KSON’s Collaborative Oak Restoration Work Featured by OPB
The Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network was recently featured by Oregon Public Broadcasting in the article, “A Southern Oregon collaboration is trying to bring back a disappearing landscape, one oak tree at a time.”
Reported by Roman Battaglia of Jefferson Public Radio, the story takes readers to an Upper Rogue Oak Initiative restoration site east of Medford, Oregon. It explores how the loss of frequent, low-intensity fire and subsequent conifer encroachment have contributed to the decline of the region’s oak savannas and woodlands, and how KSON partners are working across federal and private lands to restore these important landscapes.
The article features perspectives from several KSON partners, including Belinda Brown and Rob Strahan of Lomakatsi Restoration Project, Jaime Stephens of Klamath Bird Observatory, Amelia Liberatore of the Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Collaborative, and Kelly Missett of Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture. Together, they describe how oak restoration supports culturally important foods, reduces the risk of severe wildfire, protects large legacy oaks, and improves habitat for wildlife.
The story also highlights how birds can help demonstrate restoration success. As oak habitats become more open and healthy, species such as the Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena) and the Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) are returning—an encouraging sign that collaborative restoration is helping to bring these ecosystems back to life.