* Thursday, July 14th, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm. Emerald Chapter Summer Picnic. Come join the Emerald Chapter Board in a summer get-together to visit with friends and brainstorm ideas for presentation and field trips in the 2022-2023 season. We'll meet in the grassy area just south of where we meet for meetings at the Amazon Community Center (where they do Shakespeare in the Park). Bring a picnic dinner. The Chapter will provide dessert from Sweet Life. Sign up here by July 12.

* Saturday, June 25th, 9AM – 5PM. Bristow Prairie. Leader: Tanya Harvey. Bristow Prairie is an area of great diversity in the Calapooya Mountains. The little-used High Divide trail runs south through old-growth forest, meadows and wetlands, and crosses a gorgeous south-facing rocky slope that is filled with colorful flowers in June and July before reaching Bristow Prairie. Depending upon the conditions and what is in bloom, we may follow the trail or we may start at the prairie and wander over to the rock garden area after looking at the multitude of interesting plants growing along the roadside. Meet at South Eugene High School parking lot (19th and Patterson) at 9:00 am to carpool. Bring lunch and water and be prepared for off-trail walking. For more info, including trip reports and a plant list, visit this website. Sign up here.

* Saturday, July 16th, 9AM – 5PM. Blair Lake. Leaders: Jenny Lippert and Sarah Uebel. A beautiful area to see multiple habitats and high species diversity in approximately 2.5 miles round trip. We'll focus on the large meadow complex that surrounds the lake but may climb up the trail for views and additional species if we have time. Meet at South Eugene High School parking lot (19th and Patterson) at 9:00 am to carpool. Bring lunch, water, hiking boots, sunscreen and hat. Sign up here.

* Saturday, August 6th, 8AM – 7PM. Oregon Dunes Restoration. Leaders: Armand Rebishke and Dina Pavlis. Hike the John Dellenback Trail and see what the Siuslaw National Forest is up to with dunes restoration. This area is a 'preserve the best' unit, meaning it has an abundance of native dunes plants – adapted to open sand conditions reminiscent of historic dunes conditions before the planting and expansion of European beachgrass, brooms and other invasive species. We’ll see seashore bluegrass, sand fescue and bearberry plant associations among other native dunes species. The sand boundary was treated during late summer 2020 by cutting and wiping Scotch broom, spraying European beachgrass, and cutting small shorepines. Meet at south Eugene High School (19th and Patterson St.) at 8:00 am to carpool or at Dellenback Trail (just south of Eel Creek Campground, ~11 miles south of Hwy 101 and 38 junction in Reedsport) parking lot at 10:30 am. Hike will be approximately 3 miles round trip (it is an out and back trail). Sand dunes hiking can be strenuous, windy, and chilly. Bring water, lunch and sun coverage. Sign up here.

*PLEASE NOTE* - You can watch Emerald Chapter's recent program on how to use the iNaturalist app here. You can also view other previously recorded NPSO Emerald Chapter Programs here.