Upcoming Events

Wander Location: 

Mount Pisgah Southeast Parking Lot

*Participants can park at Mt. Pisgah Southeast Parking lot at the intersection of Ridgeway Rd. and Dery Rd. (43.991395, -122.941400)

About the Walk:

This group hike will explore some of the sites where prescribed fire has been used on the southeast side of Mt. Pisgah to restore prairie and oak savanna ecosystems. We will talk about and get to see firsthand how fire benefits native plants, people, and wildlife. There are many other possible topics to dive into, depending on participant interest, including historical use of prescribed fire, modern firing techniques, plant identification, fire effects monitoring and fire policy. The walk will be 1-2 miles with gentle hills. The goal is not to cover lots of miles, but rather to focus on the details of a post-fire landscape. We will be hiking on old gravel roads, which are much wider than a standard trail. While this makes it easy to avoid poison oak, gravel roads are not the best for open-toed shoes–please dress for the weather and site conditions! Friendly, leashed dogs welcome!

Directions:

Take I5 S towards Roseburg or 30th Ave. Once on I5, take exit 188 for OR-58 toward Oaksridge/Klamath Falls. Continue on OR-58 for about 6 miles until you reach Ridgeway Rd. Turn left on Ridgeway and go about 2 mi. Then, turn left onto Dery Rd. You will see the parking lot there!

**Red Pin indicates where to meet.

Walk Leader: Sierra Raines (she/her), Cameron Brown (he/him), and Helena Virga (she/her)

Sierra Raines is a natural resources professional, fire lover, and forever-learner. She is a student of pre-colonial ecologies and a firm believer that healing our relationship fire leads to healing our relationships with each other. On this hike, Sierra will be sharing the Indigenous fire history of the area, including traditional Kalapuya burn techniques and practices. 

Cameron Brown grew up in Oregon and started doing ecology projects in the woods at 10 years old with his father. He feels very connected to the plants and animals of this region and feels a strong sense of duty to be working on the land. His biggest passion is prescribed fire and its beneficial effects on the local plants and animals, putting most of his restoration time and energy into a piece of land in Southern Lane County focusing on restoring historical biodiversity using a variety of modern forestry techniques.

Helena Virga is the Engagement Director for FUSEE, working on building partnerships and collaborations between the fire practitioner, fire suppression, fire policy, academic, and public communities. Helena is looking forward to sharing fire and Tribal sovereignty policy updates at the federal and state levels.

Family Exploration Days!

July 11th and August 15th, 10am-1pm

Golden Gardens Park

On select Saturdays (July 11th and August 15th) in the summer months, WREN offers free choose-your-own adventures in the West Eugene Wetlands. Embark on a nature-inspired scavenger hunt, or explore the trails with binoculars, field guides, bug nets, hand magnifiers, and bug boxes. Bring your curiosity and sense of adventure! Exploration days are from 10am to 1pm and WREN staff/volunteers will be on hand to answer your questions.

Please reach out to WREN Program Coordinator, Rachel Schneiderman, with any questions (info@wewetlands.org).