Member News
TrailsFest 2005 offers a whole summer of outdoor adventure – all in one day
The great outdoors of Washington is calling you! And for one whole day this summer, you can get outside and try it all – as much as you can fit in one day. It’s called TrailsFest, and it is Saturday July 16, 9am-4pm on the shores of Rattlesnake Lake near North Bend.
Presented by Washington Trails Association, TrailsFest is a hands-on event for all ages, providing families and other adventurers with a fun and safe environment to explore the outdoors. The outdoor celebration features activities like guided hikes, fly-fishing, kayaking and canoeing. A variety of clinics run periodically throughout the day on everything from mountain weather to ultralite hiking. And, dozens of exhibitors from gear companies to non-profit outdoor organizations are on hand to talk with you and answer your questions.
“TrailsFest is about getting people outside to play and enjoy the opportunities in Washington’s great outdoors,” said Lauren Braden, Outreach Director for Washington Trails Association. “Outdoor exploration should be available to everyone, and it’s a fantastic way to spend quality time with your family. TrailsFest takes the mystery out of it, and helps you get outside, doing the things that you love.”
Have you always wanted to try fly casting? Learn how to cast a fly rod with Creekside Angling. Tired of plain old raisins and peanuts? Try out “Beyond Gorp,” the backcountry cooking clinic sponsored by Mountaineers Books. Marmot will have a climbing wall for you to try. Wind down with smores by the campfire, then hike a small mountain to a beautiful viewpoint. Learn to identify native plants and birds. Check out the season’s hottest outdoor gear, attend a workshop predicting mountain weather, and talk to forest rangers about where to camp and hike. Learn from local activists what you can do to protect our wild places. There is something for everyone at TrailsFest.
If you’ve got kids, don’t leave them at home! They can paddle a canoe, try their hand at fly-fishing, take a hike with llamas or goats, and sing songs around the campfire. There will also be a treasure hunt for kids, and lots of kid-friendly booths and activities.
TrailsFest is jam-packed with fun things to do. The activities are designed to be fun and informative for everyone – from kids and families, to novice adventurers, to experienced hikers.
To get to TrailsFest, take I-90 east to exit 32, then turn right on 436th Ave SE. Follow this road 2.7 miles to Rattlesnake Lake. Parking is tight so carpooling is strongly encouraged.
TrailsFest is sponsored by Swedish Medical Center, Green Trails Maps, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Thorlo, Tecnica, Backpackers Supply, Seattle Public Utilities, Chaco, and Gregory.
TrailsFest is your passport to the great outdoors this summer, and admission is free! For more information on TrailsFest: (206) 625-1367 / www.trailsfest.org.
Posted in the July 2005 Earth Page
In Brief: Trumpeter Swams in peril, 1000 Friends becomes Futurewise, Volunteers honor MLK through service
Trumpeter Swans in peril
Over the past 5 winters more than 1,400 Trumpeter Swans have died from lead poisoning after inadvertently swallowing lead shot while feeding in Whatcom County, Washington and the adjacent Sumas Prairie area in British Columbia, Canada. Swan mortalities from lead poisoning have increased in this area in recent years, despite a longstanding ban on the use of lead shot for waterfowl hunting in the United States and Canada. Lead shot is still legal for upland birds, target practice and dog training in most areas. Over 400 dead swans were picked up last winter. The mortality has grown to such a magnitude that it is threatening the recovery of the Pacific Coast Population, the continent’s largest population of Trumpeter Swans.
How can you help? ADOPT A SWAN — While the wildlife agencies on both sides of the border are working on the problem, they cannot do it all. Funding is a major problem. The Trumpeter Swan Society is raising funds by asking everyone to sponsor a swan at some level. All of the funds will go toward the project for such things as spotting scopes for volunteers who monitor the swans movements during the winter, to help pay for radio transmitters and data collection, and to fund the effort to necropsy all lead poisoned swans to glean clues from the characteristics of the ingested lead and other digestive tract contents and help pay volunteer mileage expenses. For more information on issue or to Adopt a Swan please contact them at: www.swansociety.org swaninfo@swansociety.org or call 425-787-0258.
1000 Friends of Washington is now Futurewise
On February 1, Earth Share of Washington organization 1000 Friends of Washington changed its name to Futurewise. The name change corresponds with the organization’s 15th anniversary of promoting healthy communities and protecting farmland and forests from the effects of sprawl development. The organization believes that the name Futurewise better evokes its positive vision of the future. And because it is a more unique name (there are over 300 “Friends of” groups in Washington), it will allow the group to build a stronger connection between people and its work over time. Other than the new name, Futurewise remains exactly the same group as it was under 1000 Friends of Washington. The staff, board and organizational mission and bylaws remain unchanged — and work is as important as it ever has been. You can reach Futurewise at its new website at www.futurewise.org.
Volunteers Honor MLK through hands-on environmental service!
On Monday, January 17, 2004, Earth Share organization EarthCorps led 266 youth and adult volunteers in restoring Seattle’s Mount Baker Park, part of Seattle’s nationally renowned Olmsted-designed park and boulevard system. Despite record rain (2.39 inches), this muddy group worked to make Martin Luther King Day a day of action, “A Day On! Not a Day Off.” King County Executive Ron Sims rallied volunteers under a cedar tree during lunch.
Simon, a three-year-old Mount Baker neighborhood resident, observed, “EarthCorps help[s] children, help[s] parks, and help[s] the salmon that swim by Mount Baker Beach.”
MLK Day volunteers contributed 1,000 hours of service that resulted in:
- 30,035 square feet (2/3 of an acre) of ivy removed
- 2,868 square feet of blackberry removed
- 1,265 square feet of cherry laurel removed
- 818 square feet of holly removed
- 9 tree survival rings installed
- 21,773 square feet of woodchips applied
Posted in the February 2005 Earth Page
EarthCorps announces 2005 EarthCorps Sullivan Award recipients Dennis Madsen and Jan Hunt
Dennis Madsen is CEO of Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI). He is an EarthCorps Advisory Board member, donor, and advocate. Dennis is involved with many environmental nonprofits including Bicycle Alliance of Washington, IslandWood and Earth Share of Washington. Dennis actively encourages friends and colleagues to support organizations fostering youth environmental stewardship and promotes environmental service among REI employees. His leadership, sense of humor and hard work are an inspiration to all who meet him.
Jan Hunt spent the last 18 years teaching at Dearborn Park Elementary on Seattle's Beacon Hill. Jan inspires environmental stewardship among her students through an environment-based curriculum that takes students out of the classroom and into forested school grounds where they work to restore native forest. Jan and the entire Dearborn staff team up with EarthCorps to run an annual Earth Day event that engages more than 500 elementary and middle school students on environmental service projects.
EarthCorps is thrilled to acknowledge Dennis and Jan for their contributions to environmental education, youth leadership and community service. They both have played an important role in creating opportunities for low-income and at-risk youth to participate in outdoor activities, fostering an ethic of environmental stewardship and participation in the next generation. Jan Hunt had this to say about her work with EarthCorps:
"Through your work, these kids, many of whom are at risk (74% of whom are on free and reduced lunch), have something in their lives that is stable, and always there: the forest. When we first start the year's program with a new group of students, it seems as though they do not know a tulip from a maple and why it is important to know the difference. At the end of the year, they are proud to have the knowledge of what is native and what is invasive. They love to maintain their area. Your program has instilled in them responsibility for caring and nurturing something that they can have control over."
The Sullivan Award is named in honor of past King County Councilwoman, Cynthia Sullivan, for her leadership as one of the founding partners of EarthCorps and to recognize her commitment to restoring our local environment for the citizens of King County. The Sullivan Award presented annually to individuals or organizations that advocate for and support environmental stewardship in King County. Past Sullivan Award honorees are: John Barber, Open Space Advocate; Ann Knight and Jerry Arbes, Friends of Seattle's Olmsted Parks; and Doug Schindler, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust.
The Sullivan Award is presented each year at the EarthCorps Annual Auction, which will take place on Saturday, October 16th, 2004 from 5:30-9:30pm at St. Demetrios Church in Seattle. Please see the upcoming events calendar for more information.
Posted in the October 2004 Earth Page
In Brief: Native Plant Appreciation, Trout Unlimited Events, Toxic Body Burden, & Wildlife Volunteers Needed
Native Plant Appreciation
The results are in from the Native Plant Appreciation Week that we mentioned in the May Edition of The Earth Page. Over 70 activities in 19 counties were organized by Washington Native Plant Society Chapters and others throughout the state. People could participate in cleaning up a native prairie in Port Townsend, visit a Native Plant Stewardship project, learn about beach plants, tour a native plant garden, take a lichen walk, identify native plants in one of our state parks, visit a prairie on a military base, or listen to some great talks on shrub-steppe, ethnobotany and pollination ecology. At least thirty-eight cities and three counties declared May 24-30 Native Plant Appreciation Week, along with Governor Locke and the State of Washington. It may have been mostly symbolic, but it's nice to know that cities and counties throughout the state took the time during a council meeting to proclaim: native plant species are an important part of Washington's heritage ... our state enjoys an amazing diversity of over 3,000 native plant species ... preserving native plant ecosystems is critical to the long-term health and use of our natural resources ... over 360 of our native plant species are listed as rare ... invasive plant species present a threat to sustaining Washington's native ecosystems ... and urge all our citizens to learn more about our native plants, their habitats, and how to protect them.
Trout Unlimited Activities Around the State
The Des Moines Salmon Chapter of Trout Unlimited is actively working on stream restoration, including projects intended to improve in-stream habitat and produce high-quality riparian zones along these severely impacted urban salmon streams. To date, nearly a half-acre of invasive plants have been removed and more than 400 native plants have been planted near Sea-Tac Airport.
The Tacoma Chapter of Trout Unlimited has sponsored and assisted eight kids' fishing events this year, along with their fish-ins for disabled veterans at the American Lake Veterans' Hospital. Recently, the Army National Guard joined Trout Unlimited in their effort to restore Murray Creek, joining the battle against invasive plant species. Work continues and, thanks in large part to Trout Unlimited, the creek will continue to be an angling destination.
The Rainshadow Chapter of Trout Unlimited, in cooperation with the Greywolf Fly Fishing Club and Jefferson County Parks & Recreation, sponsored its fourth annual kids' fishing day at Lake Leland in June. Rainbow trout at the derby ranged from frying pan size to more than five pounds. The Rainshadow Chapter also supervised another year of the Salmon in the Classroom program at Grant Street Elementary School in Port Townsend.
Toxic Body Burden
Many U.S. residents carry toxic pesticides in their bodies above government assessed "acceptable" levels, according to a report released today in May by Earth Share of Washington organizations Pesticide Action Network North America (PAN) and Washington Toxics Coalition. Chemical Trespass: Pesticides in Our Bodies and Corporate Accountability, presents a first-time analysis of information on pesticides in the bodies of more than 2,000 people, collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Washington State Department of Ecology has a program to eliminate persistent toxic chemicals, but the 2004 legislature exempted pesticides from the program. The Toxic Free Legacy Coalition, which includes the Washington Toxics Coalition, is using the study results to urge the Department of Ecology to include pesticides in its program to eliminate persistent toxic chemicals.
PAWS Wildlife Seeks Volunteers
Every summer the PAWS Wildlife Center receives hundreds of sick, injured and orphaned baby songbirds. Their goal with each of these animals is to restore them to full health, raise them until they are old enough to fend for themselves, and return them to suitable habitat in the wild. Reaching this goal is extremely challenging and labor intensive. During the months of May, June, and July they may have 100 or more young birds in the center at once. The majority of these birds require hand feeding once every half hour for 12 hours per day. 100 birds X 2 feedings per hour X 12 hours = 2,400 feedings per day! This quickly adds up to hundreds of hours of care given to ensure that these young birds have the best possible chance for survival when they are released. If you would like to receive training and firsthand experience in the field of Wildlife Rehabilitation, volunteering is an excellent way to do so. More information on volunteering with PAWS can be found at this link: www.paws.org/help/vol/
Posted in the August 2004 Earth Page
Learning to Leave No Trace on Puget Sound Shorelines
- by Indi McCasey from ESW member Washington Water Trails Association
In an effort to promote low impact sea kayak camping, the Washington Water Trails Association (WWTA) offered a Leave No Trace (LNT) Trainer Workshop to members and volunteers on June 14th and 15th. Nine kayakers earned certifications as LNT Trainers during a two-day, overnight course at the Cascadia Marine Trail Site on Blake Island. This followed the spring release of the booklet and curriculum by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics on skills and ethics specific to sea kayaking.
Ranging in age from 25 to 65, the group taught each other the seven Leave No Trace Principles: Plan Ahead and Prepare, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces, Dispose of Waste Properly, Leave What You Find, Minimize Campfire Impacts, Respect Wildlife and Be Considerate of Other Visitors. Connie Davis, the LNT State Advocate for Washington, fielded questions such as: What do we do with the drained spaghetti water? Answer: Strain it with a screen to be packed out, then disperse the remaining liquid below the high tide line.
WWTA plans to offer future LNT trainings to spread the word about how paddlers can reduce their impact on our local aquatic environments.
For more information visit www.lnt.org and www.wwta.org.
Posted in the July 2003 Earth Page
EarthCorps Awarded $100,000 to Restore an Urban Forest in South Seattle
The Seattle Foundation announced that it is awarding the 2002 Leadership Grant to EarthCorps for their Cheasty Greenspace Project. The organization will receive the $100,000 grant for their efforts to improve the quality of the environment by engaging diverse communities in their work.
EarthCorps' youth-driven, two-year project to restore Cheasty Greenspace, a 43-acre urban forest in South Seattle, will bring together neighborhood youth through schools and community-based organizations to work to restore this neighborhood park.
"We are thrilled to receive The Seattle Foundation's Leadership Grant," says EarthCorps Executive Director Steve Dubiel. "The goal of our project is to engage young people from Beacon Hill and the Rainier Valley in their community by restoring Cheasty Greenspace, originally designed as part of the Olmsted Boulevard Plan for Seattle's park system. The Olmsted plan for Cheasty was never fully developed and natural areas of the park have been highly neglected. In the process of transforming this space to one that invites community use, our goal is to inspire in young people a lifetime of civic engagement."
Established in 1995, the Leadership Grant is awarded annually by The Seattle Foundation to recognize an organization using innovative methods to address a pressing community need. To ensure the award is relevant to the region's shifting needs, the Foundation targets the $100,000 grant to a different community issue each year.
EarthCorps is a Seattle-based environmental non-profit organization that teaches children and young adults environmental restoration, teamwork and leadership. EarthCorps field projects are located throughout King County and involve invasive plant removal, planting of native trees, trail construction and maintenance.
Posted in the February 2003 Earth Page