Oregon Field Guide
Created bySteve Amen
Presented byEd Jahn
Theme music composerCal Scott[1]
No. of seasons27
Production
Executive producerEd Jahn
ProducersEd Jahn
Jule Gilfillan
Ian McCluskey
Aaron Scott
CinematographyTodd Sonflieth
Nick Fisher
Michael Bendixen
Stephani Gordon
Brandon Swanson
Original release
NetworkKOPB-TV
Release1990 (1990) –
present

Oregon Field Guide is a weekly television program produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting focusing on recreation, the outdoors, and environmental issues in the state of Oregon.[2] The show has become part of the Oregon zeitgeist. Steve Amen is the show's creator and original Executive Producer. Ed Jahn, producer with Oregon Field Guide since 2000, became host and Executive Producer in 2016/2017 upon Steve Amen's retirement. Named for the field guides used to identify plants, animals, and natural phenomenon, the wide-ranging series covers Oregon natural history, outdoor recreation, conservation, agriculture, rural life, and other local subjects. Produced with deep narratives rather than short segments, roughly 13 half-hour episodes and specials are shown per year.[3][4]

History

Oregon Field Guide started as a partnership between Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.[5] The pilot first aired in 1989. The program became the sole production of OPB with the series premier in 1990, which began with the impact of drift netting for tuna on dolphins.[6][7] Using the information from this story, Amen also produced an award-winning Frontline episode, titled "To The Last Fish", which aired in 1991. Oregon Field Guide was kept during major state budget cuts in 2003 that affected OPB.[8][9] In that year, the show budget was $300,000, with the majority of funding coming from the viewers.[8]

Most stories are narrated by the lead producer/reporter, though Executive Producers Ed Jahn and Steve Amen have also narrated reports produced by others. Jim Newman produced over 250 Oregon Field Guide segments, and was brought on when Amen got the greenlight on the series.[3]

From the series premier in 1990, Oregon Field Guide remains one of the highest rated of any locally produced PBS show in the nation, and The Oregonian called it "the crown jewel in OPB's otherwise lackluster record of locally produced programming."[10] In 1998, the show was the most-watched local TV series in the PBS system.[11]

Past producers/reporters include Jim Newman, Steve Lobel, Eric Cain, Jessica Martin, Vince Patton and Jeff Douglas.

Awards

Oregon Field Guide and its crew have won more than 25 regional Emmys in its first 26 seasons. The awards are for everything from best Environmental Program, Topical Documentary, Audio, Informational Special to Community Service. The programs have also won two Edward R. Murrow awards, several Telly awards, numerous awards from the Society of Professional Journalists as well as the very prestigious silver batonAlfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award.

The show's producers Vince Patton and Ed Jahn have received awards from the Society of Environmental Journalists Society of Environmental Journalists for "Outstanding Beat/In-Depth Reporting, Television". Patton received an award for his reporting in the episode "Marmot Dam," and Jahn for his reporting in "Biscuit Fire Recovery" and "The Silent Invasion." When presenting the award for reporting on the Marmot Dam removal, the society recognized Oregon Field Guide, stating:

To watch these stories was to be there in the moment, experiencing it as it happened. Simply beautiful storytelling. Oregon Field Guide showed us things this panel had never heard of. More important, this program did what documentaries do best. They made a point to stay after everybody else left. By doing that, they were able to report beyond the headlines and were able to prove everybody wrong.[12][13]

The show has won eight Regional Emmys.[14] One was in 1995 for the "outstanding informational series/magazine short format division",[15] and another in the "best public affairs special" in 1998 for their one-hour special titled "Willamette Water Quality".[16][17]

It also received two Golden Eagle awards from the Council on International Nontheatrical Events in 1994: one for an hourlong report on "Cleaning Up Hanford",[18] and the other for "Abuses of the 1872 Mining Law".[19] The latter report also received an honorable mention in the Public Affairs category of the Pacific Mountain Network's "Best of the West" awards in that year.[19]

Notable segments

Oregon Field Guide has filmed while diving in Spirit Lake, titled "Ecological Mysteries of Spirit Lake".[20][21] It showed the rebirth of the lake after the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

The unfiltered and pure water of the Bull Run watershed, has been featured in two seasons.[22] It has also covered near-extinct bighorn sheep and mountain unicycling,[10] and how Estacada High School students used Cycle Oregon's visit to raise funds for their school.[23]

The Silent Invasion

The Silent Invasion was an OPB documentary production studying the threats posed by invasive species in the state. It was produced and written by Ed Jahn.[24][25][26][27][28] The documentary focused on the influence of yellow-star thistle, quagga mussels, spartina and English ivy, among other invasive species. The production involved a campaign and outreach component that included the Oregon Invasive Species Council (OISC) and SOLV Oregon. The ultimate goal of the special was to serve as a wake-up call about invasive species and to inspire citizens to take action.[29] Species documented included Yellow star thistle, Spartina, and Quagga mussels.

The special won a silver baton level Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award in 2009.[30][31] The award jury was "struck by the boldness and courage of OPB to attack such issues and then to put resources against it."[30][31] It also received three Regional Emmys.[25]

References

  1. ↑ Brown, Valerie (Summer 2007). "Music on the Cusp: From Folk to Acid Rock in Portland Coffeehouses, 1967–1970". Oregon Historical Quarterly. History Cooperative. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  2. ↑ "American Archive of Public Broadcasting Search Results". americanarchive.org. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  3. 1 2 Muldoon, Katy (24 September 2009). "'Field Guide' send-off turns lens toward 'The Voice'". The Oregonian.
  4. ↑ Gault, Roy (10 November 2004). ""Oregon Field Guide" delights armchair adventurers". The (Salem) Statesman Journal.
  5. ↑ Farrell, Peter (30 January 1988). "ABC Homeless Movie Aims for Big Impact". The Oregonian.
  6. ↑ Farrell, Peter (7 March 1990). "Two programs show off nature's wonders". The Oregonian.
  7. ↑ Farrell, Peter (16 April 1990). "'Shannon's Deal' Opens with Quirky Episode". The Oregonian.
  8. 1 2 Monroe, Bill (18 May 2003). "This reality TV show is just too real". The Oregonian. With any luck, the Oregon Legislature will keep Oregon Public Broadcasting on its funding hit list ... and I'll be free from worry about getting scooped every Thursday on "Oregon Field Guide."
  9. ↑ "Public policy shows ends on Oregon Public Broadcasting". Associated Press. 31 August 2003.
  10. 1 2 Schulberg, Pete (11 October 1995). "Woodsy 'Oregon Field Guide' an OPB jewel". The Oregonian.
  11. ↑ "Oregon Public Broadcasting and Microsoft Announce Alliance to Transmit Learning Resources Through Data". Business Wire. 17 February 1998.
  12. ↑ "Winners: SEJ 7th Annual Awards for Reporting on the Environment". 30 August 2008.
  13. ↑ Waldman, Allison (13 October 2008). "Diligence in Oregon". Television Week. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  14. ↑ Monroe, Bill (30 September 2008). "'Oregon Field Guide' scours state for compelling stories". The Oregonian.
  15. ↑ Schulberg, Pete (15 June 1995). "Portland lands another network series". The Oregonian.
  16. ↑ Schulberg, Pete (23 June 1998). "'Howie Mandel Show' has an unfunny start'". The Oregonian.
  17. ↑ Schulberg, Pete (27 February 1997). "Report says just plain folks fouling the Willamette". The Oregonian.
  18. ↑ Schulberg, Pete (27 January 1994). "Update on Hanford cleanup a chilling hour". The Oregonian.
  19. 1 2 "Business Notes: Elizabeth Madsen, former partner of ...". The Oregonian. 5 June 1994.
  20. ↑ "Episode 1912: Ecological Mysteries of Spirit Lake". Oregon Field Guide. OPB. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  21. ↑ Bailey, Mike (24 March 2008). "Bits 'n' Pieces: Medical center video showered with awards". The Columbian. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  22. ↑ Mahar, Ted (13 October 2009). "Bull Run water topic of specials". The Oregonian.
  23. ↑ Adams, Barbara (16 January 2008). "EHS students on Oregon Field Guide". The Estacada News. Pamplin Media Group. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  24. ↑ "Invasive Species: OPB's 'Oregon Field Guide' series". Statesman Journal. 23 September 2007. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  25. 1 2 Graves, Mark (5 June 2009). "Industry notes". The Oregonian.
  26. ↑ "Oregon Public Broadcasting wins documentary award". Corvallis, Oregon. Associated Press. 26 January 2009.
  27. ↑ "Oregon Invasive Species Council Oregon Field Guide". oregon.gov. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  28. ↑ Mahar, Ted (21 April 2008). "The 'aliens' among us work quiet destruction". The Oregonian.
  29. ↑ Waldman, Allison J. (January 2009). "In Depth: Oregon Public Broadcasting: 'The Silent Invasion'". TelevisionWeek. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  30. 1 2 "Oregon Public Broadcasting wins major award". Portland Business Journal. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  31. 1 2 "OPB Documentary Wins DuPont-Columbia Award". OPB. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
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