Lost Falls

Sunday Hike #6 - Lost Falls, 8/7/2022 

Lost Falls is known as an easy hike in a location that’s hard to get to. The drive involves taking the windy Shale City Road, past the well-marked turn for the trailhead to Grizzly Peak, beyond the turn for Willow-Witt Ranch, into the woods and down a few barely-marked roads until you come to a little clearing with enough space for a few cars to park. Unlike some of the other roads in the Monument, this is one that any car can handle, as long as you know the right direction. With a little internet research, you’ll find several blogs that describe the way to get to this trailhead. Whatever you do, don’t rely on Google Maps!

Once we parked, we could breathe in the fresh, watery air and take a sigh of relief. What’s ahead is a gentle trail that follows along Lost Creek through pines, firs, and fun riparian plants and shrubs that make great habitat for birds. Our hiking group was small but mighty, with an avid birder among us who was able to identify a few small Dusky flycatchers in a clearing. That’s one of the best things about Sunday Hikes with the Friends – there’s bound to be an expert or two in the group who loves this land and the creatures that inhabit it.

As we walked along the trail, we found a few wildflowers hanging on into late summer, most notably the Harvest brodiaea (Brodiaea elegans). At this point in the year, the falls are more like a trickle, but the view of the canyon, Bybee Gulch, is always stunning. The pools at the top and bottom of the falls are still full, with a wall of bright green moss connecting the two. Seeing the tops of various conifers and tracing their trunks all the way down to the bottom of the canyon was a highlight. Getting to the bottom of the creek would be quite hazardous, but there is the opportunity to continue ascending through the pines and over some rocks to a view of a lake.

I recommend checking out this hike in late spring, once the snow has melted from Shale City Road. Bring shoes you don’t mind getting wet, and spend some time thanking this small creek for being a source of cooling hydration for the plants and animals in this quiet corner of the Monument!

Words and photos by Interpretive Ranger Sarah Martinez.

Lost Falls and its pool below

The pool above Lost Falls at the top

Harvest brodiaea, Brodiaea elegans

A view of Mt. McLoughlin is visible on the drive in

Bybee Gulch, the canyon carved out by Lost Creek and the landslide that made the falls

Pacific Crest Trail - History & Management

August 5th/6th Hike and Learn

About 30 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail run through Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Though this is a small fraction of the total 2,650 miles of the PCT, there is much to enjoy within the Monument and plenty of opportunities for day hikes and backpacking trips alike.

On Friday evening, a group of inquisitive PCT-enthusiasts came together to hear a talk by Ian Nelson, the Northern California/Southern Oregon Regional Representative for the Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA). The PCTA is a non-profit organization devoted to the preservation, protection, and promotion of the PCT, one of 11 National Scenic Trails in the United States. The region Ian stewards spans Burney Falls State Park in Northern California up to Windigo Pass in the Umpqua National Forest. He had tons of facts and statistics to share and was able to answer all our questions about trail maintenance, laws, and history, as well as more pertinent questions about the recent fires (McKinney, Windigo) that led to temporary trail closures.

On the following Saturday morning, the group joined Ian to hike about four miles of the PCT leaving from the Hobart Bluff trailhead, heading south. The landscape alternated between lush conifer forests and open meadows with sweeping views – Ian made sure to bring us to one of his favorite sections of trail within the Monument. We got to see some of the work volunteer crews did under his leadership to decrease erosion and level the tread. This hike was a great reminder that the work of protecting and maintaining trails is often an unseen effort, but there are many people working every day to keep trails accessible through advocacy, education, and boots on the ground, hands in the dirt hard work!

The Friends of CSNM thank Ian for taking the time to share his knowledge of a trail that is a key part of the Monument’s story. We appreciate the PCTA for their work; please check out their website for more information: https://www.pcta.org/.

Words and photos by Interpretive Ranger Sarah Martinez.

Ian explains a trail reconstruction project at this junction

Open meadows and mixed conifer woods

Hiking along the PCT, south of Hobart Bluff

The glorious view from an unnamed rock outcropping along the PCT

Rhyolite Ridge

Sunday Hike #5 - Rhyolite Ridge, 7/24/2022

I’ve found my new favorite hike in the Monument! So, it felt really cool to be able to lead people to an awesome place that none had ever been before. The group was small, due to the heat wave I’d reckon, but it was awesome to see four familiar faces: folks who had come on hikes in previous weeks with me!

Rhyolite Ridge is the colloquial name for a ridge west of Pilot Rock in the Soda Mountain Wilderness. The route involves starting on the PCT, which feels like a well-traveled highway compared to what comes next: an off-trail jaunt up and over the ridge. At a certain point, you veer off the PCT and follow a decently worn social trail to climb the edge of the ridge. Views abound! As you ascend, Mount Ashland and the endless conifer-covered mountains of the Klamath National Forest to the west. Climbing the ridge brings you to the saddle, not too bad of a climb, especially when you are rewarded with seeing Mount Shasta in all her glory to the south. A glance east and you see the hexagonal columnar basalt that comprises Pilot Rock. It’s always cool to me to find a new perspective on something you see almost every day – if you’re driving towards the Monument, Pilot Rock is a noticeable feature on the mountainous horizon.

We finish off the hike by descending a scree field, still in bloom with hardy flowers that love sun and rocky soils, meeting with the Lone Pilot Trail to round back to the PCT. This makes a nice little lollipop loop, retracing our steps back to the high-clearance vehicle we took to navigate the bumpy Pilot Rock Road.

To prepare for this hike, I took a good look at my Siskiyou Mountain Club map, which features the CSNM, Soda Mountain Wilderness, and Ashland Watershed Trails. I also use Avenza Maps, an app that has GPS tracking capabilities, even without cell service. If you have the right map, you can find your location on it, which provides extra security when navigating off-trail. You can even mark points on the map, so if you see a plant you’d like to visit again, or if you need to remember an important junction, you can easily do so. Luckily, the BLM has offered a ton of Oregon maps for free, including some that help in hiking the CSNM, like the Soda Mountain Wilderness map and the PCT south. I recommend doing some research before embarking on a journey like this one, and always be sure to Leave No Trace!

Photos and words by Interpretive Ranger Sarah Martinez.

Walking along Rhyolite Ridge

Taking in views of Mount Shasta and beyond

Looking northeast towards Pilot Rock

This section of the PCT is thick with thimbleberry!

The Western Fence Lizard is the most commonly seen reptile in this area. This one is regenerating its tail.

August 2022 Newsletter

To read about our latest news and events, please check out our August newsletter!

Day Camp Students at Green Springs Mountain Loop

July 28, 2022

Our Interpretive Rangers have wrapped up Week 7 of our 2022 Nature Day Camps with 6-11 year-old students from The Crest at Willow-Witt! It’s been a jam-packed summer so far, full of hiking, games, and exploration in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.  

Following the first few weeks of programming at Hobart Bluff, we moved Day Programs to the Green Springs Mountain Loop, an approximately three mile trail of moderate difficulty that pivots off of the Pacific Crest Trail. The Green Springs Mountain Loop trail is a wonderful place to bring children during the hot summer months as ample shade is provided by the surrounding forest. Multiple viewpoints along this trail offer new perspectives of nearby landmarks in the Monument, such as Pilot Rock.

Lesson subjects at this site have included butterflies & insects, coniferous trees, biodiversity, and trail building and maintenance. Students also love to discuss the concept of hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail, as many thru-hikers can be seen passing by with large backpacks fully equipped with gear.

Local wildlife, such as red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, western fence lizards, and the western gray squirrel provide additional teachable moments. More fun to come!

Words by Interpretive Ranger Elizabeth Mackey.

Happy hikers on the 3-mile loop trail!

Playing a game among the trees

Iconic Hobart Bluff

Sunday Hike #4 - Hobart Bluff, 7/17/2022

Hobart Bluff is an iconic hike in the Monument. From the bluff’s high point at 5,502 ft, there are views in all directions: Pilot Rock, Mount Ashland, Emigrant Lake and the Rogue Valley below, Mount McLoughlin, and Mount Shasta all visible. We took a nice break up at the top, as one should on any hike, enjoying lunch with a view and a little geology talk. The Cascade Range is volcanic and very young, geologically speaking (the two conical volcanoes in view age about 5 million years old). The rocks we stood on at Hobart Bluff were around 25 million years old, an igneous intrusion of harder rock that is now exposed after years of weathering and erosion to the softer rock that used to encase the bluff.

To get to this amazing viewpoint, we took the PCT northbound, with thru-hikers passing us by on their hundredth or so day out on the trail as we slowly ambled along admiring butterflies soaring, birds singing, and some late-season blooms, including some rarities!

Looking up at one of the steep hillside meadows along the trail, we noticed the spectacular Washington lily (Lilium washingtonianum) standing at 6.5 feet tall with a big white blossom. I recalled seeing the leaves and stem of this plant on the Grizzly Peak hike about a month ago, so this off-trail flower merited a look through a pair of binoculars we passed around.

The botanical excitement continued as we walked through a more forested section of the PCT with big old conifers shading the trail. Two rare species of mycotrophic plants were in bloom: Phantom orchid (Cephalanthera austiniae) and Gnome plant (Hemitomes congestum)! These species do not make their own chlorophyl, lacking the green color typical of Kingdom Plantae. On the hike, we called them “saprophytic” plants. According to the U.S. Forest Service, this term misses the mark. These plants don’t get carbon nutrients from decaying organic matter (saprophytic), but are instead engaged in a symbiotic relationship with the soil fungi living in and around root systems of the trees and plants of the forest. See this awesome article for more info: https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/mycotrophic/whatarethey.shtml.

Sometimes, as a ranger-naturalist-hiking guide, I am stumped by the questions folks ask. In this particular job, I am challenged. The biodiversity of the CSNM is real! There are new flowers every week that I have yet to be acquainted with. The place is so vast and the history is so varied. I am still very much getting to know the area, and it’s been humbling and exciting to do so alongside folks who are interested in learning more. Thank you, Sunday Hikers, for challenging me to learn more about the story of this land by way of your imaginative inquiries and creative curiosities.

Words and photos by Interpretive Ranger Sarah Martinez.

The hiking group up on Hobart Bluff

Gnome plant (Hemitomes congestum)

Phantom Orchid (Cephalanthera austiniae)

Green Springs Mountain Loop Hike

Sunday Hike #3 – Green Springs Mountain Loop, 7/3/2022

The Green Springs are a quintessential component of the Monument. Situated at around 4500 feet, the lush meadows and dense forests are an oasis above the drier interior valleys. The Green Springs Mountain Loop is a gem of a hike: 3 miles, gentle ups and downs, amazing views, and a glimpse of the many ecosystems within the Monument. This was the first hike I ever did in this area, when I arrived in Ashland a year ago to start the Environmental Education graduate program at SOU, so I was excited to share this trail with others.

A huge thunderstorm the night before and a chilly morning drizzle on a holiday weekend led to a smaller group this Sunday, July 3, 2022. The loop is situated on the PCT, but it’s pretty different from last week’s PCT trek because of the variety in ecosystems you can see. The five of us hiked the cool, foggy trail, the clouds parting occasionally with sunbeams breaking through. The views might not have been quite as sweeping as usual, but we still saw the depth of the valley and a slew of wildflowers still hanging on late into the season.

One reason I love this trail is that it showcases so many parts of the Monument. I pointed out the different conifers growing: Ponderosa pine, Incense cedar, Grand fir, White fir, and Douglas-fir. When we arrived at more open areas of the loop, White oaks in shrub and tree form populated the sunny hillsides. We saw a few Black oaks too and noted the difference between the leaves. Also on the sunnier side of the mountain were several Sage shrubs, a characteristics plant species from the Great Basin Desert and sagebrush habitats to the east. Spotted towhees and Lazuli buntings sang, especially in this one sunny patch with a lot of snags, perhaps the result of a big windfall a few years ago.

This is the kind of trail you can visit again and again, through the seasons, year after year. I look forward to doing so and encourage you to do so, too!

Words and photos by Interpretive Ranger Sarah Martinez.

A sculpted puffball mushroom

The CSNM is a confluence of several ecoregions which is a recipe for biodiversity.

Into the Old Growth Woods

Sunday Hike #2 – Wildlife of the Old Growth Stands, 6/26/2022

A lot can change in a week. Focusing on the weather changes: temperatures in the valley soared over 100˚F for the first time this year. Luckily for our June 26 Sunday Hike group, we were able to escape the heat and all the goings-on in town for a peaceful hike at higher elevation in the old growth forests of the northern portion of the Monument. Steve Godwin, BLM wildlife biologist, knows this area well after years of Spotted Owl research during his technician days. This was a great chance to learn about some of the species that need old growth forests to thrive, and how all the trees, plants, animals, and processes of the forest are deeply connected.

What makes a forest “old growth”? Steve tells us that the woods in our area are considered old growth if there have been no major unnatural changes (logging) for 80-100 years. We certainly walked past trees that have been alive for more than 100 years, but the stands we walked through were mostly second growth; the area had been logged in the past, like much of the forests of Oregon. Despite this disturbance, the forest has regenerated, and is now protected. Enormous Sugar Pines, Ponderosa Pines, and Douglas-firs towered above us, with Incense Cedar and White Fir filling in the gaps. Wind, especially during snowstorms, is now the main disturbance characterizing these woods. The presence of dead and downed limbs and trunks surrounding and even crossing the trail was astounding!

The massiveness of this coniferous forest and its tall trees contribute to its quietness, broken by the occasional call of a pileated woodpecker or the chirping of a Douglas squirrel. Steve used a Bluetooth speaker to call in a more elusive creature of the old growth: the Great Grey Owl. Though no one called back to answer our echoing hoots, this is their preferred habitat. A Great Grey Owl’s territory is about a square mile of tall, dense, old growth trees good for nesting and perching for hunting. Though there are plenty of creatures who prefer more open, edge habitats, there are some who cannot thrive without old growth woods. The Spotted Owl is another such species that many know as a mascot for anti-logging environmentalist efforts to protect old growth woods.

When walking in woods like these, something clicks for me about interconnectedness and resilience in a community. Steve points out a “living stump,” characterized by a cambium layer growing around and protecting dead heartwood. He mentions the roots of the trees of this forest, all intertwined, sending excess water and energy to the trees that need it most. Some trees, like White Firs, can tolerate shade and will pass their lives beneath the boughs of the overstory. Others, especially Pine species, need sunlight to survive well. A pine tree might stall as a seed or sapling for years until there is sufficient space and sunlight to shoot up and grow in the conditions it needs. It takes time to grow strong and rebound from clearcutting and other such massive changes to the landscape, to the community. The old growth forest is full of life, with stories and lessons to share.

Words and photos by Interpretive Ranger Sarah Martinez

Admiring a gigantic old-growth Sugar Pine off trail

A living stump, with new bark growing around old, dead heartwood. Have you ever seen this in the forest?

Evidence of the pileated woodpecker, a resident old growth species

Nature Photography

June 27, 2022

Tom Glassman, a well-known local photographer, led our inspiring Nature Photography Hike & Learn on June 17-18. At the Friday evening lecture, we quickly realized that Tom’s images are composed in-camera, with no post-processing involved. Other than initial color correction, compositions are achieved without cropping or most of the techniques normally associated with today’s digital darkroom, such as Photoshop. He emphasized that the best way to improve a photograph is to note what’s missing and take another photograph. 

During the Saturday hike portion of the class, a hardy group of folks met at the Hobart Bluff trailhead to put Tom’s teachings into practice. It was a foggy, cloudy, and cold day....just about perfect for some unusual flat-light photography. We hiked southward on the Pacific Crest Trail towards Pilot Rock about a half-mile to an outlook of the Bear Creek Valley, some 3,000 feet below us. The wildflowers were out and extraordinarily abundant, and the drops of water on the mosses, leaves, and flowers made the colors rich and saturated. 

With a delightful blend of humor and expertise, Tom emphasized and demonstrated what it takes to compose a great photo, how to use layering to make it interesting, and how to use the fog to hide the background so we could highlight the foreground.

After three hours composing, focusing, and creating a narrative in the camera’s viewfinder, we had lunch tucked amidst the lava rocks, wildflowers, and trees. Feeling satisfied and a bit soggy, we headed slowly back to our cars to arrive at the parking lot just as the sun was breaking through. It was a fun and exciting H&L as we learned many of Tom’s photo techniques while also slowing way down to see and connect with the Monument in a new way.

Tom Glassman’s website can be found HERE.

Words by Terry Dickey, FCSNM Board Member

Photo by Terry Dickey

Photo by Collette Streight

Photo by Tom Glassman

Photo by Tom Glassman

Photo by Tom Glassman

Photo by Tom Glassman

Photo by Tom Glassman

Photo by Tom Glassman

Wildflower Splendor on Grizzly Peak

Sunday Hike #1 – Grizzly Peak Wildflowers, 6/19/2022

The first Sunday Hike of the summer series was a success, celebrating the biodiversity of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument by identifying the abundance of wildflowers in bloom along the trail up to Grizzly Peak. The group of 17 hikers was led by local wildflower enthusiasts, Edward Madson and Susan Roudebush. Their knowledge of the landscape and its botanical splendors was much appreciated on this trek up one of the most popular trails in the Monument!

Thanks to recent rains and cooler temperatures through May and June, the conditions were perfect for witnessing the magic of spring wildflower blooms. We took it slow on the ascent because we spotted so many flowers and stopped to examine, identify, and appreciate them all.

The diverse topography of this region sets the stage for an inspiring assemblage of plant communities within the area. Along the trail, we moved through an old-growth conifer forest of Grand and White Fir trees, a series of wet meadows, and up to a rocky, shrubby grassland atop the plateau, exposed and slowly regenerating from the 2002 Antelope fire. With such a variety of slope, aspect, moisture, light, and elevation, we identified around 50 species of flowering plants, shrubs, and trees on this 5-mile loop!

Some species on the forest floor included yellow Baker violets (Viola bakeri), Calypso orchids (Calypso bulbosa), rosy plectritis (Plectritis congesta), and striped coral-root (Corallorhiza striata). Shrubs in bloom included gooseberry (Ribes cruentum), red flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum), and serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia). Wet meadows were full of Camas (Camassia quamash). At and around the summit we saw lupine (Lupinus spp.), desert parsley (Lomatium spp.), Siskiyou onion (Allium siskiyouense), and so many more. The song of the Lazuli bunting (Passerina amoena) was the soundtrack to our expedition.

I strongly recommend taking a hike up to Grizzly Peak as soon as possible to get a glimpse of biodiversity in action for yourself. What a treat to live among such a gorgeous natural landscape, and to appreciate the beauty of biodiversity with a group of hikers who love the flowers as much as I do!

Photos and words by Interpretive Ranger Sarah Martinez.

Nature Camp Kick-Off

June 20, 2022

The Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (FCNSM) have started an exciting new environmental education partnership with the Crest at Willow-Witt and the Medford District Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The effort is intended to enhance the outdoor experiences of students enrolled in the Crest’s Summer Nature Day Camps. The FCSNM’s Interpretive Rangers are now offering one day of place-based education every Wednesday throughout the summer at select sites within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. The Nature Day Camps are offered by the Crest to students aged 6-11 and programming includes hiking the trails, exploring outdoors, making crafts, and learning about the unique species and ecosystems within the Monument. 

Our first Monument Day Camp kicked off at the Hobart Bluff trailhead on June 15, 2022. Due to spectacular conditions, programming was focused on wildflower education! With hand lenses and field guides in-hand, 30 students and their instructors scoured the Hobart Bluff and the Pacific Crest Trail for as many wildflower species as they could find. Many meadows and clearings were packed with paintbrush, lupine, wallflower, and desert parsley species. Additional wildflower highlights included Great camas (Camassia leichtlinii), checker lily (Fritillaria affinis), goat’s beard (Tragopogon dubius), and the Roundtooth ookow (Dichelostemma multiflorum).

Throughout the day, students also played games, told stories, recorded observations in their nature journals, and completed Junior Ranger activities offered by the BLM. Additionally, younger campers were invited to create their own butterfly suncatcher craft (pictured below).

We are looking forward to new adventures with additional students in the coming weeks!

Words by Interpretive Ranger, Elizabeth Mackey

Ranger Sarah guides students in honing their naturalist skills

The older campers made it all the way to Hobart Bluff and enjoyed a lunch with panoramic views!

Ranger Elizabeth explains the rules to a nature-based game

At the overlook with the younger campers, enjoying the wildflowers, led by Ranger Sarah

After learning all about butterflies, younger campers had the chance to make their very own in this “stained glass” craft

Painting Adventure in the Monument

June 15, 2022

On June 10 – 11, there was a painting adventure in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Twelve experienced artists from around the state learned about the treasure trove of spectacular views and complex ecosystems that bring a wide variety of plants and trees together in this unique environment. Except for the wind, the weather was perfect and the wildflowers were in rare splendor.

Board member, Howard Hunter and local painter, Katy Cauker led the artists to several painting sites located in the wilderness within the Monument. The sites included a view point just east of Pilot Rock and a meadow just south of Hobart Trailhead, off the Pacific Crest Trail. It was an inspiring and productive day. The painters enjoyed the excitement of the vistas, and the challenges of capturing them with paint.

Many of the artists will now take their work home into their studios and complete the paintings. Later this fall, Sarah Burns, one of the local artists with the group, is tentatively planning to provide a forum to show the completed paintings at the Project Space in Talent, Oregon. This weekend’s painting adventure may well become an annual event for the group.

May 2022 Newsletter

Click HERE for a live version of the Newsletter and Register for Summer 2022 Hike & Learn Programs!!

Thank you partners and volunteers!

Thank you to every volunteer for participating in the Star Thistle pull at the Mariposa Preserve in the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument last week. Each and every one of you made a huge difference in protecting and conserving this special place. It was also fun getting drenched in the rain with you all!

Thank you to our partners and friends at the Siskiyou Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon and especially K.S. WILD and Allee Gustafson for doing the registration and coordination for this partnership! Shout out to Charles "Charlie" Schelz the BLM Ecologist for the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument for making a Star Thistle pull so fun! This effort was to protect the preserve for Greene's Mariposa Lily.

Photo from K.S. Wild

2021 Artists in Residence in Cascade-Siskiyou

Watercolorist Julie Hutslar and quilter Susan Roudebush are selected for the 2021 Artist-in-Residence program at the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Each artist will receive a one- to two-week residency at CSNM facilities during this summer, and will use their artistic efforts to support the public lands.

The Cascade-Siskiyou Monument was established for its biodiversity and celebrates its 21st anniversary. The Monument is part of the National Conservation Lands, set to conserve special features, from winding rivers to mountain vistas.

Julie, Bitterroot Valley, Montana, will create works in the Monument in June; and Susan, from Ashland and Bend, Oregon, will create and exhibit in October. More about the artists.

Julie Hutslar says, “A joyful camper, I have loved exploring the west for four decades now. This area of Oregon is one I welcome the chance to get more intimate with. Hiking is the way I reconnect and mountains are my constant source of inspiration!”

Julie will meet the community and exhibit her work from the residency on Friday, June 11, from 5-8pm, at the Green Springs Inn - Forest Room.

Images: Julie Hutslar, watercolor in progress; PCT By Little Hyatt; Hyatt Lake At Dusk; a sketch.

Watch for future updates on Susan Roudebush’s residency in autumn. Roudebush, an avid hiker, wants to create quilt panels that show regions of the monument: oak savanna, grasslands and high-elevation areas—showing the biodiversity that may not be easily understood.

Launch YouTube Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou Channel

“Thank you.  A humbling introduction, so much covered.  Learning and knowing more of the native peoples’ history, culture, contributions will enrich us all. For me, I hope to learn so much more. I’ll look for your blog, and the YouTube channel.” — Allison-Lama Susi:

“I would love to have a video of the presentation to share with others on our school staff. Thanks for this presentation..” —Marcia Thomason

“I would like to have the opportunity to view this presentation one more time so I can go back and take detailed notes.” Thank you. — Ce Yanez

These comments from the David Lewis lecture (Native American History in Southern Oregon) encouraged us to record and make accessible our presentations.

You can view our recorded lectures and presentations on our newly launched YouTube Channel. The first two titles and speakers are: Volcanic Rock'n and Roll'n in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, by Jad D'Allura, SOU Professor Emeritus; and Native American History in Southern Oregon by David Lewis, Oregon State University Professor. Any recorded video will be added to the channel.

Just in time for the 21st anniversary of the Monument and in response to the social distancing of the Covid pandemic, the Friends’ education programing transformed to online presentations. Recorded presentations connected presenters to audience from around the world. More people could learn about the Monument at a time of their own convenience.

Lisa James, Executive Director, Friends of CSNM said, “By sharing our videos on YouTube and linking them to our website, our loyal friends and subscribers can easily view the recordings at their convenience.  We also want to draw new audience members who are searching for topics of interest not found elsewhere.” 

From Jad D’Allura’s talk about the 35-million year-old rocks of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument to the David Lewis’ talk about indigenous peoples who traveled through and lived in this area; the Monument, as one of America’s public lands, holds so much for us yet to know.

We thank our presenters for sharing their knowledge with us; and we thank you for your support to care for this place we call home.

We stay humble and are learning together.

Friends Research Fund 2021 Awards Four Student Researchers

The Friends Research Fund (FRF) awarded grants totaling $ 3,856 to four undergraduate students to conduct botanical and geological studies in the Monument. Britton Glenn and Andrew Restrepo, both enrolled at Evergreen State College, will research varient lichen; Lauren Castro, University of Oregon, will focus on mapping geological areas near Grizzly Peak, and Samuel Barrus, Oregon State University, will investigate the geological age and properties of the Barron Mine located on the Sampson Creek Preserve.

These student will present their finding in next year at the Monument Research Symposium, held annually in March. Final Reports will be held with the Friends and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Thank you to the FRF 2021 review committee members: Scot Loring, Botanist and Friends Board member; Hans Stroo, Environmental Scientist; Maia Black, Community Member; and Matthew McClintock, BLM Geologist. The Committee was chaired by Friends Board Members Jacqueline Blanchette and Elaney Marcotte, and advised by Lisa James, Friends CSNM Executive Director.

Descriptions of the 2021 research grants

Project Title: Vagrant Lichens in Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
Britton Glenn and Andrew Restrepo, Botany / Ecology, Evergreen State College
Britton and Andrew will be working together to study vagrant lichen in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument under their faculty advisor, Lalita Calabria, Professor of Botany. Vagrant lichens are likely sensitive to human-induced habitat changes and invasion by non-native plant species. Britton and Andrew will be documenting how the unique vagrant lichen populations of the Monument interact with native and non-native grasses. The data they collect will be used to update the current distribution and ecology of vagrant lichens.

Project Title: CSNM Geological Mapping
Lauren Castro, Earth Science, University of Oregon
This summer and fall, Lauren will be working with Jad D’Allura, Professor Emeritus of Geology at Southern Oregon University. Lauren will focus on mapping the northwest portion of the Monument near Grizzly Peak, as well as sample and analyze welded tuffs in the Little Hyatt Reservoir area. This study will improve and update current geological studies of the Monument.

Project Title: Barron Mine
Samuel Barrus, Geology, Oregon State University
Samuel will be working with professors Dr. Jad D’Allura, SOU Professor Emeritus and Dr. John Dilles, OSU Professor of Geology. His project focuses on analyzing the geology of the now abandoned Barron Mine, located on the Sampson Creek Preserve owned by the Selburg Institute, also a project co-funder with the Friends. This project will help determine the geologic age and properties of the Barron Mine.