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Learn about the Jackson County Master Gardener program during introductory sessions set for 2-3:30 p.m. Wednesday and 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Southern Oregon Research & Extension Center, 569 Hanley Road in Central Point.

The sessions will include information about the Master Gardener training program, a 14-week course that starts Jan. 29 and ends April 30.

The course involves online learning, assigned readings and weekly quizzes, plus weekly hands-on garden labs from 1-4 p.m. on Wednesdays at the center. Participants receive training in botany, pest identification, soil management and diagnosing plant problems, in addition to other topics.

Program participants must provide a minimum of 45 volunteer hours by October. They may volunteer in a plant clinic, demonstration gardens or other activities.

Cost is $300, with payment plans and needs-based scholarships available. Register at beav.es/STH. To contact the center, call 541-776-7371.

Bird expert to discuss migration, climate change

Bird expert Pepper Trail is scheduled to give a presentation on Thursday to the Siskiyou Audubon Society about the migration of Southern Oregon birds. The meeting is set for 6-8 p.m. at 129 N.W. E St. in Grants Pass. For more information, visit bit.ly/3VRy7gi.

Trail is a naturalist and writer. He was the ornithologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland for more than 20 years.

He also is scheduled to address the Rogue Valley Audubon Society on Jan. 28 to discuss the ways that climate change is impacting birds. That meeting is set for 7 p.m. at the Medford Congregational Church of Christ, Lidgate Hall, 1801 E. Jackson St. in Medford. To join that meeting online, go to www.roguevalleyaudubon.org/ for the link.

Help clear brush from East Applegate trail

Join members of the Applegate Trails Association for a work party from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday to remove brush from the East Applegate Ridge Trail. Food, beverages and tools will be provided.

The 5.7-mile-long trail is about 5 miles south of Jacksonville.

To join the fun, contact Geoff Weaver, 503-781-7888 (voice or text), or send an email to chair@applegatetrails.org. He will then provide a meet-up location. For more information and a trail map, visit www.applegatetrails.org.

Bird observatory hosts raptor workshop, outing

Join Klamath Bird Observatory board members Amanda Alford and Dick Ashford as they lead a hawk identification workshop from 6-8:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at 2425 Siskiyou Blvd. in Ashland, followed by a day-long outing for raptor viewing in the Klamath Basin on Jan. 18 or 25. Cost is $65.

Participants will carpool. Registration is limited to 22 people. Sign up at klamathbird.org. Call 541-201-0866 for more information.

KS Wild book club topic: climate action

Join KS Wild for its first book club meeting from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Jan. 16 to discuss Dana R. Fisher’s “Saving Ourselves,” about mobilizing for climate action. The meeting location is 572 A St. in Ashland. Other meetings are set for Jan. 30, Feb. 13 and Feb. 27.

Register at kswild.org or call Allee Gustafson, events and volunteer manager, at 541-488-5789, ext. 1014.

Club plans trail work, seeks interns

The Siskiyou Mountain Club has scheduled work party outings for Jan. 18-20 and Feb. 1-2 to clear brush and logs from trails in the Red Butte Wilderness area. Volunteers are welcome.

The Ashland-based nonprofit also is taking applications for summer intern positions.

The work party outings this month and next are easy to moderate in difficulty and no experience is necessary. Campers will need overnight camping equipment. Transportation is provided from Gold Hill. Email trevor@siskiyoumountainclub.org to sign up.

The club, founded in 2010, works to restore and maintain backcountry trails. Last year, 18 interns were employed and 167 miles of trails were improved. Interns spend up to two weeks at a time in the field clearing trails. They receive a $1,800 monthly stipend.

Watch the 29-minute short film, “A Long Way to Nowhere,” to get an idea about the work. For more information, visit siskiyoumountainclub.org or call 458-254-0657.

Help count birds visiting Ashland park

Help count birds that visit the feeders at North Mountain Park in Ashland, from 9-10 a.m. on Jan. 18 and on alternate Saturdays thereafter, through March 15. Learn to identify species with help from expert birders from the Rogue Valley Audubon Society.

The information collected will be submitted to Cornell University’s FeederWatch project, a nationwide bird-monitoring effort.

Loaner binoculars will be available. Meet at the park pavilion. Participants must be 9 years or older. Register at https://buff.ly/3W5tvno.

Forest therapy walk set for Jan. 19

Healing Mama Wellness of Grants Pass is offering a guided forest therapy walk for all ages from 1-3:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Siskiyou Field Institute, 1241 Illinois River Road, near Selma.

Cost is $12.51 per person, with 10% of proceeds going to the institute. For more information, go to healingmama.com.

Help restore beaver habitat at Provolt site

Join UCAN AmeriCorps and its partners on Jan. 20, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, for a “day of service” to restore beaver habitat at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Provolt Recreation Site, 14171 Williams Highway. The event is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The work is scheduled to include willow staking, invasive species removal and picking up trash. Partners include Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, the Applegate Partnership & Watershed Council and Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

To register, visit bit.ly/4a8hcfe. For more information, send an email to stacie.stromborn@dsl.oregon.gov.

Ashland town hall set for Jan. 22

Join Ashland Mayor Tonya Graham, City Council members and city staff members for a town hall meeting set for 5:30-7 p.m. Jan. 22 in the Rogue River Room in the Stevenson Union building at Southern Oregon University, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd. (parking lot 36 on Mountain Street).

Graham will kick off the event with a state of the city presentation, followed by other presentations. Learn about conservation, emergency preparedness, wildfire mitigation and other topics, including parks and recreation.

For more information, visit ashlandoregon.gov/Townhall.

Climate change presentation set for Jan. 22

Alan Journet of Southern Oregon Climate Action Now is scheduled to give a presentation Jan. 22 about climate change trends, impacts and projections in the region. The presentation, which can be viewed online, is set for 6-8 p.m. at the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center, 569 Hanley Road, Central Point.

Journet is slated to discuss the effects of global warming, including drought, heat waves, reduced snowpack and floods, and their implications for wildfires, ecosystems, biodiversity, agriculture and forestry.

Register at https://loom.ly/MoPZafY. Cost is $15. For more information, call 541-776-7371.

Ashland hosts all-abilities skate event

The Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission is scheduled to host a free all-abilities community skate event from 5:30-7 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Ashland Rotary Centennial Ice Rink in Lithia Park, 95 Winburn Way.

The event caters to people experiencing cognitive and/or physical disabilities. Ice scooters will be available to assist skaters. People in wheelchairs may participate.

The event is being offered in cooperation with the Autism Society of Oregon and Bridging Communities. Lions Club members will provide hot cocoa and snacks.

Register at ashlandoregon.gov/register. For more information, call 541-488-5340.

Crater Lake rangers lead free snowshoe walks

Crater Lake National Park offers free ranger-guided snowshoe walks on weekends through April and also on weekdays during spring break, March 24-28.

They start at 1 p.m., last two hours and cover 1-2 miles over moderate to strenuous terrain. Participants must be at least 8 years old. Snowshoes are provided.

Space is limited and reservations are required. Separate groups tours might be available. Park entrance fee of $20 applies. Call 541-594-3100.

Cities publish new activity guides

The city of Ashland has just published a Winter-Spring activity guide, joining Medford in providing an updated roundup of upcoming recreational activities, including classes, events and outings. Check out the Ashland guide at bit.ly/WinterSpringGuide2025 and Medford’s guide at playmedford.com.

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.