Residential Cooperative | Cottage Grove, Oregon
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by Greta Loeffelbein - November 15, 2025 While blithely going about my own business the other day, I looked up and saw an unfamiliar round object above me, moving along at a wobbly pace. Soon, it flew down and landed in front of me. Yeegads, a Flying Saucer! What a startlement. Never had I seen something so large of this kind. This UFO* was just over a centimeter long! That may not sound big in general, but let me tell you, strikes the eye as absurdly large for . . . . . . a ladybug! I found myself thinking - - Is it a mutant? Has it eaten too much of someone's lawn fertilizer?
But apparently there is a whole genus of them, called Giant Ladybugs. And this one is actually called - - wait for it - - the Flying Saucer Ladybug! (For the taxonomically-inclined, this is Anatis rathvoni, and, like all "ladybugs", it's a Lady Beetle. And . . . this was indoors, where it flew down from the ceiling.) *or, should I say, UFP - Unidentified Flying Personage May, 2025 | Story and Photos by Mark Irving The view on Ross Lane is about to change. Specifically, the area between the “burn zone” just east of the Wellspring parcel and the eastern edge of the Homestead Meadow (see map below.) Roadway users will soon notice a deeper, more open vista of the forest and meadows, compliments of a selective tree harvesting and understory clearing of the Right-of-Way conducted by Trout Mountain Forestry for the Cerro Gordo Cooperative. It is estimated that the project will be completed in one week’s time with a mid-June projected start time. Following an email proposal received on 4/21 from Trout Mountain’s Shane Hetzler, Charlie Sannes, Hetzler and I met at the location to review the project. We walked the length of the affected roadway, noting that thinning the trees and clearing the understory would deter wildfire, and that there was a reasonable amount of merchantable timber. The estimated cost for the project is $16,500. with $7,300. coming from timber sale proceeds, and the remaining $9,200. covered with Cooperative funds. In a text exchange on 5/22, Hetzler noted, “It’s about 3 acres of Right-of-Way targeting (removal of) conifer, and leaving oak. Non-merchantable material will be piled and then burned to reduce fuel load along Ross lane. This will create better synergy with adjacent restoration efforts on Conservancy land.” The “restoration” Hetzler referred to is for Cerro Gordo Land Conservancy on the Hidden Meadow unit just south of the Ross Lane ROW, which will require three weeks work. This essentially coincides with the Cooperative’s ROW harvest, thereby reducing costs. When asked about roadway access during the project, Hetzler responded, “There will be equipment in the roadway which may affect travel times but work is expected to take a week. We will try to minimize inconvenience to community members.” He also emphasized the importance of proceeding with caution when encountering crews and equipment on or near the roadway. On May 23, I received a Notification of Operations/Permit to Operate from the Oregon Department of Forestry. This notification lists all participating parties and operators and respective requirements and responsibilities. A written plan for the project will be submitted by Trout Mountain to Cerro Gordo Cooperative and ODF.  April 2025 | Photos and story by Connie Gage While walking on Cerro Gordo’s trails this month you will be treated to a wealth of Spring wildflowers. While some are just beginning to emerge from the groundcover, others have nearly completed their blooming cycle. Tread with care and look closely. Many of the Spring bloomers are showy, while others are tiny and challenging to spot. Fawn Lilies, Bleeding Heart, Western Buttercup, Lettuceleaf Saxifrage, Great Horsetail, Calypso Orchids, Trillium, and Camas are just some of the Spring Ephemerals making an appearance. December 2024 | Story by Shane Hetzler, Trout Mountain Forestry Photo credit: Connie Gage
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