Earth Share of Washington

Volunteers Build New Trails in LaConner City Park

- Submitted by Lauren Braden of Earth Share organization Washington Trails Association

An exciting new trail system in a very popular city park is about to be realized. And, it will all be possible through the dedicated work of local volunteers.

For several weekends this November and December, the Seattle-based Washington Trails Association (WTA) hosts volunteer workdays of new trail construction at Pioneer Park in the picturesque, waterfront town of LaConner. Volunteers will build the trails from start to finish – from clearing the vegetation to make way for the trails, to constructing the trail tread and drainage structures, to finishing the trail surface.

"We're excited to be involved in this fantastic new trail project with the City of LaConner," said Pete Dewell, volunteer crew leader with WTA. "Volunteer trail work is a great way to spend a day in the crisp autumn air. I hope lots of folks will come out and join us."

These new trails will take Pioneer Park visitors to a stunning overlook above the Swinomish Channel, as well as down to the waterfront. Washington Trails Association is working closely with the La Conner Parks Commission on the trail project.

"The first step in the revitalizing of Pioneer Park will start this November with the construction of a walking trail between the North and South portions of the Park," said Brian Scheuch, Chairman of the LaConner Parks Commission. "The City of LaConner is thrilled to be partnering with the Washington Trails Association, a well established non-profit organization which has built and maintained hundreds of miles of trail for the USDA Forest Service, US Park Service and other municipalities."

"We are looking for volunteers to assist in this trail construction project," he added. "I hope anyone interested in this marvelous community project will sign up for a day of trail work."

The LaConner trails project kicks off this weekend, with volunteer work parties happening both Saturday, November 4th and Sunday, November 5th. Work parties are also scheduled for the following weekend, November 11th and 12th and more will be added for weekends later in November and in to December.

No prior experience is necessary to volunteer for the LaConner trail project -- just a desire to work with some great people, to have fun playing in the dirt and to contribute to something that benefits all of us.

Washington Trails Association provides volunteers with instruction, tools, hard hats and plenty of work to do. Volunteers work at their own pace. They should bring their own lunch, water, and work gloves. Rain gear is strongly recommended. Winter bird watching is quite an attraction in the LaConner area, so binoculars are recommended as well.

For a full schedule of work parties and to sign up, go to www.wta.org or call (206) 625-1367. No prior trail maintenance experience is required, and people of all ages and abilities are welcome to contribute.

Candlelight vigil offers vision for restoring endangered salmon

On October 17, Earth Ministry, Save Our Wild Salmon, Sierra Club, and the National Wildlife Federation hosted a Vigil for Endangered Salmon at St. John United Lutheran Church in Seattle. Four leaders in the faith and tribal communities led prayers and offered reflections that address the growing common interest of faith-based and conservation communities to be stewards of the earth and to protect sustainability of the planet.

Nearly 150 people attended the Salmon Vigil to honor, celebrate, and pray for the endangered wild salmon of the Pacific Northwest. "The fate of these magnificent fish is in our hands," said LeeAnne Beres, Executive Director of Earth Ministry and moderator of the event. "Extinction stops with us. We know in our hearts that salmon are the defining creature of the Northwest. Their beauty, strength, miraculous lifecycle, and totemic presence in Pacific Northwest cultures across time, speak to us, and help define who we are as a people."

Speakers at the event urged a focus on solutions, encouraging people from both the faith and conservation communities to engage in dialogue, discuss solutions, and work together to meet community needs as the Northwest commits to the work required to restore our endangered salmon runs.

Rev. Carol Jensen, Pastor of St. John United Lutheran, reminded those present that there is an underlying moral obligation to prevent salmon from extinction: "As people of faith who find a part of our own identity in the biblical story of creation, the moral imperative to preserve and protect the salmon in this place flows from our shared creatureliness – from our being part of the extraordinarily diverse web of life on this planet."

Elmer Crow, a Nez Perce Tribal Elder, shared stories of seeing salmon at Celilo Falls in his childhood, now underwater due to The Dalles Dam. He spoke passionately about how salmon have provided inspiration, nourishment, and support to the Nez Perce for centuries, and the immeasurable sense of loss his people have felt as salmon runs have declined precipitously.

Rev. Rich Lang, Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church, spoke about consciousness raising and bold actions of justice. "We stand at a crossroads, in a stream, quite literally, alongside struggling salmon," Lang said, "and restoring health to our rivers and abundance to our salmon will require that we change our behaviors and ways of doing business. Change is hard and will require us to move from a place of conflict and disagreement to one of trust and resolution."

Following the reflections, those gathered participated in a candle lighting ceremony and a blessing of the waters through which Washington's threatened salmon migrate, combining water from Redfish Lake, the Snake River, the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers, the Columbia River and Puget Sound. A sister event was held simultaneously in Boise, Idaho, to emphasize that salmon recovery is important to all residents of the Northwest.

Iron Goat Interpretive Site Now Open

- Submitted by Todd Jennings from Earth Share organization Volunteers for Outdoor Washington

On Saturday October 14th, under sunny skies near Stevens Pass, the Iron Goat Interpretive Site was officially opened. The site is unique because it’s an interpretive site--complete with kiosks and an historic caboose--plus a Highway 2 rest area and a third trailhead on the Iron Goat Trail. The name "Iron Goat" originated with the Great Northern Railroad’s logo, a mountain goat perched atop a peak. Great Northern locomotives soon became known as "Iron Goats."

Taking part in ribbon cutting included Doug MacDonald, Washington State Transportation Secretary; Allyson Brooks, State Historic Preservation Officer; Kathy Lambert, King County Council; and Christine Wolf, Vice President of Volunteers for Outdoor Washington (VOW). VOW began the Iron Goat Trail 17 years ago in partnership with the US Forest Service. Ruth Ittner, Coordinator of the Iron Goat Trail project and a founder of VOW, was honored for her years of service at the October 14th event. In a surprise to Ruth and the over 100 people in attendance, WSDOT unveiled a sign that reads, "This site is dedicated to Ruth Ittner 'the keeper of the story of the Iron Goat Trail.' Her vision, leadership, and steadfast enthusiasm continue to build alliances to provide outdoor education for future generations. Thank you Ruth!"

The centerpiece of the Iron Goat Interpretive Site is Great Northern caboose X294. Volunteers from Burlington Northern Sante Fe donated time and materials to install the pad and rails at the site. Built in 1951 in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the 29-ton all-steel X294 was active on both the Great Northern and Burlington Northern railways through the 1970s. Visitors can now view this bright red caboose at milepost 58.3 on Highway 2. Beginning in the summer of 2007 interpretive hikes will include a tour of the inside. Most importantly, the public now enjoys easy access to the Iron Goat Trail through a connector trail to the lower grade. In just a few minutes from the rest area, visitors can walk into history to a concrete backwall of a former snowshed and a tunnel built in 1916, and sense the railway ghosts from the echo of modern-day trains rumbling on tracks across the valley.

In July of 1990 four volunteers began to transform a long-abandoned railway bed into a hiking trail. Since this first work party, hundreds of volunteers have contributed thousands of hours to convert a former Great Northern Railway grade into a wheelchair-accessible interpretive trail—ten miles of trail that unfold the story of the Great Northern Railway. Stories of the engineering feat that had trains switchbacking and tunneling over the pass, how the West was opened to development and the deadliest avalanche in US history—on March 1, 1910, a massive slab of snow broke free and rushed down Windy Mountain, sweeping two trains into the canyon below. Ninety-six lives were lost.

The Iron Goat Trail is a testament to the power of citizen action to preserve the past and the environment for future generations. Where trains once thundered, volunteers continue to build the Iron Goat Trail. Next year join a VOW work party on the Iron Goat Trail and help us complete the Windy Point Crossover that extends from the lower grade of the old railway route near the new interpretive site up one mile to the upper grade by the Windy Point Tunnel and Overlook.

Stay tuned to www.trailvolunteers.org for Volunteers for Outdoor Washington work party dates and interpretive hikes on the Iron Goat and other projects. There you can also view photos of the dedication and caboose.

Friends of the Trail Celebrates 10 Years in Washington

- By Wade Holden of Earth Share organization Friends of the Trail

Once again fall is upon us, and as usual at this time of year I start to reflect on how far we've come in the past few years. Not just with Friends of the Trail, but from the "seems so distant past" when we arrived in Washington from Texas. My wife and I grew up in the hill country north of San Antonio and came to Washington in 1992 for all the obvious reasons - the calling of the mountains and so much public land; escape from the dreaded heat and humidity and a better local economy. We are constantly taken aback at how many people take all of this for granted. So many people who grew up here never hiked the wonderful and wild places, or ever really explored the state. We are not of that type; we've taken dozens of trips into the back country, explored many of the places in the Northwest, and are glad to be here. But what has this to do with reflections of time gone by?

We started Friends of the Trail in March of 1996, and this is our 10 year anniversary. As I previously stated, in our travels we realized how much trash, appliances, abandoned vehicles and illegal dumpsites were everywhere. There were very few resources at that time and almost no one picking up anything in more remote areas, such as where our first big project was -- the infamous Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley outside of North Bend. On the way out after a lengthy back country trip in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area with our llamas, we stayed at a roadside site very hammered with all kinds of trash and appliances, shot up computers, etc. But we were tired as were our llamas. So around the campfire we talked trash. You couldn’t help it. It was everywhere. So then and there we decided to do something to really help our newly adopted state. I had a fellow helping with my fencing business that couldn't find a place to do his community service. The light bulb went off.

After getting back home, I made several calls to the court systems, public land managers and army reserve for possible helicopter service (training for reservists) to remove many vehicles and huge amounts of garbage that were inaccessible or in the middle of the river; and to the IRS for our 501©(3) exemption status, and then formed Friends of the Trail as a non-profit organization. This was a lot to take on if one expected to be effective, especially if we had to worry about making a living every day with our regular jobs. We decided if we were going to go after it, we had to make some big decisions and run it like a business. This meant no real time off for a couple of years and endless sacrifice. We ran Friends of the Trail for almost 3 years before getting a pay check for even part of the time we were working, and gave Friends of the Trail $20,000 of our own money to keep it going when we were living hand-to-mouth ourselves.

But, we were making headway. The media had picked up on what we were doing, the politicians got over thinking we were crazy, a few grants were coming in, and the results were unquestionable. We’ve flown cars and garbage out of remote areas (not just in the Middle Fork) all over Washington when we couldn't get to it by vehicle, packed it out on our backs over many miles and did whatever necessary to get the job done. We've worked for just about everyone: Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, United Sates Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Washington State Parks, Trust for Public Land, many counties across Washington State, as well as being the illegal dump response team for King County.

We've really expanded beyond our wildest dreams. My wife and I are still very busy but we now have a crew supervisor who helps, taking out community service personnel along with volunteers to keep up with the huge demand for our services. In 10 years we've worked all over the state removing over 1700 tons of raw garbage, thousands of tires, hundreds of appliances, cars and auto batteries off our public lands and out of our waterways. We are now averaging over 115 tons a year of garbage (plus appliances, cars etc.) consisting mostly of illegal dumpsite, party/recreational trash, illegal shooting range debris and home contractor debris. Friends of the Trail also initiated a program hiring off duty King County Sheriff's officers to patrol problem areas. These grant dollars also came from King County.

Friends of the Trail also does some education and awareness programs promoting environmental health and care of public places. In these ways Friends of the Trail is fulfilling our mission to "to care for and enhance the environmental and scenic qualities, public safety, and recreational opportunities provided on our public lands and waterways throughout Washington state for all people, now and in the future."

Now, reflecting back, the apprehension that came from starting a non profit and lack of financial security from year to year has been a gamble most people wouldn't take. But the sense of pride, accomplishment, and changes for the best in so many areas leaves a warm feeling that is hard to beat. We'll do our best and keep our heads up as we take on the next 10 years!

ProBike/ProWalk Coming to Seattle in 2008

The National Center for Biking and Walking announced at its most recent Pro Walk Pro Bike conference that Seattle, WA had been selected for the 2008 conference.

Seattle will be the first city to play host to the biennial conference for a second time. Thanks to the efforts of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington and other bicycling and pedestrian advocates, along with the support of the City of Seattle and local business leaders, this will be an opportunity for Seattle and the rest of the state to showcase bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Seattle last hosted the conference in 1986.

The Bicycle Alliance of Washington is particularly excited about hosting the event as it draws attention to the ongoing efforts of transportation advocacy groups in our state and recognizes the progress we have made since the group last met in Seattle. Much has been accomplished in the last 10 years, such as Safe Routes to School programs, Complete Streets legislation, and further work on urban pathways such as the Burke-Gilman trail. While many more opportunities exist, the conference should draw the attention of community and political leaders to the work being done, successes, and future opportunities we still face in Washington and around the country.

The conference will be held the week after Labor Day and attracts over 600 planners, health professionals, traffic engineers, advocates, community activists and more to the 3-day conference.

Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities

• November 2 - 2006-2007 Speaker Series: Commercial Shellfish Culture with Bill Dewey - 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM - REI Flagship Store, 222 Yale Ave. N, Seattle, WA - Washington State is the largest producer of farmed shellfish in the United States. Taylor Shellfish Company of Shelton is one of the country’s largest producers of farmed shellfish. Public affairs manager Bill Dewey presents an overview of commercial culture of oysters, Manila clams, mussels and geoduck clams. Bill discusses the relationship between shellfish and clean water and the role shellfish themselves play in the marine ecosystem. $6 People For Puget Sound members, $8 non-members. For more information Contact Lynne Jordan at (206) 382-7007 or email ljordan@pugetsound.org
• November 3-4 - Washington State Trails Conference - Trails for Future Generations - Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, Yakima, Washington - Make an investment in the future of Washington’s trails. At the bi-annual Washington State Trails Conference, advocates, planners, users, funders, builders, and volunteers come together to learn about trail issues and discuss real solutions to the problems trails face. The Washington State Trails Conference is open to everyone with a zeal for trails and the opportunities they afford. For a detailed look at the conference program, download the brochure at www.wta.org/wstc. For more information about the conference contact Elizabeth Lunney of the Washington Trails Association (206) 965-8555 or elizabeth@wta.org
• November 4 - Lincoln Park Restoration Work Party - 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM - This West Seattle landmark is one of the city's largest and most popular parks. Its 135 acres feature ballfields, playgrounds, trails, shoreline, and forest. Invasive species like English Ivy and Himalayan Blackberry are choking out native vegetation and are bringing early deaths to Lincoln's trees. Join EarthCorps and the Green Seattle Partnership as they work to make the forests and shoreline of Lincoln Park healthy. Projects will include invasive plant removal, preparing areas for planting native plants, and planting native plants. For more information, contact Elizabeth White, Outreach Project Manager at (206) 255-4160, ext. 221 or email elizabeth@earthcorps.org
• November 5 - Backyard Habitat Workshop - 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM - Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle - Creating backyard habitat is one thing you can do to help counteract the effects of habitat fragmentation, invasive species, pollution and an increasing disconnect with nature. Participants will meet plant and animal experts, and get hands-on experience that will show you how to attract birds, butterflies and other wildlife to your backyard, select and care for native plants, conserve water, and maintain your backyard without the use of chemical herbicides and pesticides. The registration fee of $55 (or $100 per couple) includes the cost of workshop materials and snacks. Reduced Fee of $35 for staff and volunteers of Woodland Park Zoo, National Wildlife Federation, Seattle Audubon and Washington Native Plant Society. Space is limited, so please register early. For more information or for an application, please contact: Jenny Mears, Woodland Park Zoo, 601 N. 59th Street, Seattle, WA 98103, jenny.mears@zoo.org
• November 5 - Safe Cosmetics Forum - 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM - N. Bellevue Community Center, 4068 148th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA - Learn about ingredients used in cosmetics and personal care products including lotions, deodorants, hair gels, and cosmetics - their cumulative effects on our health and environment, and what consumers can do to protect themselves, their families and the environment. An average consumer uses as many as 25 different cosmetic and personal care products containing more than 200 different chemicals each day. Yet almost 90% of the 10,000+ chemicals used in our personal care products have never been evaluated for safety. Some ingredients have been linked to serious health risks, including cancer and reproductive problems, and are also causing problems for marine life in Puget Sound. RSVP's requested to Margaret Shield, Toxic Free Legacy Coalition, 206-632-1545 *123 or email mshield@toxicfreelegacy.org
• November 11 - Frink Park Restoration Work Party - 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM - Join EarthCorps, Friends of Frink Park and the Seattle Parks & Recreation in an effort to protect open spaces from the threat of invasive English ivy. Volunteers will be installing "survival rings" around trees covered with ivy as well as performing restoration site maintenance and monitoring on sites where they have previously worked. For more information, contact Elizabeth White, Outreach Project Manager at (206) 255-4160 or email elizabeth@earthcorps.org
• November 18 - Mee-Kwa-Mooks Park Restoration Work Party - 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM - Mee-Kwa-Mooks Park, located along the shoreline of West Seattle, offers gorgeous views of the Olympic Mountains. Meaning shaped like a bear's head, Mee-Kwa-Mooks was the original name of the West Seattle peninsula. Volunteer with EarthCorps, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and the Green Seattle Partnership as they work to keep this urban forest happy and healthy! You can be part of the action by removing damaging invasive plant species, planting native plants, and taking care of past forest restoration sites. For more information, contact Elizabeth White, Outreach Project Manager, at (206) 255-4160 or email 'elizabeth@earthcorps.org":mailto:elizabeth@earthcorps.org
• November 20 - Pioneer Park Restoration Work Party - 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM - Work with EarthCorps and the City of Mercer Island Parks and Recreation Dept. to help restore Pioneer Park. Pioneer Park is 113 acres of forested habitat, the largest forested park on Mercer Island. This park is home to over 70 bird species and 12 different mammals and offers the most extensive trail system on the island. The restoration goals for this park include planting native conifer trees, removing non-native plants, such as ivy that prevent native plants from growing, and site maintenance activities. For more information, contact Ashley Adams, Project Manager at (206) 793-4813 or email ashley@earthcorps.org
• November 21 - Volunteer Work Party at Eco Encore's Office in SoDo Seattle - 5:00 to 9:00 PM - Eco Encore is receiving more donations of reusable media than ever before, and they rely heavily on volunteers for getting these donations catalogued for sale in their online store. On the third Tuesday of every month, Eco Encore orders pizza, cranks up a little music, and leaves the office open until 9:00 PM for anyone who would like to come and help out. Want to put a few hours of your time toward this great cause? RSVP to Jessie Alan, Director, at jessie@ecoencore.org or 206-297-6995.