Support local environmental education by racing in The Crest’s 3rd annual 5k Turtle Trot fundraiser race from September 1-30! The Crest, a 501(c)(3) non-profit is located at Willow-Witt Ranch, 658 Shale City Rd (off of Dead Indian Memorial Rd), Ashland.

The Turtle Trot is a virtual race, meaning participants race on their own schedule, as many times as they wish, and record their own race time. Register and find race information and instructions online at www.thecrestatwillowwitt.org. The $15 registration fee per run supports The Crest's outdoor education programs, classes and field trips for students from the Rogue Valley and beyond. There is no registration fee for those under 12 or over 70 years old, but as a fundraiser, donations are encouraged.

There will be $100 cash prizes for the winners of seven race categories: fastest with testosterone, fastest without testosterone, slowest, oldest, youngest, and most times trotted. Yes, the slowest trotter wins a prize! Make a day of it and bring your family along for a mid-way picnic lunch. 50/50 raffle tickets and Crest merchandise will be available for purchase online within the registration form.

The ruggedly beautiful 5k Turtle Trot course, named to honor Willow-Witt Ranch’s population of Western Pond Turtles, is designed for hikers and adventure runners in mind. It journeys through the rolling hills of the lower Cascades, around wetlands and wildflower-filled meadows, past the old homestead and over a few seasonal creeks — all the obstacles a Western Pond Turtle must navigate living at Willow-Witt Ranch’s near 5,000’ elevation. These turtles, who live in a pond built in the 1950s, are the highest-elevation breeding population of Western Pond Turtles to be observed.

The Crest is dedicated to cultivating the connection between people and nature. The non-profit offers Outdoor School, day field trips, and summer camps at Willow-Witt Ranch, a 445 acre property containing restored forests, wetlands, and a diversified organic farm.