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Announcing the Lanita Witt Scholarship Fund

Written on March 7, 2021. Posted in At The Ranch.

Dr. Lanita Witt (1950-2022)
The Crest is proud to announce the

Lanita Witt Memorial Scholarship Fund

Community cooperation and assistance was of prime importance to Lanita, who died December 15, 2022.   Scholarship support allowed her to attend college, then medical school at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, support she never forgot.

Join the community of supporters who are strengthening students’ connection to Farm, Forest, Water, and Each Other.  This revolving fund will provide transportation and scholarships for students attending Summer Enrichment Programs at The Crest.

Donate to the Lanita Witt Memorial Scholarship Fund
Ashland Food Co-Op Change for Good - round up change when you check out to donate to The Crest, a Change for Good partner
Dr. Lanita Witt smiles as she holds a duck at Willow-Witt Ranch barn

Join us in celebrating the life of Dr. Lanita Witt

We will gather at Willow-Witt Ranch on the Summer Solstice, June 21, 5:00pm for remembrances, music, blessings, and a light meal.

Carpooling will be necessary as parking is very limited.

The Impact of Nature Day Camp

The Crest nature day campers enjoying summer sunshine on a boulder

The Crest provided 6 weeks of outdoor-masked-6’-distanced Nature Summer Day Camp for 73 campers in 2020, when COVID closed everything down. Parents drove individually (no one was carpooling) and paid full price, with no scholarship funds. The camp broke even with limited staff and vetted volunteers. That first summer’s program proved the concept; our most important goal was to reach students whose families couldn’t afford summer camp and whose work meant they couldn’t drive their kids to camp. 

Grants provided scholarships for more than 50% of our 200+ campers in  2021 and in 2022, and free bus transportation from throughout the valley.

But there are no grants available this summer!

Donations to the Lanita Witt Memorial Scholarship Fund will be used 100% for scholarships and camp transportation.

Donate to the Lanita Witt Memorial Scholarship Fund
Who’s Flying?
Black-headed Grosbeak photo by Marlene Casher

Black-headed Grosbeak

Black-headed Grosbeak’s are songbirds native to Western North America. These birds feed on many insects in the spring and summer. Most notably, this is one of the few bird species able to eat monarch butterflies, which are poisonous to many other birds.

Photo: Marlene Cashen

What’s Blooming?
Shelton violet in bloom at The Crest

Shelton Violet

With wide-spreading roots, 3-lobed leaflets, and yellow flowers, Shelton violet is a favorite mid-spring perennial. These flowers prefer growing in the gravelly soil or duff of mixed woodlands.

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Suzanne Willow talks to a group of students visiting The Crest

The Crest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

The Crest nonprofit organization relies on donations to support youth programs and give community groups the chance to experience the wonders of nature to learn about and feel a connection to the natural world. Our volunteer opportunities are a great chance to get outside, connect with others and learn more about your local ecosystem. Please consider contributing to this natural legacy by making a tax-deductible donation.
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