Methow Conservancy

Look For Our Annual Report Soon
Our Annual Report for the last fiscal year (April 2006 – March 2007) will be mailed to members next week. Public support from people like you provides nearly 60% of our operating budget. We highly value your financial support and welcome your thoughts on how we can continue to serve you, the land, and the Methow community in a meaningful way. Thank you!

Beware of Water Hemlock
In recent years, Western water hemlock (Cicuta douglasii), also called Douglas’s hemlock, has become more prevalent in the Methow Valley. It is a native plant in the Parsnip (aka Carrot) Family, poisonous water hemlock and like many of the similar species it resembles is found in moist damp areas including streambanks and irrigation ditches. Unlike the species it resembles, water hemlock is deadly poisonous to humans and livestock and it should be avoided at all costs. Our stewardship staff are hearing about more problems with this dangerous plant so we thought we’d share some information about it. Here are some basic facts about water hemlock. If you think you may have this on your property, learn more before touching or investigating the plant!

Toxins are concentrated in the roots but also occur in the leaves and stems. A consumption of 0.1% of one’s body weight of leaves and/or stems is lethal. The oil in a single root bulb is enough to kill a 1600 pound cow – several calves in the Methow Valley have already died from eating this plant. The onset of symptoms is so rapid that treatment is not usually successful.
Leaves are compound (divided into smaller parts) with veins usually ending in the notches along the margins of the toothed leaf (rather than at the tip of the toothed leaf).
Stems are stout, purplish, sometimes with purple spots, and branched.
Roots have a horizontally chambered interior and contain clear oil.
The flower is a compound inflorescence of small white to greenish flowers – similar to many other species in the Carrot Family.

Similar looking plants prevalent in the Methow that aren’t poisonous include:

Water Parsnip (Sium suave) - Similar ecology to western water-hemlock; no chambers in the roots; simple (once or undivided) leaves; simple inflorescence.
Cow Parsnip (Heracleum lanatum) - Grows in uplands and Riparian areas; distinguished by its very large maple-like leaves; can grow several feet tall.
Angelica (Angelica arguta.) – Grows in uplands and lowlands; bases of leaf stalks are inflated and tubular; can grow several feet tall.

For More Information, visit the British Columbia Ministry of Ag and Lands website or contact the Methow Conservancy Stewardship Program at 996-2870 or info@methowconservancy.org.

Riverside Ramblings – A Free Methow Conservancy Fieldtrip
Join us on Saturday, August 18th from 9:00 to 12:00 for a tour of a 120-acre conservation easement property on one of the most wild and scenic portions of the Methow River. Come see why conservation of riparian and river systems is important to maintaining the character and habitats of the middle Methow Valley.

Conservancy Stewardship Director Steve Bondi will lead the walk along the braided river channel, around beaver pond wetlands, and through cottonwood forests. Along the way, we’ll discuss protection and restoration of fish and wildlife habitat, living within a dynamic river system, and the purpose of conservation easements. Participants are encouraged to bring and share their perspectives on these and other topics. We might even find spawning spring Chinook salmon!

The event is free. The tour will start and end at the Brown’s Farm public parking area off Wolf Creek Road, just west of the Weeman Bridge. Please be there promptly at 9:00 AM. No registration is required but feel free to call us if you’d like. Dress for the weather and bring things you’d like to have for a casual hike, such as a camera, binoculars, water and snacks, and sturdy shoes (that could perhaps get wet). For more info call Mary or Steve at the Methow Conservancy at 996-2870.

Mark Your Calendar – Events for Both Sides of the Cascades
Fall is right around the corner, believe it or not, and with it comes two of our favorite events. The “Cider Squeeze & Social” here in the Methow, and the “Methow Mixer” in Seattle. We hope to see you at one or both of them!

Saturday, September 29th is our 4th Annual Cider Squeeze and Social.
Join us for another great celebration of the harvest season with an apple cider squeeze, great food and conversation at Dave and Marilyn Sabold's house in Winthrop from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. It's free and all are welcome. We'll make apple cider with a fun historic press, have kid’s activities, music, food, drinks and more. Meet Conservancy staff and board members, new friends and old friends. Please bring your own jugs for cider, and apples or food if you wish. RSVPs (by 9/25) appreciated but not required. Contact Mary at 996-2870 or info@methowconservancy.org.

Tuesday, October 2nd is our annual Methow Mixer at the Flagship REI store in downtown Seattle from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Join us at this unique event where we bring the Methow to the Westside for an evening of food, fun and prizes. For all of you in the greater Seattle area who have a special place in your heart for the Methow, enjoy an evening of friendship and conservation with interesting booths, news from our Executive Director, raffle prizes and membership gifts. Look for more details in our September E-News or contact Mary at 996-2870 or info@methowconservancy.org.

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

August 3rd – 8th: Sustainable Home Design Series: Green Building & Remodeling in the Methow. Led by internationally renowned architect, Kelly Lerner, and using the home of Dune Ives and Erik Froyd as a case study, the series offers technical insights and practical know-how on incorporating green and energy efficiency principles into homes and buildings. See the top of E-News for more details.

August 8th: Classroom in Bloom’s “Summer Garden Series,” featuring Soil Fertility with Alexa Spivy. From 6:30-8:30 pm at the Classroom in Bloom garden on the campus of Liberty Bell High School. Contact Lexi Koch at 997-0664 for more info.
August 18th: Riverside Ramblings – A Free Methow Conservancy Fieldtrip
9am - noon. The tour will start and end at the Brown’s Farm public parking area off Wolf Creek Road, just west of the Weeman Bridge. Please be there promptly at 9:00 AM. No registration is required but feel free to call us if you’d like. Dress for the weather and bring things you’d like to have for a casual hike, such as a camera, binoculars, water and snacks, and sturdy shoes (that could perhaps get wet). For more info call Mary or Steve at the Methow Conservancy at 996-2870. Click here for more info.

August 22nd: Classroom in Bloom’s “Summer Garden Series,” featuring Pests & Beneficials with Helen Buzenberg. From 6:30-8:30 pm at the Classroom in Bloom garden on the campus of Liberty Bell High School. Contact Lexi Koch at 997-0664 for more info.

September 2nd: Partnership for a Sustainable Methow’s annual Farm Tours, 1:00 – 4:00 PM. Discover your local food sources and get a behind the scenes look at where your local food comes from. Carpools will leave from the Winthrop Barn.

September 4th: First Tuesday Lecture Alaska's Proposed Pebble Mine; A Journey Through the Watersheds of Bristol Bay, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Twisp River Pub.

Local residents, Emily Chenel and Kyle Lints spent fifty days traveling by open skiff and packraft through the watersheds of the proposed Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska in the summer of 2005. They photographed the region and interviewed locals about their perceptions of the project. The proposed mine could affect one of the largest Chinook Spawning rivers in the state, and Bristol Bay, home of the largest Sockeye salmon fishery in the world. The open pit and an underground mine would be one of the largest gold and copper mines in the world. Come learn about this controversial proposal, hear fascinating stories from their adventure and see breathtaking photos from the heart of Southwest Alaska.

September 29th: Fourth Annual Cider Squeeze
Join us and meet friends new and old at our annual celebration of harvest season and conservation. Make apple cider with a historic press, and enjoy food, music, and kid’s activities at the Sabold's house here in Winthrop. Start saving your jugs for cider now!

September 30th: Partnership for a Sustainable Methow’s annual Harvest Dinner at the Winthrop Barn. Get more info and learn how you can help at PSM’s website.

methow mixer

October 2nd: Fourth Annual Methow Mixer (7:00 - 8:30 p.m.) at the Seattle REI. If you live on the "Westside" of the mountains, but have a special place in your heart for the Methow, please mark your calendars now for this unusual event. Learn more about our conservation efforts as we bring the Methow to you.

October 6th: Partnership for a Sustainable Methow’s annual Sustainable Home Tours. Meet at 12:45 pm in the Winthrop Barn parking lot to get maps and arrange carpooling. Come by car or bike! Donations appreciated $25 per person.