The Land Trust is turning 20! Celebrate our 20th year by challenging yourself to accomplish 20 things on this list:
- Go drink a beer at Deschutes Brewery. The Land Trust was founded there! Send us your picture.
- Take a hike along Whychus Creek. Get to know the creek that has been a focus of our work for 20 years.
- Take a photo of your favorite spot at a Land Trust Preserve and post it on our Facebook Page or email it to us.
- Spot a bird at Camp Polk Meadow Preserve's Hindman Springs. The Preserve is a birding hot spot with more than 160 species observed.
- Take a photo of the scenic views at Indian Ford Meadow Preserve. Did you know this was the first Land Trust’s Preserve?
- 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!
- Check out the forests of the Metolius Preserve. Decide whether the ancient ponderosa pines smell like vanilla or butterscotch.
- Thank a volunteer. The Land Trust is indebted to our team of volunteers for their help conserving the best of Central Oregon.
- Find a sign of wildlife at a Land Trust Preserve and send us a photo.
- Find an old juniper that looks like our logo. Send us a picture!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
- Run or volunteer at the Dirty Half Trail Run. Hosted by the Footzone, this event is our biggest fundraiser of the year.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Introduce a friend to Whychus Canyon Preserve or the Metolius Preserve. Share the work we’re doing to improve the future of Central Oregon.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- Soak in the silence. Land Trust Preserves are outstanding places to find a bench and enjoy the simple sounds of nature.
- Hike every Land Trust Preserve trail! Send us your log. The hiker with the most mileage at the end of 2015 wins a prize!