2022 Year in Review (whew!)

Reflecting on 2022: The work and dedication of the Vesper Meadow community proved immense this year. When we set out a vision in 2018, for a diverse community that demonstrated restoration and nature connection, it was hard to believe that it would be this far along in just four years! Looking back now at the last year, we are inspired to grow even more in 2023!

Looking ahead at some new growth and new programs:

  • Growing our youth and adult engagement in holistic landscape restoration projects

  • Building upon existing projects and strategizing with partners for regional restoration beyond Vesper Meadow borders, especially the imperiled species of the region

  • Furthering project goals with the Indigenous Gardens Network for First Food restoration and growing relationships with Siletz and Grand Ronde Tribal partners

  • Developing new programming around the reciprocal human-land relationship for mutual healing

Thank you to all the partner organizations, scientists, students, interns, artists, volunteers, and generous supporters who have come together and made this all possible.

Biggest Accomplishments at Vesper Meadow, 2022

Installing 20 Post Assisted Log Structures for “beaver-based restoration” in Latgawa Creek with volunteers and partners at The Beaver Coalition. Read all about it on the JPR website. Thanks to support from the USFWS Partners Program, Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and the many amazing volunteers that made this happen!

Expanding the team and hiring Stasie Maxwell as the new position of Indigenous Partnership Programs Manager. Stasie hit the ground running in August, bringing her local networks and leadership skills to Vesper Meadow. She has been working with volunteers for a Camas Tending and Management area with the Indigenous Gardens Network, hosting the Traditional Ecological Inquiry Program for Native families this fall, and preparing to launch our Fire Ecology and Cultural Fire curriculum with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz.

Increasing capacity for community gatherings through the creation of a performance stage, outdoor amphitheater, and gathering space. We also had a big push to grow our restoration demonstration gardens in proximity to the gather spaces by planting over 150 native food-plant shrubs and seeding over 50,000 sq ft of meadow area with native grasses and forbs.

Many thanks to the Roundhouse Foundation and tireless volunteers who made this happen. 

Launching our Cultural Fire Inquiry Program with Joseph Scott, a Siletz Tribal Member, Takelma elder, and Cultural Fire Practitioner. In the first of a three-year program, several Native families participated in this day of learning about cultural use of fire on the landscape. Thanks to the Gray Family Foundation for making this possible and for the Oregon Dept. of Forestry for supporting. 

Deepened partnerships with Tribal members who have ancestry in Southern Oregon by developing First Food monitoring and restoration projects. We grew our Cultural Landscapes Program with the Indigenous Gardens Network in which Siletz and Grande Ronde Tribal members initiated mapping of culturally significant plants and the establishment of a Camas restoration and demonstration area at Vesper Meadow. 

Continuing to grow our core education and conservation programming 

Partnering with scientists and land managers for imperiled species conservation. Working the Klamath Bird Observatory for Vesper Sparrow monitoring and life cycle research. Collaborating local biologists and the BLM for Klamath Mardon Skipper surveys and habitat enhancement

  • Collecting data for long-term biological monitoring and before/after restoration survey. Pollard walk butterfly diversity surveys, bird and bumble bee community science engagement, and hydrologic surveys in Latgawa Creek 

  • Mentoring undergraduate student summer intern, Cecilia Greene. Cecilia gained hands-on experience in biological surveys and habitat restoration efforts and is now working on a senior capstone project based on her summer research 

  • Engaging over 120 students and 200 volunteers for over 800 hours of community-powered restoration. We hosted fun, learning experiences throughout the year: Walk, Weed, and Seed, Tour and Tend, & Beaver Days





Jeanine Moy