Nature hikes offered by Siskiyou Project
From our weekly issue dated March 26, 2008
Baby Boomers today are seeking adventures more suited to their aging abilities.
Skiers are trading in downhill skis for cross-country skis or snowshoes. Less-strenuous activities are needed after hip or knee replacements, heart and other medical problems.
Today’s adults are not quite ready to settle for only playing bingo, but are looking for adventures suitable for their increasingly sedate lifestyle. One solution: Nature Hikes sponsored by Siskiyou Project, which combine birding, botany, ecological awareness, and enjoyable community activities.
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On Saturday, March 22, nearly 30 people hiked to Snailback Falls, located 3.6 miles from the Selma Post Office, past Siskiyou Field Institute’s Deer Creek Center.
Historian Greg Walter, of Jefferson State Financial Services in Cave Junction, led the hike, sharing his extensive knowledge of the area (as well as his delicious homemade scones). Hikers returned with stories of the mine and the beautiful waterfall they saw.
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Siskiyou Project ecologist Rich Nawa demonstrated that the burned snags from the 2002 Biscuit Fire have become lodging for such “cavity dwellers” as the Bluebird, not to be confused with the Stellar Jay.
Nawa was handy with his field guides to flowers in the area, as hikers identified “Shooting Stars” and rare flowers exclusive to this serpentine environment. For enthusiasts, Nawa highly recommends the Peterson Field Guide to Pacific State Wildflowers by Theodore F. Niehaus and Charles L. Ripper.
Nawa will give instructional flower identification brochures to children attending his wildflower hike to Mike’s Gulch on Saturday, April 5. This easy 2-mile hike is suitable for families with children 10 years and older.
Visit www.siskiyou.org for a list of the free, spring hikes; or phone 476-6648 for more information.
