It has been an exciting time for wildflower surveying in and around the Rogue Valley. My partner and I are reaching a lull period where we wait for the plants in the locations we have scouted to go to seed. Through scouting locations and surveying for botanicals we have discovered a number of incredibly scenic hikes, of which one of our favorites is the Enchanted Forest Trail in the Applegate Valley. If you happen to visit or live in the area and have not been on this trail, check it out!

This week we have had the fantastic opportunity to help a crew of professional and amateur botanists survey French Flat in Cave Junction, OR for the rare and endangered plant Lomatium cookii. This has proven to be a very rewarding experience. We have had the opportunity to work with this rare plant while also scouting the surrounding area for suitable populations for voucher pressings and seed collection. Very knowledgeable researchers for the project took us on naturalist hikes to become even better acquainted with the flora of the region.

Also while waiting for our populations to seed, next week we will be photographing plant vouchers here at the Medford BLM office to help digitize their herbarium and link all of the images to their plant database!

All in all we have been learning TONS of previously unfamiliar flora while enjoying the last bit of Spring here in southern Oregon. If you haven’t been out here in the spring time, I highly recommend it. There is always more to see!

Take it easy,

– Jason Wilson