Sep 5, 2019
Allyson Jayne Miller is the Founding Director of Oregon Action Team (ORECAT), a nonprofit foundation dedicated to protect Oregon’s cougar from being hunted down and poached and educating communities how to coexist with cougar and other predators without fear
Here is a message from Allyson on her website:
“There is nothing in our Universe that indicates that humans are the only species for which to be blessed with the ability to reason, think, and feel; indeed, there is growing evidence that is quite the contrary. Everyone, it seems, claims to love a particular animal or ecosystem. But I say, rather than fall in love, fall into an epiphany that changes your insights or perspectives as to the reality of the simple and often seemingly mystical elements of ecosystems and the animals and plants that sustain them. Because when you fall into an epiphany, you will never view the ecologies and animals as a commonplace occurrence or experience again. You will love them as if your life depended upon it. “Allyson Miller, 2019.
Allyson fell into an epiphany at a young age, when at the age of 11, she promised the universe she would do what she could to protect the cougar after a spiritual moment on a mountain top with her father. Her father taught her how to coexist with wildlife on their large 7,000 acre ranch in Oregon.
Allyson now runs her own 10-acre permaculture farm based on the teachings of her father- “take care of the land and land will take care of you.” The original farm dates back tho the mid 1800s! Here is the link to the farm’s website so you can learn more: http://www.grapelanepoultryfarm.org.
Allyson is also an artist inspired by the natural world and her work has been shown and sold at (her website is https://www.allyson-miller-artist-ecologist.com):
Bliss Victoria Magazine, 1998/99
Sew News Magazine, 1998/99
The Oregon Book
The Farmers Journal
Pagasus Gallery
Oregon State Parks
Barns & Noble
Amazon.com
Maine Historical Society
West Virginia Historical Society
International Quilts Incorporated
OSU
Please listen to following podcast episode featuring Allyson Jayne Miller and the work she is doing with ORECAT. In this episode you will learn how Allyson fell into her epiphany, the challenges cougar are facing with poaching and an interesting correlation to the disappearance of cougar in areas and increase of Lyme Disease in the same areas.
More information about ORECAT can be found on their website: http://www.orecat.org.