Oregon Wildlife Foundation

Every drive through Oregon tells a story. 🦌🌲

For thousands of deer, elk, bears, and other wildlife each year, that story ends on our highways. In Oregon alone, more than 5,000 large animals are killed in vehicle collisions annually, and these crashes can also be deadly for people.

The good news? You can help change that.

When you purchase or renew a Watch for Wildlife license plate, a portion of the proceeds helps fund wildlife passage projects across Oregon—making it safer for animals to move between habitats and helping reduce dangerous collisions on our roads.

It's one of the easiest ways to support Oregon wildlife every time you get behind the wheel.

Learn more and order your plate at myOWF.org/WatchforWildlife.

💙 Every mile can make a difference.

'This decision by BPA caught us by surprise.' https://www.koin.com/local/oregon-fisheries-face-major-consequences-after-bonneville-pulls-funding-odfw/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KOIN_6

Oregon wildlife surveyors found a single dead adult quagga mussel on the shoreline of Prineville Reservoir earlier this month, raising alarm about the highly invasive species capable of causing catastrophic damage to boats and dams while threatening fish and other aquatic life.

It’s the first time the prolific freshwater mussel species has been discovered in or near an Oregon body of water and has kicked off an intense response including sampling and surveillance.

Wildlife officials said they don’t know how the mussel ended up on the shore of the reservoir.

Read more here: https://theoregonian.visitlink.me/dQWp1g

📸 Courtesy of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Did you know Oregon is home to wildlife you can't find anywhere else (or almost anywhere else)? 🌲🦋🐟

When people think of Oregon wildlife, they often picture beavers, elk, salmon, or spotted owls. While we love them all, most of those animals also live in other states.

But Oregon is also home to some truly unique species:

🦋 Oregon silverspot butterfly – One of our state's most endangered butterflies, found in coastal meadows and dependent on native violets to survive.

🦎 Oregon slender salamander – A tiny salamander that lives only in the forests of southwestern Oregon.

💚 Larch Mountain salamander – Found primarily in the Columbia River Gorge, this secretive amphibian has one of the smallest ranges of any North American salamander.

🐟 Oregon chub – A true Oregon conservation success story! It became the first fish ever removed from the federal endangered species list because it recovered, thanks to years of habitat restoration.

🐠 Malheur mottled sculpin – A little-known fish found only in the Malheur River basin of eastern Oregon.

Every one of these species reminds us how special Oregon's ecosystems are—and why protecting habitats matters. Sometimes the smallest creatures tell the biggest conservation stories.

💚 Which one surprised you the most?