I am a huge thrifter, always on the hunt for eclectic trinkets, treasures, and clothing. I will…read moredrive hours to peruse places in other cities, but the Humane Society Thrift is by far my favorite place to shop. I am always greeted warmly by the volunteers, and strike up genuine conversations each trip. The shelves are abundant but still well-organized, offering everything from home decor to utilities to crafting supplies. Prices are fair and affordable, which is so refreshing amidst the overcharging of big corporations. I appreciate this especially as a college student on a budget. And every purchase I make goes toward the most precious animals! I visit them frequently, too. :) I'm so excited for the opportunities that their relocation and expansion will bring; I can't wait to swing by the animal corner at the front once it's been developed!

We have a few choices for thrift stores in Corvallis. That's awesome. Do you want to know what…read moreelse is awesome? Heartland Humane Society's thrift shop! Yeah! There's an eclectic mix of stuff. Prices can be just OK or totally super value. I always have to make sure I have a wad of cash if I go in because it's a rare day that I leave empty handed. Fun dishes, kitchen implements, groovy clothes, hats, random bits of hardware, and who even knows WHAT you'll find. Sometimes I just have to leave things I want because I already have enough stuff. But wow. Just wow. Then there's the staff. Is it OK to call them staff? They are volunteers. They do their work because they love the Humane Society. You know what? That's awesome too! Their revenue goes to the local Humane Society and provides over a quarter of the Humane Society's annual budget. That's huge. The staff is also friendly and helpful. I better get on down there; it's been a couple days!

I really try hard to make sure that all of my reviews are fair and balanced. The main reason that I…read morewrite on Yelp is to try and help other people. Normally I would take off stars when things merit that, but because my overall experience here was so good and the joy I felt definitely seems to outweigh all the negatives, I just can't give the Cascades Raptor Center aything less than five stars. Let me go through the negatives with you first though because there are a few: Parking can be ... an adventure . The center sits at the top of the hill with a very small steep road leading up to a tiny parking lot. As many of the other reviews have noted, if you have anything larger than a midsized vehicle, I would not recommend attempting to use their parking lot. We tried originally and realized immediately that was a mistake, then turned around and parked at the trailhead across the street. We had to walk across a busy street and make it up that steep steep hill. I'm not going to lie, I was dying by the time I reached the entrance . But to be fair, I think most people are in better shape than I am :) so hopefully you'll be fine. They also have a very strict no dogs rule which I completely understand based on the venue. However, that means you cannot have even the smallest dog in the car or anywhere on the premises. Even the sight or sound of a dog can be stressful for the birds. So it totally makes sense to me that they're putting the animals first, but as someone who travels with her dog, it's important for you to know before coming . Lastly, I think the price is absolutely worth it. We paid $32 for two adults and I feel I got my money's worth but cost is important to a lot of people so I do feel the need to mention it. Having got all that out of the way, we had an amazing time here! We spent around an hour here at closing time and honestly I could have stayed a lot longer. Staff were very sweet and said that we could keep wandering around even after close if we wanted to because it takes them a while to get everything shut down and many of them are volunteers. There is no way I would have done that because I value people's time, but it is sweet of them to offer and they really seem to love and care for these animals deeply. I enjoyed speaking to many of them and they were all kind and informative. One of the things I appreciated most was learning about each resident and why they are there. These animals aren't on display for entertainment. They are ambassadors helping people understand and appreciate birds of prey. This organization rehabilities injured raprors, cares for many birds that to cannot be in the wild any longer and help utilize themto educate the public. The absolute sweetheart of my visit was Lethe, a turkey vulture who casually walked right up to us like we were old friends. I never expected one of my favorite interactions to be with a turkey vulture, but he absolutely stole my heart. Hans, the Eurasian eagle owl, was breathtaking. His enormous orange eyes were mesmerizing and I could have stood there watching him for hours. He is a stunning bird and to see him up close was incredible. I was also very excited to see Francis the magpie. My husband loves owls and that is why we came here, but magpies are my favorite birds so imagine my surprise when I saw her. Francis is actually not a raptor, she's a corvid, but she is a rescue and as the centers only non-rafter resident ,they also use her as an education ambassador. It was a challenge to try and get any good photos of any of the birds so although I'm attaching photos as always, you should understand that they don't do justice to actually being there. Because it was hard to get good photos and because of all of the other challenges that I have listed, if I was reviewing the raptor center completely objectively, I would probably give it three stars, maybee less honestly, but there is an element of community and learning and magic and hope and beauty here that just cannot be boiled down to an unequivocal rating. I would come here again every time, and all the time, and I highly recommend this stop if you're in the area and at all interested in birds or any kind of animal rescue and rehabilitation. .

My wife and I stopped by during the Eugene Marathon weekend. Being over 30, we understand that…read morebirds are cool. There were 31 birds with their own exhibits. Admission was $16/person, but well worth it for the experience. There are informative displays about each species and also each individual bird.

Amazing place EVER. It's a youth shelter, but it's nothing like a shelter. It's like a house. a…read morehome. Love that place, and the people very much.

What is organic?…read more Some label your-my shampoo organic. Well it's 98% organic. Because it's 98% water. So thinking about what is organic and what is not is a sticky wicket. All American farming was organic until the 1940's. Something to think about. Oregon Tilth has looked at every organic angle of the sticky wicket and whacked it. Working as part of a regional group, their work laid down organic farming principles for certification. Those ideas from Oregon and Washington spread to California, later influencing the USA standard. Oregon Tilth is an essential resource for farmers who would like to produce organically. They also are a starting point for finished product producers. They are a resource for other certifications, like salmon-safe, and for restaurants. Oregon Tilth is the regional go-to resource for information and education if you are a producer or consumer interested in doing the right thing.