Kristi Mergenthaler, stewardship director for the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy, helps remove fencing during a past work party event at the Rogue River Preserve near Eagle Point. Another work party is set for Friday, Nov. 24, at the preserve, to help remove more than a mile of old fencing that can trap wildlife.

The Southern Oregon Land Conservancy is inviting the public to opt out of the Black Friday trend and instead join a work party at the Rogue River Preserve near Eagle Point to help remove fencing that is dangerous to wildlife.

The work party is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24. The preserve is located at 646 Rogue River Drive. The Ashland-based organization already has had two work parties to help remove portions of more than a mile of exterior fencing that can trap wildlife. The fencing is made of barbed wire and metal rectangles.

“It tends to be the worst for wildlife,” said Kristi Mergenthaler, stewardship director for the Conservancy.

A prior work party found a dead deer entangled in the fencing.

“It gave us extra inspiration for why we’re doing this,” Mergenthaler said.

Eventually, new fencing will be installed that is smooth wire with a bottom wire at least 16 inches above the ground, to allow small wildlife to pass underneath.

A grant from PacifiCorp will help pay for new fencing to replace about 6,000 feet of old fencing. About 1,000 feet of the old fencing has already been removed.

“We’ve still got 5,000 feet to go,” Mergenthaler said.

The Rogue River Preserve features two miles of riverfront, a large floodplain forest and oak woodlands with meadows. It’s open to the public on select dates.

Volunteers should wear sturdy pants, a long-sleeved shirt and close-toed shoes. They should bring water, snacks and extra layers. If they have them, they should also bring eye protection, gloves and fence tools. It’s recommended to be up to date on tetanus shots.

To register, see landconserve.org/upcoming-entries/2023/11/15/opt-out-day-volunteer-work-party-fence-removal.

More information is available at info@landconserve.org or 541-482-3069.

Reserve a spot for Shore Acres State Park holiday lights showThis year’s annual Holiday Lights show at Shore Acres State Park near Coos Bay will again require visitors to make online reservations.

The show, a 30-year tradition, features hundreds of thousands of colored lights in the park’s formal garden area. It runs 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily, starting on Thanksgiving and continuing through Dec. 31.

Reservation time slots are 4:30, 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Cost per vehicle is $5.

To make a reservation, go to https://bit.ly/2023holidaylights or call 800-452-5687 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Buy your tickets for ‘Land of the Giants’ ski filmA new ski movie, “The Land of the Giants,” is slated for showing at 6:15 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Varsity Theater, 166 E. Main St., Ashland.

The movie, by Matchstick Productions, explores “the most iconic mountains on Earth’’ and features top skiers. It’s set to music and accompanied by spectacular cinematography.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for ages 17 and younger. There will be a raffle for lift tickets and gear. Food and drink will be available for purchase.

The showing, presented by the Mt. Ashland Racing Association ski club, is held in partnership with Mt. Ashland and the Rogue Ski Shop

Buy tickets at catheatres.com/Sectionindex.asp?SectionID=36. Contact the theater at 541-482-3321.

Get ready for ski season at Mt. Ashland open house

Mt. Ashland Ski Area is hosting a free winter kickoff open house from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, with live music, wine tasting and displays of equipment and information. Food and drink is available for purchase.

The scheduled opening of the ski season is Dec. 9.

By a permit to cut a personal-use Christmas tree

The public may now obtain permits to cut personal-use Christmas trees on federal forest land, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The permits, which cost $5 per tree, can be purchased online and at BLM and U.S. Forest Service offices. To buy online, go to forestproducts.blm.gov or recreation.gov. Free maps are available showing where trees may be cut.

Learn about conifers during hike

Learn about conifers and shrubs during a Dec. 2 hike led by naturalist and biology teacher Nolan Richard and hosted by the Friends in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Participants will learn how to identify native species, where to find them and how they adapt.

The outing is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The area to be hiked depends on the weather. Participants will meet at the Rite Aid in Ashland, 2341 Ashland St., and leave from there.

Register for the hike at cascadesiskiyou.org. Call 541-378-3039 for more information.