A featured study at the March 20 event will center on animals living near the planned Interstate 5 wildlife corridor
By Lee Juillerat for Ashland.news
Ongoing research aimed at increasing the public’s understanding, appreciation, preservation and protection of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is set for this week at SOU. The research symposium will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at the Southern Oregon University Science Auditorium and online via Zoom.
College students who received Friends Research Fund grants from the Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument will make presentations on their ongoing research. The students will discuss their latest findings on wildlife movement, biodiversity and the monument’s geological history. The aim is providing “critical insights that help shape conservation efforts.”
Shawn Johnson and Andrea Osbon of SOU are environmental science majors who monitor wildlife cameras in the monument to study fauna with a focus on species movement near the planned Interstate 5 wildlife crossing. Joe Baures and Jacob Florey, SOU biology majors, are studying grasshopper biodiversity. Their research also looks at the insect’s response to changes in temperature in the monument.
A third presentation will feature Erin Medler, a University of Oregon geology major. Medler has mapped the geology of western and High Cascades volcanic rocks. Their primary objective is to radiometrically date the basalt of Pinehurst Inn, a lava flow. Additionally, they aim to examine the unique features of Jenny Creek Falls and the Agate Flat area.
Attendance is free, in person or online
The symposium is free to attend. People who want to attend, either in person or via Zoom, are asked to register at the Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument website, cascadesiskiyou.org/monument-research-symposium.
The Monument Research Symposium is an annual event where Friends Research Fund grant recipients present on their research and findings. The grants support graduate and undergraduate students as well as Indigenous Americans.
Daniel Collay, the Friends executive director, said the research is “intended to enhance our understanding, appreciation, preservation, and/or protection of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.” Research topics include biology, environmental sciences/education, geology, sociology, arts and humanities, Indigenous studies, history and business.
Grants available for next research cycle
Collay also said the Friends Research Fund is accepting applications for the 2025 grant cycle. The fund offers individual grants ranging from $500 to $3,000 to support undergraduate, graduate and Indigenous research projects. Research areas include, but are not limited to, biology, environmental sciences, geology, sociology, arts and humanities, Indigenous studies, history and business. Completed grant applications are due by April 25.
Recipients will have the opportunity to present their findings at next year’s annual Monument Research Symposium. The annual event is part of the Friends’ efforts at “fostering community engagement and knowledge sharing.”
In addition, Collay said the Friends offer seasonal stewardship projects, such as habitat restoration, ecological monitoring, and invasive species removal efforts that “support the monument’s biodiversity and long-term conservation.”
Collay said that because the success of last June’s Beaver Scavenger Hunt, a volunteer beaver monitoring program is being launched to continue tracking the presence of beavers and their impact in the monument.
Volunteers for beaver monitoring sought
“We are looking for volunteers to monitor beaver activity and collect data at designated sites once per month starting this spring,” he said. “This role involves hiking off-trail in rough terrain and working in potentially adverse conditions. Volunteers should have their own reliable transportation to reach monitoring locations, and mileage can be reimbursed. If you don’t have transportation, you can be paired up with someone who does.”
Hiring has started for seasonal interpretive rangers who will lead hikes, share the monument’s unique ecology, and guide visitors in meaningful outdoor experiences. The rangers will also lead Monument Days, which helps “young explorers” through the Friends partnership with the Crest Nature Day Camp.
Collay cautioned that ongoing federal budget reductions to the Bureau of Land Management and other agencies are affecting or could impact the monument.
“Federal workforce reductions,” he said, “threaten conservation efforts nationwide, and with BLM already under-resourced, these cuts could have serious implications for the monument’s management. Now more than ever, community-driven research, stewardship and advocacy are essential to ensuring biodiversity remains protected.”
For more information on the various programs, and to learn about work and volunteer opportunities, visit the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument at info@cascadesiskiyou.org or www.cascadesiskiyou.org.
Email freelance writer Lee Juillerat at 337lee337@charter.net.
