A look at the endangered and threatened species of Southern Oregon.
Amphibian or mammal, big or small, all species deserve compassion!
What does it mean to Look Beyond Looks?
This name encourages people to look beyond physical appearances to determine the worth of an animal!
Many of our initial judgements of the value of animals come from our gut reactions of seeing them on a screen: it's easier to feel compassion for well-publicized endangered species (sea otters, pandas, lions, etc.) compared to a very specific insect species that most people would swat away.​
​
Look Beyond Looks focuses specifically on advocating for animals in the Southern Oregon region, but the message is universal: all animals deserve recognition, whether they are small, scaly, or slimy. Take the time to breathe in the outdoors, and consider the world around you. Some of the animals featured on this website may be in your own backyard!
Here are some questions (and answers) regarding this website and the Look Beyond Looks campaign.
What counts as "Southern Oregon?"
Many people and organizations define the Southern Oregon region quite differently: most people draw a line splitting Oregon roughly below Eugene and consider the entire lower region as Southern Oregon. Others use geographical markers (such as the Cascade Mountains) to further distinguish the Klamath/East Cascade region from the Rogue Valley regions of Southern Oregon. For the purpose of this website, Southern Oregon includes Jackson, Josephine, and Douglas counties, as well as portions of Klamath County. Even though the habitat dispersion of many endangered species can be up for debate, all of the species included in this website have been documented within Southern Oregon.
​
Please note that the Oregon Coast region is always excluded from definitions of Southern Oregon due to the vast difference between the coastal climate and the rest of Southern Oregon.
​
Why are the state and federal listing different (or missing) for some species?
Each state uses different methods to determine the level of concern for individual species; in Oregon, state laws are enforced by the Fish and Wildlife Commission (under the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife). Species receive federal listings are under the Endangered Species Act and receive federal protection if an organization petitions to add a certain species, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service evaluates and classifies a species as endangered.
​
Be on the look out for a Look Beyond Looks blog post in the near future discussing how endangered species receive their classifications in greater detail!
​​
Where did this information come from, and where could I learn more?
This campaign is built on many hours of research on credible, accurate online sources that define the Southern Oregon bioregion as well as which species have endangered or threatened status at the state (and sometimes federal) level. The below websites are the main sources of information for this website, and these sources have expanded information regarding animals throughout the entire state of Oregon.
​
Note that some of these site may be hard to navigate and take time to interpret; one of the goals of Look Beyond Looks is to present information about endangered and threatened species in an easy-to-understand format, but for those who want to learn more, these sites have many useful pieces of information!
.jpg)