Why are oaks being called a lifeboat? A safe zone for species trying to survive the subtle (and not-so-subtle) changes that are accompanying our changing climate? And how might new efforts to conserve and restore oak woodlands in the Gorge impact our landscapes, people, and even economy?
Join Lindsay Cornelius, Manager of the East Cascades Oak Partnership, to learn why oaks make such excellent neighbors in a place prone to drought, fires, heat, and wind.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out about tickets for The Watershed Rock Opera (WRO). We are excited to announce the dates for our pre-sale and general admission tickets – (and keep reading for more on this unique project…)
Sarah Fox comes to MAI as the creator/producer of the podcast Hear in the Gorge and as curator/host of the Sense of Place Event Series. Her work has appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) and has been recognized by the Oregon Heritage Commission, Hood River Cultural Trust, and Oregon Cultural Trust. She has produced film and audio stories for businesses, non-profits, Northwest tribes, governmental agencies, and individuals.
Sarah’s work has featured wide-ranging topics like tribal fishing, Woody Guthrie, avant-garde art, vegan trailblazers, and river restoration. And in 2024 she was honored as a Community Storytelling Fellow by Oregon Humanities.
Contact Sarah at: sop@mtadamsinstitute.org and check out her other work at her website.
with Bingen Mayor Catherine Kiewit, former Mayors “Bingen Betty” & Brian Prigel, Quinton Deo and Representatives from the Bingen Volunteer Fire Dept., Cristian Olivares, Civic Engagement at WAGAP and James Szubski of Margies Outdoor Store| 9.14.2024 | 7 pm
Sense of Place is celebrating 100 years of Bingen. We’re trading in the cake and balloons for some storytelling and friendly competition! Join us to learn about the historic feuds, present-day heroes, and paranormal encounters that make this place special. The Bingen Centennial Gameshow celebrates the unexpected and undertold stories of a tiny town-that-could. Audience members will have the chance to play trivia, win prizes, and discover Bingen’s past, present, and future from the people who know it best – locals! Event hosted by Sense of Place’s Sarah Fox.
with Amy Petersen, forager. (Event will include short film featuring Homer Yasui and his final Matsutake hunt) | 10.16.2024 | 7 pm
Location: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031
The Gorge is home to a hard-to-find species of mushroom called matsutake. In Japanese, the term matsutake (松茸/マツタケ) essentially means “pine tree mushroom”; a name that reflects the symbiotic relationship between these mushrooms and their natural habitat. This fungi is renowned for its flavor and cultural legacy. It wasn’t until the 17th century that people outside of Japanese nobility were allowed to eat matsutake. And one of the oldest collections of Japanese poems contains a reference to the matsutake – and especially their unique aroma – which has been described by one modern-day, mushroom guide as a “a provocative compromise between Red Hots and dirty socks”. Join Amy Peterson, longtime mushroom forager, as she shares the unique natural and cultural history of the matsutake, along with her own family history hunting for this elusive delicacy. *This event will also include a brief film featuring Homer Yasui, who was born and raised in Hood River, on his last matsutake hunt.
with Richard (Dick) Iverson, USGS scientist emeritus | 11.13.2024 | 7 pm
Location: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031
The great scenic beauty of the Gorge owes much to the geological processes that have shaped it. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and debris flows still occur in the area today, and they can pose hazards to Gorge residents and visitors. What is the scope, severity, and likelihood of these hazards? How do scientists use evidence from the geological and historical past to evaluate the hazards, and how do they use models to forecast future hazards and inform our efforts to prepare for them? Join Dr. Richard “Dick” Iverson, Scientist Emeritus at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Cascades Volcano Observatory, as he digs into the geological hazards of the Gorge—and explains why they don’t discourage him from living here!
Adam Davis, Executive Director of Oregon Humanities, Lesley Tamura, City Manager Abigail Elder, and Sense of Place’s Sarah Fox | 12.05.2024 | 7-9:30 pm
Location: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031
Join Adam Davis, Executive Director of Oregon Humanities – for stories and conversation with orchardist Lesley Tamura, City Manager Abigail Elder, and Sense of Place’s Sarah Fox on the intersections of place, storytelling, and the public in the Hood River watershed. How do art and storytelling foster a shared sense of place across racial, economic, and cultural differences, and how do these stories shape our sense of who—and what—constitutes the public? As part of this discussion, moderated by Adam Davis, our three guests will share about their collaboration on The Watershed Rock Opera, a multimedia performance celebrating the Columbia River Gorge and its people, to open in April 2025.
This event is part of The People and the Public, Oregon Humanities 2024–25 Consider This series.
with Lara Volski, PhD Student of Human-Wildlife Interactions, University of Washington | 12.11.2024| 7 pm
Location: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031
Last summer, Lara Volski began her research on wolves, by first talking to people. She lived and worked on a farm in the Gorge and conducted interviews with locals about the return of wolves and the establishment of the Big Muddy Pack. The range of perspectives was broad and while these conversations were centered on wolves, they soon evolved to encompass much more. Family histories and stories passed down through generations, childhoods spent trading at Celilo Falls or wayfinding through volcanic craters in the foothills of Mount Adams, stories of living and working on the land and the ecological and cultural connections that come as a result – it was research that can often be missed by empirical science. The goal of each conversation was simple – listen to people’s perspectives towards wolves and learn if they feel their voices have been validated, upheld, and shared. Every interview was confidential, but together, they point to broad themes concerning the perceived risks and benefits of wolves, change in the Gorge, and the deeper desires of a community.
with Doug Thiesies -Hood River County Forester, Gary Paasch – mountain biker & trail-builder, and Arthur Babitz – County Commissioner and mountain biker | 01.15.2025| 7 pm
Location: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031
Unlike most counties in the Pacific Northwest, Hood River County managed to keep local control of its forests following the Great Depression. In the ensuing decades, timber revenue proved essential to the Hood River community. Logging funded services like public health and law enforcement (still does), and the forest offered a place for hunting and fishing – as it had done throughout human history in the Gorge. But when mountain bikers began to show up on forestland – especially in a place now known as Post Canyon – a place that was already working so hard for its local community, it was about to be asked to do even more. What did mountain bikers see in the clay soils and rolling terrain of Post Canyon? How would this local workhorse-of-a-forest change in the ensuing decades as a result, and what might its future hold? Join Gary Paasch, Arthur Babitz, and Doug Thiesies as they re-introduce us to Post Canyon and share what it took for a community, a sport, and a forest, to try and co-exist.
with Buck Jones enrolled Cayuse member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and longtime staff of Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) | 02.12.2025 | 7 pm
Location: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031
In the 1970s a young boy in Pendleton was discovering his first love – of sorts. Buck Jones picked up a basketball early in life and quickly took to the sport. He was soon traveling to nearby reservations to compete against other tribal teams. Local led to national, and by highschool, Buck was representing the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) in tournaments across the country. He went on to receive national recognition, winning the All-Indian Nationals 4 times, and was selected for the National Indian Athletic Association Hall-of-Fame. But eventually, Buck came to the Columbia; to the Gorge. He learned, again, how to fish. During the pandemic, he discovered how life can come from death. And he realized that his own existence could, and would be, about much more than just basketball. In a story punctuated by salmon and guided by community, Buck offers a rare, firsthand look at how a person can turn to a place and its people in times of need and then quietly commit to returning the favor. Join Buck Jones, in conversation with Sarah Fox.
with Lindsay Cornelius, East Cascades Oak Partnership Manager at the Columbia Land Trust | 03.12.2025 | 7 pm
Location: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031
Oregon white oak trees seem abundant, almost weedy in the gorge. They are the least showy of our native hardwoods and often look as though they are falling apart. So why in 2020 did a diverse group of stakeholders, band together for a closer look at these native trees? Why are oaks being called a lifeboat? A safe-zone for species trying to survive the subtle (and not so subtle) changes that are accompanying our changing climate?And how might new efforts to conserve and restore oak woodlands in the Gorge impact our landscapes, people, and even economy? Join Lindsay Cornelius, Manager of the East Cascades Oak Partnership, to learn why oaks make such excellent neighbors in a place prone to drought, fires, heat, and wind. And explore how these sometimes decrepit-looking trees are actually supporting vibrant life – more so than any other tree species in the Gorge.
Sarah Fox – Producer, Molly Schwarz – Singer/Performer, Marcos A Galvez – Singer Performer, Erik Kaneda – Composer, Leila Kaneda – Musical Director/Musician, Lesley Tamura – Advisor/Movement 3, Jocelyn Akins – Advisor/Movement 2, Duncan Krummel – Contributor/Musical Composition, Joe Garoutte- A/V Tech Director | April 2025
Location: Hood River, OR 97031
To celebrate 15 years of the Sense of Place series, we present…
“THE GREATEST ROCK OPERA EVER PRODUCED ABOUT A WATERSHED*”
A multimedia performance in 5 movements celebrating the Columbia River Gorge and its people. Featuring original music composed and performed by local musicians in accompaniment with original film, audio, and theatrical performances.
“IT’S LIKE A LOVE LETTER TO A PLACE, BUT WITH MORE PERCUSSION!”
And like all true love stories, there will be passion, tragedy, humor, and awe.
Imagine a pear orchardist, ready for harvest when Mother Nature strikes!…
Or high in the Cascade Mountains where a feisty scientist tracks mysterious creatures…
Even here, in our homes, schools, workplaces – there’s something mysterious, some might even say magical, happening right under our feet (and butts)…
And there, to witness it all, is our watershed. Come hear what it has to share.
Happening in Hood River, Oregon in April 2025
(*Wondering what a watershed is? No problem…try here for a quick explainer. For The Watershed Rock Opera, we’ll hear stories from watersheds on both the Oregon and Washington sides of the Columbia River. But the key here isn’t the exact location, but rather, to follow the course of water, moving through our watersheds, as a way to connect diverse perspectives from the Gorge. Just when we thought watersheds couldn’t get any more rad…)
…And Joe Garoutte, for Making the Sense of Place Livestream Happen!
a) Presentation by speaker (can include PowerPoint, props, etc.) [example: Ralph Lampman]
b) Conversational format with host Sarah Fox [example: Kat Brigham]
“Thank you all so much! I had a blast. I really appreciate your early outreach to me and your support. And thank you for the work you do to offer such an engaging and diverse program series! I’ll be an audience member from now on!”
“Sense of Place provides a much-needed space for thoughtful, respectful, civil discourse on issues that matter to Gorge residents and the Pacific Northwest more broadly. Only by talking about challenging issues with our neighbors can we hope to create a more informed and just community.”
“Sense of Place provides a platform to have discussions on complex topics in an accessible format. Our panel discussion on forestry was fun to be a part of and highlighted the nuanced and entangled nature of issues surrounding forestry. We need more dialogue and discourse like this in our society to break down barriers and find common ground to work from.”
“I found working with you on the program very interesting, fun, and great outreach for those who want to learn.”
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