Recent FANtastic Activities
FANs of the Deschutes Canyon Area hosted a booth at Crooked River Ranch's Independence Day Celebration in June 2018. Lots of local residents stopped by to learn more about native plants and our public lands.
Our Ring in Summer Member Party was great fun, as we celebrated local public lands conservation successes this year.
FANs of the Deschutes Canyon Area volunteers weeded around one-year old showy milkweed plants at Steelhead Falls Monarch Way Stations in May 2018.
Author and hiking guru William L. Sullivan returned to Crooked River Ranch in May 2018 to present "New Hikes in Oregon." A crowd of 50 hiking enthusiasts listened carefully, with many taking notes about future hikes to plan.
In April 2018, Marilynne Keyser shared a slideshow of native plants in the Deschutes Canyon Area to 36 participants. The group then visited the Native Plant Interpretive Garden at Crooked River Ranch.
To celebrate Earth Day 2018, twenty four volunteers came together to pull invasive mullein and Scotch thistle at Horny Hollow Trailhead near the Lower Crooked River.
In April 2018, FANs hiking leaders, Jeff Scheetz and Eric Hansen, and photographer Tom Iraci, shared the beauty of the canyons near Crooked River Ranch and discussed safe hiking essentials with an audience of more than 50 outdoor enthusiasts.
An audience of 65 people, in March 2018, learned from Gail Snyder about the importance of collaboration and complex problem solving to restore the health of the Upper Deschutes River.
In February 2018, Jerry Freilich demonstrated to an audience of more than 50 people that bees are extremely difficult to identify even to the family level (let alone species). Most native bees in Central Oregon are ground nesters.
In November 2017, Paul Bannick shared with a captive audience his multimedia presentation on the lives of owls. Paul emphasized the importance of preserving and managing our diverse public lands to support healthy owl populations.
FANs volunteers, in August 2017, obliterated offensive graffiti painted on rocks on BLM land near Crooked River Ranch. The natural beauty of this area is again restored.
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Upcoming Events and ProjectsFree Guided Hikes - Sign Up Now All guided hikes are free. To help reduce damage to the trail, minimize social impacts on other visitors, and protect wildlife habitat, group size is limited to 8 hikers, and dogs are not allowed. Registration opens one month before each hike. If the hike is full, sign up on the wait list, and you will be sent an invitation via e-mail if a space opens. If you have to cancel, send us an email at fansofdeschutes@gmail.com. This will open up the space for another hiker. Alder Springs Trail Hike Tuesday, August 21 at 8:00 a.m. Hike Rating: Difficult (due to creek crossing); 6.5 miles Guide: Jeff Scheetz This hike starts on the canyon rim and descends down Whychus Creek Canyon, passing below cliff towers and a dry waterfall. Group will ford Whychus Creek, about knee depth, to continue on the trail to the confluence with the Deschutes River. The trail ends in a pleasant ponderosa grove at the water's edge offering views of volcanic ash-lava flows with colorful layers on the canyon walls. CLICK HERE to learn more and register for this hike. Otter Bench Trail Hike Saturday, September 8 at 8:00 a.m. Hike Rating: Easy; 3.5 miles Guide: Eric Hanson This hike is a delightful 3.5 mile loop with only a slight bit of elevation gain and loss. This hike is scheduled to celebrate the lifting of the annual trail closure. It features spectacular views into the lower Crooked River gorge. We will chat about plants, wildlife, and early ranch history along with that burning question: Why the heck do they call it Horny Hollow? CLICK HERE to learn more and register for this hike. Save the Date: Sept. 29 - Smith Rock Canyon Trail - John McGee FANs of the Deschutes Canyon Area's
2018-2019 Lens on Learning Series Mark your calendar now and save the date!
Space is limited and registration opens one month before each event. In Search of Ice Age Giants Presented by Mike Full, Founder of Willamette Valley Pleistocene Project October 20, 2018, 4:00 p.m. Juniper Room at Crooked River Ranch FANs of the Deschutes Canyon Area members admitted free; non-members pay $3 at the door Fifty thousand years ago, Oregon was a spectacular place. Giant ice age beasts thrived in unimaginable numbers with a multitude of species. Mammoth and mastodon shared the land with two species of giant bison, horses, camels, and giant ground sloth. The Willamette Valley Pleistocene Project explores the late Pleistocene and early Holocene of the Willamette River Valley in Northwest Oregon to discover, study, and preserve our prehistoric past. Wildfire Myths and Realities Presented by George Wuerthner, author of "Wildfire: A Century of Failed Forest Policy " November 17, 2018, 4:00 p.m. Juniper Room at Crooked River Ranch FANs of the Deschutes Canyon Area members admitted free; non-members pay $3 at the door Local ecologist and wildfire expert George Wuerthner will discuss misunderstandings about wildfires, how and under what conditions they burn, the ecological benefits of wildfire to creating healthy ecosystems and proven methods to protect homes and communities. Tom Iraci, photographer and FANs board member, created a slideshow titled "Beauty in the Canyons," featuring images from the Deschutes Canyon Area. Click the blue button below to view this spectacular slideshow.
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Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon Area
fansofdeschutes@gmail.com P.O. Box 2127, Terrebonne, OR 97760 541.771.FANS (3267) |
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