Portland State Magazine Spring 2009

For 20 years, alumnus Steve Amen has shown Oregonians Oregon. WR ITTEN BY JEFF KUECHLE TRYING TO FORCE STEVE AMEN '86, the well-traveled hose and executive producer of Oregon Field Guide, to identify his favorite place in Oregon, is like crying to photograph a hummingbird in flight (something the OFG crew managed to do in recently aired Episode 2012). "When I first came to Oregon, it was definitely the beach," Amen says. "I grew up in Wyoming, so the ocean was a novelty. Personally, I love the Wallowa Mountains, the area around Joseph. And my family loves Central Oregon-the climate is so great, and there's just so much to do there." Stumped, Amen pauses. "I guess it depends on the mood of the day," he says at lase. "Bue that's the beauty of Oregon, and why we're so lucky to live here. We have all of these options to choose from." If he was hosting a show in his native state-call it Wyoming Field Guide-Amen says he would have run out of story ideas within a year. Bue because he was lucky enough to land in Oregon-Amen's father moved him here for his senior year of high school-Oregon Field Guide recently celebrated its 20th anniversary on Oregon Public Broadcasting. And according to its hose, there's no end in sight.