Spending time in the wilderness is good for the mind and body.
According to one psychologist, “When we slow down, stop the busywork, and take in beautiful natural surroundings, not only do we feel restored, but our mental performance improves too.” We’re blessed in Oregon to have a lot of readily accessible natural beauty.
Water, which comes from these beautiful places, is the number one ingredient in beer (and coffee, and used to grow food, etc.). A recent article on OPB said the alcohol industry in Oregon is outpacing software sector job growth.
Put another way, clean, cold, and pristine water help our economy to grow, and spending time in said wilderness is good for our whole body.
For these reasons and more, Oregon Wild has been working to “protect and restore Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife, and waters as an enduring legacy for all Oregonians” since 1974. According to Marielle Cowdin, Outreach & Marketing Coordinator for Oregon Wild, “We are out there being a voice for wild things, wild places, for our public lands, for any natural elements in Oregon.”
They do a lot of grassroots initiatives and work with legislators to get more wilderness protections around the state.
They are also behind the Oregon Brewshed Alliance, “a coalition of Oregon brewers, brewing community partners, and conservationists who understand the value of clean water and protected forest watersheds.” Initially, this is why chose them as a nonprofit partner, but has since gone beyond.
Watch our full conversation with Marielle Cowdin from Oregon Wild to learn more about this great organization, and how to get involved.
How to Get Involved
If you’d like to get involved in protecting Oregon’s wild places, there are five things you can do:
- Join Wild Ones, their grassroots advocacy training program to learn how to be an informed advocate.
- Become A Member, which helps them fulfill their mission to protect Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife, and waters for the benefit of all Oregonians for future generations.
- Sign Up for their Newsletter and get the latest on what’s happening.
- Adopt A Wilderness. The Adopt-a-Wilderness program brings Oregonians closer to the land they love, and in so doing, builds local constituencies for the protection of wilderness areas. The program also collects valuable “on the ground” data from volunteers to update roadless maps and build the foundation for a citizen’s wilderness proposal.
- Attend an Event a and learn more about Oregon in general.
Another way to get involved, join one of our runs! 10% of our proceeds go to support the efforts of Oregon Wild and the Brewshed Alliance! Use discount code orwild20 for 20% off any registration.
