This year’s most uplifting stories from ‘Oregon Field Guide’ and ‘All Science. No Fiction.’

The hidden beauty of the Columbia Slough

Portland resident Pamela Slaughter remembers the neglected waterway near Portland International Airport when it was “a garbage dump.” But Slaughter and others have organized river clean-ups and paddling excursions to inspire their neighbors to embrace the Columbia Slough and its wild heart.

An end to single-use plastics?

Will there ever be an end to the mountain of plastic waste filling up landfills and polluting waterways across the planet? Researchers in Idaho may be onto something: They’ve created a wood-fiber and sugar-based plastic alternative that can hold up to single-use tasks but decomposes naturally in the environment.

Finding and returning lost treasure on the Deschutes River

The Deschutes River in Bend is a summertime playground. It’s also a graveyard of cameras, watches, rings and cell phones lost every day by unsuspecting river surfers, swimmers and floaters. Solution? The dedicated divers of “Loot the Deschutes” spend their free time retrieving these treasured items and returning them to their owners. Who says river cleanups can’t be fun?

Campfires and camaraderie with the horsewomen of the Hen Party

Turn-of-the-last-century photos of outdoor recreation in Oregon often feature men climbing mountains, rafting rivers and sitting around the campfire. But the horsewomen of the Hen Party flipped that stodgy image on its head when they launched a series of all-women expeditions into the Wallowa Mountains in the early 1900’s. Descendants of those women continue the tradition, and their original campfire songs are a delight!

The rewilding of the Elwha River

The removal of dams on the Elwha in 2011 cleared the way for salmon to return to a free-flowing river for the first time in more than a century. And for the people of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, an important salmon fishing tradition has finally been restored.

Can your body heat fuel a new tech revolution?

University of Washington scientists have found a new way to turn waste heat from our bodies into electricity. In developing a new kind of “fabric” that can be worn like a second skin, they’ve created an alternative to toxic batteries that can help power our tech-fueled future.

All ‘hail’ the Frog Taxi!

Oregon’s native red-legged frogs are no match for the crush of traffic racing down Highway 30 in Portland’s Linnton neighborhood. Thankfully, the volunteers of “frog taxi” are here to give the frogs a lift during their annual migrations and help avert a real-life version of the ‘80s video game Frogger.

Klamath Dams come out and salmon return to Oregon

When four dams came out of the Klamath River, stagnant reservoirs were transformed into free-flowing river, and a path was cleared for salmon to swim all the way into Southern Oregon for the first time in a century.

While documenting the story of the Klamath dam removal project, producer Cassandra Profita and cinematographer Brandon Swanson witnessed the return of salmon to an Oregon tributary for the first time since the dams were installed.

Learning from the past to prepare for the next megaquake

What can science tell us about the risk of the next megaquake in Oregon? In small ways, scientists are piecing together clues from the past that can help us prepare for the inevitable next quake. They’re doing it by looking at tiny fossilized organisms preserved underneath coastal salt marshes.

Adventure cats are here to make you smile

OK, sometimes we just need a reason to feel good. These “adventure cats” paddleboard, snowshoe and hike and are just too Oregon not to include in a list of stories meant to bring joy to your day.