Cascade Geographic Society's 
WINTER 2002 Classes
(Graduate & Undergraduate cooperative Education Classes through Portland State University)

Payment Notice: Please note regarding payment for classes: make out one check (to P.S.U.) or pay with your credit card. You need to do this separately for each class. Check or credit card must be processed through Cascade Geographic Society, and must be received prior to the second class date . Payments not received by then may delay official registration and credit/grade. Please call (503) 622-4798 (Michael) or (503) 658-6233 (Nita) for information or registration.

Important Notice: Participants must be prepared to begin on time and bring the following: sack lunch & snacks; $10 for museum  admissions or tour fees, if needed; extra money in case of emergencies; proper dress
and shoes to fit the weather conditions & season. Optional: camera & film.

Print Out Registration Form

CLASSES:

Editing to be done soon (sorry for the mess below)
 

(New as of 1/01) Sacred Landscapes:  Heritage Buttes & NATURAL Areas of East PortlanD  -- 1 Credit

Graduate -- CRN: K3285CU; CI: 810/Undergraduate -- CRN: K3285CG; CI: 410

Instructor:  Michael P. Jones, M.S.                                                                       Fee:  $117

Dates, Times, & Meeting Places:  Jan. 8 (Tues.), 6-9 p.m. -- Midland Library, 805 S.E. 122nd, Portland, OR.; & Jan. 12 (Sat.), 10-5:30 p.m. -- meet in the parking lot north of Home Depot at Mall 205, S.E. 102nd & Washington, Portland, OR.  (Cost includes all material fees!)  

      The landscape that makes up East Portland contains a number of special buttes and natural areas which represent a wealth of Native American history ignored by both historians and naturalists, who look upon these "greenspaces" as having little or no multi-cultural educational value.  These are heritage sites that  represent traditional Native American cultural and religious practices, not to mention oral history.  Participants will explore these special places and learn of the indigenous way-of-life, cultural practices, and oral traditions of these First People and their natural landscape of the past 10,000-plus years.  Participants will visit a variety of these cultural and natural sites, including Indian Rock, Oak Bottom, Powell Butte, Kelly Butte, Mount Tabor, Mount Scott, and Beggar Tick Marsh, in addition to traveling sections of several historic indigenous trails.  Also examined will be the laws that protect archaeological, cultural, and historical sites; the politics of protecting sacred sites; and methods to evaluate natural sites for cultural heritage, such as wetlands, riparian areas, rock outcroppings, meadows, etc.  Integrating this information back into the classroom learning environment and how to  strengthen your science curriculums with history, geography, public-speaking and literature is also a focus of this course.

 

 

(New as of 1/01) Old Vancouver:  Heritage Forts, Frontier Oral Traditions, Oregon Trail and Native American Settlements  -- 1 Credit

Graduate -- CRN: K3284CU; CI: 810/Undergraduate -- CRN: K3284CG; CI: 410

Instructor:  Michael P. Jones, M.S.                                                                       Fee:  $122

Dates, Times, & Meeting Places:  Jan. 9 (Wed.), 6-9 p.m. -- Midland Library, 805 S.E. 122nd, Portland, OR.; & Jan. 13 (Sun.), 10-5:30 p.m. -- meet in the parking lot north of Home Depot at Mall 205, S.E. 102nd & Washington, Portland, OR..  (Cost includes all materials, entrance, & tour fees!)

      Old Vancouver is one of the most important heritage sites in not only the State of Washington and the Pacific Northwest, but the entire Old Oregon Country that stretched from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, and from San Francisco Bay north to Alaska.  This settlement possessed a rich heritage that represented a diverse number of cultures and lifestyles -- Native American to Hawaiian, to Hudson Bay Company and American fur trade, and to the Oregon Trail and pioneer settlement, as well as early-day military history that evolved into the era of the first flying machines to the shipyards of world wars.  This class explores the way of life of the Native Americans in this locale, the history  of the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver, the Oregon Trail, Officer's Row, Vancouver Barracks, Pearson Air Park, and the Kaiser Shipyards, through some unique interpretative tours that take the participants directly to these important sites where history was made and is now being preserved.  Visit Fort Vancouver, the First Apple Tree Memorial, Officers Row, and the new General O.O. Howard Museum, as well as other places of living history and museums. 

 

 

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(New as of 1/01) Exploring Historic troutdale,Wood Village, & Fairview  -- 1 Credit

Graduate -- CRN: K3286CU; CI: 810/Undergraduate -- CRN: K3286CG; CI: 410

Instructor:  Michael P. Jones, M.S.                                                                       Fee:  $122

Dates, Times, & Meeting Places:  Jan. 22 (Tues.), 6-9 p.m. -- Rockwood Library, 17917 S.E. Stark, Portland, OR.; & Jan. 26 (Sat.), 10-5:30 p.m., in the parking lot in front of Mikasa at Columbia Gorge Outlet Stores, Troutdale, OR.  (Cost includes all materials, entrance, & tour fees!) 

The Oregon Trail emigrants began settling three areas near the Columbia River in East Multnomah County beginning in the 1850's.  1n 1855, Fairview became one of the newest towns in the Oregon Territory.  In 1880, a short distance to the west, a portion of land at the mouth of the Sandy River became known as Troutdale.  However, it wasn't until 1951 that the area between these two towns, Wood Village, officially was incorporated.  All three towns have a rich multi-cultural history that is awaiting exploration.  Beginning with the area's first inhabitants -- the Native Americans -- participants will learn about this fascinating area that was utilized by indigenous people for over 10,000-plus years,  then the coming of the Euro-Americans, the fur traders and Mountain Men, the missionaries, and then the Oregon Trail emigrants and early-day settlers.  This class explores the history of Old Troutdale,  Fairview, and Wood Village from their Native American Heritage to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, to the Steamboat era and poor farm, and even the role of Salmon fishing.  The participants in this class will visit important historical sites and natural areas which will allow educators an opportunity to gather information for developing teaching units and strengthening their curriculums.

 

 

(New as of 1/01) Ghosts of the Steamboats:  Exploring the Willamette RiverÕs Forgotten Heritage  -- 1 Credit

Graduate -- CRN: K3283CU; CI: 810/Undergraduate -- CRN: K3283CG CI: 410

Instructor:  Michael P. Jones, M.S.                                                                       Fee:  $117

Dates, Times, & Meeting Places:  Jan. 29 (Tues.), 6-9 p.m. -- Rockwood Library, 17917 S.E. Stark, Portland, OR.; & Feb 2 (Sat.), 10-5:30 p.m. -- meet outside in front of the Carnegie Art Center, 606 John Adams, Oregon City, OR.   (Cost includes all material & entrance fees!)

           Remnant-traces of the once-great steamboats still occupy portions of the changing landscape of the Willamette River.  From the quiet landings to the bustling cities and towns to the out-of-the-way places identified by stacks of cordwood where paddle-wheelers and side-wheelers purchased their fuel, this history is still here awaiting discovery.  In the past, these riverboats would blow their whistles to signal their stop at a host of landings where they would deliver mail, take aboard passengers, and  pick up or distribute needed supplies to isolated farms, communities, and towns, as well as to haul aboard agricultural goods destined for the marketplace.   This class will take you back to those times when these flat-bottomed vessels would Òblow for the landingÓ in what was then known as the ÒNew EdenÓ, and escort participants to the remnants of a fascinating history just waiting to be rediscovered.  This educational excursion will take the participants to the former sites of steamboat landings, the places where they were constructed, and to the settlements that were not only built by the steamboat traffic but depended upon them for their survival.  This class will allow participants to

develop some unique sources to enhance their learning units and curriculums by integrating history, science, storytelling, and literature.

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(New as of 1/01) Exploring Historic Silverton, Silver Creek Falls, & New Oregon Gardens  -- 1 Credit

Graduate -- CRN: K3281CU; CI: 810/Undergraduate -- CRN: K3281CG; CI: 410

Instructor:  Michael P. Jones, M.S.                                                                       Fee:  $122

Dates, Times, & Meeting Places:  Feb. 5 [Tues.), 6-9 p.m. -- Rockwood Library, 17917 S.E. Stark, Portland, OR.; & Feb. 9 (Sat.), 10-5:30 p.m. -- meet outside the Carnegie Art Center, 606 John Adams, Oregon City, OR.    (Cost includes all material & entrance fees!)

          Silverton and the nearby Silver Creek Falls are located along an ancient Native American trail and have a rich multi-cultural heritage that has been rarely recognized.  From its beginnings as cultural and religious sites  utilized by indigenous people for over 10,000 years before the coming of the Euro-Americans, to its later-day Hudson's Bay Company, Oregon Trail, and gold rush history, this area of settlement, agriculture, and timber became a "key" in the link between the Willamette Valley and California.  When this crude path became designated as a Territorial Road, overland stages arrived and established a route that crossed over Waldo Hills to Lebanon, Brownsville, Coburg, and Eugene, eventually passing through a "gap" in the Calapooya Mountains and then reaching to destinations far beyond.  Today, another history is being made by the New Oregon Gardens, which features 150 acres of native vegetation and some unique natural landscapes. Participants in this class will visit important historical sites and natural areas in Silverton, which will allow educators an opportunity to gather information for developing teaching units and strengthening their curriculums.

 

(New as of 2//01) Oregon Trail Settlements & Paths:  Heritage Sites From Mt. Hood To Oregon City  -- 1 Credit

Graduate -- CRN: K3282CU; CI: 810/Undergraduate -- CRN: K3282CG; CI: 410

Instructor:  Michael P. Jones, M.S.                                                                       Fee:  $117

Dates, Times, & Meeting Places:  Feb. 6 (Wed.), 6-9 p.m. -- Midland Library, 805 S.E. 122nd, Portland, OR.; & Feb 10 (Sun.), 10-5:30 p.m. -- meet at "Stage Stop Road Interpretative Center", 24525 E. Welches Rd., Village of Welches, OR.    (Cost includes all material fees!)

                The rich heritage of trails from Mt. Hood to Oregon City resembles a frayed rope that dates back over 11,000 years, first utilized by the Native Americans, then the fur traders, the Oregon Trail emigrants, and early-day settlers.  These important historic paths extend from the Mountain's western foothills into the Willamette Valley and far beyond.  The stories behind these unique and historical thoroughfares provide a rich multi-cultural history featuring indigenous people, the Mountain Men, the Oregon Trail and the Barlow Trail, and other pioneer users.  This class provides participants with the opportunity to follow both the well-known and little-known paths of history by visiting campsites, stream crossings, pioneer settlements, former villages, graveyards and final resting sites, and natural areas utilized by the First People.  From this "passage" through the Cascade Mountains to the ÒNew EdenÓ, this unique class will follow the old wagon roads on both the north and south side of the Sandy River, and view firsthand the places where Native Americans traveled as well as the great historical  migration of white emigrants who traversed through a rugged and unforgiving landscape of the Cascades.   An ideal way to learn how to integrate

  history, storytelling, science, and literature together, and how to incorporate this information back into your classroom learning environment, as well as to develop new ideas to enhance curriculums.

 

 

 

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(New as of Summer of 2001!)  Portland Underground:  Maritime History of the Infamous Shanghai Tunnels --- 1 Credit

Graduate -- CRN: K3289CU; CI: 810/Undergraduate -- CRN: K3289CG CI: 410

Instructor:  Michael P. Jones, M.S.                                                                       Fee:  $137

Dates, Times, & Meeting Places:  Feb. 19 (Tues.), 6-9 p.m. -- Rockwood Library, 17917 S.E. Stark, Portland, OR.; & Feb 23 (Sat.), 10-5:30 p.m. -- meet in the parking lot north of Home Depot at Mall 205, S.E. 102nd & Washington, Portland, OR.  [SPECIAL NOTE:  This class incvludes dinner at a former shanghai joint.  You pay the tip and we take care of the rest!]   (Cost includes all material & entrance fees!)

      The "Portland Underground", more popularly known as the "Shanghai Tunnels", represents a little-known maritime history not found in the history books.  Hidden in darkness and within the the cloak of corruption, its story is basically unwritten, and provides a glimpse back into the past of the "City of Roses".  During the "heyday" of the shanghaiing trade, unsuspecting men were kidnapped and sold to sea captains, giving Portland the dubious notoriety of being the "worst port in the world".  This class studies this shocking story that is revealed through a series of explorations of catacombs and forgotten darkened basements which represent the remnants of this little-told history of human rights violations at its absolute worst.  From the 1850's to as late as the early 1940's, unsuspecting victims -- most with little or no ties to their families, such as sailors, loggers, sheepherders, cowboys, ranchhands, and other working stiffs -- learned first hand about the "darkness and shadows" of this river town that was wide-open because of its corruption.  Many of these individuals who frequented such places as saloons, gambling parlors, opium dens, and bordellos, would find themselves dropped through trapdoors into basements, where they were held hostage in make-shift cells for a period of time, until they were finally taken through this underground network out to the wharfs and sold to sea captains ready to "set sail" for the Orient.  Once "out to sea", they soon realized that they were just another one of the many victims who were sold for Òblood moneyÓ and made Portland the "Shanghai Capital of the World".  Enrich your curriculums and study units with this fascinating course that takes you into the "Underground" as you explore its incredible secrets.                                             

 

(New as of 2/01) Lighthouses, Winter Storms, & Maritime Folklore of Long Beach Peninsula  -- 1 Credit

Graduate -- CRN: K3288CU; CI: 810/Undergraduate -- CRN: K3288CG; CI: 410

Instructor:  Michael P. Jones, M.S.                                                                       Fee:  $137

Dates, Times, & Meeting Places:  Feb. 26 (Tues.), 6-9 p.m. -- Rockwood Library, 17917 S.E. Stark, Portland, OR.; & March 2 (Sat.), 10-5:30 p.m. -- meet in front of Northwest Maritime Museum, Astoria, OR.   (Cost includes all material & entrance fees!)

          The impressive history of the lighthouses on the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington State represents a rich heritage worthy of preserving for future generations.  This class focuses upon the oral traditions and folklore of this rich

maritime history, on the same landscape as the winter storms that pound this stretch of land on the Pacific Ocean near the "mouth" of the Columbia River.  Held in a historic lighthouse keeper's residence and other historical landmarks, participants will take a step back into time as they explore the 1890 Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and the 1898 North Head Lighthouse, as the tragedies that led to their construction are unveiled through historical interpretations, site visitations, and storytelling.  Here, where the sea meets this "Great River of the West", is what has been long-known as the "Graveyard of Ships" -- an 

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unforgiving place where thousands of ships have sunk and hundreds of people have lost their lives.  Learn about the ocean-going canoes Native Americans utilized on these same treacherous waters for fishing, whaling, and trading long before the coming of the Euro-American explorers, the maritime fur traders, and Eden-seeking white pioneers.   A most unique way to develop various classroom curriculums and units that blend history, environmental science, literature, writing, and even public speaking.

 

(New as of 2/01) Heritage Landmarks, Forts, & Houses of Long Beach Peninsula:  Remnants of Maritime History   -- 1 Credit

Graduate -- CRN: K3287CU; CI: 810/Undergraduate -- CRN: K3287CG; CI: 410

Instructor:  Michael P. Jones, M.S.                                                                       Fee:  $137

Dates, Times, & Meeting Places:  Feb. 27 (Wed.), 6-9 p.m. -- Midland Library, 805 S.E. 122nd, Portland, OR.; & March 3 (Sun.), 10-5:30 p.m. -- meet in front of Ilwaco Heritage Museum, Ilwaco, OR.   (Cost includes all material & entrance fees!)

          Surviving the passage of time, the historical landmarks, forts, and grand old houses of Washington's Long Beach Peninsula represent the remnants of a fascinating maritime heritage just waiting to be explored.   With buildings dating back to the time of the Eden-seeking white emigrants,  forts actually located at sites identified by Lewis and Clark's "Corps of Discovery" during the years 1804-1805, and structures constructed by the sea for the "keepers of lights" (light houses), this is a history that is fading before us as this new century begins.  Participants will learn about these special buildings by actually visiting them and studying their achitecture firsthand.  They will visit Civil War bunkers at Fort Columbia and Fort Canby, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, the Colberg House, the Oysterville Church and Oysterville School, and many other  landmarks scattered from Ilwaco to Ocean Park.  An ideal way to develop new classroom curriculums and units.

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Two Brand New Spring 2002 Classes

For Educators & Their Family & Friends!

 

...Follow in the Wake of the Lewis & Clark "Corps of Discovery"

by Following the Expedition's Route Along the Columbia River

to the Pacific Ocean in the States of Oregon & Washington...

 

ÒLewis & Clark Discovery Journey: 

Heritage Explorations of the Lower Columbia River

To the Pacific Coast"

 

ÒLewis & Clark Discovery Journey: 

Heritage Explorations of the Pacific Coast"

 

May ?th (Saturday) & May ?th (Sunday)

 

Call (503) 622-4798 or email us at

cgsmthood@onemain.com for Information!

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For Further Information About Classes & Tours,

or About the Cascade Geographic Society & its Programs,

Please Contact:

Michael P. Jones or Nita Kreuzer

Cascade Geographic Society

P.O. Box 398

Rhododendron, Oregon  97049

(503) 622-4798

 

WEBSITE:  http://www.members.tripod.com/cgs-mthood

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              ~~~~~ On-Line Communications ~~~~~

 

CHANGES IN THE SCHEDULE, SPECIAL CLASSES, ETC.

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE

 

          The most efficient way to stay posted about classes, any changes in the schedule or updatess, or about any special programs or field trips and field studies opportunities offered by the Cascade Geographic Society, is to check out our website.  You'll generally see the information there first!  Also, to find out more about the organization, what it is and does, what it offers to both the public and to schools,  our family-oriented festivals, tours, etc., please go to our website --- http://www.members.tripod.com/cgs-mthood --- and make your plans early.  For additional information, please give us a call at (503) 622-4798 or email us at cgsmthood@onemain.com.

 

HOW TO GET OUR SCHEDULE EARLY AND EFFICIENTLY

 

          Have our class schedule emailed to you directly!  This will allow you to get the schedule early and be able to prepare your schedule in advance.  E-mailing you our class schedule will help to save trees that would be cut down to make paper.  This is far more reliable than regular mail because this will insure its arrival, plus there is no paper to get chewed up in the temperamental machinery that is used by the U.S. Post Office.  So check out our website --- members.tripod.com/cgs-mthood --- and email us at cgsmthood@onemain.com and we will take care of the rest.  Or, you can call us directly at (503) 622-4798 or drop us a note at P.O. Box 398, Rhododendron, Oregon  97049.

 

WANT OUR SCHEDULE FAXED DIRECTLY TO YOU?

 

          If you would like our class schedule faxed directly to you, please give us a call at (503) 622-4798.  You will be able to receive our schedule faster than the U.S. Mail and be able to make your plans early.

 

 

Learn About Your Own Backyard through Our PSU Classes!  & You Can Even Get Your Spouse Involved! 

Call Us at (503) 622-4798!

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~~~ Tours & Other Special

Educational Programs ~~~

 

TOUR MOUNT HOOD'S INFAMOUS OREGON TRAIL

WITH YOUR CLASS THIS SPRING AND/OR AUTUMN

     

          Through the years, it has become tradition to many schools to visit the Oregon Trail on Mount Hood with the Cascade Geographic Society, and this would be an ideal adventure for you, your class, and parent helpers.  Some come during the Autumn season, while others come in the Spring.  And, there are others who even prefer to walk this historic trail during the Winter season, gaining a very rare perspective. 

            Some schools have elected to come both in the Autumn and Spring so that they can see those areas of the Oregon Trail that are generally closed.  They begin their unit in the Autumn and conclude toward the end of the school year.  The Cascade Geographic Society provides a special timeline so that the progress of the emigrants traveling over Mt. Hood can be followed by the class.  The Spring trip is not only a perfect wrap-up to the unit, but a reward for studying hard and learning about a most intriguing part of the history of the westward movement. 

            Bring history alive by taking advantage of this field trip opportunity where you can follow in the wake of the ÒPrairie SchoonersÓ.  The sites that will be visited during this day-long excursion include emigrant graves and campsites, wagon ruts and swales, primary and secondary routes, tollgates, stream ÒfordsÓ, Summit Prairie, Pioneer Woman's Grave, Devils Half-Acre, Barlow Pass, and much more, including the infamous Big Laurel Hill, where pioneers were forced to lower their covered wagons down over its dangerously-steep cliffs.  This special interpretative tour will be enhanced with multi-cultural stories of the past about the Native Americans, the emigrant travelers, and the African-American pioneers who came West.  This is a very popular field trip so sign-up early and reserve a day or two by calling (503) 622-4798.

 

157th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BARLOW TRAIL

 

            The Autumn of 2002 will mark the 157th Anniversary of the first attempted crossing of Mt. Hood's Oregon Trail, and the 156th Anniversary of the first toll road over the Cascade Mountain Range. Known as the Barlow Trail, this was the final overland link of the Oregon Trail that allowed emigrant travelers a cheaper but far more dangerous alternative to rafting their covered wagons down the Columbia River.  In 1845,  the wagon parties of Samuel Kimbrough Barlow, Joel Palmer, and William Rector joined together and attempted to make the first crossing of the 11,235-foot Mt. Hood by widening an Ancient Indian path.  From mid-September through December, they battled their way through the thick timber of the MountainÕs southern flank, and failed.  They had to cache their ÒPrairie SchoonersÓ and most of their possessions in a crudely-made log cabin, and hiked out.  They didnÕt reach Oregon City until Christmas Day.  The following year Barlow received a charter from the Provisional Government of Oregon and started a toll road which required, amongst other things, lowering their wagons down the steep cliffs of Big Laurel Hill with ropes.  Today, with the expertise of an interpreter with the Cascade Geographic Society, experience this unique and colorful history by visiting emigrant campsites, graves, tollgates, wagon ruts and swales, and even the infamous Big Laurel Hill, the worst section of the 2,000-plus mile Oregon Trail.  Or, study Old-Growth Forests, wetlands, Wild Rivers, Salmon and wildlife habitats,  ethnobotany, environmental issues, and more, all located alongside this historic trail.  Just give us a call at (503) 622-4798 for further information and details.  WeÕll work with you to develop just the right field studies experience for you and your class.

 

 

 

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STEP INTO NATURE THROUGH

ÒMOUNT HOODÕS OLD-GROWTH WILDERNESS ODYSSEYÓ

 

            Experience ÒMt. HoodÕs Old-Growth Wilderness OdysseyÓ with your  class.  Participants will learn about both the Rivers and the Forests in this inter-disciplinary approach that also illustrates how history and culture relates to the natural environment.  Spend the day in a 33-acre Old-Growth Forest, complete with small Lake,  River, Wetlands, and lots of Wildlife and Salmon.  This unique outdoor classroom will allow you to study environmental science, fisheries, social studies, language arts, art, and more.  WeÕll design a program to fit your needs.  Call (503) 622-4798 for details.

 

 

WANT TO TOUR PORTLANDÕS SHANGHAI TUNNELS  WITH YOUR CLASS?

 

            If you would like to explore "Portland Underground"  with your class, make your reservations now.  Limited tours of PortlandÕs infamous underground are available.  The secret history of the Shangahi Tunnels of the ÒCity of RosesÓ is awaiting your discovery and exploration.  This unique tour changes each term as more segments are opened.  For additional information and reservations, please call (503) 622-4798.

 

 

 

HOW YOU AND YOUR CLASS CAN KEEP WILDLIFE  FROM BEING KILLED ON  ROADS

 

            You and your class or organization can assist the Cascade Geographic Society from keeping wildlife from being killed on roads in the Mount Hood Area by sponsoring a ÒWild Animal Warning ReflectorÓ.  These unique devices are placed along roads in wildlife migration corridors and are beneficial to the animals during the high-kill periods, which is between dusk and dawn.  When the light of the on-coming traffic passes this section of road that has the ÒrelectorÓ mounted on a 3-foot post, Deer, Elk, Bear, Cougar, Bobcat, Coyote, Raccoons, and other wild animals will wait until the vehicle(s) pass.  The cost is only $20 a reflector.  This is a great class project.  Every reflector makes a difference.  This is an important and critical fund-raising project!  For additional information how you can help, please call (503) 622-4798.  Or, write: Save Our Wildlife, P.O. Box 398, Rhododendron, OR.  97049.

 

 

ENVIRONMENTAL & OREGON TRAIL PROJECTS IN NEED OF VOLUNTEERS

 

            Last school year, over 350 volunteers from Portland Metropolitan Area schools assisted in restoring the natural environment and sections of the Oregon Trail but much work is left.  If you want to contribute some volunteer time to benefit fish and wildlife, we could surely utilize you.  Many things have contributed to the poor conditions of our Northwest, and we still have fish and wildlife habitats in need of enhancement or restoration.  Help Salmon and wildlife species by lending Cascade Geographic Society a hand.  Project sites range from the Columbia and Willamette Rivers to Mount Hood.  Give Nita Kreuzer, Volunteer Coordinator, a call at (503) 658-6233 [evenings].

 

Coming Soon...

A Special Living History Program

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Featuring Life on the Oregon Trail & Frontier Living!  Give Us a Call at (503) 622-4798 for Information!

 

 

STORYTELLING

            

            The Cascade Geographic Society can provide a professional storyteller for your class, organization, workshop, seminar, or other gatherings.  Specializing in Native American myths, true stories of the Oregon Trail and the Mountain Men- told in period clothing and utilizing the music and artifacts of those times of long ago, around a special indoor campfire - history does come alive!  Reserve a performance for "Native American Myths and Legends of the Northwest", a lone storyteller in period clothing or the complete program with Indian drumming, singing, dancing, and storytelling.  Or, Tales of the Oregon Trail, featuring a storyteller in period clothing, retelling the famous and infamous stories of this ancient 2000-plus mile trail of the Indians and the ÒPrairie SchoonersÓ.  In addition, there are many other programs that feature oral tradition such as the following:  Tall Tales of the Pacific Northwest and Stories of Other Oddities (true or not, these stories are part of the folklore of this most unique geographic area); Taming the New Eden (Stories of Settling the Willamette Valley), the oral history of the American Indians and the others who emigrated West -- (the Oregon Trail pioneers, the missionaries, the Chinese, the African-Americans, the Gypsies, and others); Tales of Old Oregon (stories of its history and how this geographic region became a state); and more.

 

STORYTELLING WORKSHOP

                                  

      We offer a  special half-day, one, two, or three-day workshop that teaches you how to not only tell stories, but how to write stories.  This special process, Writing Oral Tradition, combines various disciplines -- language arts, drama, speech, history, etc.  The sessions include storytelling performances, classroom presentations (such as oral traditions in the Northwest, North America, and around the world, the art and techniques of storytelling, the use of props, blending music and dance, the use of research in storytelling, the process of writing stories, editing stories, etc.), and more.  The production of a hardbound book of stories is also an option in this very unique workshop for both educators and their students.

 

WETLANDS & STREAM HABITATS  WAITING FOR YOU & YOUR CLASS!

 

      The Cascade Geographic Society has three major natural areas that you and your class could take advantage of for field studies and research.  Rhododendron Meadow, Whiskey Jack Creek Wetlands, and the Meadow Creek Wetland are special habitats for fish and wildlife in the Village of Rhododendron on Oregon's Mount Hood.  For their protection, they have been placed into our "Sanctuary Lands Program", which insures that the natural, cultural, and historical resources will be protected for future generations.  These three areas are ideal for the study of streams, wetlands, meadows, and forest habitats during any season.

      If you are interested in learning how you and your class can utilize these areas for field studies and research, please give the Cascade Geographic Society a call at (503) 622-4798 or email us at cgsmthood@onemain.com.

 

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Call us at (503) 622-4798 about two very special Winter Term Classes

that will give you a new perspective and appreciation of the Pacific Coast...

 

"Lighthouses, Winter Storms, & Maritime Folklore of Long Beach Peninsula" [Saturday -- March 2nd]

&

"Heritage Landmarks, Forts, & Houses of Long Beach Peninsula: 

Remnants of Maritime History"  [Sunday -- March 3rd]