SENSE OF PLACE

Connecting people through place and storytelling.

Sense of Place (SOP) features presenters with a unique knowledge of the Columbia River Gorge and who consider the natural, cultural, and political history that has shaped this place.  The presenters can include scientists, tribal members, authors, farmers, and many others from throughout the Pacific Northwest. The information and stories shared at these talks deepen our understanding of the Gorge and strengthen our connection to the landscape and to each other.
Check out this short film honoring the 10th Anniversary of Sense of Place and consider becoming a Season 14 Sponsor!

Field Notes & Updates

Beavers Sold Out, And We Got a Musical Surprise!

SOLD OUT! Last week’s Sense of Place, Beaver Power: Teaming Up With Nature’s Engineers to Restore Our Watersheds, packed the house (and the livestream)! Speakers, Jeanette Burkhardt and Margaret Neuman, took us back in time to uncover how beavers have shaped the...

Beaver Power: Teaming Up With Nature’s Engineers to Restore Our Watersheds

with Margaret Neuman & Jeanette Burkhardt Date & Time: Nov. 15th, 2023 at 7 pm Location: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR Lecture Description: Foe or friend? Beavers have a long and complicated history in the Pacific Northwest. In...

Grow a Pear!

with Lesley Tamura & Adam McCarthy Date & Time: Feb. 21st, 2024 at 7 pm Location: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR Lecture Description: Washington and Oregon produce more pears than any other states in the U.S. (#1 & #2)....

Salmon at a Crossroads

with Miles Johnson Date & Time: Jan. 17th, 2024 at 7 pm Location: Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR Lecture...

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Meet The host

Sarah Fox

Sarah Fox

Sense of Place Host & Curator

Sarah Fox comes to MAI as the producer of the podcast Hear in the Gorge and as curator/host of the Sense of Place Lecture Series. Her work has appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) in addition to film and audio stories for businesses, non-profits, governmental agencies, and individuals.

Sarah’s audio/video stories have included wide-ranging topics like tribal fishing, Woody Guthrie, avant-garde art, vegan trailblazers, and river restoration.

Contact Sarah at: sop@mtadamsinstitute.org

Season 14 Line-Up

White Sturgeon: North America’s Largest Fish Lives Here

with Donella Miller | 10.18.2023 | 7 pm

Location:  Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031

Discover the incredible world of White Sturgeon, North America’s largest fish, during a presentation with Donella Miller. Explore their ancient origins, unique characteristics, and the crucial role they play in the ecology and culture of the Columbia River basin with live, juvenile White Sturgeon as part of the in-person presentation.

Beaver Power: Teaming Up With Nature’s Engineers to Restore Our Watersheds

with Margaret Neuman & Jeanette Burkhardt | 11.15.2023 | 7 pm

Location:  Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031

Join us for an eye-opening lecture that delves into the complex relationship between humans and beavers in the Pacific Northwest. Explore their historical status as both foes and friends and discover how new research is revealing their crucial role as ecosystem engineers, offering solutions to pressing environmental challenges such as wildfires and climate change while aiding in landscape restoration and biodiversity.

Mountaintop to Backyard: The Beauty of the Gorge’s Native Plants

with Kristin Currin & Drew Merritt | 12.13.2023 | 7 pm

Location:  Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031

Don’t miss this enlightening lecture celebrating the beauty and importance of native plants in the Columbia Gorge region. Join Kristin Currin and Drew Merritt as they share their expertise on a diverse range of native species and explore how these plants are crucial for preserving the local ecosystem’s diversity and functionality in the face of development and invasive species threats.

Salmon at a Crossroads

with Miles Johnson| 01.17.2024 | 7 pm

Location:  Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031

Join us for an engaging lecture with Miles Johnson as discusses the widespread consensus that most wild Snake River salmon and steelhead are on a trajectory to extinction and why he believes “the movement to un-dam the Lower Snake River is as close to success as it has been for decades”.

Grow A Pear!

with Lesley Tamura & Adam McCarthy | 02.21.2024 | 7 pm

Location:  Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031

Join orchardists Lesley Tamura and Adam McCarthy as they share the juicy details about growing pears in the #1 pear-producing region of the country. They’ll reveal the secrets behind harvesting, pear shoulders, and the rich pear-growing history of the region.

A History of Wildfire in the Gorge

with Chris Donnermeyer | 03.20.2024 | 7 pm

Location:  Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031

Explore the intricate relationship between fire, land management, and people with Chris Donnermeyer (*additional guest TBD). Gain insight into the historical use of fire as a resource management tool and its impact on the environment, shedding light on both its benefits and the challenges it presents in the face of recent catastrophic fires in Oregon and Washington.

Battle of the Bugs: How Insects Impact the Gorge

with Christopher Adams | 04.17.2024 | 7 pm

Location:  Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade Ave, Hood River, OR 97031

More information is coming soon!

Sponsors

SOP 13 Sponsor logos

Special thanks to Big Britches Productions

…And Joe Garoutte, for Making the Sense of Place Livestream Happen!

Have Questions?

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