Twenty Year Challenge

The Land Trust is turning 20! Celebrate our 20th year by challenging yourself to accomplish 20 things on this list:

1. Go drink a beer at Deschutes Brewery. The Land Trust was founded there! Send us your picture.
2. Take a hike along Whychus Creek. Get to know the creek that has been a focus of our work for 20 years.
3. Take a photo of your favorite spot at a Land Trust Preserve and post it on our Facebook Page or email it to us. 
4. Spot a bird at Camp Polk Meadow Preserve's Hindman Springs. The Preserve is a birding hot spot with more than 160 species observed.
5. Take a photo of the scenic views at Indian Ford Meadow Preserve. Did you know this was the first Land Trust’s Preserve?
6. Count how many spring wildflowers you can find at Whychus Canyon Preserve. From the tiny spring gold flowers to showy balsamroot blooms, send us your list!
7. Check out the forests of the Metolius Preserve. Decide whether the ancient ponderosa pines smell like vanilla or butterscotch.
8. Thank a volunteer. The Land Trust is indebted to our team of volunteers for their help conserving the best of Central Oregon.
9. Find a sign of wildlife at a Land Trust Preserve and send us a photo.
10. Find an old juniper that looks like our logo. Send us a picture!
11. Join us for a free, naturalist-led walk or hike. Learn about birds, history, geology and more! It’s a great way to celebrate our 20th year.
12. Explore history at our Preserves. Visit the Hindman Barn, the oldest structure in Deschutes County, or take a walk on the Santiam Wagon Road at Whychus Canyon Preserve.
13. Find a butterfly at the Metolius Preserve. Participants on Butterfly Walks often see more than 15 kinds of butterflies in a couple of hours. How many can you find?
14. Run or volunteer at the Dirty Half Trail Run. Hosted by the Footzone, this event is our biggest fundraiser of the year.
15. Explore Skyline Forest. We continue our work to preserve this important forest and invite you to get to know it on a hike or a bike ride. Send us your best Skyline photos.
16. Go for a paddle down the Deschutes River past the Thomas Preserve. It’s our smallest, most difficult Preserve to find, but makes for a great paddle trip in the summer and fall! Send us your GPS coordinates once you find it.
17. Find fall colors at the Metolius Preserve. From scarlet vine maple to golden larch, find your favorite fall spot and send us a picture of autumn.
18. Take a field journal out to our Preserves and capture your inspiration through writing. Share your work with us and maybe we’ll feature it in an upcoming blog.
19. Introduce a friend to Whychus Canyon Preserve or the Metolius Preserve. Share the work we’re doing to improve the future of Central Oregon.
20. Listen for a woodpecker in one of our Preserve’s pine groves. You can find species like the white-headed woodpecker drumming on dead standing trees, called snags, as they look for their next meal.
21. Dip a toe in Whychus Creek. Through our Campaign for Whychus Creek, we’re working to conserve this regional treasure. Experience this beautiful gem for yourself.
22. Volunteer at a work party. Whether you help clean up our Preserves or pull invasive weeds, volunteering your time is a great way to keep our Preserves in tip-top shape.
23. Paint a picture of a Land Trust Preserve. From watercolor, to oil, to pen and ink, our Preserves are some of the most scenic places in Central Oregon. Then, share your artwork with us!
24. Soak in the silence. Land Trust Preserves are outstanding places to find a bench and enjoy the simple sounds of nature.
25. Hike every Land Trust Preserve trail! Send us your log. The hiker with the most mileage at the end of 2015 wins a prize!