At cabin on our 50th wedding anniversary so not able to connect to site to leave a tribute.
Wonderful memories! Continue to miss you greatly, but continue to do things we talked about but differently.
Now go on Road Scholar trips since I don’t enjoy the trip planning like you did. Fly instead of driving to destinations. My pictures are not as good and often I forget to take pictures on some/many of the hikes.
Enjoy living across from Sue and seeing her almost daily. Exercise together most mornings and Anna gets me out for a walk every morning regardless of the weather.
Go to church whenever I am in town. Involved with local mission activities: food for the homeless and community garden.
Visit with Janice and Mary Lou. Stay in touch with Michele in Crescent City.
Oregon Wild continues to do good work.
Miss you more than I can say. Tears as I write this. Grateful for the life we had together. So grateful…

Kathy,
Reading your posts of/to Wendell. Remembering how you both shared your knowledge and love for Oregon and the environment. I know that you continue to miss the love of your life.
Much love,
Debra

We are 72 this year; you have been gone for 6 years.
A lot of changes for me! Property sold, moved, slowly paring things down. Your collections have found good homes : seaweeds to HSU; shells to College of the Redwoods, Crescent City campus, plants lists (yours and the ones Veva collected) OSU.
I still enjoy the cabin and have made some upgrades: 4 new solar panels; bamboo flooring throughout first floor; propane generator that can run off large tank; gate on drive way. There are not the groups visiting like when you hosted but still some: Harp, Mary F., Sue, Bruce and Diane. Trips to Summer Lake, Military Road, marina, very dry years. 4 Great Horn Owls at Summer Lake Refuge this year (2 adults, 2 young).
Anna, a good guard dog, looks identical to Buster, is 4 years old. She is not as accepting of others.
Oregon Wild seems to be going strong with the good leadership of Sean and Steve. Lost Opal Creek and many other areas with fires: up the Umpqua, Santiam, east of Klamath Falls. Sequoias in California. So sad.
Ralph died today after many days of struggle.

Just remembering all the fun times. The 56 pounds of Boletus edulis was definitely a "mother load" as Kathy would say. You are miss regularly. You gave a lot of people a great part of yourself. Thank you for the gift you gave us. You are truly missed.

That last tribute was one written from a previous year but not sent, so did it today.
Still wake in the night and think you are there but it is Anna turning, the newer dog that looks just like Buster but not as good a personality. She was adopted 1/2019; found by Harp. Sue has been helping me train her. Anna was 9 months. She does sit patiently now like Buster did for you, as you checked out tide pools.
Tualatin is working out well! 2 years since moving and selling our Crescent City house. I miss the coast but this area has a lot of advantages now that I am getting older and don’t have you to grow old with. It is wonderful to have Sue across the way and being able to visit Janice and Mary more often.
Miss you very day!! All the little and big things we did together and for each other. You just being in the house working on the computer, driving the car on trips, planning the trip, hiking together.
I am finding good homes for your collections:
Shells—Redwood Community College
Seaweeds—Humboldt State University
Plants lists (yours and Viva’s)—Oregon State   University
Pressed plants—OSU
Maps—Greg
Still working on other things.

Oregon Wild continues working hard to save the environment and the the wildlife that depends on it.
You would be proud.

Wendell, l miss you every day. I am typing this from the cabin. Yes, I can even get email here. You would love it. I am getting the battery box changed so it is easier to service the batteries, keep the wood rats out but not us. Wish you were here to id the birds at the water and feeders. So many things I wish we could continue to share. I am thankful for the 43 years we did have. 

There are never too many months that go by that I don't think about the forest plant ID hike that those of us who were fortunate enough to go. At the time, I didn't think that my brain would retain any of the information. But because you were a gentle and kind teacher, I can share information that I learned from you with others. They are amazed and I go back to the source, you, and tell them what a great and knowledgeable soul you were and how they can aspire to be attuned to the environment to the degree you were. Miss you and hope that you are walking down trails in a brilliant forest in the sky, with a lovely smile on your face and at peace with the world. Happy birthday, Wendell.

Oh Wendell ...
I think of you often this fungi time of year. How thrilled we all were anticipating the boletes to come. Your passion for these coastal dunes and its species taught me to love each season and its natural gifts. But this October rains have failed to come ... and are nowhere in sight. I miss being able to talk with you and hear your perspective about world and the changes we're encountering. You gave us all so much of yourself selflessly that I took for granted thinking you would always be there. You touched so many of us and even with you gone now ... your efforts and legacy continues.

I will always remember Wendell for his kindness and love of life. Michele and I have Kathy in our lives now. She has been wonderful, always there when I have needed health advice or a ride someplace or a friend. And we reminisce about Wendell often.

I loved getting Wendell's humor through the emails he would send - the more "unofficial" ones. He also had the zaniest most-original Christmas ecards.

I miss you every day. I know others miss you also, because they have told me. Thank you Wendell for leaving me such i multitude of friends to support me during this unbearable loss. Love you...

The good earth and its bountiful issue honor you as you have honored them, Wendell, one year on.

On November 15, 2015, his 66th birthday, I have rich recollections of my time with Wendell Wood, a dear, devoted friend.

In the gallery I leave a 2009 photo (if I can manage it) I ran across today of Wendell, me and an unidentified friend, looking from our yard across the marsh to Lake Earl.

Wendell, it's still so hard to believe that you are gone. When I see wildflowers, I will always think of you; your love and reverence for sacred forests, always an inspiration to others. Your love will eternally live on.

Happy birthday pal. Appreciate how you're still breaking trail for me. Sure miss yer sly chuckle. Hope things are good- James

I'll always remember lobbying for the Oregon Wilderness Bill with Wendell in Washington D.C. and also how delighted my parents were in Harpers Ferry that Wendell would come out to stay with them while he committed his heart and soul to saving our wild places in Oregon. His legacy lies in the wilds and in the hands of many people who learned nature's wonders from Wendell.

Much has been said and written about Wendell’s skills as a naturalist guide in the outdoors and his fierce determination to save wildlands.

I loved Wendell for all of that, but also because he was such a total goofball. His giggle was our guide to the silly side of things, reminding us to discover the nuttiness and absurdity of even the most mundane things. His playfulness was a huge gift to all who knew him.

Wendell cracked me up before I even met him. I moved to Eugene in the late 80s in the midst of the battle to protect Oregon’s ancient forests. Wendell’s name was in the Register-Guard frequently, so I phoned him to volunteer my help. We arranged a date and time to meet at the former L&L Markpetplace and I asked how I could recognize him. “Well, I’m easy to spot,” he said. “I’m short, fat and bald.” And then he giggled that giggle.

Most of us are familiar with Wendell’s goofy emails, many of them offering his creative spin on the news. This one, for instance, is classic Wendell:

HEADLINE: Movie director Tim Burton splits from leading lady Helena Bonham Carter after 13 years together

OK, you guys go to the movies a lot, right? So maybe you can explain this to me. How can you become "separated" from someone, when you weren't ever married and have always lived in separate houses?

This is why it's hard for me to keep up with all this crazy Hollywood stuff--but I try. For example, I mean, I've never been married to either of you, and we've always lived in separate houses, so if we got "separated" how would I know?”

Insecurely,
Wendell

Wendell’s more recent friends may not know that Wendell spent three years of weekends, holidays and vacations researching and writing A Walking Guide to Oregon’s Ancient Forests. All proceeds from the sale of his book supported the Oregon Natural Resources Council’s Ancient Forests Campaign. As one of the book’s early editors, I came to fully appreciate how much time and energy Wendell and Kathy put into studying topo maps, driving thousands of miles of primitive roads, exploring forests, and taking painstakingly detailed notes documenting mile markers, trail signs and odometer readings. It was a labor of love for Wendell because he believed that visitors to Oregon’s cathedral forests would become the forests’ most eloquent spokespeople. His book, and the conservationists it spawned, are an important part of Wendell’s remarkable legacy.

Anyone who’s ever hiked with Wendell knows that he certainly never broke any land speed records. It could take delightful hours to cover a mile with him, stopping to inspect every flower, every insect, every mushroom, and to pick up every piece of litter. In fact, Wendell’s walking pace inspired me many years ago to coin a term my husband and I now use frequently. We use the word “Wendelling” to describe traveling from one point to another in the most Buddhist sense, remaining open to discovery and sidetracks instead of focusing on a destination or a schedule.

Wendell was a thoughtful and loyal friend. The Wendell Wood Fan Club has legions of members, and he had a knack for making each of us feel special in his life. Wendell tended and nurtured countless friendships through hospitality, outings, shared interests, long conversations, visits, adventures, and ‘this-reminded-me-of-you’ emails. He managed to stay current on the ebbs and flows of our lives and was truly concerned about our wellbeing. I never once doubted that I was important to Wendell. I can only hope he knew how much he meant to me. He was one-of-a-kind in the universe and in my life. His passing has left my life forever diminished. I can’t imagine Wendelling without him.

I think Wendell would identify with this poem by Charles Badger Clark

I Must Come Back

I dread the break when I shall die—
Not from my human friends, for they
Are shifting shadows such as I
And soon must follow me away—
But from my earth that still must swing
From day to dusk, from dark to dawn,
Slow shimmering on from spring to spring
Through all the years when I am gone.

How many loving clouds will fold
The piney peaks in tender mist,
What sunsets turn the sky to gold
And distant plains to amethyst,
What sparkling winter days will loose
The chuckle of the chickadee
Among the silent, snowy spruce—
And I shall not be here to see!

An old street dweller's soul may call
For that fair City of No Night,
Boxed in a four-square echoing wall
Of jasper, beryl and chrysolite,
But I should wish the endless song
Of crashing choirs were just the lark,
And close light-weary eyes and long
For starry, summer-scented dark.

No, when the waning heartbeat fails
I ask no heaven but leave to wend,
Unseen but seeing, my old trails,
With deathless years to comprehend,
My Earth, the loveliness of you,
From all your gorgeous zodiac
Down to a glistening drop of dew.
I must come back! I must come back!

Wendell was a pillar of the environmental community, an inspiration and a hero to me. I can't believe he is gone, but because of Wendell some of our most precious wild places are still here for the next generation to experience and enjoy. Wendell was an incredible naturalist who was able to use his vast knowledge to influence policy and unearth the facts that supported important natural resource litigation. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with Wendell, and to have been on a couple of his hikes - always a learning experience. Most of all, Wendell was a delightful, wonderful man. To know him was to love him. He will be greatly missed.

Wendell's light is still burning—the tiny, pocket-sized battery votive candle the Unitarian minister gave me shortly after I learned that Wendell had died while hiking in his beloved redwoods. “Keep it,” she said pressing it into my hand. “Just leave it on. They seem to burn forever, it's amazing.” At the time Daniel and I were up in Washington where I was teaching a writing workshop. I put the light on the classroom table, comforted a little.
   Almost three weeks later it is still gleaming. I told Kathy about how it lit up the dark interior of my handbag, where it lived for a week in Canada, ferry trips included. It is September now, and it flickers on the kitchen counter even after being batted by the cat. “Wendell would have approved,” Kathy said on the telephone. “He always thought candles were a real fire hazard.”
   I remember telling the UU minister that Wendell wasn't a man of faith—at least religious faith. “He worshiped Nature, though, with a full heart.” I said. I explained briefly what an exemplary conservationist he'd been—about the Pacific yews, the salmon, the old growth trees and wildlife habitat of every description that he helped save; how he'd never met a mushroom he didn't like, or a bird he didn't know. But I confessed I wasn't quite sure what Wendell would think about my taking a fake little mass-produced candle from a minister, and forming an attachment to it, in his name. Wendell wasn't much for symbolism, unless it was ironic. He believed in molecules not miracles.
  “Oh!” she laughed. “I bet your friend would have appreciated something that was said during a memorial service by a physicist in my congregation. He wanted to reassure all of us. 'So and so is still is with us, folks, and he will always be. He's just much less organized.' ”
   Wendell, my friend, you're not really gone. In my mind I let your little light shine. I imagine it glimmering in the shadows of the big trees you helped save; twinkling behind the tule rushes in the misty Klamath country; glowing through the fog of a coastal morning - the kind of morning when you took your walks along the drift-line, making frequent stops, poking around, looking for things that never-ceased-to-amaze you, as you, in turn, amazed us.   Let it shine  Let it shine  Let it shine . . . .

Wendell and Kathy were two of our first friends when we moved to Oregon in the late 80s. Wendell opened to us the natural world in Oregon, as he did for so many others. Kathy was the inspiration for Monica becoming a nurse practitioner. Through the years we have shared adventures, hikes, paddles, and our homes.
From the beginning, Wendell made clear the importance of defending Oregon's natural resources. We are so grateful for his work and for Oregon Wild. Even more we are grateful to have shared in his friendship - his humor, his generosity and love. We will forever miss him.

I met Wendell in 1980, my first fall living in Portland, Oregon. We met bird watching at Sauvie’s Island. He seemed a lot more knowledgeable about birds than I and he was very chatty. He told me his wife was at a nursing conference and he tagged along to be with her. During our conversation, Wendell said he envisioned a network of birders all across the country who offered each other a place to stay while birding their area. So, keeping to his vision, he invited me to his Myrtle Creek home (where I first met Kathy) to bird at Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. WOW, that was 35 years ago!

We stayed in touch over the years. Me visiting Wendell and Kathy in all the different places they lived: Eugene, Klamath Falls, Florence, Crescent City, the cabin. They staying with me in Troutdale and Portland and later coming to Seattle for yet another nursing conference, and yes more birding.

All my memories of being with Wendell focus on the outdoors: birding, canoeing, hiking, fishing, camping and bush whacking. Yes, bush whacking. Not my favorite thing and the times he took me off trail to bush whack were often contentious. He’d point in a direction and reassure me it was a quicker more efficient way back. Perhaps. But it often meant tramping up steep canyons, over large boulders or getting pricked by blackberries or rabbit bush. Not to mention the occasional sink hole I’d trip over.

As a friend, Wendell challenged my comfort zone. He dared me to risk, to push myself physically further than I was usually willing to go or felt capable of going. And on later reflection, after the pain of the bush whacking or canoeing against high winds and cold rain was gone, I am thankful for his resolve because what I sometimes called misadventures often had unforeseen rewards, like finding the feathers of a Barn Owl or the discovery of some rare wildflower or getting to that island in the middle of the lake to see a new bird. Spending time with Wendell often meant I had to let go of my expectations of how the day would go and giving myself over to Wendell’s naturalist tendencies to seek and discover whatever attracted him.

Wendell was in awe of the natural world around him. Every creature from a Great Grey Owl down to the smallest crustacean delighted him. All things botanical engaged him. Wendell never stopped taking pleasure from the natural world around him. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” Throughout his life, Wendell certainly was on a journey of seeking discoveries about nature which astonished and delighted him and he was always eager to share his joy with his friends. Wendell will always be close to my heart, especially during those challenging and delightful times I find myself again in the wild. God bless you Wendell.

Love, Eli O'Herlihey

Back in 1987 on Summer Solstice weekend, Wendell joined us to clear the Tree Trail in the Willamette National Forest near Breitenbush Hot Springs. As we trimmed and cleared the trail with hand tools we stumbled upon a pair of Spotted Owls ripping apart a Flying Squirrel and feeding 2 owlets. Right away Wendell identified them as Spotted Owls. This was the very first time I had seen them (only hearing them hooting in this area before).

This lead to bringing out a Forest Service Biologist to find the nest tree using a white mouse and protecting 600 acres of Ancient Old-growth Forest.

Thank you Wendell,
Love,
 Mahogany

So shocked to see that Wendell is gone. I was fortunate enough to have gone on several of Wendell's plant id walks. How sublime to be able to learn the names of so many previously unnamed plants. How wonderful to walk along with Wendell and know his deep appreciation and love of forests and their offerings. Countless people will miss him. May he still walk and enjoy the forests wherever he may be.

Wendell was an early advocate for protecting fragile coastal habitats. He was one of a two member group called "CUB." Citizens for Untreaded Beaches, that successfully advocated for wild coastal beaches and uplands. It was my privilige to know Wendell in those early years and to work with him on those issues. Much to my delightl, our paths continued to cross, time and time again, over the years. I will miss his mischievous smile and subtle sense of humor.

I'm so glad I was able to attend a Mushroom and Fungi I.D. class given by Wendell Wood last November. The first evening, Wendell wowed us all with his ability to remember all the attendees' names after hearing them just once. But that was only the beginning... 

On the field trip in the Lake Earl Wildlife Area the next day, we saw over 40 species of fungi, an incredible variety of types, shapes and colors. Yes, Wendell identified nearly every one of them from memory! Beyond that, he enthusiastically shared intriguing facts about them, drawing us into the fungi realm. He obviously welcomed the challenge of our questions, encouraging us to reach for a deeper understanding.

What a fun and wonderful immersion into the world of mushrooms this experience was -- what a phenomenal teacher!

I shall never be able to look into a tide pool again without remembering really seeing tide pools with Wendell at the South Cove on Cape Arago! So many species and so much to see and learn which only Wendell could have shown me and named for me. Walking the trails with him, picking up bits of trash from the beaches, exploring mushrooms in the fall along the coast, birding in the Klamath Marsh or cross country skiing at 1 AM by moon light into the cabin on the Marsh - Wendell brought the world to me in ways no one has before! Wendell saved the wild places for us to enjoy for which I will be ever thankful and too I will be ever thankful for his presence in those places showing me the wonder of it all.

When I moved to Roseburg in 1977 as a newly-minted attorney, Wendell was a teacher in nearby Myrtle Creek and Conservation Chair of the local Audubon chapter, passionate about not only local federal forest issues but also Snowy Plover habitat at the coast. His field trips were legendary and he recruited us all to his causes! We remained friends and collaborators on various issues as he moved on to Eugene, then Klamath Falls, and finally the coast. His passion, intelligence and good humor never faltered in the almost 40 years he worked in and around Oregon on behalf of critters and ecosystems large and small. Thank you, Wendell - and thank YOU, Kathy, for all you did as his partner in all things.

It was my privilege to have worked with Wendell at ONRC. He was a wonderful colleague - his hikes were eagerly anticipated and enjoyed by scores of our members. He also was a gracious host, along with his wife Kathy, to ONRC staff, singly or as a group, at their home. Oregon's environmental heritage owes much to his efforts, including many of its lesser known treasures.

You are and were the very symbol of all that is good about the conservation movement. May you rest in the knowledge that your contributions to the the natural world will never be forgotten! I will miss you very very much. May you rest in peace.

OH Wendell, I will miss you so much!!!! You are the very heart of the conservation movement and a very fine gentleman!

I do miss Wendell very much! He was ans is a good and devoted friend of the environment. He made the world a better place by by his efforts on behalf of the environment.  Wendell rest in peace.

I first met Wendell in late 1983 or early 1984. Now OregonWild, then the Oregon Natural Resources Council, had just had their 11th annual meeting up at Breitenbush. The woman from there who had made it happen, Dinah Ross, died in an auto accident in September 1983. She had touched deeply the lives of so many people (including Wendell) that a movement arose to have a mountain named after her. Wendell had known Dinah from coordinating the ONRC meeting with her that August, and from her being on the governing council and working with her on Mt. Jeff area wilderness expansions. I had known Dinah from Multnomah County Outdoor School as a co-teacher and then as a close friend. Wendell led the effort to make the designation happen. A person who I hadn't heard of at the time, and who was a friend of Wendell's -- the great Russ Jolley -- identified a suitable, unnamed peak in the area and we then worked with the Oregon Geographic Names Board to bring it about. (You now can see Dinah-mo Peak on maps, located just NW of Mt. Jefferson.) Wendell led a hike of several folks up the trail from Breitenbush Lake to view the newly-named peak, and I distinctly remember learning a trailside plant from him there: Dirty Socks (Eriogonum pyrolifolium). I'm sure I learned others from him on that walk, but that one stuck! I still remember that time whenever I see that plant.

In his recent “Crescent City” years, Wendell led some botany workshops for the Siskiyou Field Institute. I had for a long time wanted to go on (but didn’t) the botany retreat he sometimes led at a lookout near the Smith River (Bear Mountain? Don't know the name.) And when finding a very strange Australian tree fern escaping in Samuel Boardman State Park a few years ago I learned that Wendell already had documented it! He was well known on the S. OR coast and N. CA coast for his botanizing and plant listing. Very recently, I believe that he instigated the movement to get the Veva Stansell Botanical Area designated, indicating he must have known southern coastal Oregon's most famous, respected and loved botanist (Veva). I think OregonWild led the effort, and he solicited support from the Native Plant Society of Oregon.

I hadn't seen him in years. Nonetheless, I will miss knowing that he is out there doing amazing conservation and botany work. And I’ll miss his occasional email alerts and humor. It is perfectly fitting that he died while walking in the Prairie Creek Redwoods. I hope to be so lucky.

So long, Wendell. Thank you for all your work for Oregon wildness.

Bruce Newhouse in Eugene

There are countless stands of Oregon’s ancient forests that still stand today because of Wendell Wood. This and future generations of humans, spotted owls, Pacific salmon and other species are indebted to this happy warrior for nature.

He was also instrumental in securing protection under the Endangered Species Act for the western snowy plover, Klamath short-nose sucker, Lost River sucker and several other species.

Since he walked into Eugene office of Oregon Wild (then Oregon Natural Resources Council) in 1981, we became colleagues and friends. His vast knowledge of natural history combined with his indefatigable, but also quite lovable, personality made him a highly effective advocate for the wild.

If saving wild nature was a hockey game, Wendell was the best goalie ever. He just hated to let the other side score. Few clearcuts of ancient forest, roading of roadless areas, damming of rivers, or abuse of wildflowers and wildlife by off-road vehicles got by Wendell.

—Andy Kerr

Wendell was the most charming pit bull you'll ever meet. Rarely is such a great naturalist and teacher also such an effective conservation advocate and leader. Our pal Wendell was a remarkable field general for Oregon conservation, and we get to see the results of his work every day in so many places. And so much fun... I may occasionally disparage our neighbors to the south but I'll always thank California (and Humboldt State) for Wendell.

Without Wendell's Walking Guide to Oregon's Ancient Forests what would I have done? Who would I be, now? What wouldn't I have seen? What wouldn't I have become? A call to action in the form of a hiking guide. Perfect. The Constellation of Walkling Conservation: Guide to Oregon's Ancient Forests by Wendell, Hiking Bigfoot Country by Hart, and The Mountains of California by Muir. Our holy trinity. Our guiding lights. Walking, one foot in front of another.

I had only known Wendell for the past eight years. I walked with him in the forests here in Del Norte County several times, searching out mushrooms, wildflowers or rare marine species. What struck me most about this man was how truly fresh and excited was his view of his surroundings. He seemed to have never lost that close, almost childlike connection with his environment that so many of us lose in the course of negotiating our "civilization." I will miss him sorely.

I go back quite a ways with Wendell and have been the recipient of a lot of hospitality from him and Kathy over the years both at the cabin and in Crescent City. I can't say his personality changed one iota over the years.

Wendell was about the only person in the enviro community who actually knew anything from the natural history/academic perspective, be that freshwater algae, hawks off their route, marine invertebrates and of course the botanical side.

Being up against these agency shenanigans constantly must have taken its wear and tear in terms of deadlines and near-misses turned around at the last minute. However Wendell had a great personality and laughed a lot even in the thick of it.

There is a lot of stuff out there that would be gone today if the buck hadn't stopped with Wendell. So I guess the real tribute to Wendell would be if we make sure that nothing bad happens to these places in the future.

Year after year Wendell and I would go over maps after he had field checked proposed Crater Lake Wilderness boundaries - from the Umpqua to the upper Deschutes to the upper Rogue, he was checking all sides of the proposal. He was always trying to persuade me to make the boundaries bigger. At the end of the day when we were done he always had me tally up the boundary adjustments to figure out "how much Wilderness did we make today?". 

I also remember the time he told us about the hiker/camper who picked up road kill on the way to Wendell's hike, and then cooked it up for everyone. Ever the curious type he tried some (mountain beaver I recall)...this was before he became vegan.

Wendell was such an utterfly pleasant and humble and sincere person, easy to be around, always happy to share his knowledge and experience, deep in his love and dedication to nature. Along with Steve, Wendell has always been a hero to me for his love of and dedication to the Klamath in particular. It's a huge loss and my heart goes out to Kathy and everyone else that loves Wendell. I will miss him, and his legacy will certainly live on.

i remember meeting Wendell for the first time when ONRC had an office in Eugene. I was working on a book about Oregon Mountain Ranges, and I came into the office to talk to folks about wilderness proposals and other issues that I wanted to incorporate in my book. Wendell was a jolly soul with a mischievous smile who reminded me of a leprechaun--but a leprechaun with extraordinary knowledge about Oregon's plants, wildlife and wildlands. I had the good fortunate to interact with Wendell many times and he was always generous with his time and knowledge. He was a force in Oregon conservation and future generations as well as the presence folks will have better lives because Wendell lived and cared about Oregon's wild places.

An extraordinary man. Mentor, friend, spokesperson, advocate. A wellspring of knowledge, ever ready to share. Wendell will be sorely missed by many. Strength and love to Kathy.

The Oregon Wild family is stunned and saddened by the passing of one of our heroes, Wendell Wood. Our thoughts are with Wendell’s wife Kathy at this difficult time.

We encourage family, friends, and colleagues to post remembrances, photos, and stories to this site to help us all marvel at Wendell's amazing and deeply meaningful life.

For over 30 years, Wendell was the conscience of the environmental community in Oregon. His dedication to protecting our forests, wildlife, and rare plants was matched by his intimate knowledge of the land. He shared his passion and knowledge of the natural world freely. So committed to his life’s work was Wendell that his “retirement” was in name only.

With Wendell, the Forest Service must have thought we had eyes and ears everywhere in the state. One week he would uncover illegal burl poaching in the Oregon Redwoods; and the next he would discover a renegade road leading into Crater Lake National Park. Wendell was always in the field – learning, challenging, and teaching.

We will remember Wendell for so much – his goofy wildlife-themed holiday cards, his tenacity in seeking restoration of the Upper Klamath watershed, his sense of humor, and his warm and welcoming personality.

Though it does not make it less heartbreaking, it is completely fitting that Wendell’s last moments were spent on the trail, redwood giants towering above him, no doubt marveling at some small wonder of the forest before him.

We will forever miss our friend, teacher, and colleague, Wendell Wood.

There are so many things I could say about Wendell. He was one of the funnest friends I have ever had. Craig and I were married 16 years ago on Steens Mountain and Wendell picked a bunch of sage and threw it at our car when we drove by on the loop road. He was giggling as he did that. That is what I shall miss the most - his giggle and his laugh which he did often. He gave freely of his knowledge of everything related to nature and his passion of flowers and plants. When ever I went hiking with Wendell it could take an hour to walk fifty feet because he knew and was excited about every plant. A walk on the beach was overwhelming because he knew everything that was seen. I helped lead a few bird trips with Wendell from his cabin near KFalls and those are some of the best memories. Wendell & Kathy were the best house guests at our home and the best of the best hosts at their home in Crescent Lake and their cabin. I will miss the early mornings watching Sage Grouse dance with Wendell, the beach hikes, the silly dinners, the fascinating conversations, the canoe trips, the bird watching. And the greatest Christmas cards ever. (and the silliest emails!) I loved canoeing with Wendell and Kathy.

Oh h*ll - I'll miss everything about Wendell. My thoughts and love are with Kathy. Wendell you were the best of the best of the best. Your love for nature will never be forgotten.