Siskiyou Crest Coalition Fundraiser at Troon Vineyard

For a full schedule of events and more information please go to the event webpage at: https://siskiyoucrestcoalition.org/fundraiser/

1:00-2:30pm To W**d or Not to W**d?!: A W**d Identification workshop for native plant

gardeners, farmers, landowners, habitat restoration, and everyone! Hosted by Kristina

Lefever and Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, and featuring retired Forest Service botanist

Barbara Mumblo, and Suzie Savoie from Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds.

Wondering about the grasses and other plants in your native plant landscape? Join Suzie and Barb for a walking workshop in Troon’s beautiful vineyard and native plant pollinator garden. Bring camera and way to collect plant samples, perhaps a notebook. This workshop supports the Siskiyou Crest Coalition’s efforts to preserve the amazingly diverse Siskiyou Crest region.

2:30-3:00pm Butterfly viewing and identification with butterfly expert Linda Kappen

Join Linda as she nets butterflies in the flower gardens at Troon Vineyard, for safe viewing and learning, and then release. Linda will describe the various species seen along the way, and provide information about their life histories and ecology.

Linda leads butterfly hikes and official butterfly surveys in the Siskiyou Mountains, Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, Sampson Creek Preserve, Cascade Siskiyou National Monument and on land managed by Southern Oregon Land Conservancy. In her spare time, she can be found exploring backcountry meadows with her butterfly net in hand.

3:00-3:30pm Speaker: Pepper Trail

"Meet Me at the Crossroads: Celebrating the Natural Wonders of the Siskiyou Crest"

Pepper Trail is well-known in southern Oregon as a naturalist, poet, and writer. He has been active in many regional environmental efforts, particularly the establishment and expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. His collection of Cascade-Siskiyou poems was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award in 2016. When not pursuing birds, wildflowers, and bumble bees in southern Oregon, he leads natural history expeditions around the world.

3:30-4:15pm Tour of Troon Vineyard and Farm with Troon's Director of Agriculture, Garett Long

Tour description: Troon Vineyard is Oregon’s only Demeter Biodynamic and Regenerative Organic Certified® winery and farm. Our educational farm tour will include views of our cider apple orchard, vegetable garden, food forest, pastures, new solar array, vermicompost bin and compost tea brewers, re-wilded honeybees, sheep, dogs, and, of course, vineyards. The tour will be on foot, so please wear shoes or sandals (no heels).

Garett is a farmer and soil scientist who believes healing the planet is in parallel with healing the human spirit. He spent five formative years practicing biodynamic/regenerative agriculture at Apricot Lane Farms (see: “The Biggest Little Farm” documentary) before leaving to pursue his M.S. in Soils & Biogeochemistry from the University of California-Davis. Since 2021, he has served as the Director of Agriculture at Troon Vineyard & Farm.

4:15-5:00pm Tour of the Troon Vineyard Native Plant and Pollinator Botanical Garden with Suzie Savoie from Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds

See up to 94 species of native plants all in one beautiful location!

In December 2020 Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds installed a half-acre native plant and pollinator botanical garden at Troon Vineyard in the Applegate Valley.

To date, 94+ species of native plants have been established in the garden, primarily from direct seeding, with some native planting from nursery plants. With paths and plant signs to guide you through the botanical garden, and views out towards the Applegate foothills and Grayback Mountain, the Troon Vineyard Native Plant Botanical Garden provides an easy and delightful place to learn about native plants, pollinators, and a demonstration about how to incorporate more native plants into the farm and vineyard setting.

Suzie Savoie of Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds will walk tour participants through the paths of the botanical garden, providing detailed information for various species along the way.

5:00-6:00pm Dinner, music and speakers

Dinner will feature artisan pizza by Chef Carl Krause of Wilder Cooking, plus salad, Troon Vineyard wine, and delectable desserts.

Dinner will be located under the shade of Oregon white oak trees, in the lawn area behind the Troon Vineyard tasting room, with the vineyard and mountains in view.

Whimsical country blues and folk music with Scott Knickerbocker

Scott Knickerbocker writes original songs that move one to re-see the world as wondrous.

Speaker: Kristi Mergenthaler

"The Siskiyou Crest & Me"

Kristi Mergenthaler is the stewardship director with Southern Oregon Land Conservancy where she helps to conserve and care for non-federal preserves and conservation easements. She also serves as a member representative for Terrafirma, a conservation defense insurance fund for land trusts of the United States. She volunteers with Siskiyou Chapter Native Plant Society of Oregon, Rogue Valley Audubon Society, and Talent Food Project. Kristi fell deeply in love with the Siskiyou Crest while doing graduate botany work, and Big Red Mountain is her favorite place in the world.

Speaker: Luke Ruediger

“The Siskiyou Crest: Putting Love into Action”

Luke Ruediger grew up in southwest Oregon and began exploring the region’s unique habitat and terrain at an early age. Fascinated by the region’s beauty and diversity, Luke has long worked to preserve, restore, and protect the ecological integrity of the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains, through both environmental activism and land stewardship. Luke is the author of The Siskiyou Crest: Hikes, History & Ecology, a hiking and natural history guide to the Siskiyou Mountains of southwest Oregon and northwest California. He also writes a blog about the Siskiyou Mountains and other regional land-based topics titled, the Siskiyou Crest: Observations, Comments & Perspectives. Luke is Executive Director of Applegate Siskiyou Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to the conservation of the Applegate River watershed and Siskiyou Crest region in southwest Oregon and northwest California and he also runs the Siskiyou Office of Klamath Forest Alliance, where he acts as the Siskiyou Conservation Director monitoring public land management activities, running campaigns and advocating for habitats throughout the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains.

Open mic for SCC supporting organizations

Cheryl Bruner from Williams Community Forest Project, Bucky Dennerlein from Great Old Broads for Wilderness, and representatives from other Siskiyou Crest Coalition supporting organizations will speak about the importance of the Siskiyou Crest, and why we need to protect it!

6:00-7:00pm Music and socializing

The following organizations will be participating in this event, and will have tables and other information to share about their work!

Supporting Organizations

Siskiyou Chapter, Native Plant Society of Oregon

Applegate Siskiyou Alliance

Great Old Broads for Wilderness

Williams Community Forest Project

Wellington Wildlands Council

Southern Oregon Land Conservancy

Rooted in Hope

The Crest at Willow Witt

Also check out other Workshops in Grants Pass, Arts events in Grants Pass, Literary Art events in Grants Pass.