It's Your Oregon: Susan Sokol Blosser
My idea of a perfect Oregon day would be in the springtime. Particularly the early morning and dusk. Those are magical times in the vineyard for me and I feel very lucky to see all the diversity of wildlife that we have here.
Susan Sokol Blosser, Co-Founder of Sokol Blosser Winery, Dundee, OR
What is your idea of a perfect Oregon day?
My idea of a perfect Oregon day would be in the springtime. Particularly the early morning and dusk. Those are magical times in the vineyard for me and I feel very lucky to see all the diversity of wildlife that we have here. What I love about the spring is the rebirth and the renewal. You see the baby leaves unfurl, you see the tendrils come out and the little clusters [of grapes] emerge, and that’s very exciting. It’s the start of a new vintage year.
What would you like Oregon to look like in 20 years that is different from today?
- Sokol Blosser Winery
First thing that comes to mind is that I’d like to see fewer cars. I’d like to see more mass transit, particularly to rural areas. I don’t go into Portland as often as I would like because I don’t want to drive there. It would be wonderful to have some sort of rail to take me in. That’s the first thing that comes to mind. The second thing is, I would like to see more wildlife corridors in the Willamette valley. The Willamette valley is an ecosystem in crisis. I hope that within the next 20 years we can do something about that.
OEC talks about “It’s Your Oregon.” What does Oregon mean to you? 
I like the phrase “It’s Your Oregon,” because what that implies is that you can make a difference. One of the things I think is great about Oregon is the citizen participation. We have such wonderful citizen participation in Oregon that has resulted in the land use laws, the bottle bills, and so forth, which have put us on the cutting edge of saving the environment. We need to carry these into the future.
What is the most important environmental issue to you today?
There are so many that it’s really hard to choose. I think climate change is tremendously important and global warming has gotten people’s attention. If that is the entrée into people’s understanding of sustainability, that is great. I really think the most important environmental issue is preserving the biodiversity of the earth. All the different ecosystems that we have that are in danger. If we lose those, we lose the viability of our whole life. Biodiversity is the big issue.
What is the one thing you want people to know?
I want people to know that they can make a difference. Believe in something and act on your belief.
