“1st Tuesday” Program - “After the Fire – Five Years Since the Tripod Burn”
Tuesday, February 7th, 7:00 - 8:30pm at the Twisp River Pub
In July 2006, lightning ignited what would become the largest wildfire in recent Washington state history. The four-month-long Tripod Fire burned a mosaic across 175,000 acres of forested land co-managed by various federal and state agencies. Join representatives from the Forest Service, including Methow Valley District Ranger Michael Liu and Deputy Fire Staff Officer Richy Harrod, for a presentation and discussion about how the land in the Tripod Fire burn area is recovering, what fire does ecologically and the restoration process.The event is free and open to everyone. For more information, contact us at 996-2870 or info@methowconservancy.org. 

DINNER NOTE: The Twisp River Pub is going to try a new dinner option this month. For those who would like to eat, instead of ordering from the menu, a buffet of several dinner options will be available. Simply pay $10 per person and get your meal when you want it. Small meals such as soup or salad will be available for the standard menu price. The full bar will also be open. The pub will open at 6pm.

And, for our Seattle-area friends… a “1st Tuesday” in Seattle!
John Scurlock and “Heart of the Distant Mountain: Photographic Flights across Western North America,” Wednesday, February 1st, 7:00 - 8:30pm at the Burke Museum

Join us for a special evening of amazing photography with pilot, photographer and now author, John Scurlock.  Flying in his home-built airplane, John has amassed an amazing collection of photos of the mountains of the Northwest -- jagged peaks, deep valleys, hundreds of glaciers, and vast untouched land as far as the eye can see.  John’s photos are both documentary and flat-out stunning at the same time.  In fact, they are so amazing they have been assembled into a new coffee-table book, "Snow & Spire: Flights to Winter in the North Cascade Range," which is drawing praise far and wide.

In-Between E-News
There’s a lot that takes place in the month that happens in-between e-newsletters. 

See what else is happening at our Blog, including the latest post by Mary Kiesau about a staff ski to Owl Peak.

The Ecological History of the Methow Valley
Our 8th annual “Methow Conservation Course” starts Monday, January 30th.  This year’s course filled up exceptionally fast and while that is very exciting, we wish we could accommodate everyone that is interested in attending.  Our consolation to all those folks who can’t attend is our blog!  In an attempt to share information from the course we will be posting weekly class notes on our blog website starting shortly after January 30th.  So, put it in our web favorites or write it in your calendar. 

Also, the course syllabus and some of the reading materials from the course are posted at the 2012 Conservation Course webpage.

New Members
Here’s the list of people who became new members from November 29th through January 23, 2012: Karla & Charles J. Broughton, Linda Esther, Louise McNerney, Steve Saunders, Margaret & Mark Waechter. Thank you for becoming members and supporting our efforts!

News from other Organizations
The Okanogan Highlands Alliance presents, “Owls and Woodpeckers of the Okanogan Highlands and Beyond”, with Paul Bannick, a "Highland Wonders First Friday" event on Friday, February 3rd at 6:30 pm. A dinner benefiting the Community Cultural Center starts at 5:00 pm followed by the presentation with tea, coffee and desserts. The event will be held at the Community Cultural Center, 411 S Western Ave, Tonasket, WA. Contact Julie Ashmore at 509-433-7893 or julie@okanoganhighlands.org or check out their website for more info.

Now through Feb. 18th - Inspired by the Methow, a Confluence Gallery show, co-sponsored by the Methow Conservancy, which features local artists who used the Methow Valley’s beauty, history, people, culture, seasons and colors as a source of inspiration for their work.  Come see and celebrate the Methow Valley through the eyes of its remarkable artists.  All proceeds from sales benefit the artists and the Confluence Gallery. 

Mondays, January 30th – March 14th: Eighth Annual Methow Conservation Course – The Ecological History of the Methow Valley from the Cascades to the Columbia.  Registration is required and the class is currently full.  See more details here.

February 1st:  Methow Conservancy “1st Tuesday” style program IN SEATTLE, “Heart of the Distant Mountain: Photographic Flights Across Western North America,” with renowned photographer John Scurlock, 7:00 – 8:30pm at the Burke Museum.  John will cover his efforts over nine years to photograph mountains and glaciers from northern California to southeast Alaska and from the Coast Ranges to the Rockies.  The highlight will be images from his great obsession, the North Cascade range in winter.  See more details here.

February 7th:  1st Tuesday Program, “After the Fire – Five Years Post Tripod,” with Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Service staff, 7:00 - 8:30 at the Twisp River Pub. Hear about what's happening now in the area of the Tripod Fire, how areas are recovering, what fire does ecologically-speaking, what the restoration process has included, and much more.  Free. See more details here.

March 6th:  1st Tuesday program - "New Land--North of the Columbia," with speaker Lorraine McConaghy, author and historian with Seattle's Museum of History and Industry, 7:00 – 8:30 at the Twisp River Pub.  Co-sponsored by the Methow Conservancy and the Shafer Historical Museum.

March 21st: 10th Annual Susie Stephens Memorial Bike Ride Please join us for our annual casual bike ride to celebrate the inspiring life of Susie Stephens.  We'll meet at the Winthrop Park at 11:30 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.

May 24 – 27th:  Spring Naturalists’ Retreat with Instructors Libby Mills & Dana Visalli.  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!  The retreat starts at 5pm on Thursday, May 24th and goes through the afternoon of Sunday May 27th.  This is Memorial Day weekend this year. Cost is $130 each. Space is limited and this course fills up fast! Contact Mary at 509.996.2870 or email her to register*.

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Republishing of any part of Methow Conservancy E-News is by permission only.  Contact us at 509-996-2870 or info@methowconservancy.org