Document text
Workshop promotes health of watershed By PAUL FATTIG WILLIAMS -- A two-day workshop to protect and improve watershed health begins Friday at the Pacifica Botanic Garden. The water assessment program, co-sponsored by Pacifica and the Williams Creek Watershed Council, will feature six experts from local government agencies who will discuss everything from botany to wildlife biology. The site is the old Steve Miller ranch at 14815 Water Gap Road in Williams. Following Saturday's session, a field trip will be held on nearby Powell Creek. The free workshop is available to 25 people on a first-come, first-served basis. For further information, call 846-7269 or 846-9175. In addition, a fund-raiser for the botanical garden, featuring local nurseries offering a variety of plants, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Participating in the fund-raiser from Jackson County will be the Grange Co-Op, Southern Oregon Nursery & Aquatic and the Valley View Nursery. Williams Valley participants include Forestfarm, Goodwin Creek and Oregon Exotics. Grants Pass area nurseries include Chet's Garden & Pet, Greenleaf Industries and Lynn's Nursery & Landscape. In addition, a tour will be held of the ranch, including the recording studio used by Miller, a rock 'n' roll legend whose hits include "Fly Like An Eagle." There will also be maps and information about the nonprofit botanical garden which is being created at the site. Williams residents Ray and Peg Prag, who started the Forestfarm nursery in Williams a quarter of a century ago, are leading the effort to establish the regional arboretum and education center. In addition to serving as a botanical garden showcasing plants found in the region, the center will include classes and other educational activities. The organizers plan to work with local high schools, Rogue Community College and Southern Oregon University. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA