Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument plan to engage and teach participants about nature
By Lee Juillerat for Ashland.news
A diverse offering of nature-related programs are being offered this month by the Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
Openings are still available for Thursday’s program, “Nature Journaling in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument” by Isabel Jalamoy, the Friends’ board secretary. The outing will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning at the Rite Aid in Ashland before going into the monument.
According to the Friends’ newsletter, “This engaging workshop will not only enhance your artistic skills but also deepen your connection with the natural world. Through guided exercises, you’ll learn to observe and capture the beauty of nature with precision and creativity. Journaling alongside your drawings fosters mindfulness, boosts memory, and enriches your appreciation of the environment. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or a curious beginner, this session offers a perfect blend of relaxation and education. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with nature in a meaningful and creative way!”
Jalamoy is a recent graduate of Southern Oregon University’s M.S. Environmental Education program who is currently serving as an AmeriCorps member focused on outdoor education at Ruch Outdoor Community School. She previously was a student board member for the Friends.
Set for Sunday, July 14, is “Geologic Surveying the Monument.” The program, which will run from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., will be led by Summer Interpretive Ranger Emily Cochran with a theme of exploring the Monument “through the eyes of a surveyor.”
During the outing participants will look at examples of volcanic intrusion, basalt and andesite deposits and other features. Because surveying often includes orienteering, “we’ll brush up on our skills with maps and compasses in the true pioneering fashion.” The trip will end with a climb of Surveyor Mountain. No experience is surveying or geology is required.
To avoid high temperatures, participants will meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Ashland Rite Aid, 2341 Ashland St. People are urged to bring water, snacks and a lunch. The event is expected to last about seven hours.
Planned for Friday and Saturday, July 19 and 20, is “Hike & Learn — Building the Buzzway: Butterflies from the Valley to the Monument.”
A trio of presenters from Pollinator Project Rogue Valley will share their knowledge of butterflies and plants. The Friday session will be a talk from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ashland Co-Op Community Classroom by David Lee Myers, Arti Kirch and Kristina Lefever.
On Saturday, participants will meet at the Ashland Rite Aid and carpool to the monument where Myers, Kirch and Lafever will share their knowledge and information about butterflies. All three are described as passionate about butterflies. Myers, for example, has chased, studied and photographed butterflies since 1986 and is the author of “Wings in the Light: Wild Butterflies in North America.”
Participants will learn answers to questions like, could a butterfly fly from Grants Pass to Hyatt Lake and find enough nectar-rich flowering plants along the way? And could that butterfly find enough native plants for her babies?
According to the Friends’ website about the program, “The caterpillars of most butterflies (and moths) are ‘host specific,’ meaning they can eat only a specific one or two or few species of native plants — just like the monarch and the milkweed.”
Southern Oregon is home to almost 125 species of butterflies, so the outing will focus on “the native plants they need, that make their homes in the Monument and the (Rogue) Valley, and what each of us can do to help them fly further.”
For more information on the extensive series of upcoming Hike and Learn outings and the Friends programs. visit the website at cascadesiskiyou.org.
Email freelance writer Lee Juillerat at [email protected].
