Summertime is a good time to get out late at night for a good look at the sky, especially with the Perseid meteor shower visible through Sept. 1 and at its peak Aug. 12-13.

Crater Lake National Park is offering night sky-watch events this summer, and the Siskiyou Field Institute is partnering with the Oregon Caves National Monument to offer a Perseid meteor shower watch party on Aug. 10.

Up to 110 meteors per hour strike the Earth’s atmosphere during the shower, which is a stream of debris along the orbit of the comet Swift–Tuttle. The best time to watch is midnight to dawn.

• Crater Lake events start at 9:30 p.m. with a 45-minute indoor presentation followed by a 60-minute outside night sky journey, weather permitting. The events are set for Aug. 3, 5, 10, 12, 24, 26 and 31, plus Sept. 2, at the Rim Village Community House.

Despite wildfires in the area, air quality and visibility have generally been good, according to a park statement posted Saturday.

• The Siskiyou Field Institute is hosting its annual Perseid Meteor Shower Watch Party on Aug. 10 at its Selma property, 1241 Illinois River Road in Selma. Gates open at 8 p.m.

The institute’s location provides good visibility of the night sky due to little light pollution. The party is free and held in conjunction with the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve.

Plan to arrive by 9 p.m. to allow your eyes time to adjust and to avoid headlight glare for other visitors. A ranger-led program starts at 9:30 p.m. Bring a camp chair or blanket to lay on and a red-light flashlight. There will be a food truck.

Tent camping on-site is available by reservation. Call 541-597-8530.

Visit conifers of the Siskiyou Crest

The Applegate Siskiyou Alliance is offering a guided hike led by naturalists on Saturday to Mount Ashland as part of its Siskiyou Crest conifer field trip series to visit all 25 species of conifers that grow in the region. The hikes are led by local experts, botanists and ecologists. Cost is $45.

To register, go to eventbrite.com and search for “Mt. Ashland” or contact Luke Ruediger at 541-980-8974 or siskiyoucrest@gmail.com.

Visit applegatesiskiyoualliance.org for more information.

Meeting set in Williams to discuss Pipe Fork property

A community meeting has been set for 2 p.m. Sunday at the Williams Grange concerning the stalled sale of 320 acres of Josephine County forestland known as Pipe Fork. The sale was intended as a way to save the property from logging and to preserve it as a research area.

The Williams Community Forest Project is hosting the meeting, with plans to provide an update, a question-and-answer period and a look forward. The grange is at 20100 Williams Highway. 

More information is available at williamscommunityforestproject.org.

Learn about upcoming classes at open house

Learn about Osher Lifelong Learning Institute course offerings, including nature and recreation classes, during an open house 1-4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, at Southern Oregon University.

The event showcases more than 125 upcoming courses ranging from art to literature and science. It will be held in the SOU Stevenson Union, 1118 Siskiyou Blvd., in Ashland.

OLLI is an affiliate organization of the Southern Oregon University Foundation. Its courses are open to members who are 50 years or older. Membership is $150 annually.

For more information, contact 541-552-6048 or olli@sou.edu.

Take a hike with Medford parks and recreation

The city of Medford’s Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department offers hikes for people 55 and older.

They include a hard 4.5-mile trek at Enchanted Forest on Aug. 6, an easy 2-mile hike on the Jacksonville Cemetery Loop on Aug. 13, a moderate 4-mile hike on the Sterling Mine Ditch Armstrong-Deming Loop on Aug. 20 and a hard hike of 7 miles on the Petard and Liz’s Loop at Jacksonville Woodlands on Aug. 27.

Meet at Rogue X, 901 Rossanley Dr., Medford, and take a van to the trail. Cost is $12 for residents and $18 for nonresidents, per hike. The outings start at 11 a.m.

Additionally, easy day hikes out of the area are offered to Stout Grove and the historic Battery Point Lighthouse near Crescent City, California, on Aug. 9, and a hard hike of 5.2 miles is offered on Sept. 13 to the Boy Scout Tree Trail in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park near Crescent City. Cost is $49 for residents and $61 for nonresidents, per trip.

To register or get more information, contact the department at playmedford.com, 541-774-2400 or 701 N. Columbus Ave. Space is limited.

Learn about water management and conservation

Learn about water management practices in times of drought during a tour 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7, at Raptor Creek Farm near Grants Pass. The tour will highlight irrigation systems, soil moisture monitoring tools and water conservation strategies.

Participants will explore cultivation of eggplant, winter squash and watermelon using methods such as paper mulch, biochar, straw mulching and intercropping with beneficial plants.

The farm is at 3658 Upper River Road, the home of the Josephine County Food Bank. Register at eventbrite.com and search for Raptor Creek Farm.

Audubon Society offers bird walks at wildlife area

The Rogue Valley Audubon Society is continuing to offer First Wednesday Bird Walks, with the next one set for Wednesday, Aug. 7. The walks begin at 8:30 a.m. and end before noon at the Kenneth Denman Wildlife Area, 1495 E. Gregory Road, near White City.

Gates will be open 8 to 8:20 a.m. Meet at the entrance. Buy parking permits ahead of time at Bi-Mart, Sportsman’s Warehouse or offices of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Permits also are available online, at myodfw.com.

For more information, go to roguevalleyaudubon.org or send an email to www.roguevalleyaudubon.org. Contact ODFW at 541-826-8774.

Get a look at the birds of Mount Ashland

Max McClarnon will be leading a bird walk to Grouse Gap at Mount Ashland on Saturday, Aug. 10. The group, limited to nine participants, will leave from Wild Birds Unlimited store in Medford at 9 a.m. To sign up, call 541-772-2107 or stop by the store, 961 Medford Center.

Tour Applegate organic herb farm

Oshala Farm, an organic herb farm in the Applegate Valley, is hosting a free walking tour 3-4 p.m. Aug. 14 and Sept. 11.

Participants should wear closed-toed walking shoes and bring a reusable water bottle or tea cup if you’d like a cup of herbal tea.

Register at least 48 hours in advance. To register, call 541-846-1120 or visit oshalafarm.com. The farm is at 14900 Highway 238.

Behave like a beaver at Vesper Meadow

Join the Vesper Meadow education program in collaboration with the Public Lands Store 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 15 to “behave like beavers” and help restore Latgawa Creek at the Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve. Participants will walk in the meadow and creek while learning restoration skills.

Sign up at vespermeadow.org.

Hang out with the birds of summer

See and hear a variety of birds that spend the summer in the Rogue Valley during an easy walk led by experts 8-9 a.m. Aug. 17 and Sept. 21 through North Mountain Park, 620 N. Mountain Ave., in Ashland.

Register at https://buff.ly/3XoeM8j. For more information, contact Ashland Parks and Recreation at 541-488-6606.

Take a walk in Butte Falls on Thursdays

Take an hour-long stroll from the Butte Falls Library, 626 Fir Ave., during a weekly neighborhood walk on Thursdays, rain or shine. Call 541-865-3511 for more information.

Tour Lithia Park on Saturdays

Explore Lithia Park in Ashland during a free guided tour led by volunteers at 10 a.m. on Saturdays through September. The walks are 60 to 90 minutes. Meet guides at the front entrance of Lithia Park across from the Plaza.

Visit an animal rescue farm on Fridays, Saturdays

Sanctuary One rescue animal farm, 13195 Upper Applegate Road, offers 90-minute guided tours during the warmer months, at 10:30 a.m. sharp on Fridays and Saturdays.

The tours include a chance to meet the sanctuary’s herd of rescued farm animals and house pets. The farm includes gardens that provide food for the animals. Golf-cart tours are available with prior notice.

Admission is $10 each and reservations are required. Make them online. For more information, call 541-899-8627.

Cities publish summer program guides

Summer program guides are available from the cities of Central Point, Medford and Ashland. They include information on senior, adult and youth programs, including classes, day camps, swim lessons, events and concerts.

Want to publicize your upcoming outdoors event for free? Send details to writer Shaun Hall at 541-761-6726 or shaunmichaelhall@gmail.com. Submissions about upcoming events are encouraged.