We all connect to the desert in different ways, but we share in appreciating this vast region. The Oregon Desert Land Trust works to benefit the people and wildlife of Oregon’s high desert. A key part of our commitment includes fostering mutual understanding between those who share a love of this unique landscape while interacting with it in different ways. Individual and group efforts make us all stewards of high desert communities and sharing viewpoints can further help this 10-million-acre region meet the opportunities and challenges it faces.
This Sharing Common Ground series profiles those who know and care deeply about this special place. Some make their living in the high desert, some seek out its rivers and canyons to recreate, still others seek solace in the wide-open spaces. Though perspectives differ, what all have in common is a love of this landscape. ODLT’s goal is to have people’s stories, insights, and values resonate with others to increase the appreciation and stewardship of desert communities.
On behalf of ODLT, high desert writer Ellen Waterston is speaking with a broad cross section of individuals who love and respect the high desert. The views and opinions expressed in this series are those of the interviewees and author and are not necessarily shared by ODLT.
Please share feedback and recommendations for future interviews!
Preparing for Rain
A conversation with Becky Hatfield Hyde & Taylor Hyde — Owners of Hatfield Hyde Land Trust — Brothers, OR
See You When We Retire
A conversation with Jaide Downs — Co-owner & Operator of Fields Station — Fields, OR
Triage Time on the High Desert
A conversation with Chad Boyd — Research Leader for USDA-ARS at the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center — Burns, OR
Making Change
A conversation with Ty and Hollie Henricks — Owners of Cottonwood Ranch — Fields, OR
Systems Management
A conversation with Jeff Rose — BLM Burns District Manager — Burns, OR
Culture Keepers
A conversation with Rod & Cindy Hoagland — Owners of Calderwood Ranch — Fields, OR
This land is your land, this land is my land
A conversation with Jim Hammett — Former John Day Fossil Beds National Monument Superintendent — John Day, OR
About the Author
Ellen Waterston has published four poetry and three literary nonfiction titles, including, Walking the High Desert: Encounters with Rural America Along the Oregon Desert Trail and Hotel Domilocos. She serves on the faculty of OSU Cascades Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing, and is founder of the Writing Ranch, which conducts writing retreats, and the annual Waterston Desert Writing Prize, recently adopted as a program of the High Desert Museum. She lives in central Oregon.
Visit writingranch.com and highdesertmuseum.org
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