Author: Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

Volunteer “citizen scientists” and their extra eyes and hands help botanist Darlene Southworth with scientific research. In 2010, Southworth found a rare species of truffles under mountain mahogany trees in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. She was among a panel of scientists to tell about their work during a February 2014 presentation at Mountain Park Nature Center, Ashland.

Doug Kendig, botanist at the BLM Medford District and coordinator of research in the Monument gave introductions. He explained, “The Monument provides an opportunity to discover and acquire scientific understanding of a relatively undisturbed landscape with unique natural resources and landscape processes in southwest Oregon. We can integrate that knowledge into the larger context of our planet for the benefit and enjoyment of the American public.”

Darlene Southworth, botanist and SOU Professor Emerita reported collecting nearly 700 specimens of mycorrhizal fungi (truffles) associated with oak and mixed conifer-hardwood habitats in the Monument. Her ongoing research will complete species identification to verify rare species and to determine truffle biodiversity in other areas. Volunteers are needed for her 2014 survey team. Learn more and apply.

John Alexander, ornithologist and Executive Director of Klamath Bird Observatory discussed using bird monitoring data to develop bird distribution models and to provide a baseline understanding of the status of birds in the Monument. Results will determine the relative contribution of the Monument towards meeting national and regional bird conservation objectives.

Michael Parker, biologist and SOU Professor of Biology summarized his research on the Jenny Creek sucker, endemic to the Monument and northern California. This sucker is imperiled and at high risk of extinction. This fish exhibits a migratory life history, but little is known about this behavior, which makes it a high conservation priority.

Marcus Lorusso, botanist, discussed Seeds of Success (SOS), a national effort to collect, conserve and develop native plant materials for stabilizing, rehabilitating and restoring lands in the United States. Lorusso collected seed from Monument plants and sent them to the Millennium Seed Bank. SOS teams share a common protocol and coordinate seed collecting and species targeting efforts. SOS is a vital part of the Native Plant Materials Development Program.

Mandy Noel, SOU Environmental Education graduate student, summarized Fall in the Field a daylong field trip for K-12 students in Medford and Ashland public schools.

What a quiet treasure the Monument offers as we explore, at any age, and share the wilderness of knowledge.

—Terry Dickey, Chair, Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

Happy Holidays! Thank you so much for participating in support of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument this year. You joined our Hike & Learn programs and discovered the diversity of plants and insects along the trails. You celebrated with us at the Rogue Valley Earth Day and the Greensprings Mountain Festivals.

With your support we were able to:

• Educate 840 elementary and middle school students about the beauty and biodiversity of the Monument, inspiring them to become the future stewards of our public lands through our partnership with Southern Oregon University Environmental Education.
• Protect fragile habitat for the Mardon Skipper and other butterflies in a reroute of the Pacific Crest Trailhead to Hobart Bluff as a National Public Lands Day project.
• Win a grant award from the Conservation Lands Foundation to assist us in leadership training, expand community awareness, and better manage the resources and values of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

We invite you to join our Friends! With a gift $10, $50, $100 or another generous amount you can help us continue to protect, restore and conserve this special place for generations to come. As one of the Bureau of Land Management’s National Conservation Lands, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is our national treasure.

Please mail your check to:
Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
PO Box 3495
Ashland, OR 97520

We look forward to welcoming you as a donor / member for the coming year!

—Terry Dickey, Chair
Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

Recently, the leaders of a Boy Scout troop vandalized a park by toppling a rock formation in Utah’s Goblin State Park. It appears from their actions that they lacked an understanding of the stewardship ethics of our public lands. Americans value national and state parks and access to our extensive system of public lands. It is clear that these scout leaders were unaware of how to act as land stewards.

There are rules and regulations that govern conduct in our National Parks and Monuments, but a good set of general principles can be found in the “Leave No Trace” principles:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

These seven principles are expanded at the Leave No Trace website, http://www.lnt.org. Under “Leave What You Find” is an important bullet point:

• Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.

The Boy Scout organization has adopted the “Leave No Trace” teaching as well. This recent incident in Utah is a reminder that all visitors to public lands, whether state parks or national monuments, should review these principles to help protect and conserve these lands for the future.

—Joel Brumm, BLM Assistant Monument Manager, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

Welcome to the website (cascadesiskiyou.org) of the Friends of Cascade Siskiyou National Monument! This monument is part of the National Conservation Lands system.

We are collaborating with the BLM’s Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument staff to link to their digital resources about the Monument. While at the BLM website, you will also learn how they manage, preserve and protect the Monument and the Soda Mountain Wilderness area that lies within its boundaries. We appreciate our partners and affiliate organizations in this important work. Learn about their organizations and how we work together via those web links.

Look through the website and see what we offer and then share this link with others. We’ll be updating the information on a regular basis. Please contact us to support and/or volunteer. Best of all, you’ll meet other volunteer conservationists like yourself.

—Terry Dickey, Chair, Friends of the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument

When you’re hiking at the the Hobart Bluff Trailhead, give a shout out of thanks to the volunteers and the Friends of the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument. They shoveled and moved a lot of dirt on our 2013 National Public Lands Day! BLM Recreation Planner Dennis Byrd inspired us with the day’s project: to construct a new section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) to replace part of the trail that traversed a meadow and home to the rare Mardon Skipper butterfly.

Volunteers restored the PCT at the Hobart Bluffs trailhead by breaking up the compacted old trail, adding new soil, seeding native grasses and planting shrubbery, and then spreading hay to protect the soil from erosion. New signage alerts hikers to the follow the detour so the old trail can revert to being part of the meadow habitat. We’ll celebrate the joys of our labor when the meadow is filled with butterflies!

Working with great community volunteers not only made this job memorable, it also improved and protected an important butterfly habitat. Thanks to: Joel Brumm, Asa Cates, Wanda Chin, Marian Crumme, Terry Dickey, John Galego, Justin Glasgow, Jed Holdorph, Duan Mallams, David McClarnon, Barb Morris, Jim Reiland, Kristi Reynolds, Peter Schroeder, and Ian Tally.

Mark your calendar for next September when we’ll meet up for 2014 National Public Lands Day. For those of you who like get physical, it’s a great chance to meet new friends to work on a fun project at the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument.

—Terry Dickey,
Chair, Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument