The December wind at Malheur can be brutal, the cold cutting through the best of our jackets and gloves. Yet, for the creatures that do call Malheur their home year-round, the winds and cold form just another part of their world—phenomenon they are adapted to endure.
The most immediate question, of course, focuses on when our political system will finally find a way to move beyond the government shutdown that has seen almost all of the refuge’s staff locked out and prevented from working since October 1st. How much longer can this go on?
The Japanese use the phrase “forest bathing” to describe going out into nature to calm our minds and re-ground ourselves. Even if Malheur is a bit short on forests, our refuge can provide us with exactly the same type of experiences. The quiet time we spend absorbing Malheur’s wildlife and landscapes bring us benefits that go far beyond the moment.
Key to all this, I think, is the inescapable fact that as friends we both share the inspiration offered by the refuge and bring inspiration to each other. Malheur Refuge offers many opportunities for finding inspiration, but not until we share those opportunities do they fully come into focus.
The good things that make refuges work often take people to make them happen. At Malheur NWR this involves everything from managing the refuge’s complex irrigation system, to critical actions like issuing grazing permits and controlling the spread of invasive species that damage critical habitat for migrating birds.
