New Beginnings

Greetings! I’m just getting settled into my term as Cascadia’s AmeriCorps intern for the upcoming year.  I am incredibly excited to get to know all the great people at Cascadia, learn about what they do, and hopefully be of help to them too!

I’ve been a Washingtonian all my life, and have been lucky enough to live in several different parts of this beautiful and diverse state.  After graduating college with a degree in Ecology, and a stint of international travel, my partner and I came to Leavenworth last summer, and decided to overwinter there, before moving on.  As summer transformed into a glorious fall, and winter SLOWLY stretched into spring… and then another summer… we found we just couldn’t leave!  I have been absolutely transfixed by the magnificent mountains rising right out of our backyard and the rivers that offer up so many opportunities to experience natural and recreational activities alike.

That’s why I was thrilled when I learned about this AmeriCorps position right here in Wenatchee. I’ve been a follower of Cascadia’s Conservation Quarterly newsletter, and have been intrigued to learn more about this organization, whose focus on working with local communities to foster good stewardship practices I greatly admire.  With a biology background, I feel I have a decent understanding of the science behind- and the importance of- maintaining healthy ecosystems, but haven’t a clue about how conservation agencies go about working with partnering agencies, local landowners and communities to accomplish their mutual goals.  I believe this opportunity will give me the “behind-the-scenes” look I have been waiting for!

And one of my duties here at Cascadia is to write this blog!  So thank you for reading, and please feel free to bring to post any conservation-related questions and comments, or topics you might be curious about; I would love to attempt to address them in upcoming posts!

At the end of her farewell blog, last year’s AmeriCorps volunteer signed off with a phrase I particularly liked.  I hope she won’t mind if I borrow it!

Your friend in conservation,

Julia

P.S. Join us at the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival this weekend, October 1st and 2nd, at the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery!  There will be lots of awesome art, science, cultural, and recreational activities and exhibits. Hope to see you there!
http://www.salmonfest.org/

Kids and the Environment

In our office, staff members like to share some of the books they are reading with one another. One of our staff members is reading the book, Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. The book looks at a growing body of research that indicates children need exposure to the natural world in order to develop into healthy adults. The book also includes suggestions for introducing your child to nature and keeping them engaged with nature throughout their lives.

The book sparked interesting conversations throughout the office about how staff members were introduced to the outdoors as children and how, in turn, as parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents staff members introduced the outdoors to children.

We decided it might be fun to share some activities you can do with a child in your life with the hope they will foster a life-long appreciation for the outdoors and create some great memories!

·         Take play groups to a campground or state/national park. These areas often have interpretive trail signs and an abundance of wildlife.

·         Let kids play in the garden. If you have space let kids have their own section of the garden that they are responsible for. If you don’t have the space for a garden, consider starting a window-sill garden.

·         Take a hike! Taking hikes with your child is also a great learning opportunity. You can point out animal tracks, wildflowers and discuss water safety and trail etiquette. A great resource for hiking with children and babies is http://www.wta.org/kids/children. The website offers helpful tips, suggestions, and reviews. Also, Best Hikes with Kids: Western Washington & the Cascades is a great book for planning hikes as well.

·         Take art supplies outside. Have your child paint, draw and color the natural landscape. It is a great way to stimulate creativity!

·         Create a scavenger hunt. Have your child find things like pine cones, wildflowers, trees, etc. This is a fun activity disguised as a learning opportunity!

·         Visit a farm.

·         Take a walk in the rain.

·         Send away for a butterfly kit.

You can check out Last Child in the Woods by visiting:  http://richardlouv.com/

Adopt-a-River Program

On Sunday August 21, 2011, Chelan County Natural Resources Department (CCNRD), Chelan Douglas Land Trust (CDLT), Cascadia Conservation District (CCD) and Picture the Wenatchee (PTW) hosted a river clean-up event at several locations.

If you were not able to participate in the event on the 21^st, consider hosting your own clean-up as part of the Adopt-a-River program.

What is Adopt-a-River?

Adopt-a-River builds upon the Wenatchee River Clean-up that started in 2009.  The Wenatchee River Clean-up started when a local citizen voiced concern about hazardous metal objects in the river. For two years, the Chelan County Natural Resources Department and Cascadia Conservation District hosted the Wenatchee River Clean-up and over 120 volunteers have floated or walked the river bank and removed 7,000 pounds of metal and trash. 

How can I get involved?

Gather your friends, select a stretch of river, and pick a date to remove garbage.  Adopt-a-River is a great program for families, individuals, businesses, or community groups.  We recommend groups adopt a section of river for two consecutive years then determine if that stretch of river requires additional cleanup. 

Why Adopt-a-River?

The Wenatchee River and its tributaries provide critical habitat for many life stages of Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed endangered spring Chinook, steelhead, threatened bull trout and other key species that depend on good water quality.  Recreational use is very high on the Wenatchee River throughout much of the year with the river being one of the most popular whitewater destinations in Washington State.  Large unnatural debris such as cars or car parts, miscellaneous metal, and everyday trash can be found in the river.  This trash and debris decreases water quality, aesthetic appeal, and poses a safety hazard to recreational users. By adopting a section of river your group can improve water quality for endangered species and help protect a valuable resource to the local community.

Getting Started

• Form a group
• Register with Adopt-a-River, contact Matt Shales at matt.shales@co.chelan.wa.us
• Determine whether your group will float or walk the stream bank.
• Pick a date  - we recommend dates from late July through October to avoid spring high water levels
• Make sure you have all the necessary equipment (gloves, garbage bags, first aid kit, etc…).  Chelan County can provide garbage bags and gloves
• Have a disposal or recycling plan, Chelan County may be able to pick up your garbage.  If we cannot provide this service we can help coordinate with local disposal and recycling services.
• Conduct the cleanup, have fun, be safe, and be sure to report your results on Chelan County's website.

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/