Join Tuula Rebhahn of The Understory Initiative and spend a day during the peak of wildflower season to collect seeds of species that are larval host grasses and nectar flower plants for the Mardon Skipper butterfly. These seeds will serve to restore degraded meadow habitat elsewhere at Vesper Meadow and nearby BLM meadows in the future. The Klamath Mardon Skipper is one of the most imperiled local butterflies in the Cascade-Siskiyou. They are depended on healthy native meadow habitats and only are flying as adult butterflies for 2-4 weeks during late May/ early June.

Requirements: Experience with botanical ID and/or seed collection preferred.

Difficulty: Moderate (< 3 miles hiking, less than 700 ft’ elevation gain, uneven terrain that may be wet at times)
Plants we may collect seed from:
Seablush, Penstemon, Bistort, California oatgrass, Roemer’s fescue, Mule’s ear

Bring:

Sturdy waterproof shoes, layers of clothing and sun protection, waterbottle, snacks and lunch.

Space is limited for this event, please RSVP. Final details will be emailed a week in advance:

Tuula Rebhahn holds BS degrees in Environmental Studies and Journalism from the University of Oregon. She has been an active part of Vesper Meadow Education Program since its launch in 2019. Tuula works with The Understory Initiative as Seed Partnerships & Operations Manager, supporting its seed collection, ecological research and restoration programs as well as co-coordinating Rogue Native Plant Partnership. She loves collecting seed in the wild and sharing the beauty of seed pods with others!