AmeriCorps: A Network of Service Programs

For the past few years, Cascadia Conservation District has had an AmeriCorps volunteer. AmeriCorps was created in 1993 when President Clinton signed the National and Community Service Trust Act.

AmeriCorps addresses some of the nation’s most pressing needs including education, health and the environment through a network of service programs. The service programs are Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), and AmeriCorps State and National. Service terms and some benefits vary depending on the program, but volunteers receive a modest living allowance and upon successful completion of their program, an educational award. For more details about the program you can visit: www.americorps.gov. For more information about Intermountain AmeriCorps, the organization that places volunteers throughout North Central Washington visit: www.intermountainac.com.

Cascadia Conservation District values the contributions and enhancements volunteers have made to various programs and communities throughout North Central Washington. We are looking forward to welcoming our fourth AmeriCorps volunteer this September!        

Wenatchee River Clean-Up

Be Part of the Solution!

Your help is needed! Join the effort Sunday, August 21^st starting at 9:00 AM to pick up trash and debris on the banks of the Wenatchee River and Chumstick Creek.

Picture the Wenatchee invites you to join us and other supporters in a clean up effort at Old Barn Farm on Chumstick Creek. The site is about 1 mile outside of Leavenworth and there is a lot of trash debris that needs our attention! We will meet at 9:00 on Sunday, August 21st and work for a couple hours and then enjoy refreshments in the shade. If you would like to join us at Old Barn Farm, please find more information and sign up on the website. You can also call (509)664-9370 for more information.

If you can't join us at Old Barn Farm but still want to help along the banks of the Wenatchee River, there will be other hosted sites on August 21st. Those sites include Barn Beach Reserve, Dryden Dam Public Access Lot, Cashmere Riverside Park and Lower Monitor Bridge Public Access Lot. For maps and more information on those sites visit the Chelan County Natural Resources website.  

Please feel free to forward this invitation to anyone you think might be interested.

We hope you and your friends and family decide to join us!!

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If you would like to find out more about Picture the Wenatchee and/or to sign up to receive a FREE watershed care package, visit the website: www.picturethewenatchee.com.

2nd Entiat River Appreciation a Success!

Cascadia Conservation District, the City of Entiat, and the Entiat Watershed Planning Unit would like to thank everyone who made the 2^nd Entiat River Appreciation a huge success!

Entiat Mayor, Keith Vradenburg, was very pleased with the event’s turnout. “The event was very successful. We had lots of people and really great help. It went off very well.”

Over 100 volunteers from the Entiat area and elsewhere filled two 20-yard bins with metal, trash and noxious weeds removed from the banks of Entiat River. Clean up efforts took place at four locations. Volunteers at the Entiat National Fish Hatchery planted 100 native trees and shrubs. The first 50 participants planted a "legacy tree," a single Ponderosa Pine, which will be mapped and receive a name plaque so that participants can watch them grow and change with time.

“I think the Entiat River Appreciation was very important because it helped the community and got everyone together to clean, plant trees, and enjoy food & games,” said 10-year-old Entiat 4-H group chairperson Allison Haines. “I think everyone left feeling good about helping out.”

After all the hardwork volunteers were treated to a barbeque, music by the Tyee Ridge Runners, games & activities, and an appearance by Smokey Bear.

Visit our Facebook page to view event photos. We hope to see you all next year!

This event was made possible through generous contributions from our partner agencies, Entiat community groups and local businesses. See a complete listing below:

Partnering agencies include: the City of Entiat, Entiat Watershed Planning Unit, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Chelan County Fire District 8,  US Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Columbia Regional Fisheries Enhancement Group, Chelan County Natural Resources Department, Trout Unlimited, and Chelan-Douglas Land Trust.

Entiat community groups and local businesses include: the Tree Board, Entiat Grange, Entiat Valley Community Services Group, Entiat Food Center, Cooper’s Store in Ardenvoir, Log Cabin Restaurant, Entiat Bakery, Entiat Day Spa, Mom’s Kitchen, Entiat Shell Station, Numerica Credit Union, and Crunch Pak in Cashmere.

Get Involved in Your Community - Volunteer!

Cascadia Conservation District offers several volunteer opportunities throughout the year. Our volunteer opportunities are wide-ranging and diverse. Some opportunities are hands on, taking place outdoors while others are office oriented. Below is information about the benefits associated with volunteering.

Some of the benefits of volunteering include:

·      Networking opportunities-the chance to meet to new people and/or make valuable professional contacts

·      Opportunity to give back to the community

·      Opportunity to learn more about a particular organization

·      Acquiring new skills

·      It’s a great activity to do with family and friends

·      Provides a sense of accomplishment

In addition to the personal and social benefits of volunteering, recent studies suggest that it is good for your health. A study published by the Corporation for National Service titled, The Health Benefits of Volunteering documents major findings from more than 30 studies that reviewed the relationship between health and volunteering. The studies found that volunteering leads to improved physical and mental health. Specifically, the report shows that volunteers have greater longevity, higher functional ability, lower rates of depression and less incidence of heart disease.*

We hope you will consider participating in our next volunteer opportunity, the second annual Entiat River Appreciation event. The event will take place Saturday August 6, 2011. The event will include trash clean-up on a stretch of the Entiat River, riparian planting at the Entiat National Fish Hatchery, and a Volunteer Appreciation party at Entiaqua Park. The clean-up and planting are from 9:00 AM to noon with the party following. The Volunteer Appreciation party will include a barbeque, fun-filled educational activities, live music and maybe even an appearance by Smokey Bear!

Whether you decide to volunteer with your local conservation district or another organization, we appreciate your support and dedication to community! 

For more information about volunteering with Cascadia, please visit our website, www.cascadiacd.org. 

* You can view the full report by visiting http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=687

Summer Recreation and the Discover Pass

With summer in full swing it’s a great time to get outdoors and explore nature. Whether you enjoy hiking, kayaking, biking, swimming, boating, or lounging by the water recreational opportunities are plentiful!

Below are a few resources about visiting state parks, national parks, and federal recreation lands. 

 If you are planning a trip to one of Washington’s state managed recreation lands you may want to research the Discover Pass.  

You can visit the Discover Pass website at: http://www.discoverpass.wa.gov/faq/

The website also has a feature that lets you look up the vendors in your area that sell the Discover Pass. You can access the vendor list at: http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/vendors/

If you are planning a trip to a national parks or other federal recreation lands you may want to research, America the Beautiful - the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.

For more information about the pass you can visit: http://store.usgs.gov/pass/annual.html

For information about where to purchase a pass you can visit: http://store.usgs.gov/pass/PassIssuanceList.pdf The PDF document lists vendor location by state.

A few things to keep in mind…

·         Plan ahead. Some parks require reservations, some sections of the park may be closed, you may need permits, etc.

·         Read and follow park rules. The rules help to ensure your safety and preserve the quality of the park for future visitors.

·         Familiarize yourself with the principles of Leave No Trace (LNT). LNT is an environmental ethic meant to foster the respectful treatment of the outdoors. You can visit http://lnt.org/programs/principles.php for more information about the principles and minimizing your impact on the environment.

·         Have fun and be safe!

Saying Goodbye

The end of something, whatever it may be, often prompts us to reflect. This is the last week of my 10.5 month service term as an AmeriCorps Volunteer and I am going to use this entry as a reflection of my time with Cascadia Conservation District.

I would like to thank the people who I’ve worked with, especially my supervisor. It was not easy moving across the United States, leaving family and friends behind. I missed holidays, weddings and births. I missed my mom’s cooking, family traditions, New England in fall, and whoopie pies.

Despite all the things I missed, I never got homesick because staff members made me feel so welcomed. In between hectic work schedules and deadlines, they shared their stories, the best places to hike, what restaurants I should try and where I could take my car if it needed an oil change. They lent me hiking gear, shared recipes, and invited me over for dinner. They took a vested interest in my life and professional growth.

Consequently I’ve grown a lot. I will miss staff members and everything they’ve done for me. I don’t know where life will take me after this, but I do know that this experience and the wonderful people who shaped it will certainly be part of it.

Thanks for everything!

Your friend in conservation,

Amanda

A Day in the Field

Amanda recounts a recent experience she had in the field conducting maintenance on a couple riparian restoration projects. Projects installed in fall 2010 required some weed control because weeds compete with native plants for water, nutrients, and real-estate. Removing the weeds by hand reduces the need for chemical control and helps native plants thrive.

My supervisor offered me the opportunity to experience a day in the field conducting some project maintenance. I never bothered asking what “maintenance” might entail instead I jumped at the chance to spend a day away from my computer.

I arrived at the designated site at 8:30am. I could tell that the day was going to be hot and that I’d regret not bringing my hat or eating breakfast. The consequences of pressing snooze a few too many times, but I didn’t have a lot of time to think about morning regrets.

“Amanda, these are the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) interns who we’ll be working with today.” My supervisor introduced me to Shawn, Nara, and Brent. All three are engineering students, who looked prepared for the task ahead. They seemed to know what they were doing.

I felt slightly intimidated. Maybe it was because I was in the presence of future engineers and a resource specialist or the fact I couldn’t tell the difference between weeds and native plants, or good grass versus an invasive grass. Suddenly, computer work became quite appealing.

Instead of letting those feelings overwhelm me, I grabbed my gloves and set to work clearing weeds and preparing plants for future monitoring. As the day progressed, so did my confidence. It became easier to indentify weeds, the BOR interns were no longer just future engineers, but individuals who I could identify with.

In 90 degree heat with no shade we worked and discussed everything from our favorite movies to our future career goals. My allergies flared up, my back and knees hurt, my arms were sun burnt, I was covered in dirt, and worst of all I forgot to take my sandwich out of the heat so by lunch it had turned into a slimy, soggy mess. I ate it anyway.

While it was not an easy day in the field I enjoyed meeting new people, learning about native and invasive vegetation, gaining hands on experience, and an appreciation for the people who will spend their whole summer doing field work.

Your friend in conservation,

Amanda

For information on how you can volunteer, please call Cascadia Conservation District at 509-664-9370 or visit us on the web at http://www.cascadiacd.org/

Connecting Kids with Nature

For Earth Day, Cascadia Conservation District sponsored an essay contest for middle school students. As part of the contest students were tasked with answering the question, "what does nature mean to you and what do you do to protect it." The winners of the contest received savings bonds courtesy of Cashmere Valley Bank and got to spend Saturday, May 21 conducting wood duck surveys with Kelly Cordell-Stine, a Wildlife Biologist with Chelan County PUD. This posting was written by Kelly and is her reflection of that day.

Special thanks to Kelly, Chelan County PUD, and Cashmere Valley Bank for their support!

On May 21, the top 3 winners (Eva, Gauge, and Vivian) of the Cascadia Conservation District’s Earth Day Essay contest met down at Wenatchee Confluence State Park.  Eva, Gauge, and Vivian were presented with certificates acknowledging their accomplishment from Cascadia Conservation District.  Following the awards, the students came with me on a nature hike to explore the Horan Nature Area and to conduct wood duck nest box surveys.

Engaging the students in hands-on activities was a great way to teach them about habitat stewardship.  They learned about the plants and animals than can be found within the Nature Area, where to look for them, and the actions Chelan PUD takes to help manage the habitat in the Nature Area.  Osprey, bald eagles, and swallows circled overhead.  Herons took watch in a nearby field.  Pocket gophers scurried ahead of the kids as they entered a grassy meadow.  What great finds!  The kids had a lot of good questions, and were quick to point out interesting features or animal sightings in the field. 

I had them work as a team to survey wood duck nest boxes out in the meadow.  Were they ever in for a treat!  They observed first-hand what wood duck, tree swallow, and Northern flicker eggs looked like.  They watched in fascination as Northern flickers hatched out of their eggs.  The highlight of the trip was that we were lucky enough to observe a wood duck hen on the nest, incubating a clutch of eggs.  The students shared their findings with each other and documented each observation.  The students were thrilled and had a wonderful day exploring the Nature Area. 

Hands-on experiences with nature connect people with the outdoors and provide an experience matched by no other.  The type of experience may vary-- trail restoration, wildlife surveys, nature photography, picking up litter—but all are equally important for connecting people with the resource.  Additionally, the experience provides some ownership and investment of a particular area, leaving people connected by providing a first-hand experience; not some nebulous ecological concept memorized from a book for a test.  Instead, the experience is converted to “I saw….”  “I did….”  The feeling of ownership is important to our younger generations, especially if we want them to feel invested in the community and feel that they can make a difference. 

I was excited to partner in the program because I was able to provide a hands-on experience for the students in one of our area’s finest birding locations.  The Horan Nature Area is a gem for the community and I am always happy to expose others to its value for both wildlife and people.  

For more information on the Horan Nature Area and Chelan PUD’s Wildlife programs, please visit www.chelanpud.org/wildlife-programs.html

Kids in the Creek

Kids in the Creek is an environmental education program that combines classroom and outdoor experience. Established in 1993, it has educated high school students throughout Chelan and Douglas counties. The program is supported through partnerships with various organizations and funding sources.

 The 2011 implementation of Kids in the Creek was a success. Over 350 students were able to explore and investigate topics related to watershed health and management.

Part of my duties as an AmeriCorps volunteer with Cascadia Conservation District have included assisting District staff members and partner organizations with various components of the program.

While working on the program I often wondered, how can we successfully reach over 350 students in a three day period?

After implementing Kids in the Creek, I realized the answer is collaboration and dedication. I was impressed with how well staff members and volunteers from different organizations came together to make Kids in the Creek a valuable experience for students.   

Cascadia Conservation District and partner organizations would like to thank everyone involved including:

Community Foundation of North Central Washington
Wenatchee Sportsman’s Association
South Douglas Conservation District
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Forest Service
City of Wenatchee
Washington State Department of Ecology
Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board
Initiative for Rural Innovation and Stewardship (IRIS)
Entiat Valley Community Services
Cascade Water Quality
Grant County PUD
Yakama Nation
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Chelan County Natural Resource Department
WSU Chelan-Douglas County Extension
Trout Unlimited
Friends of NW Hatcheries
Chelan County Fire District #8

It takes a lot of support and hard work to put together Kids in the Creek, but your commitment to outdoor education is greatly appreciated and admired!

Your friend in conservation,
Amanda  

Welcome to Conservation Conversation!

Welcome! Conservation Conversation is a way for interested community members to stay informed about what we are doing at Cascadia Conservation District.

Most blog entries will be published by our AmeriCorps volunteer, Amanda Ellis. Coming from the State of Maine and recently graduating from college with a degree in History, she lends a unique perspective to conservation in North Central Washington.

We hope you'll enjoy following our blog!

If you have questions, please feel free to visit our website at: http://www.cascadiacd.org/