OUTDOOR ADVENTURES: Book club, work parties, birds and more

Published 10:15 am Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Editor’s note: See full listings and web hyperlinks at rv-times.com/outdoors

Join KS Wild for its first book club meeting from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday 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.

Mountain Club plans trail work, seeks interns

The Siskiyou Mountain Club has scheduled work party outings for Saturday, Sunday and Monday and on Feb. 1-2 to clear brush and logs from trails in the Red Butte Wilderness area. Volunteers are welcome.

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

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 Saturday 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.

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

Forest therapy walk set for Sunday

Healing Mama Wellness of Grants Pass is organizing a guided forest therapy walk for all ages from 1-3:30 p.m. Sunday 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 bit.ly/40t5kS2.

Healing Mama Wellness, which is based in Grants Pass, also is organizing a similar outing set for 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 9 at Pacifica: A Garden in the Siskiyous, at 14615 Water Gap Road, near Williams. For more information, go to bit.ly/4g1Y2ZY.

Forest Therapy, also known as forest bathing, is inspired by the practice of Shinrin-Yoku. The goal is to increase health and wellness through immersion in nature.

For more information, call 541-238-5051 or visit healingmamawellness.com.

Help restore beaver habitat at Provolt site

Join UCAN AmeriCorps and its partners on Monday, 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.

Visit national parks for free on MLK Day

The public may visit national parks for free on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. That includes Crater Lake National Park, although winter weather limits access.

Other days during the year when entrance fees are waived include April 19, the start of National Park Week; June 19, in honor of Juneteenth National Independence Day; Aug. 4, recognizing the signing of the Great American Outdoors Act; on Sept. 27, for National Public Lands Day and Nov. 11, in honor of Veterans Day.

For information about visiting Crater Lake National Park, visit nps.gov/crla.

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. The event can be watched remotely at ashlandoregon.gov/WatchMeeting.

Climate change presentation set for Jan. 22

Alan Journet of Southern Oregon Climate Action Now is scheduled to give a presentation Jan. 22 about regional climate change trends, impacts and projections. 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 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.

Share your plants and seeds at Jan. 25 swap

Join the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and Pollinator Project Rogue Valley from 10 a.m. to noon on Jan. 25 for a free plant and seed swap at 562 A St. in Ashland.

Visitors are encouraged to bring seeds, houseplant cuttings, potted plants and outdoor plants. Pollinator Project Rogue Valley will be supplying native plant seeds for outdoor gardens. Bestow will supply a handful of houseplant propagations.

For more information, contact KS Wild at 541-4889-5789 or kswild.org.

Young people invited to learn about insects

Young people are invited to join Central Point Parks and Recreation on Jan. 25 to explore the world of insects, including their anatomy, role in the environment, diets, defenses and camouflage. They will have the opportunity to eat real insects, such as freeze-dried crickets and mealworms.

The program, for ages 3 and older, is set for 3-4 p.m. at 405 S. Fourth St. in Central Point. Cost is $9. Reserve a spot online at bit.ly/4h7DUqV. For more information, contact the department at 541-664-3321.

Learn about pedestrian-bicycle plans for byway

Learn about design concepts for the Rogue-Umpqua Bicycle and Pedestrian Corridor Plan during meetings set for 4-6 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Prospect Library, 15 Millcreek Drive, and 4-6 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Gold Hill Library, 202 Dardanelles St.

The corridor follows the Rogue-Umpqua National Scenic Byway, which includes Highways 234, 62, 230 and 138, from Gold Hill to Roseburg.

Agencies involved in the planning include the Forest Service, the Federal Highway Commission and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

The meetings are a follow-up to a December webinar about project needs and concept designs related to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements. For more information, visit bit.ly/4jfWLkY.

Bird expert to discuss migration, climate change

Bird expert Pepper Trail is scheduled to address the Rogue Valley Audubon Society on Jan. 28 to discuss the ways that climate change is impacting birds.

The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at the Medford Congregational Church of Christ, Lidgate Hall, 1801 E. Jackson St. in Medford. To join the meeting online, go to www.roguevalleyaudubon.org/ for the link.

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

Author to discuss birds of the Klamath Basin

Join the Klamath Bird Observatory at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 28 in Ashland for a presentation by author Shannon Rio on waterbirds of the Klamath Basin. She will be introducing her new waterbird book, “Common Waterbirds of the Klamath Basin,” and ways to explore the Klamath Basin and its national wildlife refuges.

The book is full of photographs, has a light-hearted script and is meant to be a guide to identify and learn about waterfowl of the basin. It will be for sale for $25.

Rio’s presentation is free. It will be held at the KBO office, at 2425 Siskiyou Blvd., and online. Sign up at klamathbird.org.

On Feb. 2, Rio will take a group to the basin to explore the waterbirds wintering there. To be put on a waitlist to join the group, send an email to ejm@klamathbird.org.

In another matter, a KBO hawk identification workshop set for Thursday, Jan. 16, is full, although a waitlist is available. Call 541-201-0866 for more information.

Learn about the Northwest Forest Plan

The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest is hosting a community meeting to share information about proposed changes to the Northwest Forest Plan, from 6-8 p.m. on Jan. 29 at the Medford Interagency Office, 3040 Biddle Road.

The Northwest Forest Plan was created in 1994 to conserve habitat for wildlife and forests while supporting local communities. The Forest Service is proposing to amend the plan to address wildfire risks, economic needs and other challenges.

At the meeting, visitors may speak with Forest Service staff and experts who worked on the plan; review detailed maps; pick up fact sheets to take home and learn how to file comments.

Spanish translators will be available to assist. For more information, visit bit.ly/40gs9H7.

Help plant willow cuttings along Bear Creek

Help the Rogue River Watershed Council from 10 a.m. to noon on Jan. 31 and Feb. 12 with willow staking along Bear Creek at Lynn Newbry Park, off of Siskiyou View, in Talent. Willow staking is the planting of willow cuttings to promote soil stabilization, primarily along waterways.

Bring work gloves and wear appropriate attire. Bring loppers or pruners, if you’d like. RSVP at buff.ly/4ilAh1v. Reach the watershed council at 541-423-6158.

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.

Send us news about your upcoming events 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. {related_content_uuid}cf140a7f-8b7b-4f66-babe-9cd7e0d2fed9{/related_content_uuid}

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.

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