Finally, after a century of fire suppression, finally, a healing 32-acre managed grassland burn returned to the Rogue River Preserve on October 18, 2025. But it took some perseverance to make it happen. We are tremendously grateful for the professional crew from Grayback Forestry Inc. who conducted the burn and for all the preserve’s neighbors who provided input.
On our first visit to Eight Dollar Mountain near Cave Junction, we were greeted by the red brilliance of blooming Vollmer’s lily, the strange beauty of carnivorous cobra-lilies, and the flash of dragonflies and butterflies. From this colorful wetland, the view stretched south to the sparkling Illinois River. Now, this remarkable 71-acre site is permanently protected as Southern Oregon Land Conservancy’s newest preserve: Cobra-lily Springs.
Moles are small and objectively cute mammals in the family Talpidae, a group best known for the raised tunnels and molehills they create in soil. These misunderstood velvet potatoes are often considered garden pests, although moles play an important ecological role in the environment and possess remarkable adaptations for life underground.
If you ever peer into a half-rotted log you might be so lucky to find a slippery pair of eyes staring back at you. If you’re extremely lucky those eyes could belong to a Pacific giant salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus). Usually seen wriggling through woody debris or eating a mildly toxic banana slug, these marbled beauties are found throughout western Oregon.
Southern Oregon Land Conservancy is hosting a Free Nature Pub Talk titled, “Snakes: Natural History and Conservation” on Wednesday, March 25, from 6pm to 7:30pm at Art Bop Beer Co in Talent (102 Talent Avenue). The goal of the Nature Pub Talk Series is to foster connections to the local natural world.
Join us in April for our Open Lands Day at the beautiful Rogue River Preserve!
Our Annual Member Picnic is right around the corner!
Join us in June for Open Lands Day at the beautiful Rogue River Preserve.
Join us in October for Open Lands Day at the beautiful Rogue River Preserve!
Nature Talks on YouTube
Enjoy recordings of our past Nature Talks. Each event has multiple presenters. From our local national trails, to new SOLC conserved lands, to special species, to tracking animals in the snow - you’ll gain knowledge to impress all your friends.
Moles are small and objectively cute mammals in the family Talpidae, a group best known for the raised tunnels and molehills they create in soil. These misunderstood velvet potatoes are often considered garden pests, although moles play an important ecological role in the environment and possess remarkable adaptations for life underground.
If you would like to join this volunteer group eccentrically self-labeled as Cuckoos looking for Cuckoos, please contact Myco Schroeder, SOLC’s Education and Engagement Specialist, at myco@landconserve.org.
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84 Fourth Street (office)
PO Box 954
Ashland, OR 97520
info@landconserve.org
541.482.3069
