Environment

Who Killed Jordan Cove?

How an unlikely band of activists vanquished an energy megaproject in Southern Oregon.

05/31/2023 By Ramona DeNies

Trails

Hike of the Month: Mosier Plateau by Transit

With the CAT bus, you don’t need a car to get to this wildflower standby in the Columbia River Gorge. Bring a bike and hit the Mosier Twin Tunnels, too.

04/27/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Disaster Prep

How to Prepare a Portland Home for Earthquakes and Wildfire Smoke

Oregon is a disaster-prone state. How can you protect your home, and help your home protect you?

04/07/2023 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen Illustrations by SanQian

State Parks

After Marking a Century, What’s Next for Oregon State Parks?

One of the nation’s best state parks systems is busy updating facilities, studying climate change, and becoming a more welcoming environment for all types of visitors.

03/09/2023 By Sam Stites

Under the Sea

Keiko's Legacy, 30 Years after Free Willy

After striking box office gold in the 1993 Oregon-shot film, the iconic orca made a huge splash in the world of marine mammal conservation efforts.

02/21/2023 By Sam Pape

Light a Fire 2022: Caring for the Planet

Friends of the Columbia Gorge Helps Protect a National Treasure

The ‘citizen watchdog’ helps keep development in check in the national scenic area that lines the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington.

01/06/2023 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Real Estate

Property Watch: A Pioneering, Climate-Friendly Home in Cully

From the rooftop solar panels to the living room’s earthen floor, everything about this Portland home is forward-thinking and aimed at reducing environmental impact.

12/12/2022 By Melissa Dalton

Public Transit

4 Ideas for Car-Free Fall Outings

Leave the car at home for World Car Free Day—and to avoid traffic confusion during this weekend’s I-84 closure in Northeast Portland.

09/21/2022 By Margaret Seiler

Nature

Peak Swift: The Vaux’s Migration Is Cresting Now in Portland

Go see the birds at Chapman Elementary School before they fly south for the winter.

09/16/2022 By Julia Silverman

Environment

Air Quality Across Oregon Is Improving Despite Ongoing Wildfires

The state’s two largest power companies, Portland General Electric and PacificCorp, have restored all power to 44,000 customers after precautionary shutdowns.

09/12/2022 By Matt Trueherz

Environment

Rolling Power Outages Are Planned around Portland as East Winds Kick Up

It's an effort to keep downed, live power lines from sparking wildfires.

09/09/2022 By Julia Silverman

Q&A

Stuart Wells Joins Portland Audubon as New Executive Director

Wells is looking to increase community involvement in wildlife conservation and education. The location set beside Forest Park is one of the oldest Audubon chapters in the country.

07/18/2022 By Michelle Harris

Summer Fun

The Big Float Is Bringing the Party to the Willamette River for One Last Hurrah

A summer tradition in Portland, this year is both the 10th anniversary and the final installment for the flotilla of unicorn floaties, big yellow ducks, and more.

07/05/2022 By Michelle Harris

Agribusiness

Down on Dairy? From Almond to Soy to Hazelnut, a Closer Look at the Options for Milk Alternatives

Ready to give up dairy for good? We take a closer look at your options, from nut milks to oat milk, and more.

06/10/2022 By Michelle Harris

Agribusiness

Big Dairy, Long a Power Player in Oregon, Faces a Climate Change Crossroads

And upstart new player Neutral Milk claims it’s blazing a better path forward: more environmentally friendly, carbon-neutral milk that does a planet good.

06/10/2022 By Ramona DeNies

Biking

Biketown Rides Are Free This Weekend in Honor of Earth Day

The Nike-sponsored Portland bike share program's all-electric fleet is free for up to an hour if you have the app.

04/22/2022 By Conner Reed

For the Birds

Tufted Puffins Are Disappearing from Oregon’s Coast

A conservationist group in Cannon Beach is on a mission to save the iconic seabirds, who make Haystack Rock a summer home.

04/22/2022 By Michelle Harris

Nature

Monarch Conservation Effort Reaches New Heights in Portland

Ida Galash of Portland Monarchs and her cohort of citizen-scientists are breaking ground for two new waystations at Pittock Mansion and in Washington Park.

02/17/2022 By Shannon Daehnke

What to Do

4 New Oregon Museum Exhibits Focusing on History and the Environment

From exploring snow’s impact on the environment to unpacking immigrant stories of survival, these new Oregon Museum exhibits will entertain and educate.

02/04/2022 By Gabriel Granillo

News You Can Use

5 Stories That Defined Oregon in 2021

Rising temps, a juicy governor’s race, a persistent pandemic, and more

12/29/2021 By Julia Silverman