September 2007 ENews
August 2007 ENews
July 2007 ENews

Twisp River farm photo by Eric Bard

Second Tuesday Program (Oct 9th):
With Respect to Farming:  A Film About Sustainable Growing in the Methow Valley
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the Twisp River Pub
The pub will open at 6pm for attendees who would like to purchase drinks or something from the light menu).

You’re Invited!
Celebrate Community-Based Conservation in the Methow Valley with these two Fabulous Fall events – one of either side of the mountains.

We're ready for the Cider Squeeze

Fourth Annual Cider Squeeze & Social at the Sabold's in Winthrop
Saturday, September 29th from 2:00 to 4:00 pm
Join us for another great celebration of the harvest season and conservation with an apple cider squeeze at Dave and Marilyn Sabold's house in Winthrop from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.  It's free, a lot of fun, and all are welcome.

The Sabold's have a beautiful antique apple press that is not only fun to work, but produces amazing cider. Come anytime between 2 and 4 p.m. to:

• Make apple cider with a historic press 
• Eat birthday cake and other goodies (we turned 11 this Fall!).
  
• Enjoy live homegrown music by the Rivertown Ramblers.
  
• Canoe around the Sabold’s small pond, make origami art and more (for kids of all ages).
  
• Meet many of our staff, Board members and others who share a love for the Methow Valley.

Methow Mixer at the Seattle REI

The Fourth Annual Methow Mixer, at the Seattle REI Flagship Store
Tuesday, October 2nd from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
If you live on the Westside of the mountains, but have a special place in your heart for the Methow, you'll have a great time at this special event. This free evening provides attendees with a fun and unique look into the Methow and the work of the Methow Conservancy with interesting and interactive booths and the Great Methow Treasure Hunt.  Plus, you’ll enjoy free desserts from the Cinnamon Twisp Bakery, great organic coffee from the Methow’s Backcountry Coffee Roasters, cool prizes and membership gifts, a beautiful slideshow of the Valley, and a chance to meet others who love the Methow too.  Here's a sneak peak at what you could win at the Methow Mixer:

• REI Men’s Ridgeline backpack
  
• REI Women’s Ridgeline backpack
  
• REI Stratocruiser
  
• REI Spruce Run jacket
  
• REI Nevis jacket
  
• Heenan’s Burnt Finger BBQ & Steak House $50 gift certificate
  
• Two 3-day MVSTA trail passes
  
• Arrowleaf Bistro Restaurant $75 Gift Certificate
  
• Backcountry Coffee Roaster’s gift basket filled with a variety of treats
  

AND, if you complete the Great Methow Treasure Hunt trivia card, you will be eligible to win a 2-Night Stay at Sun Mountain Lodge.

Join us in Seattle for this evening of friendship and conservation as we bring the Methow to you!  The event is open to everyone – bring a friend!  RSVP appreciated but not required.  For more information, call 996-2870 or email info@methowconservancy.org

The Methow Conservancy Team Expands
This fall, we welcome two more people to help us inspire people to care for and conserve the land of the Methow Valley.  Kevin van Bueren joined our Board of

Kevin & his wife Kelly

Directors in mid-September, and Julie Grialou is joining our staff as our Conservation Planner in mid-October.  Here’s a bit more about both of them.  Please join us in welcoming them!

Kevin van Bueren is a Northwest native and came to the Methow Valley to work seasonally in 1990.  His degree in Recreation and Resort Management allowed him to travel and work throughout the country.  Kevin’s love for the Methow’s beauty and its residents brought him back to live full-time in 1994.  He and his wife Kelly live in the Lower Bear Creek area.  Kevin works in Sun Mountain Lodge’s Activity Department and teaches Nordic skiing for Methow Valley Ski School in the winter.  He also owns North Cascades Fly Fishing and spends most of the year guiding on local rivers and lakes.  Kevin feels strongly about giving back to the Methow and its residents.  He looks forward to putting his energies into the Methow Conservancy as he “believes it is an effective avenue for preserving the valley’s unique beauty and personality.”

Julie & son Travis

Julie Grialou will be joining us as our Conservation Planner.  Julie has extensive experience in habitat assessments, wildlife ecology, biodiversity evaluation and planning, and project management.  Over the past decade, she has worked on conservation and land management projects with a variety of landowners and agencies throughout the Pacific Northwest.  Julie has lived in the valley for several years and for the past two has helped the WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife with an amphibian monitoring project in the Methow, working with the Methow Conservancy and local volunteers.  Julie has also been a guest speaker for Methow Conservancy “1st Tuesday programs” and in our Conservation Course.  Julie’s primary responsibility as Conservation Planner is to identify and prioritize the Methow Conservancy’s future land protection efforts through landowner outreach, agency coordination, project prioritization, and local planning support.  She will work closely with John Sunderland (Land Project Manager), Jason Paulsen (Executive Director), and members of the Board of Directors. 

Steve Dixon, or Mr. D as the students/campers called him, and teacher Tammy Ellis brainstormed the 6th grade camp concept almost 20 years ago when Tammy recalled fondly a similar campout during her early years.  Since the first camp in 1990, teachers, parents, community members, and students have given their mind, body, and souls to making the camp happen to the annual delight of the 6th grade class.  Steve Dixon commented that this event has become a right of passage, a high point for kids in elementary school, and a celebration. 

The two Steves reported that this year’s class of 45 campers reveled from start to finish.  As one of two 6th grade teachers at the campout, Steve Dixon shadowed, cheered, and patrolled the campers every step of the way.  Wednesday afternoon, Steve Bondi instructed on plant communities and identification in the wetlands and woodlands next to the lake.  He was one of four instructors at Buck Lake who kept kids busy during four concurrent activity sessions.  Other activities included canoeing, archery, and skill test games.  Thursday, the entire class braved snow and bee stings, according to Camp Coordinator Kelly van Bueren, while hiking to Maple Pass.  Camp games and activities filled each night and Friday morning until camp closed Friday afternoon for another fantastic year.

Giving Back
October marks the beginning of our annual membership drive.  If you are a member, keep your eyes out for your renewal packet in the mail in the next few weeks.  If you are not yet a member but on our mailing list, you should receive a packet to join as a new member. Otherwise, feel free to contact us if you’d like to join our efforts!

Membership support is vital to our conservation efforts.  Nearly 60% of our operating income comes from direct public support - that means from people like you.  Read more about us and what we do here. If you'd like to review our 2006-2007 Annual Report, click here.

This is the one time of year we specifically ask you to join or renew. Though many of you give during other times of the year, and are welcome to do so, we do not track or send renewals on a monthly basis or send appeals throughout the year.

Also, just a quick reminder that we mailed our annual Business Membership requests in September.  A business membership is another great way to support our work.  Visit our business membership webpage and call Emily at 997-2870 for more information.

Thank you very much for your support!

Fall Tips for Restoring Native Landscapes
Does your land need a little help getting back to its native roots?  If so, fall is a great time to think about reseeding, as well as giving some extra protection to young trees and shrubs.

Many bunchgrass seeds, such as Bluebunch wheatgrass, drop in late summer and the autumn freeze-thaw cycles help work seeds into the ground.  They lie dormant until spring, when snowmelt and spring rain keep the germinating seeds moist.  Similarly, many wildflower seeds like Arrowleaf balsamroot and Chelan and penstemon won’t germinate without experiencing the moist, cold conditions of winter.  You can mimic these natural cycles many native plants need by planting seeds in the fall, just before snowfall.

Bunchgrass, photo by Mary Kiesau

Take a little extra time to prepare your seedbed and your seeds will stand a much better chance of germinating.  Lying on densely compacted soil, seeds are vulnerable to washing away, drying out, or being eaten by birds and rodents.  Simply loosening the soil by tilling, discing or hand shoveling, then raking it into smooth contours will give your seeds a wonderful bed to nestle into for the winter.

Protecting saplings from wildlife is another fall chore if you don’t want to risk losing them.  There are about 15,000 mule deer in the Methow and we are sure you are familiar with at least a few of them.  Fortunately, deer generally ignore bunchgrasses, some wildflowers and plants with aromatic or hairy leaves (sage plants, most asters and daisies, yarrow, phacelia…).  However, bucks do like to rub their antlers against tender tree trucks in the fall, girdling or removing bark from saplings.  Install plastic tubing around young trees and shrubs in the fall to prevent this.  To keep mice from chewing off sapling’s bark, wrap wire soffit screen around the trunk’s in the fall.  In the spring, remove all bark protection to allow room for trunks to grow but consider encircling them with six foot tall steel wire cages until the shrub or tree is more then six feet tall.

Learn more about sowing seeds, deer resistant plants, controlling weeds and much more in our free Restoring Shrub-Steppe in the Methow Valley handbook.  Pick up a copy at our office or local nurseries, or download the Handbook.

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