We work to preserve and restore the wild landscapes of the middle Deschutes and lower Crooked Rivers and lower Whychus Creek through advocacy, stewardship and education.
-FANs of the Deschutes Canyon Area's Mission Statement
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2022 Report to FANs Members
Greetings from FANs new President
By Robin Galloway
FANs has two significant leadership changes which begin this month. After six years as FANs board president, Marilynne Keyser has handed the gavel to me; and Diane Randgaard has passed the editorship of FANs newsletter, Deschutes Canyon Currents, to Ilene Smith. Marilynne and Diane plan to remain on the board of directors while pursuing other interests within the organization. Marilynne will continue as FANs native plant coordinator and Diane will focus on wildlife issues. We are grateful for their years of service and hours of hard work to forward our conservation and stewardship mission.
The newbies will be mentored by some long-term officers. Sue Combs does an outstanding job as Treasurer, and we are in solid financial shape as a non-profit organization. Cindy Murray, who was the original President, will serve as Secretary.
Over 400 members support our non-profit organization with a mission to preserve and restore the wild landscapes of the middle Deschutes and lower Crooked Rivers, and lower Whychus Creek through advocacy, stewardship, and education. We strive to protect the fragile ecosystems of these river canyons, native sagebrush steppe that surrounds them, and the diverse fish and wildlife that inhabit this area.
An active leadership team directs our non-profit. The officers in 2022 are: President – Robin Galloway, Secretary – Cindy Murray and Treasurer – Sue Combs. Other board members are: Marilynne Keyser (immediate past President), Penny Radtke, Phyllis Carlin, Diane Randgaard, Tom Mottl, and Chris Gardner. Leadership team members include: Eric Hanson, Jeff Scheetz, Diane Nunley, Lotte Hermannsson, Eric Hanson, Mona Steinberg, Mary Zabilski, Karen & Mick Atwood, Nancy & Cliff Baker, Wendy Fink, Rhan & Deborah Fitzpatrick, Wendy & Lynn Micklus, Tom Iraci and Ilene Smith.
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Conservation Group Leader Changes Role
Marilynne Keyser of Terrebonne, past President of Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon Area (FANs) for the previous six years, has handed the gavel over Robin Galloway. Marilynne will now take the lead role on specific projects where her expertise and knowledge will concentrate on her areas of interest.
Under Marilynne’s leadership, FANs organization has become recognized for preserving and restoring local wild landscapes through advocacy, stewardship and education.
Since moving to central Oregon she has become an expert in identifying native plants and invasive weeds. She’s written three books on those topics, which are currently available at local book stores.
For more information about Marilynne and FANs, see fansofdeschutes.org.
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Lens on Learning Series 2022 Begins!
Landscaping with Natives
Presented by Rick Martinson
Wintercreek Nursery and Restoration
February 19, 2022, 4:00 pm
This will be a Zoom presentation. Registration
for this event begins on January 19 at fansofdeschutes.org.
This talk presents some key elements of creating
an effective native plant landscape in central Oregon, and provides examples of successful, sometimes unique, projects around the region. Rick will also provide numerous photos of native plants that perform well in managed urban landscapes, offer habitat qualities for wildlife, and provide aesthetic value people often don’t associate with native plants. Bring your notebook and questions!
Rick is president and co-owner of WinterCreek, a landscape/nursery company working exclusively with native plants of central and eastern Oregon. Their work focuses on designing and creating ecology-based regenerative landscapes that are self-supporting and provide habitat for a variety of species from birds and mammals to fungi and bacteria.
Rick’s previous experience includes work as an ecologist, environmental scientist and archaeologist in a variety of environments around the country, and he uses knowledge from those experiences to create award winning landscapes throughout the western United States. He holds a B.S. in Physical Anthropology and a PhD in Horticulture, and specializes in the adaptive physiology of xerophytic species in semi-arid environments. Rick teaches courses in ecology-based design and applied ecology at Oregon State University, and he is a frequent guest lecturer for numerous organizations. He is a member of the Natural Areas Association, Society for Ecological Restoration, Oregon Landscape Contractors Association, and other professional societies. Rick is also a Central Oregon Master Gardener.
Also, SAVE THE DATE, March 19 at 4:00 pm: Managing Invasive Weeds by Penny Radtke, FANs Weed Coordinator.
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Native Plants of the Month
By Marilynne Keyser, FANs Native Plant Coordinator
What Native Plants will be Blooming Soon?
Canby’s lomatium (Lomatium canbyi) is a small flower in the carrot family that grows in sagebrush covered plateau habitat, often on barren, rocky flats. The fern-like basal leaves, divided into four to six pairs along the leaf stems can be found growing close to the ground in February. By March, the plant produces an umbel (think umbrella) of tiny white flowers with purple anthers at the ends of leafless, fleshy reddish stems. Before the month ends, Canby’s Lomatium will be going to seed. The flat, elliptical seed heads are rarely over 1/2 inch long.
Gold star (Crocidium multicaule) a tiny member of the sunflower family, forms colorful displays of yellow blooms in sagebrush scrub and sandy grasslands as early as February. The small, oval-shaped basal leaves turn red as the plant matures. A single tiny daisy-like gold bloom (usually with 8 ray flowers) opens at the tip of each delicate, leafless stem. They appear to nod when still in bud, on cloudy days and at night. Also known as spring gold or gold fields.
Smooth fringecup (Lithophragma glabrum) is an early spring perennial in the saxifrage family. The basal leaves are smooth and deeply divided. The purplish stems are erect, sticky and leafless. Four or five white to pinkish deeply-divided petals create a star-like flower. Red bulblets which produce new plantlets are found on the upper stems where the leaves meet. Smooth fringecup grows in sagebrush plains and on dry, gravelly soil. Also know as prairie starflower.
Yellow bell (Fritillaria pudica) is an early spring perennial in the lily family. It begins with long, fleshy green leaves that are mostly basal. Like other lilies, yellow bell has floral parts that come in threes. What looks like six yellow petals is actually three petals and three sepals. One, or sometimes two, bell-shaped noding flowers grow at the top of a single, erect stem. The flower turns orange as it ages and produces an attractive, balloon-shaped seed pod. Yellow bells grow in deep, moist soils with sagebrush and bunchgrasses.
 Canby’s lomatium (Lomatium canbyi)
Gold star (Crocidium multicaule)
Smooth fringecup (Lithophragma glabrum)
Yellow bell (Fritillaria pudica)
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Thank You, Diane Randgaard
Thank you, Diane, for being our technical guru since FANs first efforts to communicate with our members!
Not only did you edit every FANs newsletter, but you created and managed our website, Facebook and Instagram accounts, and Eventbrite Lens on Learning and guided hike listings. You helped develop and manage our LGL member data base, and you created and triaged our email account. You are irreplaceable!
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2021 Eve Nazarian Award
Mona Steinberg, who served on Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon Area Board of Directors for ten years, was recently recognized as our 2021 Eve Nazarian Award recipient, given annually to an outstanding volunteer. “Mona has volunteered for practically every FANs stewardship project since 2012,” stated past President Marilynne Keyser as she presented the award to Mona. Mona was a founding member of FANs and her stewardship service represents the heart of our organization.
 
Lottie Hermannsson, Kristin Lucas and Mona Steinberg pull common mullein and Scotch thistle (left)
Mona Steinberg is presented the Eve Nazarian award by Past President Marilynne Keyser (right)
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Anna's Hummingbird, Our Year-Round Resident
Ilene Smith
Central Oregon is fortunate to host several different species of hummingbirds from spring to fall. However, one of these species, Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna), remains in their range of territory throughout the year. This means we will see Anna’s hummingbirds buzzing frenetically around our yards all winter long. To get through the long and cold Central Oregon winters, Anna’s uses a little trick called torpor, a form of hibernation or deep sleep-like state. During torpor most of their body functions shut down allowing them to survive with half the energy level they normally need to live. If it stays very cold during the day, Anna’s will continue the torpor state throughout the day.
One way we can help Anna’s hummingbird survive the Central Oregon winter is to continue offering nectar (sucrose), as these extended periods of cold can prove difficult for the birds to find it. If you are going to provide a hummingbird station, it’s a good idea to bring the feeder inside when the temperature drops below 32 degrees F and back outside in the morning. Alternatively, heated feeders are available. Don’t worry about these hummingbirds being solely dependent on you. During the winter Anna’s hummingbirds supplement their diet with small bugs, spiders and even sap from a tree hole that was drilled by a sapsucker woodpecker. Sometimes they actually poach the insect directly from a spider’s web! Finally, consider planting trees or native plants (e.g., red flowering currant) that bloom throughout the year if you would like to see more of these tiny gems in your yard year-round.
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Will You Volunteer to Help FANs?
Many of you volunteer for specific stewardship projects throughout the year, and we deeply appreciate your commitment. However, as a non-staffed organization that is growing steadily, the FANs leadership is looking for some volunteers for very specific needs. If your are willing to make a commitment for at least a year for one of these roles, please contact Marilynne Keyser, our past-president, by email at mtkeyser@gmail.com.
Communications Coordinator: This would be someone to coordinate all of our media needs. You will have a strong committee to work with, each handling different areas of FANs media:
Sue Combs—FANs website
Marilynne Keyser—FANs Facebook page
Ilene Smith—FANs online newsletter
Phyllis Carlin—outside media, including Crooked River Ranch Telegraph
FANs Storefront Coordinator: This would be a perfect project for someone who lives at Crooked River Ranch. We need one or two volunteers to check that our outside brochure racks are continually refilled. We would love to develop more of a presence at our building by having volunteers onsite for a few hours per week to answer questions and provide materials that are not available outside the building. We are planning to spruce up the outside area, develop a medicinal garden, and create a meetup area. Other ideas are welcome!
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Your Membership Keeps FANs Strong
FANs has remained strong and focused through the Covid-19 pandemic, and we are excited to move forward in 2022 and beyond. Your membership, participation and financial donations are vital to the health and success of FANs…. your local conservation organization!
FANs membership begins at $10 per person per year. We are grateful to so many FANs members that generously give more.
To renew, print this form and mail it with your check to:
FANs, P.O. Box 2127, Terrebonne, OR 97760
If you have membership questions, please contact Sue Combs, FANs Treasurer and Database Manager, at 541-604-0280 or suekeeper@gmail.com.
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