Methow Conservancy Enews

Honoring Conservation Award Winners at our Annual Holiday Party Katharine Bill
You are invited to join the Methow Conservancy for a bit of holiday cheer and festivities on Wednesday, December 12th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at our annual open house. Help us celebrate another great year of conservation and honor our two 2007 Conservation Award Winners at our office at 315 Riverside in downtown Winthrop. We welcome the chance to thank you for your support this past year and to hear your thoughts about what you hope we'll accomplish in the next year. Food and drinks will be available. We hope to see you on the 12th!

Each year, we present the Ken White and Susie Stephens Awards to recognize the work of dedicated volunteers for conservation in the valley. This year we will honor Katharine Bill with the Ken White Award, and Dotti and Bob Wilson with the Susie Stephens Award.

We present the Ken White Award to those who carry on Ken’s love for the Methow Valley. Known by many as the Methow’s Naturalist, Ken was a self-taught conservationist who shared his deep passion for appreciating this beautiful valley with all who are interested.

Katharine has also always found a way to share her deep passion for the Methow and the natural world. From her tenure as Stewardship Director and then Executive Director at the Dotti Wilson gathering barbed wire at one of our conservation easements. Methow Conservancy, Katharine possessed a unique ability to find common ground among diverse groups of people. She has encouraged us all to think creatively about conservation outreach – from pioneering a songbird survey along waterways to writing the first Good Neighbor Handbook. Katharine remains active not only in the work of the Methow Conservancy, but also through volunteer service on boards and committees ranging from the Methow Valley Nordic Team to the Methow Basin Watershed Planning Unit. Katharine’s passion for the beauty and community of the Methow Valley and her depth of knowledge and keen people skills have resulted in a legacy of land protection in the Methow Valley. Like Ken White, Katharine serves as an inspiration for us all.

Bob Wilson gathering barbed wire at one of our conservation easements. We present the Susie Stephens award to those who carry on Susie’s endless energy for helping others and her strong belief that education about conservation can make a difference. Susie served with an open heart and joyful smile as the Development Director at the Methow Conservancy until a tragic accident took her life in 2002. Susie’s enthusiasm for life and for reaching out to people to inspire conservation are legacies that continue in the work of this year’s recipients, Dotti and Bob Wilson.

Dotti and Bob have spent countless volunteer hours out in the field working on trails, removing derelict barbed wire, and simply sharing their love of the natural world with anyone who wishes to join them. They are amazing coordinators of volunteers, always making sure others feel involved and included. They are also creative – Bob is one of the best barbed wire twisters out there and Dotti has contributed an inordinate number of clever ideas to our Education Committee. Best of all, both Dotti and Bob share a get-it-done attitude that makes each project they endeavor a success.

Register now for the 2008 Conservation Course on WATER
The Methow Conservation Course was initiated in 2005 to take a Methow-specific look at natural history and translate that knowledge into both local and universal conservation-based themes. Now in its fourth year, the Conservation Easement on the Methow River, photo by Mary Kiesau Methow Conservation Course is designed for both the novice and the experienced naturalist (and for everyone in between). The course is offered with the goal of inspiring more observation and knowledge of, interest in and connections with the natural world.

The 2008 course is “WATER ~ A dynamic dance with the function, ecology and future of our Methow Watershed.” Six local and regional experts on geology, water quality, water’s movement and properties in the Methow, salmon ecology, watershed recovery, and water-use planning will teach interconnected classes and facilitate discussions about the function, ecology and future of water in the Methow. Read more about the course and get the full syllabus and registration form here.

The course runs from February 4th through March 10th with one class per week on Mondays from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Twisp River Pub. Tuition is $125 for Methow Conservancy members. The tuition for non-members is $150, which includes a discounted membership. Scholarships are available for those in need. We expect the course to fill quickly so register soon! Contact Mary at info@methowconservancy.org or 509-996-2870 if you have questions.

Creative Ways Your Holiday Gifts Can Help the Methow Conservancy
Looking for a great gift from the Methow? Help the Methow Conservancy at the same time with any of these options:

Here at the Methow Conservancy, not only do memberships or donations in someone’s honor make great gifts, you can also give friends and family an eye-catching Methow Conservancy hat, t-shirt or tote bag. Visit our gift page for more info. Another great gift idea is a gift registration for our upcoming Conservation Course!

The Cathedral Peak Gallery offers a beautiful selection of nature photography by local Methow artists. All of the profits from Gallery sales are donated to the Methow Conservancy. In the last five years, almost $7,000 has been donated to our land protection and conservation education efforts. The Gallery is located behind the Windermere Office at the Mazama Junction. It is open by appointment any time by simply calling the Mazama Country Inn at 996-2681 or 800-843-7951. In December, look for special holiday hours on weekends.

The Red Hen Trading Company is a unique consignment store at 153 Castle Ave, behind Three Fingered Jacks, that was created to fund Methow Valley non-profits. Consignors can have their proceeds donated to us, and a portion of the Red Hen's unassigned proceeds are split among non-profit organizations. The Red Hen has adult clothing of course, but it also has furniture, children's clothing and toys, books, specialty gift items and more. It is open Wed-Sat, 10-5 and can be reached at 509-996-HENS.

Mountain Kind Photography, a hobby business of the Mountain Kind 2008 Calendar Methow Conservancy’s Program Coordinator, Mary Kiesau, made a 2008 photographic calendar entitled, "Scenes and Seasons of the Methow Valley.” Mary is donating a portion of the profits from the sale of the calendar and her seasonal postcards to the Methow Conservancy. The calendars and cards are available at a variety of stores and shops throughout the Valley. See the images and get more information at their website.

Check out our business members for more ideas, but most of all have a wonderful solstice and holiday season wherever you may be and enjoy nature’s gifts of the wonderland season.

The Stewardship Chronicles: The Return of Old Friends
The “Stewardship Department”, otherwise known as Steve Bondi, Eric Bard and a wild assortment of “stuff,” including plastic weed displays, swamp waders and 60+ stewardship binders for all of our easements, has officially moved to the recently remodeled Methow Conservancy basement. We hope you’ll visit our new space, and when you do, please bring your stewardship questions, ideas, and binoculars because not only do Steve and Eric now have more Emmet & Amelia Bondi room to meet with people, but they are perched directly above the Methow River and have a great view of wildlife action.

Steve Bondi and his wife Kim had their second child, Emmet, on November 5th. Emmet has already become a big fan of the Methow Conservancy and we look forward to working with him and his sister Amelia in the future. Steve returned to work just in time to see the arrival of the wintering Bald Eagles and wrote “The Return of Old Friends” for all of you.

The familiar cry and hard to miss fly by of bald eagles has returned to the Methow River for the winter. These magnificent creatures are particularly visible outside the Methow Conservancy office in Winthrop where Spring Creek joins the Methow River. Thanksgiving weekend, I counted eight eagles at one time perching, swooping, and feeding in this habitat rich area!

What brings the eagles to this particular point at this particular time of year? More and more the answer is Coho salmon returning to the Winthrop National Fish Hatchery ½ mile up Spring Creek. Since 2001, the Yakama Nation has spawned, reared, and released Coho salmon at the hatchery in an effort to restore some portion of what historically was the largest anadromous (ocean run) fish population in the Methow River. Some estimates say as many as 30,000 Coho returned to the Methow annually. The construction of a dam near Pateros in the early 20th century contributed to the extirpation of Coho runs and only a few strays wandered into the Methow since then. The Coho reintroduction project of the Yakama Nation intends to change that trend.

According to local Yakama tribal fisheries biologist, John Jorgensen, about 2500 Coho passed Wells Dam on the Columbia River this summer/fall on their return to the Methow watershed. Another 300 Coho were collected at Wells Dam for brood stock. Coho spawn in late October and early November, well after their more familiar salmon relatives, the spring and summer Chinook salmon and summer Steelhead trout. Field biologists have already noted spawning activity from Black Canyon to Gold, Libby, Beaver, and Wolf Creeks in addition to the mainstem Methow River. Coho appear to be thriving largely due to the abundant side channel ponds and wetlands used by juvenile fish for rearing in their first year.

Comparing Spring Chinook and Coho Salmon:

Spring Chinook	Coho
Spotting: Irregular black spotting on back and dorsal fins	Spotting: Distinguished from chinook by lack of black spots on lower part of tail
Shape: Hooked nose when it returns to fresh water	Shape: Develops hooked jaw and teeth when it returns to fresh water
Spawning season: Returns to local waters to spawn in spring	Spawning season: Returns to local waters to spawn in fall
Weight: Averages 15 to 18 pounds but can top 30 pounds	Weight: Averages 8 to 12 pounds
Length: Averages 33 to 36 inches long	Length: Averages 28 inches long
Time in ocean: Usually three to four years	Time in ocean: One year to 18 months
Status: Endangered in upper Columbia River	Status: No listing in upper Columbia

File Cabinets for Christmas?
Maybe not as exciting as socks, but a couple of 2-drawer file cabinets is all we want for Christmas. We are in need of a locking 2-drawer file cabinet as well as a fire-proof, locking 2-drawer file cabinet. We can not squeeze another file into our existing ones! If you can help, let us know.

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

December 4th: Methow Conservancy “1st Tuesday” program: How Nature Works – Biology at Play in the Fields of the Methow, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the Twisp River Pub. See more info above.
December 12th: Methow Conservancy Open House, Holiday Social and Conservation Award Celebration, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Methow Conservancy office on 315 Riverside Ave in Winthrop.
December 29th: 20th Annual Methow Valley Christmas Bird Count Meet at 6:30am at Local 98856 in Twisp where areas to canvas will be passed out. This event is open to anyone who is interested in birding, and learning more about and participating in the citizen science of compiling the Audubon’s National Bird Count. There is a $5 per person fee required by Audubon. Contact John Adams & Caryl Campbell for more info 996-3458.
December 29th – March 1st, Saturdays: Nature of Winter Snowshoe Tours. The Methow Valley Sport Trails Association and the Methow Valley Ranger District hold snowshoe tours throughout the winter. Go with a local naturalist and learn about winter ecology, wildlife and tracks, snow and more. Tours leave from Jack's Hut at the Wilson Ranch and Sun Mountain Lodge at 11:00 a.m. each Saturday between December 29th and March 1st. On the Martin Luther King, Jr. and President's Day holiday weekends, tours will be scheduled at 11:00 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. Visit their webpage for more info.
January 4th: Methow Conservancy monthly program (on a Friday!): Skiing the Cascade Crest : A Twenty-five Year Journey Across Time and Terrain with Lowell Skoog. 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the Methow Valley Elementary School multi-purpose room . (You are welcome to come at 6:30 pm for light refreshments)
In 1982, Lowell Skoog began what would become a twenty-five year project to ski the Cascade Crest from the summit of Mount Baker to the summit of Mount Rainier. In 2000, Lowell launched a parallel effort to uncover and document the 100-year history of backcountry skiing in Washington. This presentation is a personal look at how these two journeys have become interwoven over time. The program includes a mix of modern and historical photographs as well as rare movie footage of Cascade skiing between the 1930s and 1950s. Stay tuned for time and date details!
February 5th:Methow Conservancy “1st Tuesday” Lynx in Winter, 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) Gary Koehler with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife will share photos and information about the lynx surveys and studies being conducted right now. For 30 years, Okanogan and Chelan counties have been the only counties in Washington where lynx tracks have been found and where breeding has been documented. Yet, wild fires in the past decade have burned more than 50% of the lynx habitat in these two counties, prompting an effort to study them and assess their status. Come hear about lynx that were followed with GPS collars last winter and learn what scientists hope to do this winter..