I absolutely loved being in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. In the midst of graduate school, work, and general life chaos, I always looked forward to the days I was able to escape to such a peaceful, spectacular place. It was rejuvenating.

Parsnip Lakes, August: As I neared the water, I could hear a constant hum of wings. It was really loud! There were hundreds of striped meadowhawks, most of which were mating and laying eggs. I was grateful they had this series of lakes where they were able to complete this important part of their life cycle. I was privy to the whole spectacle – hundreds of striped meadowhawks and me, one thrilled nerdy researcher spectator. 🙂

September. I keyed out a Black-tipped darner, which according to the range maps in my field guides was not anywhere near the monument. I was convinced I missed something and misidentified it. I took pictures of it and let it go. I talked to Norm, a local dragonfly enthusiast, and sent him pictures of the creature. We confirmed the identification through Odonata Central. Norm and I were able to go back to Parsnip Lake in September to find even more Black-tipped darners. It was amazing to spend time on my own exploring the monument, but it was even more rewarding to have experiences with others that shared my passion. Norm taught me so much throughout the summer and it was exciting to share new discoveries together.

One of the biggest challenges of my research was catching a specific type of dragonfly – darners. Darners are a group of dragonflies that are generally fast and high-flying. There were many exclamations of “Darn Darners!” as my net whizzed through the air right where the darner had been. It was a fun challenge that was very satisfying whenever I was able to catch them.

The variety of species of dragonflies and damselflies is the best demonstration of biodiversity I can provide based on my experiences and research.  

Hope Braithwaite
SOU Environmental Education

Dragonflies and Damselflies of CSNM 

Hope Braithwaite, Graduate Student, SOU Environmental Education

My main objective in conducting this research is to quantify dragonfly and damselfly species distribution and abundance within and among a diversity of aquatic habitats in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.  (Michael Parker, SOU Professor of Biology)

This project was funded by Friends Research Fund 2017 grant and featured at the Monument Research Symposium 2018.

Photo Gallery Images courtesy of Hope Braithwaite.

News related to the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument:

20 reasons to love Ashland, cultural capital of southern Oregon
By Jamie Hale | The Oregonian, OregonLive | March 04, 2018
“While nightlife is the highlight, by day Ashland is a place surrounded by natural beauty, from local Lithia Park to the stunning Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument nearby.”

Fire and Ice: The Pacific Crest Trail in the Era of Climate Change
By Alex Brown | Sierra | Mar 10 2018
“As it traces its way through six national parks, 25 national forest units, and 48 federal wilderness areas, it weaves a narrative of changing ecosystems and the monumental effort required to set aside and protect each one… the PCT is uniquely susceptible to the effects of climate change.”

Debunking Sec. Zinke’s Claims on Shrinking Monuments
By Alexander Harris | Oregon Wild Report | Jan 10, 2018
Contains link to an analysis of the errors about the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, listed in the Zinke monuments report.

Dinosaur-era Crocodile-like Animal Fossils Found in Huge Deposit in Bears Ears National Monument
By Kristin Hugo | Newsweek | 2/26/18
Paleontologists have discovered an enormous deposit of reptile fossils in Bears Ears National Monument, one of the monuments where Trump plans to reduce. Contains with video clip.

Summer 2018 Opportunity

Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is recruiting for a Teacher on Public Lands! Come learn about Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument’s unique resources and get credit for it!

The teacher selected will receive a stipend of $2,000 for completing 160 hours of service. The teacher will also receive 3 graduate credits, which can also be used as continuing education credits through the University of Colorado. All fees and tuition are covered by the Teachers on the Public Lands Program.

The teacher will complete a final project that includes development of curriculum-based learning activities relevant to both public land resources and the teaching needs of their school district or organization. 

Application period open now, until filled.
For more information about the program, contact

Christine Beekman
CSNM Interpretive Specialist
cmbeekman@blm.gov

To learn more about Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, please visit our BLM website. 

Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is one of my favorite places on earth. Working there is a challenge, yet a bliss. I was conducting research for my project, Dialects of Pika in Southwestern Oregon. My study site, Vulture Rock, doesn’t have an accessible trail. I had to bush whack up hill while carrying my recording equipment that looked exactly like a satellite dish.

I liked to stop on a track for a moment to absorb the beauty of the forest. Whether an open spot where butterflies danced in the sun, amidst the Douglas firs; a field of golden chinquapin so dense you could walk on it; a carpet of sword fern; wild garlics, and bleeding hearts, or a magnificent talus slope—I loved them all.

Working with animals was unpredictable. Many times, I visited the site and didn’t get any data. Still, sitting there listening to the wind rushing through the trees and flute-like songs of Hermit thrushes made me feel it is worth the hour-long trek.

I will never forget the very first time I visited Vulture Rock by myself. I heard a pika call when I approached the slope. I was too slow and didn’t get the record, but I was optimistic and told myself the pika might call again. I found a comfy rock, readied the equipment, and waited. Nothing happened for 20 minutes. Then a pika popped up from a rock in front of me! It was so close that if I reached my hand out, I could have touched it. I didn’t expect to see a pika, not to mention it being so close to me.

I didn’t dare to move a muscle. It looked like a furry potato—tiny, brown and fuzzy. I could see the white rim around the ears, and its dark shiny eyes. The pika turned its back to me, so it didn’t notice me. I reached for my phone, hoping to get a picture. It turned back and our eyes met. It must be the most horrifying moment in the pika’s life.

It screamed “Eeeeeek”! Then it disappeared underneath the rock. It didn’t make any noise for the rest of the three hours I was there. I went home empty-handed, but very, very happy.

Suphasiri Muttamara
2017 Friends Research Fund grantee
Southern Oregon University, Environmental Education

Dialects of Pika (Ochotona princeps) in Southwestern Oregon
The distribution of pika (Ochotona princeps) populations in the Southwestern Oregon are poorly known and their range is highly fragmented. Recently, a population of pika was discovered on Vulture Rock which is now within the boundaries of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (CSNM) due to the recent monument expansion. The purpose of the research is to study a distinct population of pika in the CSNM using call dialects. The study of calls will contribute to a better understanding of the connectedness of pika populations, and if the population in southwestern Oregon has geographic variation.

The results will be discussed at the 2018 Monument Research Symposium on March 15, 2018.

We welcome Heather Wilson to the Friends as our 2018 Hike & Learn Coordinator!

As the president of SOU’s Environmental Education Club and as a graduate student in SOU’s M.S. in Environmental Education, Heather Wilson has become quite familiar with organizing and hosting meetings and educational events.  February 10, Heather Wilson will join the Friends of Cascade Siskiyou National Monument as our 2018 Hike and Learn Coordinator. Her well-rounded experience in event coordination and educational planning yield an excellent match with our program’s needs.

Along with her Bachelor’s in Biology and minors in Spanish and math, she’s acquired some valuable and pertinent work experiences. Before coming to SOU, she worked for the Southern Oregon Land conservancy as an intern, aligning curriculum to state and national standards. She also interned with Rogue Valley Farm to School developing educational materials.  She served as an Interpretive Assistant at the Missouri Botanical Gardens and interned both at Mammoth Cave National Park as a Guide and at Reiman Gardens in plant collections and record-keeping.

With her excellent educational and experiential background and her delightful personality, we feel confident that Heather will develop a stellar hike and learn series for our Friends.  According to Heather, “I’m excited about this job. It makes good use of my organizational and communication skills, and I love to hike!.”

Senate Bill 2354 affirms support for national monuments; and veterans tell about the healing powers of public lands, specifically Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

Senators Wyden, Merkley fight for national monument protections
Kobi5 News.  February 2, 2018
Senate Bill 2354:“America’s Natural Treasures of Immeasurable Quality Unite, Inspire, and Together Improve the Economies of States (ANTIQUITIES) Act of 2018.” Senate Bill 2354 affirms support for existing national monuments established between 1996 and April 2017 under the 1906 Antiquities Act; and designating national monuments are valid and cannot be reduced except by an act of Congress. Use GovTrack to monitor this bill.

Opinion: Veterans depend on national monuments. Zinke should leave them alone
By Sean Davis.  Oregonlive / The Oregonian  February 9, 2018
Purple Heart recipient and Oregon resident tells how veterans “have relied on our national monuments and other protected public lands for peace, solitude, recreation and more. Our leaders should listen to those who fought for this country in defense of our fellow Americans’ liberties. That includes keeping our monuments open and accessible to all.”

Opinion: Take it from a veteran, there’s healing power in public land
Sharon Smith. Citizen Times / USA Today Network.  February 10, 2018
A USAF combat veteran tells about hiking with Warrior Expeditions and the benefits of how “our public lands improve the health and well-being of Americans, especially veterans.”

MEDFORD, Ore. – The Bureau of Land Management Medford District Office is accepting applications through March 31 for the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument 2018 Artist-in-Residence program. The BLM manages public lands for the benefit of current and future generations, supporting conservation as we pursue our multiple-use mission. Artwork created by program participants supports keeping America not only beautiful, but also strong. 

To apply, prospectives can download and complete the application. Applications must be received by March 31, 2018.

The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Artist-in-Residence Program is founded on the belief that artists look closely at the way the world works, notice things that others may have missed, challenge ideas and create in a variety of forms, and therefore can provide new ways to look at and appreciate public lands managed by the BLM.

The program provides artistic and educational opportunities that promote deeper understanding and dialogue about the natural, cultural and historic resources on public lands. It also offers writers, composers and visual and performing artists the opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline amid inspiring landscapes. 

Artistic expertise, professionalism and creative uses of artistic media are encouraged. Selected artists receive a one- to two-week residency at Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument facilities during the summer. During their stay, artists will share their work in a public presentation.

Participating artists are also asked to donate to the BLM the use of an original piece of artwork from their residency in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Monument staff are especially interested in artwork relevant to the BLM mission that can be used in exhibits and for educational purposes. In addition, artwork may be used by non-profit partners for items such as postcards, posters, and similar items. The artist will retain both the original artwork and the copyright.

To contact Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument program coordinator
Christine Beekman
cmbeekman@blm.gov
Tel. 541-618-2320.

Notable Reads
National monuments, including Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, remained one of the top stories about the environment in 2017. From Cascade-Siskiyou’s expansion on January 12, 2017, through the Zinke review and his subsequent recommendation to shrink its size, each of these articles tell about the difference in policies and impacts upon the nation’s landscape and heritage.
 
Poll: Vast Majority of Voters Oppose the US Department of Interior Secretary’s recommendation to remove the protected status of certain national monuments.
McLaughlin & Associates  11/28/2017

Trump Wrongly Slashed Monuments Making the Most Use of Public Lands
By Stephen Trimble, The Hill. 12/29/2017     
     “These 27 national monuments have become the core units of what we now call the National Conservation Lands System, acknowledged in a 2009 law as a permanent part of the public trust. Managers long focused on grazing and fossil fuel extraction have been asked to modernize and broaden the agency’s culture to include conservation and restoration.”

Interior revokes climate change and mitigation policies
By Elizabeth Shogren, High Country News. 01/4/2018
     “Just before Christmas, the Interior Department quietly rescinded an array of policies designed to elevate climate change and conservation in decisions on managing public lands, waters and wildlife. Order 3360, signed by Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt, explains that the policies were rescinded because they were “potential burdens” to energy development.”

National Monuments Protect Meaning Not Just Landscapes
By Jonathan Thompson, High Country News.  9/1/2017           
     “With the tug-of-war over its future status raging, the Bears Ears National Monument is a monument in name only — without a management plan, it’s not getting any more protection, just more visitors and impacts. Yet even there, the designation itself, and the vast amount of acreage it encompassed, acknowledged that the “significant” archaeological sites need the surrounding landscape, both cultural and natural, to give them meaning. Hacking up and shrinking the new monument would be done in blindness to this knowledge, and take us back to the myopic approach of a century ago. That is why the tribal nations that pushed for the original designation are prepared to fight any effort to shrink the new monument.

The Economic Importance of National Monuments to Communities
Headwaters Economics  8/2017
“This research and interactive charts show that the local economies adjacent to all 17 national monuments studied in the West expanded following the monument’s creation.”