OPB's "Think Out Loud" to Host Candidate Forums

Think Out Loud, OPB's local online and daily radio show, will hold discussions with candidates in local, state and U.S. congressional races before the May 20 Primary election. This series of "Primary Conversations" will follow the usual program format with host Emily Harris leading the on-air discussion. Candidates will take questions from callers, and online host Dave Miller will contribute questions from online participants.

Think Out Loud is OPB's new and engaging regional call-in show. It offers a unique forum on the air and online for voters to hear where candidates stand on the issues and to ask questions. This is public radio-style campaign discussion with an emphasis on issues of importance to voters, civil discourse and public participation.

Think Out Loud airs on the stations of OPB radio live weekdays at 9am with a repeat broadcast at 9pm. It's always online at opb.org/thinkoutloud.

Thus far, the "Primary Conversations" schedule includes:

Wednesday, April 23 -- The Oregon Attorney General Race (Democrats)
John Kroger and Greg Macpherson

Monday, April 28 -- Portland Mayor's Race
Sam Adams and Sho Dozono

Thursday, May 1 -- Oregon Secretary of State (Democrats)
Kate Brown, Rick Metsger and Vicki Walker

Wednesday, May 7 -- Oregon U.S. Senate (Democrats)
Jeff Merkley, Candy Neville and Steve Novick

Thursday, May 15 -- Oregon Representative in Congress 5th District (Democrats)
Steve Marks and Kurt Schrader

Think Out Loud is awaiting confirmation on a date for the Oregon Representatives in Congress 5th District (Republicans) between Mike Erickson and Kevin Mannix.

Go to opb.org/thinkoutloud for an updated schedule, and to participate online.

Oregon Public Broadcasting Receives 16 Emmy Nominations

Oregon Public Broadcasting has been nominated for 16 Northwest Regional Emmy Awards by the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Televison Arts and Sciences.

Oregon Experience received 11 nominations. Oregon Field Guide was nominated in four categories. Oregon Art Beat also received a nomination. Winners will be announced at the June 7 banquet in Seattle. The Northwest Chapter serves television professionals in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Montana.

OPB’s nominations:

Arts/Entertainment - Program Special
OPB-TV, "Oregon Art Beat Episode # 901"; Jessica Martin, executive producer

Historic/Cultural - Program/Special
OPB-TV, "Beervana"; Beth Harrington, Producer/Director/Writer

Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon Experience: The Beach Bill"; Nadine Jelsing, producer/writer; Bruce Barrow, editor

Informational/Instructional - Program/Special
Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon Field Guide"; Steve Amen, executive producer

Informational/Instructional - Feature/Segment
"Oregon Field Guide: Quagga Invasion"; Ed Jahn, producer; Todd Sonflieth, videographer; Nick Fisher, videographer

Human Interest - Program Feature/Segment
OPB - "Oregon Field Guide: Toad Crossing"; Vince Patton, producer

Documentary - Cultural/Historical
Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon Experience: Oregon at War"; Eric Cain, producer/writer; Lisa Suinn Kallem, editor

Promotion - Program - Campaign
Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon at War"; Kami Horton, producer

Individual Achievement - Director
Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Canyoneering"; Ed Jahn, director

Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon Experience: Oregon at War"; Eric Cain, director

Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon Experience: Beatrice Morrow Cannady"; Nadine Jelsing, director

Writer - Program
Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon Experience: Bill Bowerman" Nadine Jelsing, writer

Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon Experience: The Braceros"; Eric Cain, writer

Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon Experience: Oregon at War"; Eric Cain, writer

Editor - Program
Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon Experience: William Gladstone Steel"; Lisa Suinn Kallem, editor

Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Oregon Experience: Oregon at War"; Lisa Suinn Kallem, editor

OPB Partners in Oregon's "Stop the Invasion" Statewide Campaign Against Invasive Species

What better day than Earth Day to call attention to one of the greatest threats to Oregon's way of life? April 22 is the launch of a first-of-its kind statewide campaign called "Stop the Invasion," which includes a documentary, publications, volunteer opportunities, a coordinated effort to identify, prevent and control invasive species, and research to gauge the awareness and attitudes of Oregonians toward the problem.

"This campaign truly represents the highest level of collaboration amongst government, nonprofit, and private entities in Oregon," said Governor Ted Kulongoski. "This is an excellent example of what can happen when people work together to leverage resources to make a difference to Oregon's native fish and wildlife resources, economy, and quality of life."

The campaign launches on April 22 at 8pm with the premiere of Oregon Public Broadcasting's The Silent Invasion, a one-hour documentary on invasive species created to raise public awareness and encourage people to take action in their own communities.

Also on April 22, two Web sites will launch to help the public take action against invasive species. At the Oregon Invasive Species Hotline, www.oregoninvasiveshotline.org, Oregonians can report and upload photos of suspected invasives and interact with invasive species experts. The Silent Invasion companion site will provide extensive links and information on invasive species in Oregon including a video archive of stories about invasives in Oregon. The weekly series Oregon Field Guide will continue to focus on invasive species in a number of stories during the year.

"GardenSmart Oregon: a Guide to Non-invasive Plants" will be released in April. The booklet identifies 25 of the most threatening invasive plants across Oregon and recommends non-invasive alternative plants for gardeners and landscapers. This free booklet will be available statewide in garden centers and other businesses and from local government agencies. It was developed by the City of Portland, The Nature Conservancy, Oregon Sea Grant, OSU Extension, Oregon Association of Nurseries, and OPB.

Also in April, over 100,000 OPB members and about 50,000 subscribers to the Statesman Journal are receiving a publication on invasive species that provides specific actions people can take to reduce the spread of invasives.

SOLV is participating in the campaign by coordinating volunteer weed pulls with over 10,000 Oregonians in 2008. Their Web site includes a statewide calendar of events for invasive vegetation removal projects.

In addition to contributing to "GardenSmart Oregon," The Nature Conservancy is developing an early detection rapid response program in Oregon. The project trains volunteers to regularly monitor priority natural areas and identify and report invasives so they can be stopped before they spread. More information at www.nature.org/oregon.

The Oregon Invasive Species Council is serving as a clearinghouse for information and action to address invasive species statewide. The council is a consortium of federal, state, county, and local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, universities, and industry representatives dedicated to a coordinated and comprehensive effort to keep invasive species out of Oregon and to eliminate, reduce, or mitigate the impacts of invasives already present. Visit Oregon Invasive Species Council Web site.

Oregon State University and Oregon Sea Grant are conducting pre- and post-campaign surveys to determine how much Oregonians know about invasive species and what ordinary citizens can do to help prevent their spread. This follows focus group studies conducted by the university last year to gauge awareness and attitudes among key stakeholders in Oregon including gardeners, boaters, anglers and hunters. Oregon Sea Grant is also releasing a new publication on aquatic invasive species, "On the Lookout for Aquatic Invaders: Identification Guide for the Pacific Northwest."

The Statesman Journal is publishing a series of in-depth articles on invasive species in Oregon and their economic and ecological impacts. The newspaper has also created a comprehensive Web site and is producing educational materials for use in classrooms.

Other participants in "Stop the Invasion" include the Oregon Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Agriculture and Forestry, Oregon Marine Board, Port of Portland, Bureau of Indian Affairs -- Warm Springs, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland State University, many cooperative weed management areas and county weed boards, along with numerous citizens, corporations, private foundations, and organizations. The "Stop the Invasion"campaign is receiving national attention because of the collaboration among government, nonprofit, and private entities and its scope.

The Silent Invasion: OPB Special Kicks Off Statewide Campaign to Tackle the Threat of Invasive Species

The Silent Invasion: An Oregon Field Guide special presentation premieres April 22, 2008 at 8pm.

Something troubling is taking place in Oregon. Strange exotic plants and animals are showing up in places where they don't belong. Every day, more arrive. They come by airplane, by boats, by trucks, in handbags and suitcases. They come from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and all corners of the globe.

"Ecosystems are completely changing, things that we grew up with are no longer. They're disappearing off the landscape and being replaced by things that are coming in from other countries ... and very quietly, so we don't notice it."-- Jim Gores, Oregon Fish and Wildlife

Feral pigs, bullfrogs, starlings and nutria driving out Oregon's native wildlife. English ivy smothering Forest Park. Purple loosestrife taking over Oak's Bottom Wildlife Refuge. Spartina eating away at the oyster industry of Willapa Bay in Washington. The Silent Invasion: An Oregon Field Guide Special takes a look at the invaders lurking across our borders and showing up around our state. It introduces the people fighting to protect Oregon and our way of life. Tune in on Earth Day, April 22 at 8pm on the stations of Oregon Public Broadcasting to learn more about this problem and what can be done to stop the invasion.

"The Silent Invasion is a highly unusual undertaking for OPB. We've done many documentaries about environmental problems but nothing like this," said Jeff Douglas, executive vice president and station manager. "The usual sides in environmental stories don't appear. Invasive species are an equal-opportunity threat to our environment and our economy … to the Oregon we all love. Ranchers know it. Birders know it. It's not an issue that divides liberals from conservatives or urban versus rural. We all care about Oregon and we can all make a difference."

The documentary illustrates how invasive species are changing our environment. One story takes viewers to the Oregon/Idaho border where yellow star thistle is wreaking havoc on the grasslands. A family ranch in Hells Canyon, passed down through the decades, has been so decimated by the weed the ranch may be worthless to the next generation.

And solutions to invasive species aren't easy to come by. In one case an exotic fish was brought in to eradicate an invasive weed taking over Devils Lake near Lincoln City. The new fish destroyed the weed, then began devouring native plants as well, upsetting the food chain and spurring a dangerous bacterial growth.

And then there's the quagga mussel. Brought to the Great Lakes in the ballast water of a ship from the Caspian Sea in the '80s, they multiplied out of control, causing an economic and environmental catastrophe. Then, in 2007, quaggas hitched a ride on an unwashed boat to Lake Mead some 2,000 miles away. Now fish hatcheries have been shut down and Hoover Dam itself is threatened as quaggas clog water intakes and turbines. Could Oregon be invaded next? Every boat entering Oregon waters is a potential risk to everything from Oregon's dams to wild salmon.

Narrated by SOLV's Jack McGowan, The Silent Invasion documents the economic consequences to the social and environmental costs of invasive species. But it also highlights success stories and points viewers toward action they can take.

STOP THE INVASION -- An unprecedented statewide campaign to protect Oregon from invasive species

"The broadcast of The Silent Invasion on April 22 is not the end of the OPB program -- it's the beginning of a campaign to Stop The Invasion," said Douglas. "It's a campaign that involves OPB's partners -- SOLV, The Nature Conservancy, Oregon Invasive Species Council, the City of Portland, Portland State University, Oregon Sea Grant, Oregon State University and -- most of all – our citizens."

"This campaign truly represents the highest level of collaboration amongst government, nonprofit and private entities in Oregon," said Governor Kulongoski. "This is an excellent example of what can happen when people work together to leverage resources to make a difference to Oregon's native fish and wildlife resources, economy, and quality of life."

Volunteers take action
Following the broadcast of the silent Invasion, SOLV and OPB will kick off a massive statewide volunteer effort to remove invasive species and restore Oregon's native environment. Learn how you can join any of the hundreds of invasive species weed eradications or native landscape restorations by searching the calendar of events at opb.org/silentinvasion.

A Web site to help protect Oregon from invasive species

The Silent Invasion Web site is the place to go to find out how you can take action in your community or right in your own backyard. The Invasive Species Hot Line is a tool designed to help Oregonians report invasive species outbreaks. The "GardenSmart Oregon" guide, developed in association with The Nature Conservancy, Portland BES, Oregon Sea Grant and the Oregon Association of Nurseries, highlights which plants are most likely to cause problems in yards along with several suggested alternative plants that are unlikely to escape into the natural environment. Visit the OPB Web site to find out how to download or order a hard copy of the GardenSmart guide.

Join in the fight
"We want the end of the series to mark the beginning of the ongoing effort to detect, slow down or even prevent future invasions," said OPB's Douglas.

Log on to opb.org/silentinvasion to find out how to become involved. And be sure to watch The Silent Invasion: An Oregon Field Guide Special on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22 at 8pm. The program rebroadcasts on Thursday, April 24 at 2am and 8pm and Sunday, April 27 at 2am and 6pm.

Video Archive
Want to know more about some of the plants, animals and insects threatening the state's most pristine environments? Throughout the year, Field Guide is airing episodes on invasive species, documenting the destruction they're causing our environment. A video archive of these episodes is available to stream anytime at opb.org/silentinvasion.