The Malheur Field Station offers an opportunity to view wildlife like this nighthawk. 

It just may be one of the best-kept secrets in Harney County.

Located just three miles from the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR), the Malheur Field Station offers a clean, quiet environment for those wanting to explore and enjoy the outdoors.

Rose Garacci took over as manager of the Field Station in November 2017 and immediately began the task of upgrading the facility. Just a short time later, in January 2018, the water system collapsed, and that became the priority. Two old water tanks were replaced with three 5,000-gallon tanks, new water lines were installed to buildings on-site, and a new septic system was put in.

Once that issue was resolved, clean up of the property was under way. Overgrown vegetation was cut down, and work began on improving the guest facilities. Garacci noted, with a smile, that a 100-year-old toilet was among the bathroom fixtures that were replaced.

History

What is now the Malheur Field Station got its start in 1965 as a Job Corps Center, a federal program to teach work skills to urban youth. Then in 1969, the center was shut down because of cuts to the federal budget.

Rather than let the buildings remain empty, a group of about 20 colleges and universities converted the facility to the Malheur Field Station, offering summer classes for future scientists and others interested in flora and fauna.

In the mid-1980s, the schools decided that the facility was too costly to continue operations. This opened the way for The Great Basin Society, a nonprofit corporation, to continue the educational programs at the site. Since that time, the Field Station has continued to offer a number of programs in the summer and fall, including geology, astronomy, birding, and entomology.

The facility

The Field Station is comprised of 29 buildings, including a conference center, a full-size gymnasium, kitchen, and dining hall. The Greasewood Room sports a screened-in porch to protect against insects and a rec room with pool tables, a shuffleboard table, and other amenities.

There are also a number of lodging options, ranging from small trailers to three-bedroom houses, and dorms for larger groups. Rates start at just $70 for two guests in the small trailers to $120 a night for two in the houses, and $10 for each additional guest. Parking spots for recreational vehicles are also available.

While the lodging may not rate five stars in the hotel industry, they are clean, and the kitchens are well-stocked with dishes, pots and pans, coffee makers, and other essentials. Guests need to provide their own bedding, toiletries, and groceries.

As for a description of the accommodations, a definitive adjective is hard to find.

Vintage? The buildings do date back to the 1960s.

Quaint? The definition is “attractively unusual or old-fashioned”, so that fits in as well.

Garacci may have come up with the most apt description as “funky vintage.”

Whatever the adjective, the lodging does take one back in time comfortably.

The gym is currently out of commission, as a leaky roof damaged areas of the floor, but restoration plans are under way.

Garacci said emergency management personnel from Harney County visited the site as a possible location to use in case of an emergency and offered to write grants that would be used to improve the buildings.

Garacci also explained that the Field Station is on land owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as is the MNWR, but there is a key difference. The Refuge is only open from dawn until dusk, while folks staying at the Field Station may spend the night, which is a main attraction for star gazers. Garacci stated that the night sky at the Field Station has been described as one of the darkest night skies in the nation, providing a sparkling view of the heavens above. In fact, the Field Station has “lights out” at 10 p.m. so as not to shed ambient light into the darkness.

The vision

“Harney County is a jewel for people who like to be outdoors, and this can provide a central location for excursions to other areas of the county,” Garacci said. “This could be a boon for the county as a gathering place for groups and others who are interested in what we do here.”

Plans call for continuing with the educational programs, although this year’s programs have been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The wish list also includes gutting and remodeling the kitchen and dining hall, a water-filtering system, fixing the gym, replacing the rental trailers with cabins and/or small houses, and continuing cleaning the buildings both inside and out.

To help get the buildings and grounds up to par, Jody McKerral was hired in October 2019 as the maintenance manager.

His first priority was getting the maintenance shop organized. With that accomplished, his sights are set on improving the buildings and grounds, a time-consuming venture that he is well-suited for.

Donations of furniture and appliances are always welcome, and because the Great Basin Society is a nonprofit, all donations are tax-deductible.

Once updated, Garacci sees the facility used for sports camps, church gatherings, organizational get-togethers, and family fun in addition to the educational programs.

“This is ideal for hunters too,” Garacci said. “If we get large groups, we can open the kitchen and dining hall as well.

“We really want the locals to know we’re here and get involved with what we do.”