Drought in the PNW

Last week I borrowed a standup paddleboard and with a friend enjoyed a lazy float down several miles of the Wenatchee River near Leavenworth. With the temperature in the high 80s and nearly no wind the setting was perfect: no crowds, abundant wildlife and the peaceful sound of water on its journey down, perpetually heading toward the ocean. There was, however, something amiss about this dog day afternoon adventure- the water itself. Typically mountain streams like the Icicle and the Wenatchee are cold enough to keep most of us from jumping in and splashing around for minutes or even hours at a time like one might at the community pool. But on this afternoon the water was so warm we, like many others, swam unhampered by numbed body parts and goose bumps. While it may feel great to us, this warm water spells trouble for fish and wildlife and points to a serious problem: drought.

Surely it’s no surprise to anyone that the entire west coast is experiencing severe drought, but for many of us we’re not sure what exactly that means. How should that influence our daily routine? What are ways we exacerbate or alleviate the effects? How will drought affect me? Fortunately there are plenty of resources answering these questions and more. For starters check out our drought page on our website. For more detailed reports and information see the following sites:

•     National Drought Mitigation Center - http://drought.unl.edu/ranchplan/Overview.aspx
• Washington State Department of Agriculture - http://agr.wa.gov/PestFert/natresources/Drought.aspx
• Washington State Department of Ecology - http://www.ecy.wa.gov/drought
• Washington State University - http://drought.wsu.edu/

Daylight Savings?

The new Month brings us fully moved out of our old office in the Wenatchee-Okanogan Forest Headquarters and into our new office in the top floor of the Wenatchee World building. There are still a few boxes that need to be unpacked and a few cables that still need to be plugged in, but we're just about up and running. The last week of February was crazy busy as we finished packing, loaded the moving truck, drove to our new office, unloaded the truck, and drove back for another load. Everyone at the office pitched in to help wherever they could, and we were able to get through the bulk of the moving in just a few days. Most of us are happy to be in downtown Wenatchee. There are more services and amenities around us and some of us have shorter commutes as well. Visit our webpage to view all of our new contact information.

Daylight savings time is this weekend, so come Sunday we’ll have an hour less of daylight in the morning and an hour more in the evening. There are various reasons why it was originally proposed and implemented. When “daylight savings” first began it was thought to save on power by giving people an extra hour of light in the evening. Essentially an hour that people were generally up that they now didn't need to use lights during. Whether there’s any power savings from it is inconclusive. Some say yes, others say no. Data can be used to support both arguments. Personally I don’t really care about the power savings. I really like the extra hour of light after work. But on the other hand, I don’t like losing the hour of light in the morning. (I may be getting up too early if I notice the light in the morning at this time of year.)  Regardless of how we feel about the change it’s coming.

It’s interesting to look at how the time change affects different people. For many of us that work a normal 9-5 job or some variant thereof the change is nice. We can get more done outside on any given day, or have more time to go out and enjoy the sunshine. For the agricultural based communities or cultures the change is less noticeable. Their daily schedule is governed by the daylight present. They could care less about the “hour” when that light comes. They’re still going to be up with it and out in it until the sun goes down.

Another interesting thought is that the natural world doesn't care about our time standards. One sunrise is the same as any other to a plant, deer, or fish, even if it changes by an hour to us. Most of nature runs off the sun cycle and the temperature changes that come with it, so animal and plant activity levels depends on the time of year and the amount of light or, for nocturnal creatures, the amount of dark. Think about someone going hunting, they don’t get to go hunting at a time that’s convenient for them. If an animal is most active at dawn the hunter better be out at dawn, whether the clock reads 4:30 a.m. or 7 a.m.

This post hopefully makes you think about how we run our lives off a clock, but the rest of nature doesn't. We put so much pressure to set deadlines, but a tree grows when there’s enough light, water, and warmth. A deer goes foraging when the sun comes up, it doesn't care if it’s at 5 or 7. 

Landowner Assistance Program

A hedgerow, planted to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.

Congratulations to Jerry and Junell Wentz who just received the Wildlife Steward of the Year award!

They were chosen for nomination because they have enthusiastically installed numerous projects on their commercial farm that enhance wildlife habitat. Read on to find out about the projects they have done!


In 2005, Junell and Jerry began working with Cascadia Conservation District through our Landowner Assistance Program.  They received partial funding for the installation of a new, more efficient micro-irrigation system for their cherry orchard. This initial project was a great success as erosion on their property nearly disappeared and managing irrigation became much easier.

 A barn owl nesting box.

In 2008, the Wentzes started working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Cascadia’s partner agency, to begin managing and addressing other natural resource concerns they had on their farm. They received funding for soil testing and nutrient management, an integrated pest management plan, soil moisture monitoring, and an insect-attracting hedgerow.  Nesting boxes and perching poles that were erected have so far hosted kestrels and red-tailed hawks.  Beneficial insects have found new habitat in the two hedgerows planted with native, drought-tolerant plant species. Bats and native mason bees also have structures waiting for them to move in.

Introduced barn owls help control rodent populations.

In 2011 Jerry and Junell agreed to release several baby barn owls on their farm with hopes that they would make use of the nesting structures. The owlets were rescued from hay stacks in George where they were displaced when the stacks were moved after sitting over the winter. The Wentzes placed feeder mice around their farm for the first few weeks to help the owlets learn to hunt and to help them feel comfortable in their new home. Jerry and Junell reported seeing the owls often early on and have continued to see signs of them living in a nearby spruce tree.


The Wentzes went above and beyond the programs’ expectations.  Junell wrote to more than fifty neighbors, sharing what she has learned about alternative rodenticides, and urging them to adopt similar practices that are less harmful to birds and other wildlife.  Junell and Jerry put in many hours of hard work researching, building structures, planting hedgerows, and monitoring wildlife.  In return, they can now enjoy living and working with and as part of a more balanced ecosystem.  Inviting back natural predators of mice and cherry-eating birds and bringing in pollinators and other “good” insects has had a positive impact on the overall health of their orchard.

Because of their dedication, Cascadia nominated Jerry and Junell as Wildlife Stewards of the Year within our district boundary and that nomination entered them into a statewide ranking process. They
were also chosen as Wildlife Stewards of the Year for the entire state!

Mason bee nesting structures (left) and bat boxes (right).

“Lots of farmers aren’t willing to take the risk, but I hope to bring
awareness to fellow farmers through my success with the bird boxes and
hedgerow… Because I got help through these programs it detracted worry from finances and I didn’t feel like I was going at it alone. I learned a lot and got great support.”   

–Junell Wentz

Cascadia’s Landowner Assistance Program provides a way for landowners and leasees to get technical and, in many cases, financial assistance to start or continue managing natural resources on their land. 

Check out our Landowner Assistance Program Handout for additional information.

Please call us at (509) 664-9370 if you are interested or would like to learn more!  

For more information and application forms for this and other awards, visit the Washington Association of Conservation District's website, http://www.wadistricts.org/our-programs/2011-wacd-annual-awards.html

Your friend in conservation,
Julia

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