OUTDOOR ADVENTURES: Grasshoppers, timber fest, meteor party and more 

Published 12:02 pm Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Learn about grasshoppers that live in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument during a lecture-hike series set for Friday in Ashland and Saturday in the field. Learn about identification, environmental impacts, catching grasshoppers and handling them. 

The Friday talk is set for 6-7:30 p.m. in the community classroom at the Ashland Food Co-op, 300 N. Pioneer St. The Saturday field trip is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and starts in the Rite Aid parking lot, 2341 Ashland St. 

Spots are limited. Sign up at http://bit.ly/3IYBQoO. For more information, contact the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument at 541-378-3039. 

Take a hike with Medford Parks & Rec 

Medford Parks and Recreation has hikes planned for people 55 years and older, including a dog-friendly hike on the Ol’ Miners trail on Thursday and Lower Table Rock on Aug. 12. Other hikes include Golden and Pottsville on Aug. 15, Provolt Recreation Area on Aug. 19 and Petard and Liz’s Loop on Aug. 26. 

Spots are limited. Cost is $18 for residents and $24 for non-residents. Travel in a department van to the hiking location. Register at playmedford.com.

Prospect to host annual timber festival 

The 75th Prospect Jamboree and Timber Carnival is set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 16 at Lions Park, 115 First St., in Prospect. 

The event includes a parade at 10 a.m. and logging competition from noon to 3 p.m., along with live music, food booths, artisan booths, water slide and children’s area. 

Other events include an archery contest starting at 10 a.m. and cornhole tournament starting at noon. Registration is $15 per event. 

More information is available at http://bit.ly/4lf7zzz. 

Meteor watch party set for Aug. 16 

The Siskiyou Field Institute, in partnership with the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, is hosting its annual Perseids Meteor Shower Watch Party on Aug. 16. 

Up to 110 meteors per hour are expected. They are debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle. The event is free. Bring blankets, chairs and red flashlights. 

The party is slated for 8:30-11 p.m. at SFI’s facility at 1241 Illinois River Road in Selma. Camping is available by reservation. Call 541-597-8530. More information is at http://bit.ly/4lf7zzz. 

Mountain Club to show outdoor movie clips outdoors 

Join the Siskiyou Mountain Club on Aug. 15 for an outdoor movie night featuring clips from its 2025 season of building and maintaining remote trails. 

The event starts at 7:45 p.m. and is held outside the organization’s visitor center, 106 Talent Ave. in Talent. Popcorn is provided. Bring your own camp chair. 

The season started with a loss of more than $500,000 in long-term agreements with the U.S. Forest Service, but community support has increased and some projects have been completed. 

For more information, visit siskiyumountainclub.org. Contact the club at 458-254-0657. 

Help pull weeds from the Rogue River 

Join the Rogue Aquatic Invasives Network for a weed pull and Rogue River float on Aug. 23 at Whitehorse County Park near Grants Pass, at 7613 Lower River Road. 

Help remove ludwigia and parrotfeature from a backwater slough, wading in water that may be chest deep. Bring a life jacket, water shoes, hat and change of clothes. 

The weed pull is 9 a.m. to noon, with a lunch break to follow at noon, followed by a float to Griffin County Park. Bring you own watercraft and plan your own shuttle. 

For questions, send an email to asiedlecki@rvcog.org. For more information about the network, which is a collaboration, or agencies and organizations, visit http://bit.ly/3HisH9Z. 

Create a landscape friendly to nature 

Kristina Lefever of the Pollinator Project Rogue Valley is scheduled to make hour-long presentations at three Jackson County Library branches this month about creating landscapes welcoming to native bees, butterflies, birds, beetles and more. 

Presentations are set for 2 p.m. Aug. 9 at the Butte Falls Library, https://jcls.libcal.com/event/14420046; 2 p.m. Aug. 16 at the Eagle Point Library, https://jcls.libcal.com/event/14420055 and 1 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Prospect Library, https://jcls.libcal.com/event/14420063. 

Registration is required. For more information, call 458-214-0508. 

Get wise about Southern Oregon wildlife 

Learn about wildlife every Saturday through Aug. 16 in the campground amphitheater at Joseph Stewart State Recreation Area at Lost Creek Lake. The presentations take place 10-11:30 a.m. 

The presentation this Saturday is about tracking and the presentation on Aug. 15 is about fish. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/408Af5E. 

Help Ashland develop parks plan 

Ashland Parks & Recreation is seeking public input to help develop a 10-year strategic plan for parks, recreation, open spaces and senior services. Take a related survey through Aug. 11 at http://bit.ly/4lNRYIf. 

Ashland pool open through Aug. 24 

The last day of swimming this summer at the Daniel Meyer Pool in Ashland is set for Aug. 24. To view the pool schedule, visit ashlandoregon.gov/swim. 

The pool is at 175 Homes Ave. Cost is $3 for ages 10-12 and $4 for 13 and older. For more information, call 541-488-0313. 

Cities publish summer activity guides 

The cities of Medford, Ashland and Central Point have published summer 2025 activities guides that include events, classes, outings and other activities. View Medford’s guide at playmedford.com, Ashland’s guide at http://bit.ly/4m7OgZL and Central Point’s guide at bit.ly/4dCBoIf. 

Send us news about your upcoming event 

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

Shaun Hall is a freelance writer living in Grants Pass. Reach him at 541-761-6726