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