Some of the earliest evidence of human habitation in North America was found in the Fort Rock, Oregon area north of Silver Lake. People--not just anthropologists--still like to hang out there, like the attendees of this fall's Northwest Nomads gathering. The people who gathered live a nomadic lifestyle (#vanlife) and shared fellowship in the high desert.

That is just one of the events covered in the latest edition of Us As We Are from Southern Oregon PBS. Keegan Van Hook provides the audio from his TV program, from the nomad event and from the Nature's Coastal Holiday Festival of Lights, which brightens the long winter nights at Azalea Park in Brookings.

The all-electric or at least mostly-electric future we keep hearing about will require batteries, lots and lots of them. And at the moment, the prevailing technology is the rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

One of our country's largest lithium deposits is in the Nevada desert, a few miles from Oregon. This is one of the stories covered in the latest edition of Us As We Are from Southern Oregon PBS. Keegan Van Hook covers this story and alsospends time visiting tiny Agness, up the Rogue River from the Oregon Coast.

When the Pioneer Saloon opened for business in Paisley, Oregon, the Wright Brothers were still teenagers, far from their breakthrough in human flight. Just the same, flying machines and the saloon share top billing in the latest edition of Us As We Are from Southern Oregon PBS.

Keegan Van Hook tells the story of the saloon's long history--140 years--and a recent celebration of the anniversary, and hangs out with lovers of very small planes. The Rogue Eagles fly radio controlled (RC) craft, and recently celebrated an air show in Eagle Point.

This radio version precedes the TV edition of Us As We Are, airing Saturday at 7 PM on SOPBS.

The city of Ashland recently set up a public camping area in order to curtail camping on other public property in town. Homeless people had been camping on a series of public sites to demonstrate displeasure with anti-camping ordinances.

Keegan Van Hook of Southern Oregon PBS spent time getting to know the campers for the latest edition of Us As We Are, which debuts in video on SOPBS on Saturday (June 3rd) and on the JX in audio here. And as with all editions of UAWA, there's an additional feature: a visit to the recent antique show at the Medford armory.

53 years after the original Earth Day, we're still here. Is it possible we're doing something right? We look back at the Earth Day of 2023 in the Rogue Valley in the latest chapter of Us As We Are, with Keegan Van Hook of Southern Oregon PBS.

This edition--the video version runs on SOPBS on Saturday--also includes a visit to the Roxy Ann Gem & Mineral Show, where we learn about the fascination people have with rocks, and not just the shiny ones.

Nobody dismissed them, but high school students in the Rogue Valley got up and left school anyway. That was earlier in March, and the occasion was the Youth Climate Walkout. The students gathered to show their displeasure with the action so far on climate change, and to demand more action.

That is just one of the events captured by Keegan Van Hook of Southern Oregon PBS, the host of Us As We Are. We hear from the students at the rally and the pained shouts of the people who participated in the Polar Plunge fundraiser, in audio vignettes from the latest edition of UAWA.

Our region is full of interesting places and people... people frequently doing interesting things.

Keegan Van Hook from Southern Oregon PBS finds them for a monthly TV show called "Us As We Are," covering a wide variety of events and people. And he shares an audio version with the JX on the day before the TV show airs.

This month we hear about a potluck for homeless people at Hawthorne Park in Medford, then check out snow fun on Bavarian Night at Mount Ashland Ski Area.

Break out the swords and shields, it's time for a little polite jousting.

We go back in time for our newest segment; SOPBS is collaborating with the Jefferson Exchange with its program, Us As We Are to share its coverage and interviews from local events in Southern Oregon.

In this episode, host Keegan Van Hook visits with the Society for Creative Anachronism. It’s an international organization where members dress in period clothing and recreate the pre-17th century European world.

Keegan also offers a look back at the Martin Luther King Day ceremonies in Grants Pass.