Methow Conservancy

First Tuesday Program: Bats of the Pacific Northwest
7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the Twisp Grange (note the later start time)
Roger Christophersen, a bat expert and Wildlife Biologist at the North Cascades National Park, will demystify these furry, night-flying, insect-eating mammals. Learn about different species, life and behavior, habitat, current research and the importance of bats in our ecosystem, and walk away with a new friend of the night sky. After the presentation, feel free to stay longer and look for bats in the evening twilight. Free and open to everyone as always! For more information contact Mary at 996-2870 or info@methowconservancy.org

Community Focus Groups Update
During the last two weeks in May, the Methow Conservancy hosted a series of five community focus groups to gather a broad range of ideas and input regarding the future of the Methow Valley and the role of the Methow Conservancy. Lori Northcott, a local, independent facilitator, conducted and facilitated each focus group.

The focus groups were well attended and very helpful. The feedback, information and ideas generated in these community meetings will be used to inform the future focus of the Methow Conservancy. We’d like to thank everyone who was able to participate! If you were unable to attend and would like to tell us what you think, visit our online community survey.

The input we gathered from the focus groups will be synthesized into a report that will be provided to the Conservancy’s Board of Directors, and will also be reported back to the community at-large on Saturday, June 16 from 9:00 -11:00 a.m. at the Winthrop Barn. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Welcome New Staff !
We are very excited to welcome two new staff members on June 11th! Emily Chenel will join us as our Membership Coordinator and Eric Bard will join us as a Stewardship Associate.

Emily Chenel grew up in the Methow Valley and graduated from Liberty Bell High School before heading east for Dartmouth College. Emily interned with the Methow Conservancy in 2001 and has since participated in conservation work in Alaska. She recently returned home to the Methow, a place she notes is “embedded in who I am.” Emily has a deep connection with the Methow Valley and brings a passion for the people and land here that is inspiring and Eric Bard

central to our work. Emily will work with our Associate Director, Sarah Brooks, and our Program Coordinator, Mary Kiesau, to help expand our general membership and annual fundraising.

Eric Bard lives in Mazama with his wife and two young sons, and has an extensive background in geology, conservation planning, teaching and natural history. He will be joining our Stewardship Program part-time to help us expand the capacity of the Program and better help landowners and conservators achieve their land stewardship goals. Eric will work with Steve Bondi, our Stewardship Director, and Dawn Woodruff, on Baseline Reports for new conservation easements as well as the annual monitoring of current easements. Eric’s knowledge, energy, and enthusiasm for the Methow Valley and the Methow Conservancy will enhance our conservation efforts and we are thrilled to add him to our team.

Weed Patrol
Ahhhh, the early days of summer. Warm days, cool nights; wildflower hikes; the sweet songs of birds; fresh vegetables and fruit from farmers….AND WEEDS. Yep, it’s that time again when the annual ritual of battling weeds begins. Unfortunately, whitetop, photo by Mary Kiesau

many of us still have trouble distinguishing Whitetop from Yarrow, so mustering the energy and information to create a “weed control strategy” is quite daunting. Is this a weed? Which ones are worse than others? Do different weeds need different methods for control or eradicating? How quickly (or not) can I expect to see results? What do I plant to compete with the weeds?

1. Get a free copy of our Restoration Handbook! Learn to evaluate your site; create a good irrigation system; identify common weeds; develop a weed control strategy with various methods; choose appropriate native plants with a great guide; restore your property, and much, much more. Call, come by, or pick a Handbook up at many places around the Valley.

Get one or more good identification books and begin to learn what is on your property (and in the rest of the Methow). Some books we recommend include: Weeds of the West (Whitson); Northwest Weeds (Taylor); Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia and Inland Northwest (Parish, Coupe and Lloyd); Sagebrush Country (Taylor); and Northwest Dryland Wildflowers (Visalli)

Come visit our Weed and Native Plant Education Table at the Farmer’s Market in Twisp. We will be there every Saturday in July. If you have a question before then, call or come by anytime! You can even bring weeds to us to identify!

The Methow Valley is for the Birds
Going birding? There’s still time to see some of the 250+ birds that live in or come through the Methow. Washington Audubon made a cool series of maps a few years back called the "The Great Washington State Birding Trail.” One of the trail maps was the “Cascade Loop,” and included the Methow Valley. More recently, the Methow Valley Sports Trail Association (MVSTA) made a webpage featuring the Methow section of this “Cascade Loop" map. Click here for the MVSTA birding webpage that has Methow Valley birding locations and site descriptions. Purchase the Washington Audubon Cascade Loop map here.

News from Other Organizations

The Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife is conducting a vegetation survey on the Golden Doe Unit of the Methow Wildlife Area, Friday, June 8th from 8:30 – 2:00 p.m. Volunteers are welcome to come help identify and vegetation survey June 8th.

map native and non-native plant species while exploring the spring flowers of talus, shrub-steppe, and wetland ecosystems. After walking into the area, Wildlife Area Manager Kim Romain-Bondi will give each 2-person team a grid site map, lessons in mapping and GPS skills, and point out focal plant species of interest to record on datasheets. This effort will be extremely useful for local management efforts to control noxious weeds, assess wildlife habitat conditions, and plan for future habitat restoration projects. Wear close-toed shoes and long pants; bring lunch, colored pencils/pens and clipboard for hard writing surface, plastic baggies for unknown plants, plant ID books, and GPS unit if you have one. Please RSVP to Joyce Bergen at 996-7808 or magpie@methownet.com. Meet at the Twisp Forest Service compound to caravan or carpool to the site.

Classroom in Bloom presents their “Summer Garden Series.”
Learn practical garden skills from local experts and do hands-on projects that help maintain the schoolyard garden. Classes meet every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Classroom in Bloom garden on the campus of Liberty Bell High School. The classes are free and all ages are welcome. The first class is June 27! Other dates are July 11, July 25, Aug. 8 and Aug. 22. Topics will include: Composting; Disease identification; Soil fertility; and Permaculture. Contact Lexi Koch at 997-0664 for more info.

Events
Below, you'll find announcements about events or publications (ours and those of other organizations) that we think you might find interesting.