by Sara Woods, Stewardship Manager, and Melissa Gonzalez, Outdoor Programs Manager
Friends is proud to introduce new state-of-the-art trail signage—the first on a Friends preserve—that makes Lyle Cherry Orchard one of the most interactive trails in the Pacific Northwest. Seven interpretive panels offer insight into the rich history of the preserve and the Columbia Gorge as a whole through multimedia content focusing on Indigenous legends of the Gorge, wildfire ecology, geological history, and more.
The four-year process to bring educational interpretive signage and trail markers to the public finally came to fruition on April 2, 2024. On a sunny morning in Lyle, Washington, we were joined by members of the Friends community and honored guests to inaugurate our new state-of-the-art trail signs at our Lyle Cherry Orchard preserve. Together, we explored the natural and cultural treasures of the preserve through bilingual signs spanning the seven-mile trail system.
This milestone was a long time coming, and we were proud to introduce these signs, the first on a Friends preserve, to our supporters and the local community. The journey to bring these trail signs to life included applying for permits, researching and writing the content for each panel, hiking the trail to determine optimal locations, and collaborating with partners to ensure the content was as enriching for hikers as possible. When Friends members, community members from Lyle, and our panel collaborators joined us in early April for the unveiling and guided hike, we were ecstatic to share the results of this long and intentional process.
Upon arriving at the preserve, we hiked a quarter mile to the orientation panel where we held a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Friends Executive Director Kevin Gorman spoke about the recent history of the preserve, followed by Gorge Towns to Trails Project Manager Renée Tkach, who shared insights into the creation of the educational signs. We were grateful to be joined by three of our panel collaborators, including award-winning Indigenous flutist Sherrie Davis, who performed “Canyons in the Wind,” an original song inspired by the hills of Lyle Cherry Orchard; Ed Edmo, a Shoshone-Bannock elder, storyteller, and poet raised in Celilo Falls; and his son John Edmo. John performed a ceremonial chant, followed by Ed sharing native legends. By scanning the QR codes on the “The First Stewards” panel, hikers can hear Ed’s poem “Mountain” and “Canyons in the Wind.” Ed then cut the ribbon on our orientation panel, signaling the start of our hike to view the panels.
Sherrie Davis and Ed Edmo share a moment together at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Photo by Paloma Ayala.
After the ribbon cutting, Friends Stewardship Manager Sara Woods and Kevin Gorman led the first group of hikers on the five-mile “Discovery Loop” trail, where all educational signs can be seen. Renée Tkach and one of our panel collaborators, Ice Age Institute Geologist Lloyd DeKay, followed shortly with the second group of hikers.
The seven interpretive signs along the Discovery Loop offer insights into the rich history of the preserve and the Columbia Gorge as a whole. The sign themes focus on Indigenous legends of the Gorge, wildfire ecology, geological history, and more via multimedia content such as songs, poems, spoken word, art, and short videos. As hikers trekked along the Discovery Loop, they enjoyed sweeping vistas of the Gorge and the start of wildflower season, where flowers such as desert parsley and balsamroot welcomed our guests.
What comes next now that we have introduced educational signs at one of our preserves? Our land trust team plans to create similar educational panels at other public Friends preserves, beginning with Mosier Plateau next year. Our goal is to make our land more accessible by educating visitors about each preserve’s unique natural and cultural resources. You too can now experience our state-of-the-art educational panels by visiting Friends’ Lyle Cherry Orchard Preserve. Hit the trails with your friends and family, and we hope you come away with a new appreciation for this special place.
