On behalf of the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Southern Oregon Land Conservancy (SOLC), and the BLM Monument staff, thank you for participating in our National Public Lands Day event on October 26th at Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument!

This year, our goal was to remove fencing on boundary lands between Sky King Cole and the Monument in the Pilot Rock area. Sky King Cole is a beautiful 1312-acre private property conserved with a conservation easement held by Southern Oregon Land Conservancy. The fencing was first installed by the owners to keep out open range cattle, but now that the cattle have been removed as a part of the long-term restoration of the area, the fencing no longer served a purpose and created a wildlife hazard. By removing this fencing, we were able to free up the movement and migration of the animals that call the Monument home.

Even though the day was a chilly one, we were able to remove 3400 feet of barbed wire fencing with the help of over 30 volunteers!

As the temperature drops late in the year, less and less of us venture out into the mountains. In the forest, everything seems a bit more still, and most of the sounds around us come from the leaves crunching under our feet. But if you take a moment to stop and listen, there is still so much activity happening around us! When we think about what birds are doing this time of year, we tend to focus on all of the birds flying south and we often forget that we have feathered neighbors who stay here year-round. On October 11 and 12, the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument discovered that you can encounter many birds in the Monument during the fall if you just take the time to listen and look. Klamath Bird Observatory board president, Shannon Rio, guided us on this quest during our final Hike & Learn of the 2019 season. 

On Friday October 11, bird enthusiasts and eager learners gathered at the Geos Institute to hear Shannon speak about the birds you can listen and look for in the fall here in our region. These birds include great gray owls, dippers, yellow rumped warblers, bald eagles, pileated woodpeckers, flickers, white-breasted, red-breasted and pygmy nuthatches, golden-crowned and ruby-crowned kinglets, mountain chickadees, western bluebirds, Stellar’s jays, and of course Raven, the Trickster. She emphasized that the edges of distinct habitats are where the action is. In the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, the landscape is filled with a mosaic of edges: ridgelines tracing the tops of mountain ranges with vastly different plant communities on either side, edges of forests bordering open meadows, and edges of lakes, streams and rivers dividing aquatic and terrestrial habitats. “It is a powerful thing to be near edges”, Shannon told us.

On Saturday October 12, we had an opportunity to walk along these edges and look and listen for the Monument’s fall residents. We walked five miles along the Pacific Crest Trail, from Highway 66 at the Greensprings summit to the peaceful shores of Little Hyatt Reservoir, then returned to the highway by walking three miles along Old Hyatt Prairie Road. On our journey, we passed through forested areas, meadows and oak woodlands, identifying the birds we encountered and observing their behavior and interactions with other species all along the way. In total, we identified 28 species of birds and witnessed many captivating moments between different species and individuals. Shannon encouraged us to watch how different birds were behaving and figure out what their behavior could tell us. At one point along the trail, we ran into a number of Stellar’s jays making a huge ruckus and then we spotted the bird that they were mobbing: a Cooper’s hawk hunkered down in a fir tree! You never know what exciting things you will encounter on a walk along the edges in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument!

– Written by Ellie Cosgrove, Program Coordinator of Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

Photos by Ellie Cosgrove

Turtles have a superpower. No, it’s not that they are all mutant ninjas, but they do seem to have the power to bring people of all ages together and fill them with excitement and awe. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of spotting a basking turtle on a log, no matter the age of the spotter. 

At our September Hike & Learn event, the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument teamed up with Dr. Michael Parker, aquatic biologist and professor at Southern Oregon University, to provide an opportunity for citizen scientists to meet our region’s only native turtle, the western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata). 

Populations of these turtles are currently under threat due to habitat alteration and loss from a variety of human caused factors, such as the building of dams and roads, the introduction of non-native species, pathogens and parasites, and removal from the wild for the pet trade. 

The combination of these stressors, on top of the threat of climate change, has scientists worried about the future of this species. Currently the western pond turtle has been proposed for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and is federally designated as a “Species of Concern.” In the state of Oregon, they have been listed as “Sensitive” and have been designated as an “Oregon Conservation Strategy Species.” 

Dr. Parker is one of the scientists conducting monitoring efforts to track populations of western pond turtles throughout Southern Oregon. This data will be crucial evidence for present and future western pond turtle species conservation. Our September Hike & Learn program took us out into the field with Dr. Parker to learn more about his western pond turtle research and assist him with his data collection!

On Saturday September 7, Dr. Parker brought reptile enthusiasts and eager learners up to the pond at Willow-Witt Ranch, one of the sites in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument where he is conducting western pond turtle monitoring. The day before the hike, Dr. Parker put out a number of traps in the pond to lure in turtles of all ages and sizes. We were able to catch a total of 19 turtles in the traps, ranging from just a few years old to some that could be as old as 50! 

Each turtle was weighed by our citizen-scientists and a number of measurements were recorded. These measurements included shell height, carapace (hard upper shell) length, plastron (bottom shell) length, and carapace width. Each turtle also had a photograph taken of its plastron, a way of “fingerprinting” individuals since no two plastrons look exactly alike. 

Out of the 19 turtles we caught and collected data for, only seven had been caught in the past. We knew that from the coding system that scientists use to mark individuals, where different combinations of marginal scutes (scutes are the large “scales” on turtles) are notched with a file to represent a number (see photo below). Each individual that is caught is given a number and is tagged with these notches. Don’t worry, creating these notches doesn’t hurt the turtles! Each time that these individuals are caught, the same measurements are done to track their growth. 

Marking individual turtles also helps scientists estimate the total population size. Dr. Parker informed us that since 12 out of 19 of our turtles had never been caught and marked before, it may be possible that this particular population at the pond at Willow-Witt could be as large as 100 individuals! 

The population of western pond turtles up at the Willow-Witt Ranch are of particular interest to Dr. Parker’s study because it is currently the highest elevation that these turtles have been found, an elevation just below 5000 feet. Studying this population may give us a glimpse of how these turtles may adapt as climate change forces plants and animals to move to higher elevations and temperatures increase. 

One mystery currently surrounding this particular population of turtles is: Where do they go in the winter when it snows and the pond freezes over? Dr. Parker informed us that this fall he will be attaching radio transmitters to individual turtles living up at Willow-Witt to see where they go and what they do during the annual heavy snowfall at that high elevation. Stay tuned for his results!

There are so many questions to be answered and so many mysteries yet to uncover in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. We hope that you continue to join us as we team up with local scientists to learn more about their research in this special place! 

– Written by Ellie Cosgrove, Program Coordinator of Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

Photos by Ellie Cosgrove

By Stasie Maxwell

When you walk into the woods, how often is it to observe or learn about yourself? With a National Monument that is home to over 3,500 species, including birds, butterflies and an amazing diversity of conifers (just to name a few), your own self may not have been on the list of things to observe. On May 25, it was.

While our Hike and Learns are usually organized with the scientific lens of ecology or botany in mind, this one was led through the lens of biomechanics therapy, specifically Qigong and meditation. Biomechanics is the study of human motion and is utilized in determining what caused injuries and how we may prevent them in the future. Qigong is between 4-5,000 years old and is a system of breathing practices and movement therapy geared towards rejuvenation and regeneration.

As we all probably know already, walking into the woods has an immediate anxiety reducing effect. Meditating in a sunny meadow, surrounded by trees and wildflowers can only deepen those relaxing qualities for the body and mind. I, Stasie Maxwell, am a long-time student and practitioner of Qigong and meditation. While we can learn much about the many plants, birds and animals, they also have much to teach us about ourselves. As I led the participants through both seated, standing and movement meditation (Qigong) I shared my favorite relational exercise.

I invited everyone to choose a plant, or animal somewhere in the meadow and observe the characteristics of that plant. I used vetch as an example; the plant spreads easily and quickly, it has many little tendrils to reach out and climb up or out. We can interpret this as an outgoing, opportunistic plant. It spreads its tendrils out in many directions searching for every opportunity. I can then relate those traits to myself. I am more of an introverted person, not outgoing, but I can see when the traits of being outgoing are beneficial. In terms of opportunistic, there is a strategy in feeling out many opportunities and moving in the direction that works best for you.

As you walk through the woods the next time, observe the various traits of the plants and animals, consider if you possess those traits yourself, or if you’d like to, or if there are situations where you could utilize those observed traits. There are lessons all around us, and opportunities for rejuvenation.

Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument teamed up with KS Wild and the Bureau of Land Management for the 5th Annual Weed Pull at the Mariposa Lily Botanical Area in the Monument on June 17. This area is a very important section of the Monument because it provides crucial habitat for the rare Green’s Mariposa Lily (Calochortus greenei).

Much of this area has a long history of heavy grazing which has drastically changed the plant communities from native bunchgrasses and wildflowers to mostly non-native grasses and flowering plants, such as yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) and medusahead grass (Taeniatherum caput-medusae).

This year’s weed pull was a little bit different because it also served as the kickoff for the Grassland Restoration Research Project in the botanical area. Participants worked alongside Charles Schelz, the Monument ecologist, to create two 5m x 20m plots in the botanical area. In each of the two plots, four 5m x 5m subplots were created to test out different methods of removing non-native plant species and encouraging native plants to grow in their absence.

One of the four subplots served as the control, so no treatment was done in those subplots. In the second subplot, no weeding was done at all, but the area was seeded with a mix of native plant species. In the third subplot, light weeding was done in patches and the area was seeded with the same seed mix, and in the fourth and final subplot, volunteers manually pulled out all of the non-native species and the area was seeded.

One year from now, we will start a monitoring project that will give us a better idea of what the best method is to remove non-native plant species in this area. Will it be seeding only? Light weed pulling and seeding? Or pulling everything and seeding with native species? Keep your eye on our future newsletters for opportunities to take part in this monitoring effort!

Ellie Thompson, Program Coordinator

There’s nothing like the excitement you experience when you come across a delectable-looking mushroom on a walk in the woods, or even discovering one in your backyard! In Southern Oregon, the mushroom that seems to be on everyone’s minds is the elusive but delicious morel. But before your mouth starts watering too much… can you explain what a mushroom is, and how it is different from a plant?

On Saturday, April 6, the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, KS Wild, and the Siskiyou Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon teamed up to offer a hike for mushroom enthusiasts to learn the answers to these questions, and to see what types of fungi we could find living in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Guess what? We found More than Morels!

Bashira Muhammad is a mushroom farmer and the founder of Zoom Out Mycology, a local company based in Ashland that helps people grow mushrooms and teaches fungi-centric environmental education programs. As our guide, she encouraged us from the beginning of the hike to resist the urge to harvest the things that we found, and instead take this opportunity to make observations and see what we could learn from them. We were also encouraged to think about our impact on the landscape during our hike, and how we could be good stewards of the land during our visit. One example of this is replacing the logs that we rolled over in search of fungi.

This hike took many of us to a part of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument that we had never been before: an area off of Emigrant Creek Road, just north of Buck Rock. On our hike, we traversed between multiple different habitat types with varying microclimates: warm, open oak savannas and cooler, mixed woodlands with more conifers and lots of shade. In the more open, warm oak savanna, we discovered bird’s nest fungi, a member of the Nidulariaceae family. This fungus gets its name from the tiny fruiting bodies that resemble eggs inside a bird’s nest.

In the mixed woodland, we came across another exciting find: a false morel! False morels are members of the genera Gyromitra and Verpa, not to be confused with true morels, which compose the genus Morchella. We learned that true morels have hollow stipes (stipes are the “stem” of the mushroom), while false morels have stipes that are filled with fibers or chunks of tissue. False morels contain a toxin that if ingested, can lead to illness and even death. Bashira impressed upon the group the importance of not harvesting or eating anything if we aren’t sure it is an edible mushroom.

After making careful observations of each mushroom we found, we were able to deduce that mushrooms are not members of the plant kingdom, but are instead a member of the kingdom Fungi. The two main differences between fungi and plants are 1) fungi cell walls are composed of chitin (the same material that makes up insect exoskeletons!), while plant cell walls are composed of cellulose, and 2) fungi do not make their own food using photosynthesis. Instead, a fungus gets its food from non-living organic matter, breaking it down and releasing nutrients back into the soil.

While we did not end up finding any true morels on our hike, we discovered a huge diversity of fungus among us. In addition to the false morels and bird’s nest fungi, we found turkey tail, puffballs, jellies, cup fungi, and a few gilled mushrooms. The diversity of fungi that we found in such a short time got us thinking: What mushrooms would we find if we returned next week or next month? And how many more species of fungi call the monument home? There is so much more exploring to be done!

“More than Morels” was the first of a series of spring hikes planned collaboratively between KS Wild, the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, and the Siskiyou Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon. Join us as we continue to chase the wildflowers through the elevations in our backyard monument! For more information about the next two hikes in this series, visit KS Wild’s calendar of events.

– Written by Ellie Thompson, Program Coordinator of Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

Photos by Ellie Thompson

By Nicole Ferer, Friends of CSNM Student Board Member.

What do American pika, the Oregon Vesper sparrow and the Western Cascades have in common? They all were student research projects conducted in our wonderful Monument, supported by the Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. For the past three years, the Friends have hosted the Monument Research Symposium, highlighting research projects ranging from dragonflies to great grey owls. The event provides a platform for scientific research communication where community members, students and Monument-enthusiasts alike can learn about current research being conducted in the Monument.

This year at the Monument Research Symposium we were fortunate enough to have four knowledgeable and enthusiastic student researchers, all recipients of the Friends Research Fund, whose passion for their field research, specific projects, and the Monument as a whole was infectious for the entire audience.

Emily Lind SOU, MS Environmental Education

Morphology and vocalizations of the Oregon Vesper sparrow subspecies in and around the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Dr. Stewart Janes, SOU Professor of Biology / Director of Environmental Education, served as faculty advisor.

The Oregon Vesper sparrow subspecies is currently being petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Emily and her research team collected feather samples for future genetic analysis, and morphological metrics (form and structure) for all birds captured. They also recorded vocalizations (calls and songs) from 25 individuals from the Rogue Basin, Willamette Valley, and Great Basin populations combined. All of this data will be helpful in determining subspecies distinctions between the Willamette Valley, Rogue Basin, and Great Basin Vesper Sparrow populations. The preliminary analysis of morphology shows that there are significant differences between the Willamette Valley and Rogue Basin Vesper sparrow populations.

Dylan Carlini University of Oregon, BS Geology

Geochemical analyzation and geologic mapping of the Western and High Cascades. Dr. Jad D’Allura, SOU Professor Emeritus, served as faculty advisor.

The interface between the Western and High Cascades is a particularly geologically interesting location and warrants much greater study. The goal of this research project was to contribute to a comprehensive geologic map of the CSNM in order to provide a better understanding of the history and genesis of the Monument. Dylan’s field research consisted of mapping and geochemically analyzing (determining the chemical compound) volcanic rock units of the Western and High Cascades using LiDAR data (surveying method that measures distance using lasers), topographic maps, and petrographic analysis. Dylan and his team were able to extend the range of the Western Cascade exposures by over half a kilometer into what was previously mapped as High Cascade materials.

Alec Bayarsky and Neil Clayton SOU, BS Environmental Science and Policy

Distribution of American Pika (Ochotona princeps) within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Dr. Jamie Trammell, SOU Professor of Environmental Science, served as faculty advisor.

While a population of American pika was recently discovered in the CSNM, there is a general lack of information about their abundance and spatial distribution. The purpose of this study was to describe the distribution of American pika within the Monument, specifically through: (1) location analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping to determine potential pika habitat, (2) physical survey of known and potential habitat, including documenting the presence of hay piles, active latrines, and identification of individuals, and (3) comparison of vegetation availability with hay pile composition. Evidence of this population would also alert the wider scientific community to its existence and provide insight into pika behavior in the face of adversity such as genetic isolation and climate change. Not only did the results show that the CSNM does in fact contain habitat that is suitable for use by the American pika, Neil and Alec saw and heard the distinct “MEEEEEP” of our furry friend during their time in the field!

In addition to our spectacular student researchers, lichenologist and mycologist John Villella presented the keynote address about lichen communities of white oak in the Klamath-Siskiyou region. White oak plant communities are one of the most threatened habitat types in the Pacific Northwest, and often host diverse and characteristic lichen communities. John and his research team investigated the oak lichens of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and observed floristic patterns (where plants grow) that indicate a mix of species from six geographic-floristic groups. He shared how his research findings influence our current knowledge of white oak lichen communities and the importance of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument as a dispersal corridor and refuge for lichens within the Klamath-Siskiyou region.

Shannon Brown, Executive Director of Friends of CSNM, wrapped up the evening by sharing new discoveries made by biologist/micologist Scot Loring (who serves as a board member for Friends of CSNM) in the Monument. Scot’s new mushroom find is of particular note: it’s in the genus Cortinarius and is the first known endemic mushroom to the Monument. Scot also discovered a species of lichen, Calicium pinastri, in the Monument previously unknown to exist in western North America. This discovery represents a major range extension and begs the question: what else is there to discover in the Monument?

Stay tuned to find out about this year’s student researchers who will soon be heading out into the field!

Today is a historic day for conservation as the largest public lands bill in a decade has been signed into law. The bill was a sweeping show of bipartisanship, broadly passing both the House (363-62) and Senate (92-8). It was signed by President Trump just hours ago, making this a day of celebration as more than a million new acres of lands will be protected for the future generations of Americans.

The most important provision in the bill permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which allocates fees and royalties paid by offshore oil and gas drilling companies to fund onshore conservation programs.

The LWCF has been the major resource to fund land acquisition within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, further establishing connectivity and biodiversity protection throughout the region.

Oregon sees major gains in land conservation through the Public Lands Bill. The act creates a new wilderness area in Oregon: the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness in the Coast Range. It also includes permanent protections for 280 miles of Oregon rivers through National Wild and Scenic River destinations.

Of the new Wild and Scenic River designations, the bill includes protecting 18 miles of Jenny Creek, which flows along the eastern border of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. This is heartening news for the endemic Jenny Creek sucker and redband trout that thrive here.

Under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, designated rivers are safeguarded from development for their current and future “natural, cultural, and recreational values.”

Oregon now leads the nation as the state holding the most waterways with Wild & Scenic designations.

– Written by Shannon Browne, Executive Director of Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

Forging a path through several inches of fresh and powdery snow, our small group is eagerly scoping out signs of wildlife. On February 23, Friends of the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument partnered with Vesper Meadow Education Program for their pioneer expedition, the Winter Wildlife Walk.

We were led through Buck Prairie II, a Sno-Park just outside the northern boundary of the Monument, on snowshoes and skis to reach an expansive viewpoint of Vesper Meadow, blanketed in snow. Vesper Meadow Education Program is a non-profit wetland restoration project headed by Jeanine Moy, our knowledgeable leader on the wildlife walk.

Beginning in a dense coniferous forest, Jeanine points out all the different types of lichen living on trunks and branches. Elk love to graze on lichen-crusted twigs like these and last winter 26 elk were spotted in this area, so maybe we would see one today, or hear a faint bugle.

A little farther along we stopped to analyze some tracks – a squirrel of some kind, most likely a Douglas or western gray. The tracks showed that the hind and front feet landed together, which is how squirrels have adapted to navigating through the snow in a movement called “bounding.” If these squirrels aren’t hiding out under the snow, they may be up in the trees munching on mistletoe.

As we walked along, the forest gave way to the open prairie. Large snowflakes graced us gently as the sun would occasionally peak through the clouds, warming our faces.

Besides signs of wildlife, Jeanine was also passionate about teaching us the traditional medicinal uses for some of our region’s native flora. Oregon’s state flower, the Oregon grape, has historically been used for its antibacterial properties found in its roots. Willow and Douglas spirea have been used to cure headaches.

Continuing on along a tributary, we discovered more signs of wildlife: a large snag filled with the rectangular holes from a pileated woodpecker, stoneflies, wasp galls on willows, and some old beaver gnaw marks on a group of aspens. There are many signs of wildlife that we can find in winter that we may not be able to see other times of the year. We look forward to doing more winter expeditions like this each year.

Photos and text by Kiley Graham, Friends of CSNM Board Member.