Oregon Wildlife Foundation Invites You To Celebrate Herman’s Birthday (Photo) -06/16/25

(CASCADE LOCKS, Ore.) – Herman the Sturgeon is kind of a big deal in Oregon and we’re celebrating their birthday on Sunday, June 22, at Bonneville Fish Hatchery in the Columbia River Gorge! The festivities begin at 10 am and wrap around 2 pm.

 

This is an all-ages experience to celebrate the passing of another year in Herman’s long and storied life. Come join us to sing Happy Birthday, have a cupcake, join the scavenger hunt, and take an “ussie” with a legendary fish!

 

We are also pleased to announce that our partner, Ferment Brewing, is releasing another round of “High Five, Herman” IPA, available to those 21 years of age and older at their tasting room on Hood River’s waterfront and in 4-packs at select stores throughout the greater Portland metro area. 

 

“High Five, Herman!” was brewed using regional, environmentally responsible ingredients from mission-driven suppliers. Mainstem Malt, a company that works directly with farmers in the Columbia River Basin to supply Salmon-Safe grains, provides the malt for this beer. The hops, sourced from Crosby Hops in Woodburn, are also Salmon-Safe, meaning they are grown using watershed-friendly and climate-resilient stewardship practices to protect water quality and wildlife habitats.

 

Herman’s story includes trips between the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s (ODFW) Roaring River Fish Hatchery near Scio and the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem. Beginning in the 1930s and up until the 1980s, one Herman or another was a mainstay at the State Fair’s Animal Village exhibit. Life on the road is hard on a fish, so ODFW stopped trucking Herman places and started planning for a permanent home. 

 

To provide Herman with a safe and healthy environment, a campaign was launched in 1997 to build him a suitable habitat at Bonneville Fish Hatchery. In collaboration with ODFW, Oregon Wildlife Foundation (OWF) raised the money needed, more than $350,000, to construct the Sturgeon Viewing & Interpretive Center at the hatchery. Dedicated on Sept. 27, 1998, the Center is one of Oregon’s top visitor attractions. 

 

The Center has served its purpose well for over 26 years, but prolonged exposure to Gorge weather and the passage of time have taken a toll on the building. In addition, Herman’s habitat needs some improvements and the interpretive signage, designed for an early internet audience, needs updating.

 

Birthday gifts, aka tax-deductible donations to assist us with this renovation campaign, are most welcome! You can make a gift using the following link: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/oregon-wildlife-foundation/sturgeon-interpretive-center

 

"We hope that Herman’s fans will join us in supporting improvements to the Center, but also within the pond that is their home," said Tim Greseth, Executive Director of the Foundation.

 

Oregon Wildlife Foundation also owns and operates gift stores at the hatchery and in downtown Hood River. The store at Bonneville features coffee drinks, treats, local and regional gift items, and, of course, Herman the Sturgeon memorabilia. Proceeds from the sale of merchandise at the Foundation’s gift stores support fish and wildlife conservation efforts throughout Oregon. During the month of June, donations made at checkout at either of our stores are dedicated to the Center’s renovation expenses.

 

Sturgeon Conservation

Herman the Sturgeon is approximately 10 feet long, weighs over 500 pounds, and is more than 80 years old, but who cares, age is just a number! There are records of larger and older white sturgeon in the Columbia River and elsewhere in Oregon, but Herman is an excellent example of this large and long-lived species. Worldwide, there are 23 sturgeon species, with seven found in North America. Only two, white and green sturgeon, are found in Oregon and along the West Coast. Both are classified as “Species of Greatest Conservation Need” in Oregon’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP).

 

In the Columbia River basin and elsewhere, white sturgeon face serious challenges, including habitat fragmented by dams, rising water temperatures, and more frequent low-flow years. These impacts, taken together, threaten the long-term survival of this ancient species in Oregon.

 

Bonneville Hatchery and Sturgeon Viewing and Interpretive Center

The Sturgeon Viewing and Interpretive Center is located at Bonneville Fish Hatchery, 70543 NE Herman Loop, in Cascade Locks. From I-84, take Exit 40 to Bonneville Dam/Fish Hatchery. Follow the signs to the hatchery and park in the parking lot. For more information on the Sturgeon Viewing and Interpretive Center, visit www.myodfw.com/bonneville-hatchery-visitors-guide.

 

Oregon Wildlife Foundation

Oregon Wildlife Foundation is an apolitical operating charitable foundation dedicated to increasing private and public funding support for wildlife conservation projects in Oregon. Since 1981, the Foundation has directed tens of millions of dollars in private and public support to a broad range of projects throughout Oregon. For more information, visit www.myowf.org.

 

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Herman’s Birthday Schedule

10 am - birthday celebration kickoff

  meet OWF staff,

             scavenger hunt!

             self-guided tours of the hatchery

11 am - sing “Happy Birthday” to Herman

12 pm - cupcakes/drawing of Herman raffle

  1 pm - sing “happy birthday” to Herman

  2 pm - end of celebration

 

Here are some ways you can help conserve sturgeon:

• Take care of our natural resources for present and future generations
  • Properly dispose of trash and waste materials
  • Think about activities that impact our streams, including pollution from:
    • Motor oil leaking from vehicles or its improper disposal
    • Detergents from washing vehicles in driveways
    • Using phosphate-based fertilizers on lawns or in farming operations
• Use less water and electricity - that’s good for your pocketbook and the environment.
• Follow fish and wildlife regulations. 
• Report the illegal take (poaching) of sturgeon to Oregon State Police or through the Turn In Poachers hotline: 1-800-452-7888

 

Helping Wildlife Access The Resources They Need To Survive (Photo) -05/21/25

Oregon Wildlife Foundation provides updates for three projects

 

(PORTLAND, Ore.) – Roads fragment and reduce the quality of habitat, and cause collisions with wildlife. According to Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) carcass collection data, approximately 5,000 large-bodied animals, including elk, deer, bear, and antelope, are killed annually in wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs). The actual number of wildlife killed by roads in Oregon is likely much higher, as, according to researchers, an equal or higher number of animals die outside the highway right-of-way every year but are not included in ‘conventionally collected road survey carcass data.’

 

Smaller species like birds of prey, frogs, coyotes, and turtles are also unaccounted for, so the total impact of roads on wildlife is not fully understood. WVCs are dangerous for people, too. On average, in Oregon, 1-2 motorists will lose their lives due to collisions or near misses with wildlife. Finally, damage to private and public property resulting from WVCs and accident avoidance numbers in the tens of millions of dollars annually.

 

One of Oregon Wildlife Foundation’s conservation priorities is to improve habitat connectivity for wildlife. We’re working with ODOT, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and community-based partners throughout Oregon on wildlife passage projects, habitat connectivity, and the protection of wildlife migration corridors. Interested members of the public can support our efforts by donating to our Watch for Wildlife fund.

 

The following is a sample of the projects that Oregon Wildlife Foundation supports. For a complete list and more information, visit www.myowf.org/wildlifemoves.

 

I-84 NE Oregon Wildlife Crossing Project

Interstate 84, in NE Oregon, is an almost complete barrier to wildlife movement. The goal of the NE Oregon Wildlife Crossing Coalition is to increase wildlife access to habitat across the interstate. A wildlife crossing mitigation study to identify and prioritize crossing locations along two segments of I-84 between Pendleton and La Grande will be followed by the development of designs for new structures, including overcrossing and undercrossings and retrofits of existing bridges and culverts to accommodate wildlife use.

 

Improving wildlife access to habitat across I-84 will increase genetic diversity and resilience to climate change impacts, including degraded habitat due to drought and more frequent wildfire events. With the Oregon Wildlife Foundation as their fiscal sponsor, the Coalition has begun fundraising for this study of I-84. Donate via the Watch for Wildlife fund.

 

Harborton Frog Crossing Project (Hwy 30 near Linnton)

Oregon Wildlife Foundation is the sponsor of the Harborton Frog Crossing Project, an initiative along highway 30 in Linnton to provide a local population of Northern red-legged frogs with safe access to the wetland they need to produce.

 

Volunteers with the Harborton Frog Shuttle are working to conserve this subpopulation of red-legged frogs; gathering them in buckets, driving them across busy Highway 30, and releasing them near Harborton wetland. They repeat this process when the frogs have laid their eggs and have begun returning to their forest home. The extraordinary efforts of Shuttle volunteers are helping conserve red-legged frogs, but a sustainable habitat connectivity solution is needed.

 

The Coalition commissioned a wildlife crossing analysis and conceptual design for a dedicated passage structure to be that long-term solution. The phase I report for the Harborton Frog Crossing Project was published in November 2024. Fundraising for Phase II, full design and engineering, is now underway.

 

Northern red-legged frogs are not classified as an endangered species and aren’t a threat to motorist safety. As a result, our project doesn’t qualify for most sources of wildlife crossing funding. To make this project a reality, we need your help. Every dollar counts! Visit www.myOWF.org/frogs to donate.

 

Humboldt Marten Crossing Hwy 101

Humboldt or coastal marten are a subspecies of American marten and make their home along the coast of southern Oregon and northern California. With an estimated total Oregon population of only 71 individuals, the loss of even a single individual is significant. Currently, one of the largest contributors to mortality among Humboldt marten are vehicle strikes on Highway 101 and along the TransPacific Parkway near North Bend.

 

The goal of this project is to reduce vehicle-related mortality of Humboldt marten and other wildlife along Highway 101 by retrofitting existing highway infrastructure, like culverts and bridges, or building new structures in areas where marten presence is documented. This project is being managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service with a coalition of federal and state agencies, and community-based organizations providing technical and other assistance to the effort.

 

With funding support from our Watch for Wildlife Fund and other sources, a consulting team is conducting a wildlife crossing mitigation analysis to determine the best locations and design alternatives for crossings within the target highway corridor. Donate via our Watch for Wildlife fund.

 

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Oregon Wildlife Foundation

Oregon Wildlife Foundation is an operating charitable foundation dedicated to increasing private and public funding support for wildlife conservation projects in Oregon. Since its founding in 1981, the Foundation has directed tens of millions of dollars in private and public support to a broad range of projects throughout Oregon. For more information visit www.myowf.org.