We work to preserve and restore the wild landscapes of the Middle Deschutes and Lower Crooked Rivers and Lower Whychus Creek through stewardship, outreach and education.
-FANs of the Deschutes Canyon Area's Mission Statement
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Our Lens on Learning Series Continues Online
"What's Blooming Now in the Grasslands?"
A Talk by Marilynne Keyser, FANs President
New date: Saturday, June 27, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. via Zoom
Registration is required to receive the Zoom link to attend.
Please CLICK HERE to register.
As springs glides into summer in the Deschutes Canyon Area, the wildflower bloom is exploding. Some of our old friends like bitterbrush and Carey’s balsamroot are still blooming, while others have already gone to seed. Now is the time the buckwheats and Erigerons take over the show. The second in our online series, "What’s Blooming Now?" by Marilynne Keyser, will take us on a walk through the Crooked River National Grassland to learn about these early summer bloomers.
Marilynne will also talk about plant biology to help you differentiate similar-looking native plants. Using photographs of both the habitat zone and blooming plants, you will learn to anticipate what you might see on your own rambles in the sagebrush steppe grasslands.
This presentation is open to the public, so please share this with friends that might be interested.
rock buckwheat (Eriogonum sphaerocephalum) | Marilynne Keyser |
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Horny Hollow Trail Open for Hiking Now
Several years ago, FANs board members confirmed that seasonal closure of Horny Hollow Trail was for golden eagle protection only. After attending golden eagle monitoring training classes taught by Frank Isaaks, our board members concluded that the closure period seemed exceedingly long (Feb 1 - August 31) and that the public was being denied access without the necessary justification.
After making contact with new Bureau of Land Management (BLM) biologist Larry Ashton, the board became aware that the posted closure was based on the longest case, non-monitored scenario of golden eagle nesting. When the public appeal of Horny Hollow Trail was communicated to Larry, he agreed that the public deserved use of the trail, and that BLM could provide real-time science data by monitoring the nests in the area. This policy has been successfully used in other regions for maximum public access without stressing out local golden eagle populations.
True to their word, BLM biologists expressed an interest and FANs volunteers led them on an orientation hike in the Horny Hollow area in early February before the nesting season started. Larry and his crew performed the subsequent monitoring and convinced the District Manager to open the trail on May 28 this year, twelve weeks earlier than the previously posted date.
Our FANs board appreciates the interest Larry Ashton took in allowing the public to enjoy this popular trail. We hope that a BLM biologist, or perhaps a trained FANs member, can continue the live monitoring next year to maintain public access of this popular trail if the area is not being used by nesting golden eagles. Of course, we would be thrilled to have nesting golden eagles use the area.
Signage has been changed recently to show that Horny Hollow Trail is NOW OPEN. |
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Crooked River National Grassland Nest Box Trail News
We found a pleasant surprise in mid June in one of our American kestrel nest boxes on the Crooked River National Grassland Nest Box Trail: a feisty kestrel with one egg! Please contact Diane Randgaard at fansofdeschutes@gmail.com if you would like to walk the trail with her. Photo: Diane Randgaard
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Hiking Safely During Phase 2 of COVID-19
Diane Randgaard, FANs board member
For a lot of us, getting outside this summer can be a great way to stay healthy when practiced safely. As we are now in Phase 2 in Central Oregon, FANs is planning to begin small group size hikes in August with social distancing, if conditions allow. If you are eager to visit trails in the Deschutes Canyon Area before August, several local trails allow for social distancing when hiking.
Horny Hollow Trail, above the Lower Crooked River, is now open (see article above), and it is a wide trail that used to be a road. It allows you to walk next to someone while practicing social distancing. Click here for a map and directions (pages 5 & 6). Another option for social distance hiking is Foley Waters Trail. If you drive past Steelhead Falls Trailhead and continue driving through the campground, you will come to Foley Waters Trailhead, and that is a wide trail that was once a road. This trail allows you to access the Middle Deschutes River. Click here for directions to Steelhead Falls Trail (and Foley Waters Trail). Another option is to walk along Peninsula Road through public land (with a few private parcels) that borders the north end of Crooked River Ranch. Although you are walking on a county road, if you encounter vehicles, they are moving very slowly due to the rough condition of the road. This road is used by hikers and bicyclers as much as it is by vehicles.
On all trails this time of year, keep your eyes open for rattlesnakes and be sure to stay hydrated during your hike. Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics shared recommendations for getting outside during COVID-19. This offers good information on responsible hiking.
Have fun and be safe on the trails. If you do go hiking in the Deschutes Canyon Area, please share some photos on our facebook page or you can email them to fansofdeschutes@gmail.com.
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Sharing Native Bunchgrasses with Our Community
Thanks to everyone that purchased native bunchgrasses at our sale last Saturday. Our bunchgrass sale was a big success and we appreciated people practicing responsible social distancing and wearing masks to this event.
While we only have a small number of potted bunchgrasses remaining, Marilynne Keyser has generously offered to dig up native bunchgrasses on her property to share with FANs members that want to use them in landscaping. The grasses she has available to share are bluebunch wheatgrass, big bluegrass, Indian rice grass, and Great Basin wildrye. She also has quite a few 2-inch-tall sagebrush plants to share. We ask for a $1 minimum donation to FANs for each plant.
If you are interested in picking up some grasses and/or sagebrush starts, please email Marilynne at mtkeyser@gmail.com or text her at 541-923-0558, and be sure to include your first and last name in your message. Marilynne asks that visitors practice social distancing and wear a mask.
Marilynne Keyser potting native bunchgrasses on
her property near the Deschutes Canyon Area | Diane Randgaard
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