Welcome to Open Spaces
Open Spaces is a forum for voices that speak with knowledge and understanding of matters currently affecting all of us.
“When artists, entrepreneurs, and agents of social change cluster, they look for forums where they can interact and be challenged and provoked. In Cascadia, Open Spaces plays this role. It is where thoughtful people publish essays that push readers to think outside their comfort zones.”
— Denis Hayes, coordinator of the first Earth Day
and current president of the Bullitt Foundation
Children are discovering what it takes to survive in their world. The question is: Are the rest of us?
For USA information by state, county or congressional district, including COVID-19 cases, risk level and disease trends in your area, see this interactive map from Harvard University’s Global Health Institute and Brown University’s School of Public Health.
Read our latest newsletter for summer updates as we continue to recover from the pandemic.
During these still-challenging times, we continue to offer useful diversions for all ages including book suggestions, family recipes, and an unusual and entertaining performance of “Bolero.” Take me away…
This lovely and evocative work is the result of time spent walking along the Memaloose Hills in the Columbia River Gorge, in the memorable year of 2020.
Why are sea otters missing from the Oregon Coast? Learn about the history of otters in Oregon, how we got to this point, and about the Elakha Alliance’s restoration efforts to reestablish the ecological and cultural balance for future generations.
With wildfires once again raging along the west coast, we watch as devastation reigns and wonder how will we recover. But this is not the first time our lands have experienced such destruction. Regeneration of the natural world has provided comfort in times of loss, as Kathleen Dean Moore shares in her essay, “Fire and Water.”
Sunrise over the Willamette River and Cormorant photos by Harry Kingston
To see more of Harry’s work, visit his photography showcase.
International Climate Change
For updates, visit the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) website, where one can find Summaries for Policy Makers from recent and upcoming Synthesis Reports.
Photo: Visible Earth, NASA