By Emily Cochran

The first Monument Day was a success! On Wednesday, June 19, students from The Crest Nature Camp at Willow-Witt Ranch visited the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument for a day of sun and fun! Thirty-two students, ranging in ages from 6 to 11 years, trekked through fields of wildflowers and lush conifer forests.

Rangers Nora and Emily led hikes up Hobart Bluff, with great views of the Cascade and Siskiyou Mountains as well as the Klamath Basin and Rogue Valley. From the peak were great vistas of Pilot Rock and Soda Mountain Wilderness within the CSNM. Along the way, students made use of their nature journals to connect more deeply to nature. Great places to stop and take in their environment provided opportunities for mindfulness and connection.

We also explored the trail as naturalists, learning about the different habitats and tree species. We began through natural stands of white fir and Ponderosa pine, with more whimsical white and black oaks as we got lower in elevation and neared riparian areas. Above the tree line the aspect changed; we were now in the western extent of the Great Basin. Students studied juniper and sagebrush foreign to most of the valley. At the summit we enjoyed a feast for our hungry bellies and an eagle-eye view.

On the descent, we enjoyed trail games such as color matching since our ecosystem is nature’s canvas. Especially plentiful were the wildflowers. There were beautiful scenes of greens, reds and blues. We even passed a lovely slope full of the yellow Oregon Sunshine. Of course, with all the flowers, pollinators were a plenty. Grasshoppers, beetles, and butterflies, oh my!

After our hike, students participated in arts & crafts to flex their creative muscles. They made dragonfly pins from various household items. As a mixed age group, we helped each other make a buzzing menagerie of dragonflies. All in all, a really enjoyable day to spend in the summer. 😊