Bees

Hive Five: Oregon’s New Favorite 2024 Hobby is Beekeeping. It’s not just about getting your delicious honey (though that’s a big plus!), it’s also about helping these little pollinators thrive, which in turn brightens up your garden.

At its core, beekeeping involves the care and management of honeybee colonies, often in man-made hives. What makes it particularly appealing is the deep connection it fosters with the natural world, allowing people to play a direct role in supporting the health and productivity of these essential pollinators. The process of inspecting hives, managing bee health, and harvesting honey provides a hands-on experience that is both educational and therapeutic. And, for those seeking only the bounty, we’re lucky to have the Honey Paddle at 39920 McKenzie Hwy. in Walterville.

Artwork

Walterville Elementary students are once again making people proud. Artwork from 21 students has made it into the Raptor Art Exhibition at the Cascades Raptor Center - and will be on display until May 5th at 32275 Fox Hollow Road in Eugene.

The Youth Challenge was open to Oregon residents in grades 2 to 12 from January to March. This year’s theme, Osprey and Turkey Vultures encouraged students to discover the unique adaptations of these two spectacular birds of prey species. Over 300 youth artwork submissions were received.

Submitted artwork was reviewed by Raptor Center staff and judged by criteria including interpretation of the theme (Turkey Vulture or Osprey), creativity, originality, and the quality of the art.

“We are incredibly impressed by the talent of the youth participants from around Oregon and their creativity promoting the environmental stewardship of these incredible species,” a spokesperson said.

Real ID

May 7th starts the one-year countdown to the Real ID Act taking effect at airports across the country. About 25% of Oregonians have chosen the Real ID option for the driver's license or ID card, and about 40% have passports. That means hundreds of thousands of others may not have the identification they will need to fly starting next year.

The Oregon Dept. of Motor Vehicles is urging Oregonians to get ready now so that they aren’t grounded at an airport in the future.

The Transportation Security Administration will start to require specific IDs at airport checkpoints on May 7, 2025. There’s a concern that many people are waiting or unaware. If people wait to get the ID until they book a flight, they might miss it.