over the summer spent here, but the ever-evolving journey of life on the road. As a direct result of the 2016 election and its ensuing assault on the environment in general, and public lands in particular, my travels have morphed from a random list of desired places to see, to a more focused effort of doing a small part to help save our precious public lands for future generations. As a volunteer, I hope to add value and provide information for those who visit these extraordinary places. Over the summer, I have found Malheur to be not only a refuge for wildlife, but a respite for people. It seems almost as many visitors come here for the peace and wide open spaces as the wildlife.

Barn Owl Hiding

If you have heard of this place, it is likely because of the armed occupation that happened in January of 2016. However, there has been conflict here for well over 100 years. The competing interests of cattle ranchers, farmers and wildlife protectors have been vying for limited water and resources since the early settlers arrived in the late 1800’s. At the same time the lake was set aside as a wildlife sanctuary, the Bureau of Reclamation was busy draining wetlands in an attempt to create more agricultural land. By the 1930’s, the draining of natural marshes had caused even more damage to bird populations than the original plume hunters the sanctuary was created to protect against.

Owl Scowl

Despite many conflicts over the years, including the armed occupation of 2016, the people of Harney County have forged relationships and compromises over many years, with the deep ties to the land here as literally, common ground. As my time here winds down and I contemplate moving on, I can’t help but feel a sense of hope that the efforts of those who work hard to bring people to the table in order to hammer out agreements and accommodations is paying off.

Natural Friendship

One of the greatest gifts of volunteering at a wildlife refuge is the opportunity to learn about the history, biology and geology of the place. As year five on the road begins, I look forward to the abundance of experiences and education that await me.  If you would like to help preserve and restore Malheur, consider becoming a member of the Friends of Malheur Refuge. For a more detailed look at the history of Malheur NWR, see this article.

Young Hawk Soaring

Editor’s note: It was super hard to pick just a few photos for this article. To see the entire collection of photos from this summer at Malheur click here.