The Peak View Newsletter January 19th, 2026

[Rose Young]

The Peak View

Marys Peak Group - Sierra Club

P.O Box 863, Corvallis, OR 97339

http://oregon2.sierraclub.org/marys-peak

January 19th, 2026

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Announcements: 

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New! Executive Committee Officers Elected for 2026

Officers for the 2026 Executive Committee (ExCom) were elected at the January 16th meeting.

They are:
Chair: Julie Arrington
Vice Chair: Karl McCreary
Secretary: Leslie Hogan
Treasurer: Robert White
Outings Chair: Mary Beth Downes and Mike Neeley-Brown
Membership Chair: Melanie Feder
Programs Chair: Dave Eckert
Representative to Oregon Chapter ExCom: Julie Arrington
Alternate Representative to Oregon Chapter ExCom: Mike Neeley-Brown

Thanks go out to everyone for being willing to take on these roles for the good of Marys Peak Group. ExCom meetings are held quarterly via Zoom. All Sierra Club members are welcome to attend. Come and see what activities we are planning for 2026! For more information, email MarysPe...@Oregon.Sierraclub.org

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The 2025 Champinefu Series is Now Available Online

This year marks the ninth season of the Champinefu Series, which was founded by the Marys Peak Group of the Sierra Club and the Cultural Resources Department of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. The purpose of these talks is to inform the general public about local Indigenous lands, rivers, and people. During the past nine years, there have been 27 unique programs featured through this series, some in person and others via webinar. 

The 2025 series was launched at OSU in October with an in-person program titled “The Future of Indigenous Foods in the Kalapuya Ilihi”. Members of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde who work directly with developing programs related to Indigenous foods were featured. YouTube link: The Future of Indigenous Foods in the Kalapuya Ilihi

The November talk was a webinar entitled “Indigenous Placekeeping through Tea.” It featured David Harrelson from the Cultural Resources Department of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. He is experimenting with the processes related to Indigenous teas. YouTube link: Indigenous Placekeeping through Tea

The December webinar was a dialogue between OSU’s Dr. Molly Carney and David Harrelson as they focused on the cultural relevance of the tarweed plant and the importance of regenerating tarweed ecology in the Willamette Valley. That talk was called "Kalapuya Placekeeping through Tarweed". YouTube link: Kalapuya Placekeeping through Tarweed

The Corvallis-Benton County Public Library's Champinefu Webinar Series YouTube playlist contains videos from this program dating back to 2021. 

Co-sponsors of the series are the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, the Spring Creek Project, the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, the OSU School of Language, Culture & Society, and the Marys Peak Group. Champinefu Series programs and presenters are all chosen by the Cultural Resources Department of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde.

Save the date! The first program of the 2026 Champinefu Series will take place at OSUs Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts on October 15. The topic and presenters are yet to be chosen. Admission is free.

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Recordings of Spring 2025 Webinars Are Now Available

String of Pearls: The Magical River Parks of Corvallis was the theme of the 2025 Liz and Bob Frenkel Hiking and Environment Spring Webinar Series. Closed captioned recordings of two of the talks are now available on the Corvallis-Benton County Library YouTube channel. The talks provided the historical background, park ecology, and current user opportunities for the City parks along the Willamette River and the Marys River near Corvallis. 

Webinar #1: The South Corvallis Willamette River Parks with Gwendolyn Ellen includes Willamette Park and Kendall Natural Area.

The South Corvallis Willamette River Parks

Webinar #2: The Marys River Parks with Dave Eckert includes Herbert Natural Area, Caldwell Natural Area, Marys River Natural Area, Avery Park and Natural Area, Pioneer Park, BMX Park and Shawala Point. 

The Marys River Parks

Sponsors of the webinars are the Marys Peak Group Sierra Club, Corvallis-Benton County Public Library & the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition Water Action Team.

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General Notes: 

1) Newcomers to MPG outing events, please view the GENERAL OUTING POLICY on our MPG website, http://oregon2.sierraclub.org/marys-peak before pre-registering for or attending an outing.

2) Contacting Marys Peak Group:  Marys Peak Group contact information is obtainable at http://oregon2.sierraclub.org/marys-peak Listed are the Executive Committee members and the Administrative and Program Coordinators.

3) Facebook: Marys Peak Group – Sierra Club is on Facebook.  Check out MPG’s Facebook page to view pictures of past hikes and events, and learn about upcoming opportunities.  Post pictures from hikes and outings you participate in! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marys-Peak-Group-Sierra-Club/159377960779

4) Minutes of the MPG Executive Committee can be viewed at the aforementioned website by clicking on the About Us/Ex Comm Meeting Minutes tab or by clicking on June Minutes for the minutes of the last meeting on June 18th, 2025.

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OSU Forestry Recreation Updates:

cf.forestry.oregonstate.edu/recreation/forest-updates