Wolves

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) reports the state’s wolf population is stagnating. It did not grow in 2023. 36 died in 2023, with 33 human-caused. 16 were authorized by ODFW, four more were hit by cars, and one was lawfully shot by a hunter.

10 wolves were moved to Colorado. The actual population is higher than the minimum count, the report notes — the count is the number of wolves that were verified through tracks, photos, or radio collars.

Officials say a dozen were poached: 10 were poisoned in multiple incidents and two separate shootings. The stagnant wolf population and the sharp increase in wolf deaths are cause for great concern in a state with significant suitable – yet unoccupied – wolf habitat. Also of concern, according to Oregon Wild is the total number of wolf packs shrunk from 24 in 2022 to 22 in 2023, and western Oregon’s nascent wolf population lost a breeding female to poaching.

Growing Trees

Want to watch a tree grow? Nine years ago, the Oregon Forest Research Institute installed timelapse cameras in a reforested area on private timberland to capture the growth of 4-year-old and 9-year-old trees that were planted in a clearcut. Footage from the solar-powered cameras, which filmed the fast-growing young trees for seven years, shows how a new forest has filled in the timber harvest within 15 years of planting seedlings.

OFRI recently released a two-minute video called A Forest Begins with details about reforestation in Oregon, a summary of the timelapse project, and highlights from the footage. In the video, the trees shoot upwards as the seasons change, their bright green needles budding out in the spring and boughs drooping from the weight of snow in the winter. Eventually, the trees grow so tall they block the view of the cameras documenting them.

View the video at tinyurl.com/zwh9d3v2