Students study a CSNM map before heading out to the field. The Monument is a spectacular setting in which to educate students about the natural history of the region.

Over the course of the 2001-2002 school year, more than 1,000 fifth-graders from the Medford School District will visit southwestern Oregon's Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (CSNM) as an integral part of the school district's outdoor education program. Teachers develop their own field trips, often working with Bureau of Land Management (BLM) staff to determine the "perfect" trail hike or stream study for their particular classes.

The CSNM was established in June 2001 by Presidential Proclamation, which hailed the area as "an ecological wonder." The Monument offers teachers an unparalleled natural laboratory in which students can study the ecology and geological history of the region. Named for its location at the convergence of the Cascade and Siskiyou mountain ranges, the area contains a treasure trove of biological diversity. For example, it shelters one of the highest diversities of butterfly species in the United States. Plants and animals typically found in ecologically distinct regions elsewhere are found side by side in the CSNM. Pilot Rock, a remnant of an ancient volcano, is a striking geological feature within an area characterized by extremely complex geology. as that feature standing water or with water-logged soils during the growing season.)

Most of the students visiting the CSNM spend part of their time on the Pacific Crest National Trail (PCT) hiking through wildflower-strewn meadows, old-growth forests, and juniper-covered hillsides. At high points, students can identify the Cascades running north-south, and the Siskiyous stretching out to the west.

Pilot Rock provides students with a unique look at the internal structure of an ancient volcano. Over time, the exterior of the volcano eroded away, leaving behind the cooled magma within the central vent. The snow-covered Siskiyous are visible in the background.	A six-mile section of the PCT takes the fifth-graders through a variety of habitat types found in the Monument. At Hobart Bluff, students reach the high point in their hike and have an opportunity to survey the surrounding area. Here, young birders scan the sky for redtail hawks.	During one field activity, students get down and dirty for a close-up look at the life on a downed log. They use magnifying glasses to study the insects and fungi that help recycle nutrients through the environment.

For additional information on the CSNM, please contact Lorie List of BLM-Medford at Lorie_List@blm.gov or (541) 618-2359. You may also visit the CSNM website at http://www.or.blm.gov/CSNM or the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail website at http://www.or.blm.gov/CSNM/Pacific_Crest_Trail.htm.

The BLM has created several different CSNM educational activities for use in the classroom and in the field. Teachers can access these activities online at http://www.or.blm.gov/csnm/education.htm.

For information on BLM's National Landscape Conservation System, which includes National Monuments and National Scenic Trails as well as other specially-designated places, please visit the NLCS website at http://www.blm.gov/nlcs/brochure/.