New Americorps Member

Hello!! My name is Justine Bula and I am the new Americorps Intern here at Cascadia Conservation. I have moved out to Wenatchee for this position from Baraboo Wisconsin. I completed my undergraduate degrees in Geography and Spanish with minors in Environmental & International Studies at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse. My interest in the natural world and the balance between environmental and humanitarian work are what brought me to Americorps and are what inspired my undergraduate degrees. I have a background in agriculture, growing up and helping to run our diversified family farm back in Baraboo, WI. Travel is another passion of mine, and a part of the reason why I have chosen to come to the beautiful Chelan County to volunteer for the year. There is so much to see, experience, and learn about the world and I am very excited to be able to join Cascadia Conservation District and start my next adventure here in Wenatchee.

-Justine

Let's Get (Native) Planting!

Black Huckleberry

Spring is definitely in the air- little bits of green life are starting to make their brave entrance into the world, the piles of snow that once towered are shrinking by the minute, and we at Cascadia are starting to think about our springtime projects.

The main one I want to touch on today is our Native Plant Sale and Workshop. This year we are offering nine different species of Native Plants. These plants are grown from Eastern Washington seed stock by the Washington Association of Conservation Districts Plant Materials Center in Skagit County. Plants offered include Ponderosa Pines, Vine Maples, Black Huckleberry and Red Osier Dogwood, among others. These plants are commonly used for restoration, soil stabilization, and some are considered to be fire resistant. A brochure describing the uses and benefits for each plant is linked to our website, along with an updated plant listing, and order form. Plant orders are due by March 4^th and can be mailed into the Cascadia Conservation District office with a deposit. Once ordered, you can pick up your plants on April 16^th from 10am to 1pm at the Stemilt Growers Warehouse in North Wenatchee.

Ponderosa Pine

If you are interested in ordering Native Plants, but have no idea how to best utilize them on your property then you may be interested in attending our Native Planting 101 Workshop. This FREE workshop is taking place on March 5^th from 12 to 4:30 pm at the PUD Auditorium on N. Wenatchee Avenue. This workshop is perfect for landowners in our district who are interested in learning techniques to effectively use native plant species to encourage pollinators, restore damaged areas, and create a low maintenance yardscape. It may be particularly useful for property owners who lost vegetation in last summer’s fires or for those who are seeking to become more FireWise. The workshop features presentations on Yardscaping, Pollinators, Restoration, and Integrated Weed Control Methods by local plant and natural resource experts. Workshop attendees will have an extended deadline of March 11^th for ordering plants from the Native Plant Sale. You can register for this free event on our website!

Serviceberry

If you are interested in either of these events you can find more information on our website, cascadiacd.org. Our Native Plants are selling out quickly, so if you haven’t already had a chance to make your plant selections, I strongly urge you to do so as soon as possible! We are also looking for more volunteers for both of these events- if you are interested in volunteering send an email to americorps@cascadiacd.org. 

-McKenzie

A Sweet Homecoming

Greetings! My name is McKenzie Selden, and I am the new AmeriCorps member serving at Cascadia Conservation District. I've spent my first half hour of work this morning looking back at previous members' blogs and have been thoroughly inspired and excited for the projects and challenges that will be coming my way this year.

I hail from the tiny town of Entiat, about 15 miles north of Wenatchee on the highway, and then another 14 miles up a rural county road. It was a childhood filled with farm animals, dirty fingernails, backpacking trips into the Glacier Peak Wilderness, and homemade applesauce. Growing up here really instilled in me an appreciation for the natural, wild world and left me wondering what I could do to keep it that way. And so, when I found myself at Western Washington University, I chose to focus my studies on learning tactics for regulation of things contributing towards climate change. I also focused my learning on how to communicate the importance and immediacy of a need for action; I majored in Environmental Policy with a minor in Communication Studies.

La Catarata de la Fortuna,
Costa Rica

My last semester of college was spent abroad, studying Sustainable Development with the School for Field Studies in Costa Rica. It was an amazing whirlwind of a semester where I learned how to think critically about tourism, was chased by capuchin monkeys, and made lifelong friends that taught me more, possibly, than any of my actual courses that semester. However, as a girl who lives for Eastern Washington winters, all I could think about at the end of the semester, was how badly I needed to ski. So, I (somewhat reluctantly) returned to the Wenatchee Valley with high hopes of being a ski bum- only to be met with the worst winter in my lifetime. Nonetheless, I worked at Mission Ridge and fell back in love with the valley. I spent my summer working my 3rd season for the Forest Service on a recreation crew and then for interagency dispatch once the fires took over.

Students from Entiat Elementary School
create their own watersheds at Salmon Fest

Heading into my first fall since I had graduated from college, I was still searching for my purpose in the valley. How would I make my time here valuable? That's when I saw the opening for this job. I had always planned on doing a year of service but I had no idea where, how, or when I would do it. Being the AmeriCorps for Cascadia has already served to be rewarding and nostalgic to me. I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to serve the community that raised me, and perhaps to inspire the minds of young people growing up in this community right now.

My first week, I participated in Salmon Fest where Cascadia hosts the Rolling Rivers exhibit. It was great to dive right into teaching and hands on activities with kids.



One of my duties as the AmeriCorps is to update this blog, so thank you for reading! Please post any conservation related questions or topics you might be interested in reading about and I'll do my best to address them in upcoming posts!

-McKenzie

P.S. A quick reminder that there is only one week left in our Clean Water Campaign photo contest! Photos taken anywhere in Chelan County having to do with recreation, water, plants, wildlife, agriculture, or landscapes can be submitted for a chance to be included in our 2016 natural resources stewardship calendar. Submit your photos by October 1st at cascadiacd.org!

Wenatchee River Appreciation

Heading into what is sure to be a warmer than usual spring and summer and with such a measly snowpack in the mountains, Cascadia Conservation District and a group of well-intentioned community members headed to the banks of Brender Creek for our annual Wenatchee River Appreciation event. This year’s event was all about repairing the disturbed riparian area along the Wenatchee River tributary.

The banks of Brender Creek, adjacent to the former Cashmere mill site, has been one of Cascadia’s project sites over the winter and into the spring. It’s a site that has seen extensive cleanup efforts over the last few years, with the Port of Chelan fronting the bill for removal of debris and pollution accumulated over years of mill activity, with the intention to sell the land. 

With funding from the Department of Ecology, Cascadia and partnering agencies Chelan County Port District and Cascade Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group provided about 250 plants (ponderosa, Oregon grape, mock orange and golden currant), planting equipment and refreshments for volunteers. Clad in dusty work clothes and worn leather gloves, nearly 30 community members came out to help plant throughout a couple hundred yards of the Brender Creek riparian.

With so many eager hands getting plants in the ground, the event lasted about two and a half hours, culminating in a raffle in which two Wenatchee High School students won photographs by local artist and Cascadia Project Manager Michael Cushman. Cascadia would like to thank Cascade Quality Water and Crunch Pack for providing refreshments.

Today’s snowpack is 31% of the 34 year average (ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/wa_swepctnormal_update.pdf).

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