Your Northwest Neighbor

08/03/2026

I'm so excited about this show and grateful for the opportunity to help share this important story.

Dan Kirk, Restoration Projects Manager with the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, Mizu Burruss, Project Manager with Siuslaw Watershed Council, and Nathan LeClear, Restoration Projects Manager with McKenzie River Trust, discuss the 16-year project to plan and restore haich ikt’at’uu (Siuslaw for “heart of the river”).

Haich ikt‘at‘uu is a 217 acre parcel of land located along the Lower Siuslaw River between Florence and Mapleton on Oregon’s coast. Historically, the property featured habitat including tidal marsh, mudflats, now-rare crabapple swamp, and riparian forest, before modifications began around 150 years ago for agricultural uses that altered the area with perimeter dikes, a tidegate, and drainage ditches.

Dan, Mizu, and Nathan discuss the cultural, environmental, and economic benefits of the restoration as well as how the project impacted them on a personal level.

Listen this Monday (8/3) at 6:00 PM on KXCR 90.7fm - Florence, OR. or any time online (link in comments).

07/09/2026

Tune in or listen online (link in comments)!

Julia Johanos, an Interpretive Specialist at the Central Coast Ranger District, Siuslaw National Forest, discusses interagency efforts to restore habitat along Oregon's coast in hopes of saving the Oregon Silverspot Butterfly.

Julia is an Interpretive Specialist at the Central Coast Ranger District, Siuslaw National Forest. She's been involved with the Oregon Silverspot Butterfly (OSB) Recovery Program since 2021, when she was invited to help document the pilot year of a collaborative study funded by the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington State University, and Pacific University.

The goal of the program was to better understand species needs and inform future recovery efforts. Since then, Julia has supported the outreach arm of the interagency OSB Working Group, focusing on educating the public about OSB conservation efforts as well as assisting with restoration and monitoring projects.

Audio clips included in this interview were taken from "The Oregon Silverspot Butterfly: the Flight to Recovery," a documentary directed by Julia Johanos and Samantha Derrenbacher, and available on the U.S. Forest Service YouTube channel.

07/07/2026

Save the Oregon Dunes is hiring. Check it out!

Save the Oregon Dunes is hiring a Part-time Consultant to help build partnerships with local businesses and organizations along the south-central Oregon coast.

Competitive wages and mileage reimbursement included.

Areas of work: Coos Bay, North Bend, Wi******er Bay, Reedsport, and Florence.

Approximate Start date: July 20, 2026; End date: February 26, 2027 unless extended.

Email us to learn more: info (at) saveoregondunes (dot) org. We prefer email rather than DMs so we don't miss your message. Thank you!

06/30/2026

Did you miss my recent interview with award-winning photojournalist Will Yurman? Catch it now online (link in comments).

Will shares about the current state of journalism and reasons to remain hopeful about its future. He'll also discuss his 30+ year career as a photojournalist, his work as an Associate Teaching Professor of Journalism at the University of Oregon, and his current work, "West of the Tunnel," an online news publication telling the stories of the people living in the Siuslaw Region, a rural community along the south central coast of Oregon.

06/26/2026

Tune in today at 11:00 AM when I speak with Will Yurman, an award-winning photojournalist based in western Oregon.

Will shares about the current state of journalism and reasons to remain hopeful about its future. We'll also discuss his work as an Associate Teaching Professor of Journalism at the University of Oregon, and his current work, "West of the Tunnel," a digital news site where he shares about the people and stories of coastal Lane County.

Tune in on 90.7 FM (streaming at kxcr.net) today at 11:00 AM with an encore episode Saturday at 10:30.

06/15/2026

Did you miss my recent show with Rosie Golden and Pam Sievers? Listen now on SoundCloud. Tap the QR code or see the link in the comments.

Learn how people are coming together in rural Mapleton, Oregon, to support youth in their community when I speak with Rosie Golden, the Rapid Access Network (RAN) Administrator for Mapleton Schools, and Pam Sievers, a Community Manager at Maple Lane RV Park and Marina, where a benefit concert, "Faireway to Heaven," is held each July in support of the Mapleton Community (this year, proceeds benefit Mapleton Schools and the RAN program).

Mapleton Schools' RAN Program helps bridge school-to-home gaps by connecting local youth and families with support when they need it most. Support may include, among other things, shelter and housing, clothing and shoes, food, school supplies, transportation, counseling, peer support, and more.

06/12/2026

Learn how people are coming together in rural Mapleton, Oregon, to support youth in their community.

Tune in Friday or Saturday when I speak with Rosie Golden, the Rapid Access Network (RAN) Administrator for Mapleton Schools, and Pam Sievers, a Community Manager at Maple Lane RV Park and Marina, where a benefit concert, "Faireway to Heaven," is held each July in support of the Mapleton Community (this year, proceeds benefit Mapleton Schools and the RAN program).

Mapleton Schools' RAN Program helps bridge school-to-home gaps by connecting local youth and families with support when they need it most. Support may include, among other things, shelter and housing, clothing and shoes, food, school supplies, transportation, counseling, peer support, and more.

Tune in (90.7 FM in Florence, Oregon) or stream (kxcr.net) Friday at 11 am or Saturday at 10:30 am.

05/25/2026

Did you miss our recent show with Jacob Fox, the Executive Director of Homes for Good Housing Agency, the Lane County Housing Authority? It's available now online (link in comments).

Jacob is a national leader and advocate for affordable housing. During the show, he discusses the state of affordable housing in Lane County (including West Lane County), some of the "whys" behind the housing shortage in Oregon, and potential solutions for affordable housing in our region.

05/22/2026

Tune in at 11:00 AM today for an informative interview with Jacob Fox, the Executive Director of Homes For Good (the Lane County Housing Authority).

Jacob discusses the state of affordable housing in Lane County (including West Lane County), some of the "whys" behind the housing shortage in Oregon, and potential solutions for affordable housing in our region.

11:00 AM on Friday with an encore airing on Saturday at 10:30 AM.
No radio? Listen online at kxcr.net.