IN THIS ISSUE - Tualatin Riverkeeperstualatinriverkeepers.org/assets/newsletter-archive/trk-2016-spring... · Bethany. Scott Burns is coauthor of Cataclysms on the Columbia: The Great

www.tualatinriverkeepers.org

Volume 23, Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2016

IN THIS ISSUE

From the Director ........2New Board Members ..2Restoration ...................3Watershed Watch .........4

Education .....................5Trips & Tours................6Acknowledgements ....7Membership Form ......8

The Green Heron HeraldThe Biannual Newsletter of the TUALATIN RIVERKEEPERS®

TRK Nature Camps are back!Wildlife, water, and wet-hands outdoor exploration—a fantastic way for the special child in your life to spend a summer week. Reserve their spot today at tualatinriverkeepers.org/camp. (See page 5)

Tualatin Riverkeepers is happy to announce that we will be spearheading a half a million dollar initiative aimed

at making the Tualatin Basin more adaptive to the challenges posed by climate change. This innovative work will also build bridges between the environmental and ranching communities with a new grant from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s Climate Adaptation Fund. TRK was fortunate to be one of only a few grant recipients in this nation-wide competition.

With WCS’s support, TRK will help the Tualatin basin adapt to flashier winter floods and drier hotter summers experiencing lower summer stream flow by enhancing key parcels of wetland, riverside and prairie habitats. For the wetland and riverside areas, TRK and partners will acquire and install climate-adapted native trees and shrubs that support American beaver. This will restore water function across the landscape as well as increase river-wetland connectivity, all while conserving an iconic Pacific Northwest species.

In prairies, TRK will install locally adapted trees and forbs after using Tualatin Valley ranchers’ cattle to graze down monocultures and open up space for more species diversity, which make the Tualatin’s prairies so unique. Given that prescribed burns for prairies are more difficult in a rapidly urbanizing landscape with hotter summers as well as new homes adjacent to protected natural areas, TRK sees this opportunity as a win-win for both environmentalists and the ranching community. Building an inclusive watershed conservation movement means involving rural and agricultural communities whenever possible, due to their knowledge and reliance upon the land and their large share of the Tualatin watershed’s territory.

This partnership is bolstered by committed environmentalists and the vibrant agricultural economy of the Tualatin as well as the high level of public investment in nature and agriculture. TRK would like to thank partners Metro, Clean Water Services, and US Department of Agriculture in particular. Stay tuned for more updates on our website and e-zine as we progress in this important climate work.

The Climate Change ChallengeTualatin Riverkeepers helps lead climate adaptation efforts for people, water and wildlife

Photo by Eric Lindstrom

Tualatin Riverkeepers is proud to be a Waterkeeper Alliance Member.

Recycled paper.

OUR MISSIONTualatin Riverkeepers (TRK) is a community-based organization working to protect and restore

Oregon’s Tualatin River system. TRK builds watershed stewardship

through education, public access to nature, restoration and advocacy.

The Tualatin Riverkeepers became a nonprofit in 1992 and is tax-exempt

under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Please join us by completing and mailing the membership application in this

newsletter or by contacting us.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSLynn Carver, President

Jeff Douglas, Vice PresidentRod Fragiao, Treasurer

Tarri Christopher, SecretaryEd Casuga

Alfred Dinsdale Cathy Filgas

Carl HostickaCarmen Madrid

Sylke Neal-Finnegan Meryl RedischMolly Whitney

STAFFMike Skuja

Executive DirectorBrian Wegener,

RiverkeeperCharissa Jones,

Environmental EducatorMargot Fervia-Neamtzu,

Outreach Coordinator

The Green Heron Herald is a publication of the Tualatin Riverkeepers.

We welcome your comments and suggestions. Please let us know if we have misspelled

your name or if we mis-addressed the newsletter or sent you a duplicate copy.

503-218-2580 www.tualatinriverkeepers.org

FROM

THE

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Welcome New Board Members!

Your Employer Can Support TRK

TUALATINRIVERKEEPERS® 2 SPRING/SUMMER 2016

The Green Heron Herald

New staff, new board members, new trip leaders, new public events and partners on the waters. 2016 is bringing much change and new river champions into our networks and we are grateful for all the growth. These new voices will no doubt take our work in directions we have never anticipated before.

In 2016 you will also notice that TRK is going to two newsletters per year instead of four, Spring-Summer and Fall-Winter editions. This is in recognition of our increasing shift towards online and social media correspondence for keeping members up to date as well as to reduce our environmental impact. But don’t worry, print editions will be geared towards the 6 month news time frame. It is important for members to sign up for our e-zine if they haven’t already to keep current on all TRK happenings. Please get in touch at www.tualatinriverkeepers.org/email.

Sincerely,Mike Skuja, Executive Director

Dear Riverkeepers,

TRK is pleased to welcome Meryl Redisch and Sylke Neal-Finnegan to the TRK Board. Meryl brings decades of non-profit management experience to the Board, most recently as the Director of Portland Audubon. Sylke brings a passion for Washington County and strong marketing sense for uniting the public to nature, and currently serves as Washington County Visitor Association’s Director of Marketing & Communications. We are blessed to have both and look forward to future growth together!

The effects of climate change are growing, putting stress on the land, water, food, energy and other resources people and wildlife need to thrive. But Oregonians can do more to protect our way of life. Tualatin Riverkeeprs has partnered with EarthShare Oregon to make that happen. EarthShare engages people at their workplaces to strengthen environmental efforts. The more workplaces offering EarthShare, the more financial support, volunteers and outreach we receive!

Does your workplace offer EarthShare? Find out at www.earthshare-oregon.org/campaigns/workplace-partners. If not, talk to your employer about offering EarthShare. An EarthShare representative will meet with your employer to discuss the benefits of a partnership.

To learn more about bringing EarthShare to your workplace, contact Meghan at 503-223-9015 or [email protected].

RESTORATION

Restoring the Banks of the Tualatin River

Join the RiverBank Program!TRK’s RiverBank program is an easy and convenient monthly donation program that will provide a predictable and stable source of funding all year long, ensuring an independent voice for the Tualatin River. Donations can be drawn from bank or credit card accounts.

Mail in the membership form on the back page or visit www.tualatinriverkeepers.org to set-up your monthly donations through Network for Good. Contact Margot at 503-218-2580 or [email protected] for more information.

TUALATIN RIVERKEEPERS®3SPRING/SUMMER 2016

The Green Heron Herald

The rains came in force over the holidays and into winter of the new year. While this caused some serious flooding in many areas with too much impervious pavement, it also provided the fuel for plant establishment and growth at TRK’s restoration projects.

TRK hosted two large community native plantings events at Sherwood’s Woodhaven Park where volunteers installed close to 2,000 trees and we welcomed the mayors from Sherwood and Redmond to the activities. Cook Park served as the location for another major planting with 75 volunteers planting 1,500 trees. (The youngest volunteer was 9 months old and planted with mom!) Cook Park is also the home of our Summer Boat Rentals, where the public will be able to view the new plantings as they rent our canoes and kayaks to explore the river when the warm weather arrives. For TRK, uniting the stewardship along the two fronts of river restoration as well as

river recreation is a wonderful opportunity the public no doubt recognize.

On the other side of the river, TRK, the City of Tualatin and about 40 volunteers came together to restore the historic Taylor’s Ferry area at our Tualatin office location near the 99W Bridge as they pulled exotic ivy, planted trees, and cleanup trash along the river banks.

Volunteer crew leaders are still needed for 2016 and onward. You don’t have to be an expert in planting to join in the fun. But, you do need a desire to improve water quality at the local level as well as being comfortable working with groups. Community groups and business are welcome to attend. Please get in touch with Mike Skuja at [email protected] for more information about TRK’s upcoming restoration events.

WATERSHED WATCH

TUALATIN RIVERKEEPERS® 4 SPRING/SUMMER 2016

The Green Heron Herald

A three-foot tall concrete dam built years ago to create a swimming hole on Gales Creek is the biggest barrier to native fish migration in the entire Tualatin Basin. The Balm Grove Dam, which blocks juvenile steelhead and cutthroat trout and coho salmon from more than 30 miles of cold water necessary for their survival, will be removed under a plan developed by Clean Water Services (CWS). Financial support from CWS, Metro, the Tualatin Soil & Water Conservation District and others will allow for purchase of an 11 acre parcel, removal of the dam and restoration of the site with native vegetation and appropriate structure.

A two-year field survey of native fish habitat in the Tualatin Basin commissioned by the Tualatin River Watershed Council and funded by CWS found:

Biggest Barrier for Native Trout and Salmon May Soon Be Going Away

Max’s Fanno Creek Brew Pub Meeting room opens at 6pm 12562 SW Main Street, Tigard Presentations begin at 7pm

Saving Stormwater in Aquifer Storage Wells Thursday, April 21

What if we could save stormwater underground during the heavy winter rains and use it in the dry season to keep streams flowing? Jason Melady, Senior Hydrogeologist with GSI Water Solutions, will give a presentation on Potential Use of Aquifer Storage and Recovery as a Tool for Stormwater Management and Stream Restoration. Jason has 14 years of experience managing and supporting water resource, groundwater supply, and water rights projects. He is an expert in the design and operation of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) well systems.

The Rise & Fall of Wapato Lake Thursday, May 12

TRK is pleased to host author Ken Bilderback, who will be sharing stories from his forthcoming book, Wapato Lake: Oregon History as Viewed From a Swamp. Wapato Lake was the historical winter home of the Atfalati band

of the Kalapuyan people, and a gathering area for food. Broken promises by the federal government were involved in exiling these people to the Grand Ronde reservation. In the 1930s the lake was diked and drained for onion farming. In 2008, a break in the dike led to a toxic cyanobacteria outbreak in the Tualatin River. Since then, most of the lake bed has been acquired by the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service for establishment of a National Wildlife Refuge.

Slippery Slopes: Land Slides in the Tualatin Basin and Beyond Thursday, June 9

Learn what the ice age, ancient volcanoes, and the Cascade Subduction Zone have to do with where and how we should do development on slopes in the Tualatin Basin. Geologist Scott Burns of PSU will explain what fragipan and loess has to do with stormwater management and preventing landslides on Bull Mountain, Cooper Mountain and North Bethany. Scott Burns is coauthor of Cataclysms on the Columbia: The Great Missoula Floods.

Contact Brian at [email protected] for more details about these events.

River Professors Presentations: Spring/Summer 2016Free Watershed-related Presentations and Conversations

Balm Grove Dam on mainstem Gales just below Parsons Rd (RM 12.7) blocks all juvenile salmonids and adult cutthroat migrations to upstream thermal refugia. In addition, there is evidence that in years of low fall flows, the dam compromises even the passage of large adult salmonids (coho).

In February, Clean Water Services signed an option to purchase the dam and the attached 11 acre parcel. This allows CWS to line up funding partners for the purchase, dam removal, and restoration of the site. As of the writing of this article, CWS was still looking for an additional $100,000 to complete the funding package.

Contact Brian at [email protected] for more information.

YOUTH EDUCATION

TUALATIN RIVERKEEPERS®5SPRING/SUMMER 2016

The Green Heron Herald

Activities are in full swing as spring arrives and TRK, like nature, is in the process of transition. Since November, Jamie Stamberger has been working as TRK’s interim environmental educator as we searched for a permanent educator. Jamie has done a fantastic job of introducing children to nature, whether managing a group of 50 students at Dirksen Nature Park as she highlights the water cycle or through showing kids the power of geography and how Community Partners for Affordable Housing’s facilities connect to the Tualatin River on a customized map.

Perhaps most fun was the bloody yet informative work of dissecting a salmon carcass for Adelante Mujeres! Utilizing creativity to bring the message of watersheds, personal impact and exploration, Jamie has carried through an already successful program all while adding her own unique spin to things. Thank you, Jamie!

TRK is excited to welcome our new Environmental Educator Charissa Jones. Charissa has a love for creating dynamic hands on educational experiences for youth of all ages. She has designed and implemented lesson plans grounded in approved state science standards that also speak to the curiosity and energy of youth. She relocated from Florida, where she was a 3rd Grade Teacher for a Title 1 school in Orange County and also educated children outdoors in Manatee County

Nature preserves, all while improving K-12 student performance in science and the environment!

Originally from Suriname, Charissa studied culture’s influence on conservation and helped design better community conservation programs, working with both urban populations as well as Indigenous communities. Those who know Charissa stress how she understands people with different worldviews, particularly non-Western, and can thrive in multiple cultural contexts. She has been a youth leader for the Ecological Society of America and created staff trainings on group dynamics, leadership, and diversity for the Student Conservation Association. She holds a Masters of Environmental Studies (Environmental Education concentration) from Antioch University and a bachelor’s in Environmental Studies (Education concentration) from New College of Florida.

If you’re interested in becoming a Volunteer Naturalist to assist Charissa with field trips and summer camps, please contact her at [email protected].

Education Update

Welcome, Charissa!

2016 Nature Summer Camps

Camp for 4 to 6-year-olds $130 members $140 non-members

Refuge Adventure June 20–24Students explore the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge from a bug’s eye view and gain an appreciation for all living things, big and small. Each day campers investigate a new habitat while learning about the amazing creatures that make our ecosystem work.

Camps for 7 to 10-year-olds $215 members $245 non-members

The following camps hosted at Dirksen include a full day of paddling on the Tualatin River with experienced river guides.

Hey Hey! Look at THAT! July 11–15Life isn’t about knowing, it’s about exploring…no one knows that better than kids! With a focus on exploration and hands on learning, campers get up close with what excites them and put their skills to the test with fun games like plant ID capture the flag and macroinvertebrate tag.

Sense of Place August 8–12Campers will touch, taste, smell, listen, and look their way to a deeper understanding of what keeps an ecosystem in balance. Build a natural shelter, explore aquatic homes, create your own bird nest, and have fun while developing new friendships.

Camps for 10 to 13-year-olds $215 members $245 non-members

Amazing Adaptations July 25–29Run, jump, swim, and play your way to a summer adventure with a week jam packed with fun! Learn to fish, build a birdhouse, and so much more!

Living Water August 22–26Search for what’s living just below the surface of our rivers and creeks while building an appreciation for all the creatures, big and small, that call the water home. Get a chance to swim with otters, discover beaver dams, and search for crawdads.

Register at www.TualatinRiverkeepers.org/camp

TRIPS & TOURS

TUALATIN RIVERKEEPERS® 6 SPRING/SUMMER 2016

The Green Heron Herald

Volunteer Spotlight: Fran MeltonFran Melton has a long history with environmental non-profit organizations. We’re thrilled she has selected Tualatin Riverkeepers as the organization to share her knowledge and skills gained from her past involvement with other groups.

Relocating from San Antonio, Texas, in 2013, Fran began exploring local parks such as Rogers Park in Lake Oswego where she bird-watches in the shade while her son, daughter-in-law and grandson kayaked on the river. While exploring Tigard’s Cook Park, she met TRK’S Cook Park Boat Rental staff who told her about our various programs. Armed with her degree in biology and experience working with Nature Conservancy of Texas as a philanthropy coordinator, Fran started to volunteer with TRK on a weekly basis. “I wanted to use my background to help a local non-profit, particularly one working to protect our local environment and educating children about the natural world,” said Fran. “I enjoy working in the office helping with data entry and mailings in order to give the staff the time to focus on TRK’s mission.”

Fran grew up in a family that loved camping, horseback riding and other outdoor activities. Her three children and their families continue the tradition. Fran shared her memory of first learning about environmental protection first-hand early-on. “I discovered the value of water during a camping trip in the desert outside Phoenix, when my family got stuck in a dry riverbed and had to conserve our water until Dad was able to dig the truck out. Even in Oregon’s wet environment, water is the lifeblood of the planet. It must be protected for the good of all living things.”

When not assisting the TRK staff, Fran enjoy gardening, hiking and reading on a wide range of subjects. She also volunteers for TRK’s restoration program. “I enjoy helping to plant native trees and shrubs. It’s a pleasure to see so many parents sharing these experiences with their children.”

It’s a pleasure for us to see your smiling face each week, Fran. Thank you for your dedication to Tualatin Riverkeepers!

Cook Park Summer Boat Rentals open Memorial Day Weekend in 2016!Cook Park in Tigard May 27 through September 5 Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 9am to 6pm

Canoes and double kayaks are $35 per boat and single kayaks are $25 per boat for up to 4 hours and all boats are $10 per additional hour.

TRK members receive one free rental and $10 off each additional rental!

2016 Guided Paddle TripsTRK trips are open to all members and the general public. Canoes and double kayaks are available for use on our trips for $50 and single kayaks are $40. Members at the $50 level or higher receive a free boat rental! Space is limited and reservations are required online at tualatinriverkeepers.org.

Bird Fest Paddle, Tualatin Saturday, May 21 9am – 12pm

27th Annual Discovery Day, Tualatin Saturday, June 25 9am – 3pm

Sunset Paddle, Tualatin Saturday, July 16 6pm – 8pm

Family-Friendly Paddle, Tigard Sunday, August 14 1pm – 4pm

Tualatin River Clean-up Saturday, September 17 9am – 12pm

Autumn River Paddle Saturday, October 1 10am – 1pm

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank the following Riverkeepers who generously donated between October 1, 2015 and February 29, 2016. (* Indicates Monthly RiverBank donor.)

Protector ($1,000+)Nancy & Larry ChurchStephen Larson*

Green Heron ($500+)Joe & LaVonne Blowers*Pat & Joe CampbellLynn CarverTarri & Kent Christopher*Deanna & Wilfried Mueller-CrispinSteve Mullinax & Bonnie MessingerBradford & Linda Taylor River Otter ($250+)Karen Apland*Norm BairdJanet Black & Deane BlairLuanne Bye*Ed & Kathy Casuga*Frances Coffield*Bruce & April DeBoltJeff Douglas*Richard & Pamela Eyde*Rod & Shelli Fragiao*Ron & Karen Garst*Diana & Richard HarrisRon & Debbie HochsteinBill Kaltenthaler & Lisa FratianniWilliam McCormickSusan Murray & Jeff Tripp*Stephanie Puhl & David Janney*Mike & Nuthyla Skuja*Frances N. D. StearnsChris & Peggy TooleLee & Carol Zinsli

Steelhead ($100+)Susan & Nelson AtkinDavid BatesRob Baur & Sue MarshallManny & Karen BermanJulie Bevan & David ManfieldPieter & Elizabeth Braam*Lisa Brenner & Tom StiboltJohn BrooksSid & Tina Bruckert-FriskKathleen Buck & Burce Cheney

Scott & Glenda BurnsAntonette & Robert CarenJoy ChappellKelly & Terry CushingRuth & George DallasDick & Mary Dent*Steve & Claire DeremerMolly Dougherty & Cliff AltonMargot Fervia-Neamtzu & Chris Neamtzu*GenentechLaurie GoldenJodie HallSteve HallJay Hamlin & Kay Demlow*Jennifer Hanson & David Van SpeybroeckJim Hart & KC CooperLisa Jean Hoefner*Carl Hosticka & Claudia BlackDennis IsaacsonDan & Kellie JarmanKrist JohnsonSonja JohnsonJoe & Elizabeth KaliszewskiDeborah & Thomas KapferAndrew Klossner & Jill ZurschmeideHerbert & Diantha KnottJeffrey & Jennifer KohneHarbans LalJill Leary & Brian EvansJay Lorenz & Wendy DemvoHoward LuceMark & Pamela MacDonald*Barbara ManildiRichard & Elizabeth MarantzDeborah Maria*James & Judy MarshallSteve McMaster & Kathy BrocksDawn & Patric McMenaminWilma & Joel McNultyKatherine Meads*Keerthi Mitra & Archana SrikantDavid & Linda NelsonPaul & Audrey OliverWalter & Carol Ottoson*Jon Owen Barbara K. Padden

Susan & Joe PeterMeryl RedischWalter & Sue RustGreg SchifskyDavid & Kendra SummersMelvin TaylorJay WatsonBill Weismann*Ramsay Weit*Suzanne WhislerMolly Whitney*Brock & Wanthana WilsonHerb & Nancy Zachow

Painted Turtle ($50+)Robin Anne & Rolf AndersonCharles AubinMatthew BattjesGeorge & Mary BensonElly BranchDaniel & Valerie BrownStephanie BurchfieldCharles Carter & Sarah Taylor CarterKathy Casson*Rod & Cindy ChaceCarol ChesarekHelen ConoverChris & Cynthia CunninghamIan Dees & Lynn Paget*David DemminAlberto & Shannon DiezLois & Michael Eaton*David EddyJoseph EllingtonMarianne & Thomas FitzgeraldJim & Mary FosterShane Freepons & Gwen WabaunseeLinda FrenchJudi & Gary GorsuchKathryn HarringtonAggi HendriksJulie HladMike & Diane Huckaby*Karen JohnsonLeigh Knox*Carol & Warren KragerKurt & Eleanor Krause

Rhonda LeoEric & Kitty LindstromDavid & Sheila LinsonLes & Maureen LucasPatty Lyons*Victor & Kathleen MarquardtDan Martin & Karen BersackLois Martz*Patty MatsukadoJerry & Marie McCabePaul McGinnisAnne McLaughlinMaureen McNultyDavid Medford & Geenie Parker*Traci MillerJudy & Jim MortonVictor NeamtzuJeff Olson*Joan OttingerCaroline & Peter PaquetSusan ParsonsDave & Janet PierceAnn & Pat QuinnCarol & Ned RandellJudith & Charles RobertsMartin Salinsky & Erin PetersDavid SammondBarbara Schaffner & Shap ShapiroDan & Linda SchickSheri SchipporeitNeil & Ardis SchroederEric SimpsonVasuki & Satya SivamDouglas M. SmithEsther SpencerLoren & Nancy SpohnKathrin Strieby & Charles CongdonBob Swanson & Terry KennyJack & Diane Trenhaile*Gary & Carol VallensJames & Kathleen WalsethMike WetterLouise YarbroughMargaret & David Zeps Crawdad ($35+)We appreciate your contributions.

TUALATIN RIVERKEEPERS®7SPRING/SUMMER 2016

The Green Heron Herald

Thank You Funders: City of Tigard Gray Family Foundation Metro Templeton Foundation Wildlife Conservation Society and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s Climate Adaptation Fund

TRK would like to thank the Estate of Brenda McGowan for including our organization in her will. While we were very saddened to hear of her recent passing, her legacy and interest in conserving the Tualatin River remains an inspiration to us in all our day-to-day work.

11675 SW Hazelbrook RdTualatin, OR 97062

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