Oregon Field Guide

Bagby Hot Springs, Bighorn Pneumonia, Rhododendron Garden, Spirit Lake Photo Essay

We visit Bagby Hot Springs in the Mt. Hood National Forest and see all the work going on to clean it up and protect the visitors. In the 1990's Bagby had a reputation for alcohol, drugs, vandalism and other crimes. Thanks to improved law enforcement and the work of volunteers from the Northwest Forest Conservancy, families are returning to Bagby. Volunteers have removed trash, maintained trails, educated the public, and restored buildings. Pneumonia is killing off wild bighorn sheep in the Wallowas. Biologists believe that domestic sheep are carrying pathogens that infect the wild bighorns, but ranchers disagree. Watch the incredible lengths biologists go to in their attempt to save the wild sheep and why efforts have ignited a new battle between Oregon and Idaho over how to use public lands. We take you to a beautiful secret garden on Oregon's central coast near Reedsport. Spruce Reach Island is the former estate of O. H. Hinsdale, who planted azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons on the five acre site, now owned by the BLM. After nearly half a century, there's a good chance the public may finally be able to go there. Come see a volcanic lake in the blast zone of Mount St. Helens in southwest Washington. Videographer Michael Bendixen takes you for an up-close visit to the waters of Spirit Lake, including underwater shots of trout swimming in the lake.