FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Celebrate Great Outdoors Month with Oregon Wild’s Summer Hiking Series

Oregon Wild Summer outings explore places in need of protection

Explore the places you love with the people who know them best as part of Oregon Wild's annual summer hike series sponsored by KEEN Footwear.

Thanks to KEEN Footwear for their sponsorship of Oregon Wild Summer 2012.

Following an official presidential proclamation naming June “Great Outdoors Month,” the conservation group Oregon Wild is inviting Oregonians to hit the trail this summer as part of Oregon Wild Summer presented by KEEN Footwear. Outings start June 14 with opportunities to explore Oregon’s wild places extending into September on over 15 outdoor adventures. Hikers won’t just enjoy the scenery, they’ll learn first hand about the effort to protect Oregon’s vanishing wilderness.

Sign up for hikes at www.oregonwild.org/about/hikes_events.

In announcing June as “Great Outdoors Month,” President Obama said:

“During Great Outdoors Month, we celebrate our long legacy of environmental stewardship and resolve to preserve clean and healthy outdoor spaces for generations to come.”

Oregon Wild Summer works to inspire stewardship of Oregon’s wildlands through outdoor adventures for people of all ages and interests, including an easygoing hike to Memaloose Lake in July and an exploration of Opal Creek’s ancient forests in August. All of the hikes are rated according to difficulty (Easy, Moderate, or Strenuous), allowing participants to choose the hike that best matches their abilities. More rugged hikes are five miles or longer.

“Oregon Wild Summer is primarily about doing what we all love to do – get outside and enjoy the amazing state we live in,” said Sean Stevens, Oregon Wild Executive Director. “We’ve found over the years that the more people have a chance to connect with special places across the state, the more inclined we all are to make sure we do our part to protect those unique places.”

While all Oregon Wild Summer outings provide a great chance to see water, wildlife and wildlands, some have a specific ecological focus. Celebrated naturalist Wendell Wood will lead three wildflower identification hikes around Mount Hood in June as well as a special campout to Signal Buttes the weekend of June 29 – July 1 and a service trip to Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in July. The summer culminates with two trips to the proposed Crater Lake Wilderness at beginning of September.

All hikes are free and open to the general public, with a suggested donation to Oregon Wild. To find out more about joining Oregon Wild, contact membership@oregonwild.org or call 503.283.6343 ext 213.

Oregon Wild thanks KEEN Footwear for their generous support of Oregon Wild Summer 2012. To find out more go to:
www.oregonwild.org/about/hikes_events/oregon-wild-summer-2012

Hikes by Location

All hikes are free with a suggested donation.

Portland area:

Multnomah Basin to Multnomhah Falls Wildflower Hike (6/14)
Angel's Rest Wildflower & Plant ID Hike (6/16)
Salmon River Wildflower & Plant ID Hike (6/18)
Tilly Jane - Cloud Cap Saddle (6/23)
Molalla River Rooster Rock Hike (6/24)
Memaloose Lake Family Hike (7/14)
Tamanawas Falls Tree ID Hike (7/21)
Fifteen Mile Creek Tree ID Hike (7/27)
Boulder Lake Hike (8/11)
Opal Creek Ancient Forest Hike (8/24)

Salem area:

Molalla River Rooster Rock Hike (6/24)
Crabtree Valley Hike (8/4)
Opal Creek Ancient Forest Hike (8/24)

Eugene area:

Lookout Creek Old-Growth Hike (6/17)
Signal Buttes Campout & Wildflower Hikes (6/29-7/1)
Tire Mountain Hike (7/9)
Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Work Trip (7/20-7/22)
Crabtree Valley Hike (8/4)
Rogue Divide Wilderness Hike (9/8)
Mt. Bailey Summit Adventure (9/9)

Southern Oregon:

Signal Buttes Campout & Wildflower Hikes (6/29-7/1)
Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Work Trip (7/20-7/22)
Rogue Divide Wilderness Hike (9/8)
Mt. Bailey Summit Adventure (9/9)

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