Our donors know the importance of our Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and what knowledge and joy these wide-open spaces can bring. Recently our friend Christine Smith wrote:

“It was such a pleasure to be able to make a donation to the Friends of the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument in my mother’s name. Myrtle Young Smith loved the outdoors and welcomed every opportunity to explore the beautiful areas in and around Ashland.
     Myrtle was born in a remote area of interior Alaska in 1917 and lived most of her life in Fairbanks before moving to Ashland in 2005. Those years in Alaska were lived close to the natural world. She camped, fished, trapped, and gardened in her younger days. And well into her seventies, we combed the bogs and hills of the Tanana Valley picking cranberries and blueberries. She had her special places to pick, allowing only family members to know.
     My parents both loved to go for long drives and look at the scenery. I continued to take Myrtle for those drives and we explored parts of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument that were accessible with a walking stick until just a couple of years ago. Even at age 96, Mom loved being able to walk outdoors winter months.
     Myrtle loved the wilderness and the woods, the lakes and creeks. Most Mother’s Days were celebrated with a picnic near a creek or river, in Fairbanks and in Ashland. Her love of nature is a wonderful legacy passed on to her four children, their children and grandchildren.”

Your gifts to the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument help to advocate, protect and conserve our national monument, ensuring that many generations will continue to learn, support and enjoy our National Conservation Lands.