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permaculture

Biochar Workshop

During this two-day workshop you will learn how charred biomass (biochar) made from non-merchantable woody residue left from logging and pruning can increase soil productivity, promote beneficial soil microbes, reduce wildfire risk, decrease emissions, and slow climate change.

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Join a worldwide movement of generosity this Givin

Join a worldwide movement of generosity this Giving Tuesday! Here are 3 ways you can make an impact at SFI today.

🌿 Share a testimonial: Tell us how SFI has positively impacted you. Whether you've had a transformational learning experience in one of our classes, witnessed your child make a special connection at outdoor school, or have sweet memories of a milestone celebration at the Deer Creek Center - spreading the word is invaluable in supporting SFI's good work.

🌿 Gift a friend or family member a field course: Spread the love for our one of a kind Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion by introducing someone to the fun of learning in the field! Purchasing a class registration or a field course gift certificate are great ways to support SFI's programs AND increase connection and understanding of our unique home in the K-S. (🔗 in bio)

🌿 Make a donation to our yearly appeal: This end-of-year campaign is our organization's largest source of direct donor funding each year. Made up primarily of independent donations of less than $100, this wave of generosity adds up to a huge benefit for our work in environmental education and connection. (🔗 in bio)

Witch’s Butter (Tremella aurantia) parasitizes o

Witch’s Butter (Tremella aurantia) parasitizes or eats Stereum hirsutum (False Turkey Tail), although often this may be hard to see as the jelly fungus completely consumes its host. Though it can grow year round, it is most commonly found in autumn and winter.
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This fungus is a striking golden-yellow to orange, with a gelatinous fruit body that grows in waves or ripples. Its genus name means trembling, a reference to the wobbly-jelly-like structure of fungi within this grouping. Also Called Witch’s Butter and Golden Ear, the deeper orange Dacrymyces chrysospermus grows throughout the year on conifer wood.

✨ Thank you to SFI instructor John Roth for compiling this and other phenological notes about the K-S bioregion! ✨
#nature #gooutside #southernoregon #siskiyoufieldinstitute #phenology

We are overjoyed to share that Takelma Creek is on

We are overjoyed to share that Takelma Creek is once again flowing free thanks to the successful removal of the concrete diversion dam that has impeded its course for over 70 years.

Takelma Creek flows through SFI property and adjacent BLM land, before joining Deer creek and flowing into the Illinois River. The 13-foot tall, 70-foot-wide concrete dam has long prevented Steelhead trout and Coho salmon from accessing nearly 3.5 miles of habitat upstream of the barrier. Thanks to its removal and the replacement of several fish-blocking culverts, including the one under Illinois River Road, fish are now able to access important freshwater feeding and spawning sites after their long migration from the ocean. This dramatically improves the strength and climate resiliency of these habitats, as well as the water quality in the creek and the waterways it joins downstream.

Thank you to our partners at WaterWatch of Oregon for their integral help in coordinating the dam removal agreement and plan, and @riverdesigngroup for engineering and managing the creek and riparian area restoration. This vital project marks a significant leap forward in our aquatic restoration efforts, which not only embodies our commitment to conservation but also showcases our dedication to fostering a thriving ecosystem in the Rogue Basin.

On the horizon, our restoration efforts will be focused on the 140-acre retired pasturelands along Deer Creek, where we are in the preliminary stages of designing a restoration plan to return the land back to its original habitat functions. Stay tuned for more news on this exciting next undertaking!

#TakelmaCreek #salmon #southernoregon #illinoisvalley #siskiyoufieldinstitute

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at SFI! By the

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at SFI!

By the Pleistocene era, the turkey genus had M. gallopavo (today's Wild Turkey), and M. californica, a now extinct turkey. Beginning about 11,500 years ago, a dramatic drop of precipitation to well below modern precipitation levels would have concentrated the Californian Turkey around limited roost sites and water supplies. This may have allowed Native Americans to hunt them to extinction. However, there is no evidence that any turkey species was present in the Klamaths prior to M. gallopavo’s introduction as a game animal in the last two centuries. The lack of native tales about turkeys supports this view. Wild Turkey were only recently introduced into parts of Oregon K-S and they only became abundant around the turn of the century.

Not all Wild Turkeys sport the classic chestnut look. They also come in four limited-edition colors, or morphs: smoke, red, black, and white. These rare turkey varieties are caused by genetic mutations passed from one generation to the next. This heredity means that certain morphs can become more abundant in certain regions, wherever the genetic variants arise.

White and Black versions are caused by albinism and melanism, conditions which occur in many animals. Melanistic Wild Turkeys overproduce the pigment melanin, making them jet black in color—the gothest turkey out there. Rarer, though, are albinos, a condition marked by white skin and feathers along with light pink or red eyes. Seeing an albino turkey would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience: It's estimated that only 1 in 100,000 Wild Turkeys is albino. Their eye-catching plumage also puts them at greater risk of an early demise. Those birds do not have a high level of fitness because they do not have the natural coloration and the camouflage that has been evolved over time.

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Source: https://www.audubon.org/news/wild-fact-about-wild-turkeys-they-come-cornucopia-colors

✨ Thank you to SFI instructor John Roth for compiling this and other phenological notes about the K-S bioregion! ✨
#nature #gooutside #southernoregon #siskiyoufieldinstitute #phenology

The Pacific Treefrog or Chorus Frog (Pseudacris re

The Pacific Treefrog or Chorus Frog (Pseudacris regilla) is the smallest and most commonly seen and heard frog in the Klamath-Siskiyous. They are native in the Pacific Northwest from Northern California all the way to extreme Southern Alaska. Breeding and egg-laying occurs between November and July, depending on the location.
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A study conducted in Washington concluded that the frog has control over and can change its hue, color, and lightness within minutes. This color change likely evolved as a mechanism to allow rapid background matching as a tree frog moves from one place to another. Pacific treefrogs can present in a range of color morphs including green, brown, tan, and gray. Despite this variety of possible colors, a dark brown eye stripe reaching from nose to shoulder is a reliable way to identify these tiny amphibians.

✨ Thank you to SFI instructor John Roth for compiling this and other phenological notes about the K-S bioregion! ✨
#nature #gooutside #southernoregon #siskiyoufieldinstitute #phenology

🌟 The Power of Monthly Giving!🌟 Did you kno

🌟 The Power of Monthly Giving!🌟

Did you know that small, consistent actions can create a big impact? That's the magic of monthly giving to SFI!

By becoming a monthly donor you're providing sustained support that allows us to plan ahead, fund critical projects, and make a lasting difference through our work here in the Illinois Valley.

Imagine the ripple effect of your monthly gift - it adds up to create real and lasting change!

Click here to learn more! www.thesfi.org/donate

Important information

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 9 AM-4 PM,
Friday 9 AM-12 PM. Closed Wednesday.

(541) 597-8530

1241 Illinois River Rd.
Selma, OR 97538

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