Friends Support Student Research 

Interested in doing research within the Monument boundary? The Friends Research Fund annually awards individual grants ranging from $500 - $3000 that supports undergraduate, graduate, and indigenous research projects that enhance the understanding, appreciation, preservation, and/or protection of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Students have an opportunity to share their findings with the public at the annual Monument Research Symposium.

The 2024 grant cycle is now open. Deadline for applications is April 26th.

Truffle research in the Monument - Hilary Rose Dawson and Rye.


Meet our 2023 Grant Recipients

We are pleased to announce our 2023 Friends Research Fund grant awardees. We awarded three projects this year from two different institutions. The following students will present their findings at the Monument Research Symposium in March, 2024. A specific date will soon be announced.

Hilary Rose Dawson: University of Oregon

Hilary is a Ph.D. candidate in Biology at the University of Oregon. Working with her advisor, Dr. Lucas Silva, at the University of Oregon, she will expand on her previous work to create a preliminary list of truffle (underground-fruiting fungi) species found in the Monument.

Tayla Moore: Southern Oregon University

Tayla is a senior biology major at Southern Oregon University. She will be working with her advisor, Dr. Jacob Youngblood, to map the distribution and uncover the natural history of the Siskiyou Short-horned Grasshopper, a species endemic to the Cascade-Siskiyou bioregion.

Trevor Holt: Southern Oregon University

Trevor is a senior biology major at Southern Oregon University. He will be working with his advisor, Dr. Jacob Youngblood, to catalog the grasshopper species found within the Monument and pilot a long-term monitoring program.

We look forward to hearing the results of their research at the Monument Research Symposium on March 14th. You can find more information on attending HERE


Previously awarded Projects

2022

Hilary Rose Dawson: University of Oregon

Hilary is a Ph.D. student in Biology at the University of Oregon. Working with her advisor Dr. Lucas Silva at the University of Oregon, she will create a preliminary list of truffle (underground-fruiting fungi) species found in the Monument.

Heather Stewart-Ahn: Eastern Washington University

Heather is a Master's student in biology at Eastern Washington University. Working with her advisors Dr. Jason Ashley at Eastern Washington University and Dr. Toby Spribille at the University of Alberta, she will study an extremely rare vividly red lichen, Umbilicaria phaea var. coccinea, that is found in the Monument.

Thomas Hillard: University of Oregon

Thomas is an undergraduate student in Earth Science and Biology at the University of Oregon. Working with Dr. Jad D’Allura, Emeritus Professor of Geology at Southern Oregon University, he will map out the rock formations in Jenny Creek Falls as well as a region of tuffaceous rocks, debris flow and lava from Pilot Rock.

2021

Lauren Castro: university of Oregon

Lauren Castro is a student at University of Oregon majoring in Earth Sciences. Working with Dr. Jad D’Allura, Emeritus Professor of Geology at Southern Oregon University, Lauren’s research is focused used on aiding ongoing efforts to geologically map the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. In particular, this project is focused on characterizing the northwest portion of the Monument near Grizzly Peak, as well as sampling and analyzing welded tuffs in the Little Hyatt Reservoir area.

Samuel Barrus: Oregon state university

Samuel Barrus is a Geology student from Oregon State University. Working alongside professors Dr. Jad D’Allura of SOU & Dr. John Dilles of OSU, his project is focused on analyzing the geology of the now abandoned Barron Mine, located on the Sampson Creek Preserve owned by the Selburg Institute. This project is being jointly funded by the Friends and the Smelburg Institute. This work will help provide information to help researchers better understand the geologic age and properties of Barron Mine.

Britton Glenn & andrew restrepo: Evergreen state college

Britton and Andrew are Botany (Britton) and Ecology (Andrew) majors from Evergreen State College. Working with their advisor, Dr. Lalita Calabria, Britton and Andrew’s collaborative project is focused on studying vagrant lichen in the Cascade- Siskiyou National Monument. Vagrant lichens are believed to be sensitive to human-induced habitat changes and invasion by non-native plant species. Britton and Andrew are documenting how the unique vagrant lichen populations of the Monument interact with native and non-native grasses. These data will be used to update the current distribution and ecology of vagrant lichens in this region.


2020

Kendall John: university of Oregon

Kendall attended the University of Oregon and received a Bachelor of Science in Geology. Working under the advisement of Dr. Jad D’Allura, Professor of Geology (Emeritus) at Southern Oregon University, Kendall assisted with data collection to geologically map the Surveyor Mountain area within the Monument. These data add to the growing body of scientific information that describes the complex geologic history of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.


2019

Clare O'Connell: Humboldt State University

Clare pursued a Master of Science in Biology with Dr. Melissa Hawkins. With a focus in mammalogy, Clare hopes to dedicate her life to advocating for animals that cannot speak for themselves. During this project, Clare camped in the Cascade Siskiyou National monument over the course of five days and helped direct a group of scientists to collect data via small mammal trapping. The Townsend's chipmunks include a number of distinct groups ("species") which have unresolved genetic relationships. This lack of information has led to uncertainty as to whether or not these distinct chipmunk groups are actually different species. The goal of this expedition was to evaluate help address this knowledge gap and improve scientists’ understanding of chipmunk distribution within the Monument.

Sam Cooke: University of Oregon

What moves mountains? Why does the landscape look the way it does? How can we reconcile our experience with the enormity of our planet and its fascinating history? These are some of the questions that motivate Sam as a geologist. He strives to unfold the stories rocks tell through observation and analysis. Sam received a degree in Geology from the University of Oregon. In the future, Sam hopes to continue spending time with rocks and engaging with interesting geo-social challenges.

In the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument, there is a stunning assemblage of wilderness. The foundation of this wilderness is the rocks upon which life grows. Around 25 million years ago, volcanoes began creating parts of the landscape surface we now see in the CSNM, spewing lava across vast regions. Sam assisted Dr. Jad D’Allura of Southern Oregon University in mapping these different volcanic rocks and identifying their compositions in order to create a clearer picture of Southern Oregon’s geologic past.

Crystal Nichols: Southern Oregon University

Crystal is a photographer turned filmmaker with a passion for connecting people with the natural world. She earned an Aquatic Biology degree from Ball State University, and has also received an M.S. in Environmental Education at Southern Oregon University. Through her career and life, Crystal strives to increase awareness of the need for mindful stewardship while encouraging action.

In her work with the Friends, Crystal produced a documentary, The Monument Within. This medium -length film highlights the "heartbeat of the West Coast," the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. From the habitats of thundering waterfalls to the high desert, and everything between, this film speaks to the importance of the Monument's biodiversity that spans all life forms.

Eli Livezey and Mac Patton : Evergreen State College

Eli attended The Evergreen State College and studied ecology, chemistry, and fungi. He worked with his facility advisor, Dr. Lalita Calabria, and research colleague John Villella to study the chemistry, genetics, and microbiology of the rare and endangered Lipstick Lichen. Through this research, the team contributed to the newly evolving perspective of the symbioses that make up all lichens.

Mac also attended The Evergreen State College where he studied bioinformatics, genetics, and taxonomy. He has pursued a personal and academic interest in the taxonomy and cultivation of bryophytes and lichens for about three years in Washington and Oregon states. During the 2019 academic year, he shifted his goals to learning computer programming and genetics through the lens of lichens and bioinformatics.

Lichens were previously thought to be made up of a fungus and algae/cyanobacteria. Now, it is known that lichens are much more like little ecosystems, with many organisms growing together to benefit each other. When walking through the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument, a hiker may be lucky enough to venture through a rocky slope covered with the vibrantly red Lipstick Lichen (Umbilicaria phaea var. coccinea). The Lipstick Lichen is a State-listed (OR and WA) critically endangered lichen and its range is restricted to just a few locations in the PNW. The Cascade-Siskiyou region is home to a significant portion of the few known locations of Lipstick Lichen.

Lipstick Lichen’s less colorful close relative, Common Rock Tripe (Umbilicaria phaea var. phaea) is widespread from southern CA to Vancouver Canada and as far east as Utah. Eli and Mac’s research objectives were to evaluate the chemical and microbiome differences between The Common Rock Tripe and the endangered Lipstick Lichen to further our understanding of lichen symbiosis and to better inform conservation efforts. This research began in January 2019 and was conducted by a team of students at The Evergreen State College led by Drs. Lalita Calabria and John Villella.

Other Past Projects

The Friends Research Fund 2018 grants were awarded to three student projects. Neil Clayton and Emily Lind, both Southern Oregon University students, and Dylan Carlini, a student at the University of Oregon. They conducted research in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument during summer 2018. More about their work.