Tuesday, March 2nd, 7:00 - 8:30pm at the Twisp River Pub
Frog populations have been disappearing worldwide at unprecedented rates. Threats to amphibians include pollution, infectious diseases, habitat loss, invasive species, climate change and over-harvesting. Dr. Kerry Kriger will introduce you to the wide world of frogs with incredible photos from around the world, and discuss what needs to be done to prevent further amphibian declines and extinctions.
Dr. Kriger is coming to the Methow Valley from Virginia for public school programs and this "1st Tuesday" lecture with the help of the Public School Funding Alliance. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Save the Frogs!, a nonprofit organization dedicated to amphibian conservation. He is a recognized expert on chytridiomycosis, an infectious disease that has driven at least 100 amphibian species to extinction. His research has been supported by the National Geographic Society and various philanthropic organizations throughout the world.
The Twisp River Pub will open at 6:00pm for attendees who would like to purchase food or drinks.
The event is free and open to everyone. For more information, contact Mary at 996-2870 or info@methowconservancy.org.
Our 6th annual conservation course is nearly over, and, wow, has it been fascinating! From how lifeless rock dust after the Ice Age became active soils teaming with diverse microscopic life, to the “sage to grass” continuum of types of shrub-steppe….we have learned many secrets.
Since the class is limited to 45 people, we thought we’d share some of the note-worthy information we’ve learned…in the form of a dictionary!
Withrow: No, not Winthrop! Withrow is a town in the Waterville Plateau (east of Chelan) where the terminal moraine of the last major glacier in the Columbia Plateau is found. This moraine, from the Okanogan lobe of the Cordilleran Glacier, shows amazing features of past glaciation including kettle lakes, erratic boulders, drumlins, kames, and loess soil (see photo below). A place to visit says instructor Eric Bard!
Cyanobacteria: A type of bacteria, also known as blue-green algae, that is the first thing to start creating “soil” from lifeless rock dust (regolith). This bacteria colonizes sterile soil and begins to bind dust together and absorb moisture. It obtains its energy from photosynthesis and it fixes nitrogen (takes nitrogen from the air and makes it available in the soil).
Tardigrade: Also known as a “water bear” (photo at right), this is one of the first animals that show up when plant life, such as mosses and lichens, appear. They are microscopic animals (1.5 mm to 0.1 mm in length) that occur over the entire world, from the Himalayas to the deep sea and from the polar regions to the equator.
Alexander Ross: A Scottish Canadian fur trader and author who traveled over the Cascades (probably via Cascade Pass) and up the Methow. He was the first person to go up the Methow (probably around 1815) and write about it. His field journals no longer exist but he wrote two books.
David Douglas: A Scottish botanist who traveled extensively in the “big bend” area of the Lower Columbia around the 1825 time-frame. Douglas worked for the London Horticultural Society and collected and wrote about hundreds of plant and animal species. About 85 flora and fauna species in our region are named for Douglas. What makes Douglas so interesting is that he didn’t just describe species, like Meriwether Lewis or David Thompson did, he learned about plants from seed to flowering; he learned from Native American women how to use, cook and eat plants; he studied the relationships species have and how Native peoples interacted with them.
 Lomatium: A genus of 70 to 80 perennial herbs native to western North America. There are about 40 species in this region and 17 are edible. David Thompson and David Douglas both described various Lomatiums and saw Native Americans using them. Several species, including L. cous, L. geyeri, and L. macrocarpum, L. dissectum (at right) are sometimes known as biscuit roots for their starchy edible roots. These are or have been traditional Native American foods, eaten cooked or dried and ground into flour. Lomatiums are in the carrot family and their flavor has been compared to celery and parsnip.
Vestigial: Relates to a body part that has become small and lost its use because of evolutionary change. The eyes of moles and certain salamanders are vestigial, as they no longer allow the organism to see, and are remnants of their ancestors' functional eyes.
Midden: A very old word that goes back to Middle English and Scandinavian derivatives that originally referred to a trash heap. Archaeologists use the word to describe mounds that may contain animal bones, feces, shells, botanical materials, vermin, debitage, and other artifacts associated with past human occupation. Biologists use the word to describe the central piles of food debris (cone scales in the case of squirrels) that some animals accumulate over time, or to describe nests or other debris piles where animals such as the packrat (or more lovingly called the bushy-tailed woodrat) horde all their goodies.
 Fossorial: From Late Latin fossōrius, from Latin fossus, meaning “to dig.” Fossorial creatures are ones that dig or burrow. Some fossorial animals, like marmots (photo at right) and spadefoot toads not only dig into the ground they primarily live underground. Other creatures, like chipmunks or even coyotes are “semi-fossorial” meaning they dig underground at times for certain purposes (to get or avoid prey, for shelter, etc.) but they live above ground too.
Pillaring: A term for the erect posture that many mammals, such as weasels, prairie dogs and marmots use to better see their surroundings (see example at right).
Hibernaculum: Latin for "tent for winter quarters,” a hibernaculum is a hibernation chamber. Hibernation chambers are used by many fossorial creatures, though only a few are “true hibernators.”
Lek: A lek is a term used specifically with grouse, but it can include other animals. It is a gathering of males for the purposes of competitive mating display. Leks assemble before and during the breeding season, on a daily basis. The same group of males meets at a traditional place and takes up the same individual positions on an arena, each occupying and defending a small territory or court. They spar with their neighbors or put on extravagant displays (mating "dances" or gymnastics, plumage displays, vocal challenges, etc.). Lek is an old Swedish noun that denotes pleasurable activities.
If you are interested in seeing the conservation course materials click here.
We are in the final countdown to Memorial Day Weekend – the weekend when we plan to celebrate the accomplishment of meeting our campaign fundraising goals.
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| Sample sign we had out on conservation easements |
We are pulling out all the stops, reaching for every white rabbit from our magic hat, and using many imaginative ideas to reach that fundraising goal.
Along these lines, the month of February was filled with innovative events to meet people, creative new ways to give people information about the campaign and unique efforts to raise funds for the Imagine the Methow campaign.
We kicked off our month of experimentation on President’s Day weekend (and Valentine’s Day). Faithful and fit volunteers put up 21 signs along the ski trail (see sample at left), marking lands protected by conservation easements. It was an incredibly powerful (and tangible) reminder of the extraordinary gift these private landowners have give to the Methow Valley and to all the future generations who will continue to enjoy such breathtaking views and solitude.
On Valentine’s night, we encouraged people to Love this Valley by hosting a free torchlight ski in Winthrop at the Town Trailhead and a free horse-drawn sleigh ride in Mazama. We gave each participant a “Love this Valley” satin bag filled with chocolates and information about the Imagine the Methow Campaign. Though the snow was a bit thin and sometimes slushy, the torches leading from the Town Trailhead made it feel like you were skiing through an art installation. The sleigh rides were a huge hit until the conditions (or was it the sheer number of kids we sleighed for 1.5 hours) caused a sleigh runner to break! The “temperate” weather we’ve been having provided some lessons should we attempt these events again, but we had a wonderful time and loved spending Valentine’s evening with so many of you!
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| Art on the wall at Johnston Architects |
Last Wednesday we really stretched our imaginations, sponsoring our first-ever art auction. We knew we had nine phenomenal pieces of art created by Methow Valley artists who had been inspired by land protected by the Methow Conservancy. We knew we had eight unique Methow experiences (each paired with their own piece of art). We knew we had enough Cinnamon Twisp Bakery treats to sustain a small army. And, we knew we had a dedicated cohort of Seattleites who love the Methow. But we had no way to predict the outcome of this event.
Turns out, you toss all that together (and beer and wine certainly don’t hurt either) and you get one fabulously entertaining event! Our Imagine the Methow Auction & Social in Seattle at Johnston Architects was an amazing success – and a ton of fun to boot! The art was stunning, the crowd was lively, and our auctioneer and emcee kept the flow efficient and smooth. Several intense bidding wars developed throughout the evening and with the help of more than 125 guests, we raised more than $53,000 for our Imagine the Methow campaign. Unbelievable.
We are so grateful to everyone who attended the auction and all the folks who helped us bring it to life! We’d like to give special thanks to our incredible artists and “experience” donors who contributed their work and time to make our auction so remarkable: Jeremy Newman and Allison Ciancibelli, Laurie Fry, Nancy Daniels Hubert, Mary Powell, Suzi Jennings, Bruce Morrison, Rita Pampanin, Jill Sabella, Steve Ward, Marilyn & Dave Sabold, Midge Cross and the family of Sean McCabe, Kevin van Bueren and Denny O'Callaghan, Paul Butler and EA Weymuller, Cathy Handfelt, Char Alkire and Dennis Kirkland, Methow Wilderness School (Gabe Spence & Sandi Scheinberg), A Bend in the River Lodge (Anais Winant), the Methow Valley Inn (Raleigh Bowden, Peter Morgan, & Terry Larson), and Mountain Kind Photography (Mary Kiesau & Merle Kirkley).
Who knows…we just might have to turn these “experiments” into annual or at least regular events!
Sunday, March 21st, 11:00am
It’s that time of year again. Please join us for a casual bike ride to celebrate the inspiring life of our friend Susie Stephens. We'll meet at the Winthrop Park at 11:00 a.m., break up into a couple different groups depending on ability and time, and head out for a ride. We'll meet back in the park after the ride for lunch.
Susie was the Development Director at the Conservancy from 2000 - 2002. In March 2002 she was tragically hit and killed by a bus in St. Louis. Susie was an avid cyclist, and a passionate advocate of bicycles for transportation, travel and recreation, as well as for bicycle and pedestrian safety. We honor her and her work every year with this ride and invite others to join us.
Please join us for Susie’s fun and informal annual memorial on March 21st! Bring your own bike and helmet and a sack lunch. RSVPs are not necessary but feel free to call us at 996-2870 if you’d like. See the 2009 group photo immediately below.
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Impress your friends with a beautiful and fashionable shirt and show your support for the Methow Conservancy with our new long-sleeve t-shirts! These long-sleeve shirts come in three colors in men’s,women’s and youth sizes. The shirts are 100% organic cotton, made in the USA, and are incredibly soft and comfortable. The design and screen-printing is by local artist Mary Sharman. The shirts are $20 each – an amazing deal we must say – and some sizes are bound to go fast. The colors represent rich tones of the Methow: “Old Barn” Red, “Balsamroot Leaf” Green, and “Cottonwoods in the Fall” Yellow. Okay, they are really Sienna, Light Olive and Goldenrod, but our Methow names are far more visual, right?
See the new shirts and sizing info, plus our great hats, totes, and other shirts, too!
Thank you to everyone who has responded to our annual membership appeal! If you haven’t had a chance to return your membership form yet, there’s still time. March 31st is our deadline to be included in the 2009-2010 annual report of donors. Here’s the list of people who became new members over the last month (January 27th to Feb 26th). Thank you to them and all of you who support our work! Jill Ashman; Celeste Avila; East 20 Pizza; Ruth Dight & Mark Hoffman; Peach & Dave Jack; Kim Kemp & Matt Cohen; Lindsay Lettvin; Deirdre & Blake LuVon; Jacqui Metzger; Ann Morrow; Martha Noerr; Linda Pastor; Linda & William Renn; Riddell Williams P.S.; Janie Morgan & Ralph Rigg; Kate Roosevelt; Mary Gales & Steve Rottler; Chris Moran & Walter Seay; Dwayne Shearer; Steph Taylor and Alexa & Jake Whipple
Just for fun we're throwing a little contest out there. A pacific tree frog is hiding somewhere on this big website of ours. He looks just like the one at the right (same size and  everything). If you find him email Mary and tell her the URL (web address) of the page you found it on. We will put the names of all winning entries into a bowl and draw one winner at the end of the month. The prize will be great - but it's a surprise. The winner will be notified by email and announced in next month's ENews.
Volunteers Needed: Friday, March 5th, 9am-12pm, building hair-trap tubes
Saturday, March 20th, 9am-4pm, volunteer training day for western gray squirrel surveys
 Pacific Biodiversity Institute’s (PBI) western gray squirrel project is gearing up as spring approaches and juveniles start emerging from nests. Volunteers are needed on Friday, March 5th, from 9am to 12pm to assemble 200 hair-tube traps, which will be set-up in the following weeks in western gray squirrel habitat throughout the Methow Valley. Project assembly will take place at the PBI office, located at 517 Lufkin Lane, in the residential area off Castle Road in Winthrop. Come as you are; No skills or tools required. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
PBI is also hosting a training-day for western gray squirrel project volunteers on Saturday, March 20th from 9am to 4pm. We will discuss the ecology of western gray squirrels, their conservation issues, and how to conduct distribution surveys using hair-tube traps around the Valley or in your own backyard. We’ll be in the field using hands-on field sampling techniques, so wear weather appropriate outdoor clothing and boots, and bring your binoculars, cameras, sack lunch, and water. Things you’ll learn during our training include: how to recognize the difference between our more rare western gray squirrel and the common red squirrel; how to determine good habitat for the species; more about the project and how to set / check non-invasive hair-tube traps, how western gray squirrels are doing in our region and their conservation status; and in what ways you can help conservation of the North Cascade western gray squirrel population. Your volunteer assistance is needed to secure a grant provided by Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife which will help determine the extent of western gray squirrel activity in our region. We will carpool to field sites from the PBI office, leaving no later than 9:30am.
Please RSVP for both volunteer opportunities to Pacific Biodiversity Institute at 509/996-2490 or send an email to Kim Romain-Bondi, kim@pacificbio.org.
Below, you'll find announcements about events or publications (ours and those of other organizations) that we think you might find interesting.
March 2nd: 1st Tuesday program - The Wild World of Frogs, with amphibian expert Dr. Kerry Kriger, 7 – 8:30pm at the Twisp River Pub. Dr. Kriger is the Founder and Executive Director of Save the Frogs!, a nonprofit organization dedicated to amphibian conservation. Dr. Kriger is coming to the Methow Valley from Virginia for Methow Valley public school programs and this 1st Tuesday lecture with the help of the Public School Funding Alliance.
We'll meet at the Winthrop Park at 11:00 a.m., break up into a couple different groups depending on ability and time, and head out for a ride. We'll meet back in the park after the ride for lunch.
April 6th: 1st Tuesday program: Plant Insects, Co-Evolution and Pollination, with Carol Mack, 7:00 – 8:30pm at the Twisp River Pub. More details coming up soon!
May 13 – 16th: Spring Naturalists’ Retreat with Instructors Libby Mills & Dana Visalli. Thursday, May 13th at 5pm through Sunday, May 16th at 2pm (or so).
The Naturalists’ Retreat is an annual celebration of the Methow Valley in springtime! Come spend a long weekend with us where we’ll enjoy beautiful days in the field and engage in presentations and group dinners in the evenings. Under the friendly and expert tutelage of ornithologist Libby Mills and botanist Dana Visalli you will be amazed by all that you learn and  soak up in this fantastic nature and educational experience!
Arrowleaf balsamroot and many other spring flowers will be at their prime in mid-May, and the neo-tropical migratory birds will be pouring into the Valley after their long journey from South and Central America. We’ll go to a variety of places throughout the Methow Valley on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to experience all that the natural world of the Methow has to offer. In the evenings, we’ll share meals and hear presentations from Dana and Libby on the Methow’s natural history as well as the life and times of Methow birds.
Registration is required and the retreat is limited to 20 people. The retreat cost is $130/person. Participants should be willing and able to take part in the entire retreat including evenings. Participants should be in good physical condition, able to complete moderate hikes and spend 6+ hours in the field. Free tent camping is available at Dana’s property along the Methow River near Twisp or you can make your own lodging arrangements. Thursday evening's dinner is a potluck. Friday's dinner is a shared meal provided by the Methow Conservancy (included in the retreat fee). Saturday's dinner is a group function at a local restaurant where participants will pay for themselves. Locations for day and evening events will be given shortly before the retreat starts. Contact Mary for more information or to register 509.996.2870.
May 22nd: Wildflower and Medicinal Plant Walk with instructor Marlee Mountain, 1- 5pm. Curried Cattails! Sautéed Grasshoppers?! Join Marlee for a wild edible and medicinal plant walk from 1- 5pm(includes driving time). We will take our time wandering trails in forest and riparian habitats. Marlee will share knowledge of how to forage and prepare wild edible and medicinal plants. You’ll be able to taste samples of course! Marlee Mountain has lived in the Upper Skagit Valley for 35 years and visits the Methow often. She is a self-taught ethno-botanist with a “pocket-full” of surprises for all! Meeting place TBA.
Registration is required and the class is limited to 15 people. If folks would like to help cover some class costs, a donation of $15 is suggested. Contact Mary for more information or to register 509.996.2870.
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