Hike and Learn
Hike and Learns are designed to connect you more fully to the wonder and value of the biodiversity within the Monument. They are co-created with local scientists, historians, artists, writers, and more. They consist of a Friday evening lecture followed by a Saturday hike in the Monument. You are welcome to attend just Friday or just Saturday or both days. All events are free of charge.
See below for a list of our upcoming Hike and Learns. We hope you can join us!
Photo by Kyle Sullivan, BLM
Astrophotography
Friday Night Talk - July 25th, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Sign up HERE
Saturday Workshop - July 26th, 8:30 PM
Sign up HERE
Prepare to embark on a celestial journey with Kyle Sullivan as he unravels the secrets of capturing the night sky in all its splendor. In this engaging presentation, you'll discover how to locate pristine dark sky sites away from urban light pollution, explore the essential gear—from smartphones to DSLR cameras—that transforms your nightly snapshots into stellar masterpieces, and learn about apps that elevate your shooting skills. Kyle will also touch on the art of post-processing, empowering you to polish your images to perfection. Whether you're a novice armed with a trusty cell phone or a DSLR enthusiast, these practical, easy-to-follow tips will help you create night sky photos that truly are out of this world.
On Saturday, join Kyle and other aspiring night sky photographers to capture images of the milky way from the shores of Hyatt Lake. Kyle will share the process for capturing night sky photos and help students with camera settings to take compelling photos. The meet-up will begin at 8:30 PM at the Watchable Wildlife Area on the north shore of Hyatt Lake. The best time for night sky photos starts around 10:30pm, once it’s truly dark out.
Kyle Sullivan’s love for photography and public lands started at a young age, as he snapped photos on family vacations to National Parks, forests and BLM land around the West. His photos took a dark turn in 2015, when he discovered astrophotography during sleepless nights caring for his newborn son. While serving as the Monument Manager at Mojave Trails National Monument, Kyle worked with the Dark Sky International on efforts to protect the night sky in California’s desert. Kyle has served as the public affairs specialist for the Bureau of Land Management Medford District since 2020. His photos are often featured on BLM publications:
the Department of Interior Instagram.
We will meet by 8:30 PM at the Watchable Wildlife Area on the west shore of Hyatt Lake. There will NOT be a carpooling location for this event.
Participants may choose to drive home after the workshop or stay in the Monument overnight. Due to the narrow, winding roads, lodging or camping is recommended.
Camping:
You may make a reservation at Hyatt Lake campground HERE
Dispersed camping, or camping outside the Monument's developed campground, is also allowed.
Lodging:
You can book a room or cabin at Greensprings Inn HERE
Cabins can also be reserved at Hyatt Lake Resort HERE
Photo by Joe Baures
Join the Friends by appreciating the diversity of grasshoppers in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument! Led by Joe Baures and Dr. Jacob Youngblood, we will discuss grasshopper identification, how environmental differences affect grasshoppers, and will highlight some of the endemic species that can be found in the region. We will discuss how these insects fit into the unique environments that the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument has to offer. Learn to appreciate and understand the wide variety of grasshopper species that can be found in our local area!
On Saturday, the field trip will teach participants how to catch/handle grasshoppers and will also provide hands-on identification techniques. To practice identification, the field trip will have grasshopper sorting activities, creating further opportunities for people to practice their identification skills. We will visit two sites along Shale City Road which are close in proximity, but show differences in the number and variety of grasshoppers in which they contain. Participants will be encouraged to make comparisons among these sites, thinking about how environmental factors may explain these differences.
Joe Baures is a Southern Oregon University graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. During his undergraduate studies, Joe conducted specialized research on grasshopper biodiversity within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, contributing valuable insights into the region’s ecological complexity. Currently working at Jackson County Vector Control District, Joe performs research on mosquito species of Southern Oregon. As a Board Member for the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Joe is excited to share his passions for entomology and ecology with members of the public, bringing awareness to the unique species of grasshoppers that call the Monument home.
Jacob Youngblood, PhD, Biology, is an assistant professor at Southern Oregon University whose studies mainly focus on the impacts climate change has on insects. As an animal physiologist and ecologist, Dr. Youngblood utilizes grasshoppers as a model system to further understand and predict these impacts, performing laboratory experiments, field research, and computational modeling. Dr. Youngblood has spent countless days out in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument performing novel field research on grasshoppers in the region. With limited research done before him, Dr. Youngblood has provided meaningful discoveries surrounding grasshopper biodiversity in Southern Oregon, furthering our knowledge of these relatively understudied insects in our area. With his dedication to grasshopper research and public education, Dr. Youngblood is eager to share his knowledge with others, creating further appreciation and understanding for the magnificent organisms that can be found within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
Unless otherwise noted, talks are held at the Ashland Food Co-op Community Classroom located at 300 N. Pioneer Street in Ashland, OR. The community classroom in NOT in the grocery store. It is in a separate building a block behind the grocery store on 300 N. Pioneer Street. The talk is an opportunity to learn, ask questions, and meet your fellow hikers. It is optional and not compulsory before taking the hike.
If you can’t hike the trail you are welcome to attend only the talk! Enjoy the images and participate in the discussion. We believe in making the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument accessible for all people to learn about and appreciate our public lands.
Hikes are held in various locations within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. We kick off the hikes at the Rite Aid parking lot located at 2341 Ashland Street in Ashland at 9AM (unless otherwise noted) and carpool/caravan to the designated spot in the Monument together.
On the day of the hike:
Bring plenty of water
Bring lunch and snacks
Consider bringing additional items such as: hat, sunscreen, walking sticks, camera, binoculars, hand lens, notebook and pen
Wear sturdy shoes and protective clothing
Be considerate of the group and meet on time at the designated location.
Practice hike ethics and leave no trace. Learn more.
Limited facilities. The only public toilet facilities are located at the Hyatt Lake campground, Hobart Bluff trailhead, Pilot Rock trailhead, Grizzly Peak trailhead, and the Tub Springs Wayside. There are no washroom facilities or pit toilets at most other locations.
Previous Hike & Learns
Native Bees of Southern Oregon
July 18th & 19th
Come and learn about the huge diversity of bee species in Oregon and some of what we will be able to see while in the CSNM. We will discuss the differences between a bee, fly and wasp, and some basic bee family ID skills for when you get a bee in your jar. Learn about basic bee biology, seasonality, and the many habitats and structures that bees will use for nesting, including how you can support them in your own yard.
Photo: Emma Busk, BLM
Bats of Oregon
July 11th & 12th
Explore fundamental topics about bat biology and the life history of Oregon bat species. This will include their role in ecosystem services in the Pacific Northwest, addressing common misconceptions, and offering conservation actions for those interested in supporting local bat populations. We will also learn about ultrasonic detections (which we will utilize on Saturday) and discuss the various ways to collect data on bats.
Mardon on clay soil by David Lee Meyers Photography
Tiny and Endangered - So What?
May 23rd & 24th
What the Klamath Mardon Skipper butterfly has to teach us, with Jeanine Moy from Vesper Meadow Education Program.
As small as your thumbnail, and as subtle as the orange-brown clays of the Cascade-Siskiyou itself, the Klamath Mardon Skipper is the most unassuming butterfly - yet is also the bellwether of watershed health, surviving in the upper most reaches of the Rogue and Klamath River Basins. Found nowhere else in the world besides the subalpine meadows of the Cascade-Siskiyou, this species has been rapidly declining in the last decade.Join Jeanine Moy as she brings you along through the native bunchgrasses and seablush flowers for a butterly-eye view of the Monument. Hear the story of a rare and imperiled species, and learn about our chance to come together and protect the land that both the Mardon and our communities rely on. Participants will gain opportunities to become involved and take action for meadow habitat conservation and restoration.
Participants at the Lichen Hike & Learn in 2023
LICHENS IN THE MONUMENT
Februrary 21st & 22nd
Lichens are very common in southern Oregon. They are found on natural and man-made features including across rock surfaces, festooning from tree branches, speckling the sidewalks in town, and on (and within) many other substrates. However, they are often overlooked. We will discuss what lichens are, how they interact with their surroundings, and basic identification of different types, including some we will see on the snowshoe hike the following day. We hope you leave you with a better understanding and appreciation of these fascinating organisms.
Wildlife Tracking
January 31st & February 1st
Join us for a fun, relaxed, and interactive workshop designed to connect you more deeply to the wild animals who live in the Monument and beyond. Our evening talk will introduce animal tracking (with a focus on Track & Sign ID). We will offer tools that will increase your observational skills and help you to spot track & sign during our hike the following day.
This hike and learn is appropriate for both beginners to tracking and those looking to continue to brush up their skills! You never know what kind of animal signs we will stumble across!
For those who attended Jad D’Allura’s Friday Night Talk on Volcanoes, you can find a copy of his presentation below:
PARTICIPANT REVIEWS
"I loved the lecture before the hike."
"To see drawings and pictures [helped] to understand what I saw during the hike."
"It was nice having everyone contribute some knowledge on the hike."
"Beautiful area!"
Gallery of previous Hike and Learns. Check out our blog for write-ups and photos of the previous Hike and Learns!
LEAVE NO TRACE
Principles of Outdoor Ethics
Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors