51: King Tut, Old Growth Forests, Newts in the Lake & Outdoor Community with Oregon Wild at Crabtree Valley

What happens when you gather a group of nature enthusiasts in an old growth forest? This episode is truly unique and not something Liz has done on this podcast before. Liz went out into the remote backcountry with a wonderful group of public land protectors and will be sharing four of their stories with you all today. You’ll get to hear some personal stories of deep love, resiliency and intrigue straight from the person who beholds it, including **Daniel Gomez**, **Patty Hine**, **Misha Inomoto**, and **Chandra LeGue**. On May 31st of this year, Liz braved the long, 3.5-hour journey through winding forest roads with no wifi or phone service in order to join a group of public land advocates at one of Oregon’s most long-lived old growth forests: Crabtree Valley. Located in Western Oregon, it is an environmental sanctuary, and those who are familiar with it describe it as “peaceful, resilient, diverse, and incredibly beautiful"-- with trees up to 1,000 years old (they were alive at the same time as Genghis Khan, y'all!). Named the “Crabtree Valley Expedition,” this community-driven event was advertised as “two days of exploration to connect advocates, photographers, story tellers, legal forest defenders, naturalists, and forest lovers to an area that could be impacted by the Trump administration’s proposed management plan revisions for Bureau of Land Management forests in western Oregon.” Their hope in documenting the biodiversity of this ancient forest, in a multitude of ways, is that they can mount a successful campaign to continue protections for not just this place, but all old-growth forests on BLM lands (and beyond!).” And it couldn’t have been possible without the nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, Oregon Wild. **Oregon Wild** works to protect and restore Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife, and waters as an enduring legacy for future generations. Founded in 1974, Oregon Wild represents the fish and wildlife, ancient forests, and rich diversity of public lands and landscapes that make this state so special. They work to protect and restore the parts of the natural world that do not have a human voice, while not forgetting that humans are interconnected with nature and its systems. Oregon Wild and other conservation groups have challenged numerous BLM logging proposals in recent years that have targeted mature and old-growth forests. Courts have sided with conservation groups, highlighting that, even under the significantly weaker safeguards of the 2016 RMPs, the agency has regularly violated its own rules and bedrock environmental laws in order to facilitate commercial logging projects.  On February 19, 2026, the Trump administration announced its intention to revise Western Oregon BLM management plans. Administration officials have stated that their goal is to return to the logging levels of the 1970s and 80s—when the BLM and U.S. Forest Service were clear-cutting roughly 3-square miles of old-growth forests per week. To achieve this, they intend to override decades of court rulings protecting clean water and wildlife, and return to the very management practices that led to federal Endangered Species Act listings for coho salmon and other imperiled species in the first place.  The 1,251 acres of wild forest--Crabtree Valley--is only still standing because of the persistent advocacy of the people who fell in love with it. Folks can support The River Democracy Act proposal by visiting Oregon Wild’s website link. Lastly, tell Oregon's delegation: protect our old-growth forests. For more action tools from Oregon Wild, click here. It's important we all speak up for these ancient, wild places. Liz hopes you enjoy this very special episode of Rangers of the Lost Park. *ABOUT THE GUESTS:* **Daniel Gomez (he/him)**: Daniel moved a lot as a child but spent most of his teens and college years in Kansas, where he met his wife Megan at his local college. They moved to Oregon 13 years ago and just happened to pick up photography thanks to Daniel’s father-in-law who gifted him a camera upon arriving. Since then, Daniel has grown to love taking photos of the night sky, in particular, the Milky way over scenic landscapes such as Mt. Hood. Daniel and his wife (love that he included his wife in everything, green flag) are passionate gardeners and grow most of their own produce. Last year, they grew 1000 lbs of produce out of their garden/orchard in our backyard. Daniel has since added a few more beds this year so they are hoping to grow even more. You can see Daniel's photography on his website and Instagram. **Patty Hine (she/her)**: Patty is a Pacific Northwesterner who's having the time of her life on five acres in rural Lane County with her wife, Debby, of 32 years. A retired Navy officer and college instructor, Patty has led the scrappy group known as 350 Eugene for the past 15 years, and has been fighting for progressive climate and energy policy. Patty and Debby backpack in the Cascades and camp in the Oregon Coast Range when they're not growing tons of food and hitting the streets to fight for justice with their climate buddies. **Misha Inomoto (they/them)**: Originally from San Diego, CA, Misha Inomoto moved out to Olympia, WA about a decade ago to go to school at Evergreen State College, where they graduated with a dual major in Ecology and Botany. After a summer school trip to Alaska in 2019, where Misha backpacked for 4 weeks in the backcountry, they came back enamored with lichens and bryophytes. Misha moved to Eugene, OR in 2022 after graduating, to look for work in a larger town that still had the feel of Olympia. They have since spent a lot of time volunteering with local non-profits to help restore and protect public lands. Since Misha was a child, they have spent as much time as possible outside. Their love of learning extends to not only botany, but languages as well. Misha is currently teaching themself Japanese and Spanish. They love being outside because it calms them. It makes them feel safe. While there are inherent dangers outside, Misha always felt a belonging and unquenchable curiosity about their surroundings. On days off, you can usually find Misha outside: volunteering, cycling, hiking, camping, or botanizing. They also love cooking and finding fun ways to pair unusual accoutrements with wine! You can follow along Misha's journey via Instagram.  **Chandra LeGue (she/her)**: Born and r...