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Join us on Saturday, October 11th, from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM for an afternoon at the Ranch. Explore our beautiful 445 acres, meet the animals, and learn more about […]
Spring Fun at The Crest at Willow-Witt Ranch
The Crest in the Community!
We’ve had such a fun and fulfilling month connecting with the community at Earth Day events around the valley. From Blue Heron Park to ScienceWorks, it was inspiring to see so many people coming together to celebrate and care for our planet!
A highlight was bringing our friendly goats to Earth day with ScienceWorks and SOU, kids and adults alike couldn’t get enough of them! Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello, learned more about The Crest, and shared in the joy of Earth Day. We love being out in the community and can’t wait for more events this spring and summer!
Come say hello to us on May 10th at ScienceWorks for Sparking Action: A Community Wildfire Education Day!
Spring on the Ranch!
As we move further into spring, we’re saying goodbye to one of the season’s earliest wildflowers: Snow Queen (Veronica regina-nivalis). These delicate purple blooms are among the first to brighten the forest floor each year, often blooming while snow still lingers. Though their season is brief, their arrival always marks the beginning of spring’s beauty and the slow unfolding of wildflower season at the Ranch!
The calls of Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis) echo once again across the Ranch as these elegant birds return to spend the warmer months here. With their striking height, red caps, and graceful movements, Sandhill Cranes are always a special sight! Look for them in the meadows and wetlands as they forage and prepare for nesting, one of many seasonal rhythms that make spring and summer so rich with life on the land!
Nature Day Camps
June 16 – August 1, 2025
The Crest Nature Day Camps will begin on June 16th and run weekly throughout the summer! These camps are designed for children ages 6-11 and will feature fun outdoor activities like hiking, crafting, and science experiments. Kids will also get to meet goats and other farm animals up close! It’s a great way to let your little ones explore nature while learning and deepening their experience of the ancient forest.
Spots are limited, so be sure to sign up early to secure a spot for your child!
Volunteer with the Crest!
As the forest warms for our exciting spring and summer activities at Willow-Witt Ranch, we’re looking for passionate individuals to lend a hand! Whether you’re interested in helping with our garden preparations, assisting with community events, supporting our educational programs, lending a hand in the outdoor school cookhouse, or helping with administrative tasks, we’d love to have you spend time on the land!
Volunteers play a crucial role in making our events and programs a success, and your time and energy help us create meaningful experiences for the community. No matter your capacity, every bit of support is appreciated! If you are interested, please check out our Volunteer page.
A big thank you to the small group of volunteers that came out last weekend to help us plant The Crest pine garden! This will provide produce for summer campers and amazing educational opportunities for all of the youth visiting the Ranch this growing season!
Note from Executive Director Paul Sheldon
Greetings, Crest Folk!
As we prepare for this year’s Nature Day Camps, Community Workshops, and all the other fun and learning-oriented activities this Spring and Summer, I just wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU to all of you, who have made The Crest at Willow-Witt Ranch the wonderful legacy that it is. Lanita, Suzanne, and thousands of other caring visitors, friends, staff, and supporters have pitched in to make Willow-Witt Ranch and The Crest a rare and precious oasis in a swirling world.
Last week at ScienceWorks, The Crest joined the 55th anniversary celebration of Earth Day, with fun learning activities, engaging conversations, and GOATS! When I celebrated the first Earth Day by planting an incense cedar tree 55 years ago, I never imagined that the need to engage people in learning to honor and protect natural ecosystems would still be so urgent 55 years later. But here we are, at The Crest, 55 years later, dedicating ourselves to a mission of helping children “learn from nature the interdependence of humans and the air, soil, food, forest, and water upon which we all depend and the earth to which we all return.” The bad news is it’s still more urgent than ever. The GOOD news is that, thanks to the legacy of Willow-Witt Ranch and The Crest, learning from nature is fun, engaging, and satisfying for people of all ages.
For me, participating as a member of the staff at The Crest is a lifetime peak experience — it seems like everything I have done up until now has prepared me to share this moment with all of you. I look forward to meeting each of you in the coming weeks, months, and years at Turtle Trot, The Crest Fest, Moth Night, Nature Day Camp, or at a tabling event in town. Please introduce yourself and share a bit about the unique journey that led you to The Crest and Willow-Witt Ranch!
With deep gratitude,
Paul Sheldon
The Crest’s BottleDrop’s Containers for Change Program
This is how you can support The Crest through recycling returnable cans and bottles:
- Email us asking for blue bags & tags to fill with your recyclable returns. We will get those to you at your convenience.
- Take your full blue bag into any local deposit center with our tag on it.
The Crest receives the return funds. Everyone wins!
BottleDrop Give is at Risk – Act Now to Protect It!
The Oregon Legislature is considering HB 3940, which proposes a beverage sales tax as part of a plan to fund wildfire defense. This could harm the BottleDrop Give program, which has helped nonprofits across Oregon raise over $5.5 million in 2024 alone by recycling bottles and cans.
A beverage tax would increase costs for Oregonians and threaten the funds nonprofits, like ours, rely on. We need your help to keep this program intact!
Here’s how you can make a difference:
- Email your elected officials to let them know how important BottleDrop Give is to your community. Find your local officials.
- Testify at the May 1st hearing (in person or virtually) to share your support.
Together, we can protect BottleDrop Give and the vital funds it provides for nonprofits across Oregon!
Camp at Crest Village
Thanks to funding through the Measure 99 Outdoor School Initiative, The Crest has built heated, covered ADA-accessible wall tents at the gorgeous Willow-Witt Ranch that can hold up to 60 campers. The rental of the off-grid campground includes the use of a lovely, updated outdoor kitchen, a tent camping area, a bathhouse. Gender neutral bathrooms and a nurse’s station are completed and ready for use!
We would love to share this wonderful resource with other organizations/groups who are looking for a safe, inclusive, wilderness site to host camps and events.
Rental rates are based on a sliding scale. Visit The Crest Campground page for more information and to contact us about renting the off-grid campground for your group or organization.
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Join The CREST at Willow-Witt Ranch on Sunday, October 26, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at Willow-Witt Ranch for a peaceful afternoon of nature journaling in collaboration with Elisa Friedlander, […] |
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