Conservation Note for June
Conservation Committee Note for June
As we enter a new stage of this pandemic that has so changed our lives and livelihoods, it is encouraging that some countries have announced their intention not to go back to business as usual, but to open up their economies in ways that are more consistent with the changes needed to combat global warming. Germany, Australia, and New Zealand have all announced such intentions. It is difficult to think of anything else while coping with the crazy and painful world of Covid-19, but climate change has not taken a break. The below is a link to Bill McKibben’s climate change newsletter:
One Crisis Doesn’t Stop Because Another Starts
“Bill McKibben, The New Yorker” <>
https://link.newyorker.com/view/5be9cfe82ddf9c72dc19056ec39tb.544/0c1b0f5d
Kate Evans of the Mazama Conservation Committee wrote the below article for the Mazama Bulletin last month, to review some of our local conservation organizations and what can be done while staying home to support conservation issues. We reprint it here with her permission.
What You Can Do
Kate Evans
When this May article was conceived many months ago, we envisioned a description of summer stewardship opportunities provided by our conservation partners. Little did we know that these activities would be halted by a pandemic, and we would all be at home. What can we do for our beloved wilderness when we can’t plant trees and native shrubs, monitor wildlife cameras or timber sales, eliminate invasive species, or rebuild trails? We can still help our conservation partners from home; their work continues and so should our assistance.
You may not be able to be involved in person, but you can still be involved online. You can educate yourself about conservation campaigns and advocate with letters and petitions. You can register for stewardship projects with the Cascade Forest Conservancy scheduled July through October. Several of our conservation partners have also become very creative with their online offerings.
Oregon Wild (oregonwild.org) recently added webinars, online presentations, in April including Ben Goldfarb’s Secret Life of Beavers, Eli Boschetto’s hiking on the Oregon PCT and Trip Jennings’ Wild Fires. Long-time Mazama conservation partner Oregon Wild has a forty-year history of environmental activism in Oregon. They work to provide wilderness protections for Crater Lake, the Devil’s Staircase, Wild Rogue, Mount Hood, and the Ochocos. They are also protecting wild and scenic rivers and wildlife (including wolves and sea otters), and reforming Oregon’s forest laws. You can sign up to receive their newsletter about events, news and actions. In addition, they have a Youth Art Contest and an Outdoor Photo Contest. You can also check out their extensive map gallery for ideas about where to go when we can finally get out again.
The Oregon Natural Desert Association, ONDA, (onda.org) is another conservation group with a creative online presence. They just introduced the High Desert Academy for the digital event community, including High Desert Wonders; Steens Mt., Hart Sheldon and the Land Between; the Wild Owyhee; Desert Hiking Tips and Tips; and Multi-Sport Adventures on the Oregon Desert Trail. Their mission, since 1987, has been to protect and restore public lands in the Oregon high desert. All their spring and summer stewardship projects are on hold, but you can still be involved with their various campaigns through letters and petitions. You can learn on their site how to be a better desert advocate when commenting on public lands plans or when sending letters to the editor. You can also check out their blog and sign up for their email newsletter.
Trailkeepers of Oregon, TKO, (trailkeepersoforegon.org) has been maintaining and creating trails on Oregon’s public lands since 2007. Many of you may have worked on trails with TKO, especially after the Eagle Creek fire, and some may have attended TKO’s Tread School. You may also have seen their presentations at the Mazamas. You may be frustrated that you can’t be out doing trail work (or hiking) now, but there are still things you can do to help TKO. They are postponing all in-person volunteering through May, but they are planning to offer virtual classrooms and digital engagement, such as live Facebook tool chats. They also maintain Oregon Hikers (OregonHikers.org) as a service. Keep checking their website to see their digital offerings, news, and when you can work on trails and hike again.
Since 1989 Friends of Trees (friendsoftrees.org) has planted over 800,000 trees and native shrubs in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem and Eugene-Springfield metro areas. Recently there have been tree plantings with Friends at the Sandy River Delta, Windswept Waters Natural Area, and the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately, all tree plantings are currently cancelled, but keep checking their calendars for future plantings. You can also sign up for Tree Mail, their email newsletter.
The Greater Hells Canyon Council (hellscanyon.org), begun in 1967 to stop Hells Canyon and the Snake River from being dammed, focuses on managing public land in the Greater Hells Canyon region, including issues such as species protection and wildlife connectivity. Check out their website for important conservation issues such as protecting from logging the Lostine River Canyon, the most used entrance to the Eagle Cap Wilderness and a prime wildlife and wild lands connector. Also see their entertaining, educational blog posts on the Bumblebee Atlas Project, spring in Hells Canyon, and charismatic micro-fauna, et al. Post-covoid, consider becoming a Wildlife Watcher, installing motion-triggered wildlife cameras between June and October, in partnership with the Forest Service. Of special concern is the American Marten (pine marten), an indicator species used by the Forest Service for management decisions.
The Cascade Forest Conservancy, CFC, (cascadeforest.org) has been protecting and sustaining forests, streams, wildlife and communities in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Washington’s southern Cascades through conservation, education, and advocacy since 1985. One of their principal advocacy efforts is the No Mine Campaign in the Green River Valley on Mount Saint Helens. They also are working on how forest resilience impacts climate change. You can still help with their advocacy efforts, but their very popular and interesting citizen science trips have been cancelled until July. Their July through October offerings, open for registration, include Preparing Old Growth for Fire, Invasive Species Removal on the Lewis River Trail, Huckleberry Monitoring in the Sawtooth Strawberry Fields, Remote Forest Wildlife Camera Surveys, Native Seed Collection near Mt. Adams, an Aquatic Restoration Survey on the Upper Lewis River, a No Place for a Mine hike on Mt. St. Helens, Post-Fire Planting on Mt. Adams, and Riparian Plantings at Trout Creek and in the Cowlitz Valley. Many of these are overnight trips, but a few have a one-day option available. You can also download The Wildlife and Climate Resilience Handbook. Finally, after we are no longer socially distancing, CFC can use computer-savvy volunteers in their office.
Since 1993 Bark (bark-out.org) has been a voice for community action to protect the Mt. Hood National Forest and surrounding federal lands. Their Free Mt. Hood campaign addresses the problems of the Mount Hood Forest Management Plans with its focus on commercial logging and the need to update the plan to manage for greater climate resilience for communities around the region. For years the Conservation Committee has been helping to fund Bark’s two week Base Camp where volunteers learn how to ground truth timber sales; other ground truthing trainings are held throughout the year. They also monitor post-logging sites and beaver restoration projects. Check out Bark’s website to learn about email alerts, the events calendar, the Understory book club, Rad*i*cle activist training, and the monthly ecology book club. Upcoming book club offering: June 8th from 9-5 The Botany of Fire.
Since 1980 the Friends of the Columbia Gorge (gorgefriends.org) has been dedicated to ensuring that the beautiful, wild Columbia River Gorge remains an unspoiled treasure for generations to come.They enforce Gorge protection laws, monitor Gorge oil trains, and work to build long-term fire resilience in the Gorge and connect hikers and communities through their Towns to Trails program. In April Oregon’s Poet Laureate Kim Stafford introduced their haiku challenge. All guided outings and stewardship events are currently suspended, but keep checking their website. You can sign up for their monthly news and eventually you can lead or shepherd hikes, help out with office projects, supervise an information table at a community event, participate in a hearing, rally or phonebook, become a trailhead ambassador, or join a stewardship work party to remove invasive species.
As you can see there are lots of things we can still do to support conservation groups from our homes. All of these groups would greatly appreciate your support. Keep checking their websites for when stewardship projects are again available.
Here are some other local conservation groups worthy of your attention. Crag Law Center crag.org; Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility oregonpsr.org; Wild Salmon Center wildsalmoncenter.org, Willamette Riverkeeper willamette-riverkeeper.org; Pacific Rivers pacificrivers.org, Trust for Public Lands tpl.org; Columbia Riverkeeper Columbiariverkeeper.org, 350PDX 350PDX.org; and the Sandy River Watershed Council, sandyriver.org.
Hoping you are all staying safe and well, and are keeping the love of our forests and mountains and rivers and streams strong in your hearts,
Your Conservation Committee