Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Friends of MNWR, a non-profit 501(c)(3) assists the Refuge in providing wildlife-dependent education. More -> https://linktr.ee/malheurfriends

06/02/2026

Our seasonal Technicians are keeping BUSY in the field! They are installing protective panels around sensitive monitoring equipment. They are taking water and sediment samples on Malheur Lake from the airboat. They are collecting data and clearing fish traps. They are laying irrigation for wise water use on the enhancement of native dry-scaping at Refuge Headquarters. And sometimes they are behind the camera capturing exciting moments like the drive of 225 cattle with newly installed virtual fence collars!

YOUR donations make this work possible. Please support their efforts with a donation that will literally fund removing carp from the Blitzen River or enhance the pollinator habitat and more!

Every $42 is an HOUR of solid work by these two incredibly hard-working guys; Ian Snyder and Luke DuVall.

https://malheurfriends.app.neoncrm.com/admin/forms/21?nlListId=5238715&nlIndex=11&nlCache=id

Our seasonal Technicians are keeping BUSY in the field! They are installing protective panels around sensitive monitorin...
06/02/2026

Our seasonal Technicians are keeping BUSY in the field! They are installing protective panels around sensitive monitoring equipment. They are taking water and sediment samples on Malheur Lake from the airboat. They are collecting data and clearing fish traps. They are laying irrigation for wise water use on the enhancement of native dry-scaping at Refuge Headquarters. And sometimes they are behind the camera capturing exciting moments like the drive of 225 cattle with newly installed virtual fence collars!

YOUR donations make this work possible. Please support their efforts with a donation that will literally fund removing carp from the Blitzen River or enhance the pollinator habitat and more!

Every $42 is an HOUR of solid work by these two incredibly hard-working guys; Ian Snyder and Luke DuVall.

https://malheurfriends.app.neoncrm.com/forms/seasonal-stewardship-support

What an incredible story of hope and resilience. Massive Kudos to the Northern California Condor Restoration Program of ...
06/01/2026

What an incredible story of hope and resilience. Massive Kudos to the Northern California Condor Restoration Program of the Yurok Tribe for their tireless dedication to this work.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced the 2026-2027 Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Proposed Rule,...
06/01/2026

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced the 2026-2027 Station-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Proposed Rule, which proposes to open or expand more than 1,450 hunting and sport fishing opportunities across 111 field stations nationwide. This includes several proposed changes at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The Service seeks public comments on the proposed rule and an opportunity to provide suggestions for the Refuge’s hunting program for 30 days, beginning with publication in the Federal Register on May 27, 2026.

The Service proposes to expand hunting opportunities at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge starting in the fall of 2026 as follows:

1. Increase acres open to rabbit and hare hunting in units currently open to migratory bird, upland game bird, and deer hunting.
2. Increase acres open to dove hunting by opening the Buena Vista Unit to dove hunting.
3. Increase the size of the South Malheur Lake Unit to improve and clarify hunter access.

READ MORE HERE: https://malheurfriends.org/2026/05/announcement-proposed-expansion-of-hunting-opportunities/

You can see proposed changes to refuge-specific regulations and submit comments at Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/27/2026-10465/national-wildlife-refuge-system-2026-2027-station-specific-hunting-and-sport-fishing-regulations

Photo of Donner & Blitzen River by Alan Nyiri Photography

05/31/2026

8:15 PM UPDATE!!!! Vote tallies are updated below with just 3.5 Hrs to go! VOTING CLOSES MIDNIGHT TONIGHT! Current standing:

Sage & Willow with 56 votes
For the plants which dominate the ecoregion.

Donner & Blitzen with 55 votes
For the nearby river which sustains them.

Hunter & Patience with 46 votes
In recognition of their roles and personalities.

Oswald & Osma with 27 votes
Oswald means 'Divine Power' and Osma meaning 'Divine Protection'.

Benson & Ethel with 20 votes
George Benson was Malheur's first paid staff as Wildlife Protector. Ethel was his wife.

VOTE HERE: https://malheurfriends.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F45181

Pictured: 2 Minute timelapse of Saturday May 30, 2026.

Native to Eurasia, chukar partridge were first introduced to the Harney Basin in the early 1950s as a game species. They...
05/28/2026

Native to Eurasia, chukar partridge were first introduced to the Harney Basin in the early 1950s as a game species. They are now a permanent resident of the area, commonly found among rimrocks and rocky slopes. 📸: Hillary Smith

Something exciting is underway in the wet meadows of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. This spring, refuge staff, Bird A...
05/27/2026

Something exciting is underway in the wet meadows of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

This spring, refuge staff, Bird Alliance of Oregon, local ranching partners, and Friends of Malheur have been establishing a single site experiment as part of the ongoing Malheur Wet Meadow Study. This experiment aims to explore how targeted cattle grazing and virtual fencing technology may support wetland habitat management.

As part of the project, cattle were fitted with GPS-enabled Halter collars, a communication tower was installed at the study site, and protective panels were placed around autonomous recording units that are collecting bird call data in the meadow. The collared cattle were then moved into Lava Beds Field and virtual fence lines were created to contain them within the study site.

The goal of this study is to better understand whether carefully managed grazing can help reduce dense or invasive vegetation, improve meadow structure, support wetland habitat goals, and reduce disturbance to nesting birds.

So far, all 225 cattle have remained within the virtual fence boundary during early containment check-ins.

We’ll be sharing a deeper look at this project in an upcoming blog post and in our monthly newsletter. Stay tuned for the full story from the field!

The precocious chicks of killdeer are born ready to run. Once its downy feathers are dry, the killdeer chick is up and o...
05/27/2026

The precocious chicks of killdeer are born ready to run. Once its downy feathers are dry, the killdeer chick is up and out of the nest, following cues from its parents to forage and stay alert for predators. 📸: Hillary Smith

A year-round resident of cliffs and rim rock at Malheur Refuge, the prairie falcon preys on rodents, reptiles and birds ...
05/26/2026

A year-round resident of cliffs and rim rock at Malheur Refuge, the prairie falcon preys on rodents, reptiles and birds of the high desert. While nearly the size of the more famous peregrine falcon, the prairie falcon is slimmer and lighter colored, and is the only large falcon whose range is restricted to North America. 📸: Joseph Hans Greenley

We’re getting major main-character vibes from this coyote near Frenchglen. 📸: Cindy Kassab
05/22/2026

We’re getting major main-character vibes from this coyote near Frenchglen. 📸: Cindy Kassab

Address

36391 Sodhouse Lane
New Princeton, OR
97721

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm
Saturday 8am - 4pm
Sunday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

541.275.1831

Website

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