Tuesday, June 1st, 7:00 - 8:30pm at the Twisp Grange
Ken Bevis, a biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, will explore what birds mean to people through the ages and now. He will take us on a visual and auditory tour of key habitats and bird species of our region, including shrub steppe, forests and alpine. Birds as harbingers or actual sources of conservation challenges will be examined as well. He might even perform a song!
The event is free and open to everyone. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Mary at 996-2870 or info@methowconservancy.org.
Saturday, May 29th at the Winthrop Barn
* 5:30 – Donor Appreciation Dinner (Sold-Out)
* 7:30 – Community Appreciation Concert (Get Your Tickets!)
You’ve inspired us and challenged us and supported us….now it’s time to party with us! Reserve tickets with us or get them at the door. Contact us at 509-996-2870 or www.imaginethemethow.org for more information or to reserve tickets.
We’re having an Imagine the Methow Campaign Celebration Party and we hope you’ll join us on May 29th at the Winthrop Barn, as we close in on our fundraising goal, toast to the future of the Methow Valley, and have a fabulous time with live music from Methow-grown favorites Luc and the Lovingtons.
This is a community-wide, all ages celebration of land conservation and community spirit as we celebrate reaching our Imagine the Methow Campaign fundraising goal and thank the entire Methow Valley community for coming together to protect this place that we all love – a rare and beautiful valley  that is not just a place but a way of life where a community is grounded in the natural beauty and rural character of the region.
The "community appreciation" concert with Luc and the Lovingtons starts at 7:30pm and tickets are just $5/person.
Reserve tickets with us or get them at the door. Contact us at 509-996-2870 or www.imaginethemethow.org for more information or to reserve tickets.
by Jason Paulsen, Executive Director
This Saturday we will come together as a community to celebrate a historical milestone for the Methow community: the successful completion of the Imagine the Methow Campaign for Conservation, and the latest inspiring chapter in the history of community-based land conservation here in the Methow Valley.
 As we work this week to prepare for an evening of celebrating and saying “THANKS!”, I find myself reflecting upon the past three years during which this extraordinary community effort has evolved.
I think back upon the series of community focus groups and neighborhood gatherings where hopes and dreams for this unique and special place were articulated. Time and time again, small groups of friends and neighbors shared the impact that this place has had upon their lives, and their belief that the Methow Valley is the one western mountain valley that has the opportunity to “Get it Right”. This shared vision and a belief that we can shape the future of this landscape as active participants in an unfolding story are the key ingredients in the success that we will begin to celebrate this weekend.
We who know and love the Methow Valley feel a deep and meaningful connection to the land. We continue to be inspired by the play of light across the hillsides, nourished by the productive soils that bring food to our tables, and humbled by a diversity of plants and animals who grace our time outdoors.
Thanks to the generosity of nearly 1,500 donors, the Imagine the Methow campaign is already allowing the Methow Conservancy to work with willing private landowners to protect some of the Methow Valley’s most productive farm ground, riverfront, wildlife habitat and scenic views. To date, the Imagine the Methow campaign has resulted in the permanent protection of over 1,200 acres and 4.7 stream miles, just the emerging tip of a conservation iceberg you all can be very proud of.
 There is no question that this land conservation plays an important and foundational role in “Getting it Right”. The land is the one thing that we and all who will inhabit this place have in common, and without it, much is lost. So many living examples of this fact dot the landscape of the American West. As the valley’s local land trust, the Methow Conservancy will continue to focus our energies on the things we do well; educating and inspiring this community to conserve and care for the land so that future generations can enjoy the rural character and natural beauty we cherish today.
But on Saturday night I will be celebrating more than the historic land protection that the Imagine the Methow campaign is making possible. I will be celebrating all that can be achieved in a community that has the skills, resources, and resolve to seize a vision and bring it to reality.
For “Getting it Right” doesn’t stop with land conservation – it extends to all aspects of our lives and experiences as members of this community. From education to emergency services, from our social services to our libraries, the arts, and viable local economies – “Getting it Right” requires translating the inspiration of the landscape into all aspects of our lives, and to standing behind this vision over the course of time.
It is truly an honor to be part of a community of people who are so committed to such a vision. I believe that the Methow Valley really will be the one mountain valley to “Get it Right”. Thank you for your support of land conservation, and for all that each of you do and will continue to do to make this community so special!
 Some fun Imagine the Methow campaign facts...
* There have been more than 1,500 donations made to the campaign.* Donors from 31 states gave to this campaign.* More than 500 people gave to the Methow Conservancy for the first time through this campaign.
* Of all the money raised, 55% comes from private sources (people, foundations, businesses). These private gifts have helped leverage more than $8 million in public funds.
* Every private dollar we've spent has leveraged $100 in public funds for farmland protection projects.
* The campaign has already protected 23 new conservation easements and there are 25 more in progress.
* Campaign funds will continue to fund conservation projects for the next four+ years.
* 15% of the campaign funds will be put into three long-term funds – Stewardship, Land, & Organizational – to ensure conservation work continues forever.
* More than 40 volunteers worked actively to raise campaign funds.
* To date, the campaign has raised $19,720,408 (98.6% towards goal). These funds are in the form of cash, pledges, public funds, and the value of donated conservation easements. Learn more, see sketches of the permanent donor recognition piece, and watch our fundraising thermometer rise at www.imaginethemethow.org. |
Come see us at our Weed and Native Plant Education Booth at the Twisp Farmers’ Market  May 29th and June 5, 12, and 19 (from 9am to Noon). This is the 7th year that we’ve been at the market and the interest in what to do for native plants and weeds never seems to cease! We’ll take your questions, success and weed war stories, and share what advice we can. We’ll also have both our Good Neighbor and Restoring Shrub-Steppe Handbooks freely available, so come by with your questions or just say hello.
If you can’t come by the booth but still want a free copy of our “Restoring Shrub-Steppe in the Methow Valley” handbook, stop by the office or call or email to have us mail you one. The handbook will help you learn to evaluate your site; create a good irrigation system; identify common weeds; develop a weed control strategy; choose appropriate native plants; sow seeds; identify deer resistant plants, and much, much more.
The month of May is the prime time to get out, enjoy and learn about wildflowers, birds, rivers and the workings of the natural world. Our staff and volunteers have been out with numerous groups over the last couple of weeks helping not just adults see the Methow Valley landscape with new eyes but youth of all ages too.
 Our 3rd annual Methow Naturalists’ Retreat occurred over three glorious days in mid-May. Instructors Dana Visalli and Libby Mills, with MC Program Coordinator Mary Kiesau, lead 22 eager participants to beautiful and diverse spots in the Valley where they learned to identify wildflowers, birds and butterflies by site, sound and “keying.” We also learned about plant pollination and reproduction, bird migration, and differences in habitats. Most of all, we all learned from each other and found community and friendship in our 3 days together.
After this retreat, the sun left and the cool, drizzly spring returned. On one of these wet days Conservancy Education Committee member Laurelle Walsh assisted Methow Ranger District (USFS) staff with their annual conservation education field classes at Black Pine Lake. Forty first-and-second graders from Methow Valley Elementary kept busy on a forest scavenger hunt, used cross sectional "tree cookies" to learn how trees grow, acted out a "tree factory", learned outdoor fire safety, cooked over a campfire, and taught each other facts about native forest plants.
 Our Stewardship staffers, Steve Bondi and Eric Bard, have also been busy with several public school classes. Steve served on a panel of judges for the 9th grade Science Symposium recently. He said he was very impressed with the kids and learned how to make a home desalinization kit! Next, he and Eric spent an entire day with the 8th grade Earth Sciences class at the “Twisp Ponds” for a Watershed Watchers program. They told the class about the ongoing Methow Beaver Project in which we and other partners are relocating nuisance beavers to high mountain streams in order to improve water quality and enhance conditions for salmon and steelhead. The class specifically learned how beavers store water and what the benefits  of storing water are. The kids worked in teams to calculate the volume of water stored in a pond versus in a stream of the same length. (Ponds hold much more water due to ground water storage!)
Steve will be returning to the field two more times this week with more beaver and ecology presentations. The 7th grade Earth Sciences field-class will learn about habitats in the Methow in addition to beaver ecology, and some Oroville High School students along with visitors from the Dominican Republic will visit the beaver holding pen at the Winthrop National Hatchery and learn about forest and riparian ecology.
And let us not forget our elders! Program Coordinator Mary Kiesau recently co-instructed a bright-eyed group of youthful adults who were attending a three-day “Elder Hostel” program at Sun Mountain. The 30+ seniors were all new to the Methow and were totally awed by the fields of wildflowers and flocks of birds. They enjoyed looking at the intricacy of wildflowers through hand-lenses, watching an osprey eat a fish, and seeing a mule deer doe give birth to two fawns!
Here’s the list of people who became new members over the last month (April 29th to May 25th): Karen Bergeron, Phillip Burger, The Doran Family, Lisa Gordanier & James Richards, Maggie & Doug Walker, Constance Wentzel, Martha Rothe & Stan Wentzel, and Juliana & Robert Wright. Thank you!
Below, you'll find announcements about events or publications (ours and those of other organizations) that we think you might find interesting.
May 29th: Imagine the Methow Campaign Celebration Party, 5:30pm dinner, 7:30pm concert. Fabulous dinner, Luc and the Lovingtons, and a very good time. See above for all the details and tickets.
May 29th: Methow Conservancy Weed and Native Plant Education Table, 9am – Noon, at the Farmer’s Market in Twisp. We’ll take your questions and share what advice we can. We’ll also have both our Good Neighbor and Restoring Shrub-Steppe Handbooks freely available, so come by!
May 30th: Crown S Ranch Annual Farm Tour & Potluck, 10:00am – 4:00pm. Join Crown S Ranch for farm tours at 10:00am, 1:00pm or 3:00pm with a potluck at Noon. Crown S will provide meat and beverages. Bring a side dish and join the fun! This event is free and open to everyone, but RSVPs are appreciated. Call them at 509-996-3849 or go to www.crown-s-ranch.com for more details. No dogs please.
May 28 – 30th: Twisp Rural Roots Film Festival. See http://www.ruralrootsfilmfestival.org/TRRFF/Home.html for all the details.
June 1st: 1st Tuesday program – “Birds and their North Central Washington Habitats,” 7:00 – 8:30pm at the Twisp Grange. See above for details.
June 5th: Methow Conservancy Weed and Native Plant Education Table, 9am – Noon, at the Farmer’s Market in Twisp. We’ll take your questions and share what advice we can. We’ll also have both our Good Neighbor and Restoring Shrub-Steppe Handbooks freely available, so come by!
June 6th: Metal Drive at Methow Recycles, 8am – 3pm. Accepting anything made of metal - including appliances, scrap iron or steel, wire, pipe, aluminum, cable & barbed wire, and all cars, trucks, and motorcycles. See all the details at http://methowrecycles.org/whatsnew.html. If you have a junk car or a big pile of metal, contact Betsy at 996-2696 or recycle@methowrecycles.org to make arrangements.
June 12th: Methow Conservancy Weed and Native Plant Education Table, 9am – Noon, at the Farmer’s Market in Twisp. We’ll take your questions and share what advice we can. We’ll also have both our Good Neighbor and Restoring Shrub-Steppe Handbooks freely available, so come by!
June 12th: Kids’ Fishing Day at the Winthrop National Fish Hatchery, 10:00am- 2:00pm. Kids of all ages will have a fabulous fun time at this continuing annual event. The activities and booths are seemingly endless, andwill include a Methow Conservancy Beaver station! And, of course there will be perfect fishing opportunities for the little ones.
 June 19th: Methow Conservancy Weed and Native Plant Education Table, 9am – Noon, at the Farmer’s Market in Twisp. We’ll take your questions and share what advice we can. We’ll also have both our Good Neighbor and Restoring Shrub-Steppe Handbooks freely available, so come by!
June 26th: Conservation Fair, 9am – Noon at the Twisp Commons next to the Farmers’ Market. Join the Methow Conservancy and many other organizations for fun, interactive and kid-friendly activities and booths on wildlife, plants, rivers, land stewardship and much more. Get lots of helpful information for your own property, and let kids explore and play. Come anytime during the Farmer's Market for as little or as long as you'd like. The event is free and open to everyone.
July 6th: 1st Tuesday program – Grizzly Bears and the North Cascades, 7:00pm - 8:30pm at the Twisp Gange. David Knibb, author of Grizzly Wars, willdiscuss the current efforts to recover grizzly bears in theNorth Cascades which is designated as a grizzly bear recovery area. Are grizzlies still in the North Cascades? Come, learn and ask questions. David will sell and sign copies of his book as well (same program in Mazama tomorrow).
July 7th: Grizzly Bears and the North Cascades, 7:30pm - 9:00pm at the Mazama Community Center (after the community market and pizza night). David Knibb, author of Grizzly Wars, willdiscuss the current efforts to recover grizzly bears in theNorth Cascades which is designated as a grizzly bear recovery area. Are grizzlies still in the North Cascades? Come, learn and ask questions. David will sell and sign copies of his book as well (repeat of the July 6th program in Twisp). 
July 8-11th: 59th Annual Meeting of the Lepidopterists’ Society, in conjunction with the Washington Butterfly Association, is being held inWashington State for the first time (in Leavenworth). See www.lepsoc2010.com
August 3rd: 1st Tuesday program – Classroom in Bloom, 7-8:30pm. Join us for a tour of the amazing "Classroom in Bloom" schoolyard garden at the Liberty Bell campus. See and learn about how this program teaches kids of all ages to grow and enjoy healthy food. Wood fired pizza and garden fresh veggies baked in the outdoor cob oven will be available for sale.
Our Cancellation and Refund Policy
If you cancel or leave a fee-based course for any reason:
Full refunds will be given if the request is received two weeks or more before the day of the program (class, workshop, fieldtrip, etc.). If the cancellation is made less than two weeks before the start of the program, the Methow Conservancy will give a full refund only if we are able to fill your spot. If you cancel 24 hours or less before the start time of the program or after the class has started there will be no refund of the program fee. Although we rarely need to do so, we reserve the right to cancel a program. In this case you will receive a full refund.
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