Browse this collection of writings and photographs by Refuge volunteer Peter Pearsall.
Get a fresh perspective on our Refuges
In many ways, salmon are the lifeblood of the Pacific coast. Their annual migrations inland and seaward amount to a wave of nutrients that ebbs and flows like a piscine tide, bringing nourishment to animal and plant alike. For the former, it is the flesh of these vimful fish that sustains them—even enriches them, as is the case with humans. For the latter, it is rather the elemental constituents of that flesh, liberated by decay and repurposed as fertilizer for lush forests.
Learn more about our superlative salmon
The largest of North America's four elk subspecies, Roosevelt Elk are an impressive and conspicuous resident in Oregon. Huge herds migrate from forested slopes to coastal flats in winter. Watch for them at lower elevations in fields and clearings, browsing on vegetation or simply lolling about.
Meet the bugling elk, largest of all deer species