Original Post Date: 5-7-2008
Yes! Your own certified Wildlife Habitat, complete with official sign! Both the National Wildlife Foundation and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife provide checklists for what you need in your yard to qualify as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat (NWF) or Sanctuary (WDFW). You fix up your grounds to meet the checklist, submit an application and a few dollars, and you are in! Chances are you have seen lots of the signs already because at least two groups are very active at rounding up participants. What a great way to help keep NaturalSkagit nice!
The Fidalgo Backyard Wildlife Habitat group has a goal of 500 certified spots, including homes, businesses, churches, and parks by this August. If they make it, there is a huge party!!! - And Fidlago Island will become an official Wildlife Habitat Community thru the National Wildlife Foundation. So far they are well over 400! If you live on Fidalgo Island, email or visit the Anacortes library for info. The group will help you with the checklist and application too. Get it over the top!
The Skagit Valley Backyard Habitat program has a goal of 200 certified habitats, including homes, schoolyards, businesses, parks, churches, and public demonstration gardens. E-mail for info and assistance. This group covers the Padilla Bay area and then pretty much everything south of the Skagit River. Mount Vernon is well on it’s way to becoming a certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat community.
Sooooo …. If you live north of the Skagit … what are you doing about those Wildlife Habitats??? Let us know, we need to report this!
Try to be at Maple Hall in LaConner on Wed. evening May 14 at about 6:30 – 9:00. Kathy Fletcher, the founder and boss of People for Puget Sound will be speaking about how things are going with Puget Sound. There will also be discussions with several of our local representatives to the Puget Sound Partnership. This will be our first big chance to hear and talk about what might happen next in the latest Puget Sound cleanup effort. A lot of money, time, and people-effort is spent here in our place helping to maintain and improve the health of Puget Sound. We need to be sure that the Puget Sound Partnership recognizes that, sees value in our work, and promotes continued/added funding and support for it. A real good place to DIG IN.
The Local-Organization-You-Might-Want-To-Be-Involved-With this week is the North Cascades Institute (NCI) http://www.ncascades.org
Founded in1986 by Executive Director Saul Weisberg and some friends, the North Cascades Institute’s mission is to ‘conserve and restore Northwest environments through education.’ That education extends from short talks/presentations in Seattle to extensive trips into the North Cascades wilderness. School groups have programs, so do families. Like wise specialized groups such as aspiring grant writers or artists or teenaged girls have programs of varying lengths and intensity. There is a field-based Masters degree program in conjunction with the Huxley College of the Environment at WWU. The website and very attractive twice-yearly catalogue fully describe the multitude of opportunities. 10,000 people take advantage of some form of NCI education every year. Nearly 50 instructors/leaders are involved.
NCI has workspace in the National Park Service building in Sedro-Woolley, but the primary home now is the Environmental Learning Center opened in 2005 at Diablo Lake, about 1-½ hours on up the road from S-W. This multi-purpose facility is a joint venture between the National Parks Service, Seattle City Light, and NCI. It is a full service educational facility with lodging for more than 60 people.
NCI has just received two significant grants; one from the National Parks Centennial Challenge program, and another from the new Washington State “Leave No Child Inside” initiative. These grants are going to be used to get more underserved kids and families into the woods, and also families and students who have English as a second language. “Welcoming a Diverse Community to the North Cascades” – that is the challenge.
You want to be part of this outfit? Sign up for one of their events or take advantage of free weekend day-trips. Or provide a monetary donation or become a volunteer steward – you’ll be trained and then provide various services to visitors at different Institute events during the year. “How to” is all there on the website.
But your real big chance to check them out is May 31! The free annual picnic at the Learning Center from 11:00am – 4:00pm! Great food, entertainment, hosted hikes and canoe trips, art activities, and facility tours, 350 people can’t be wrong! Try to carpool!!!! But be there. RSVP at http://www.ncascades.org/picnic And Dig In!
Here are some near-term activities to consider:
Sat. May 10 Master Gardners Plant Sale - Annual sale at the WSU Research center on Memorial Highway, Mt. Vernon 8:00am - 3:00pm
Sat. May 10 Washington Park walk - Friends of Washington Park Focus on Wildflowers! Meet at new rest room at Loop Rd start. 10:00am - Noon
Wed. May 14 The State of Puget Sound - Talk by Kathy Fletcher from People for Puget Sound, panel with local experts, open-house discussions Maple Hall in LaConner 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Fri./Sat. May 16 & 17 Sustainability Fair - Skagit Valley College Speakers, Activities, Exhibits 10:00am - 3:00pm http://www.skagit.edu/sustfair2008
Fri. May 23 Low Impact Development Workshop Padilla Bay Reserve Facility 8:30am – 3:30 pm No charge, includes lunch to reserve a seat
Sat. May 24 Trail and Brush Clearing at Cumberland Creek 10:00am – 1:00pm http://www.skagitlandtrust.org or for details
Wed./Thur. May 28/29 In-stream Monitoring Workshop 6:00pm – 8:00pm Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group {encode="ldegrace@skagitfisheries.org “ title="ldegrace@skagitfisheries.org “}to register/for details
Sat. May 31 Birding at Cumberland Creek 7:30am – 1:00pm Skagit Audubon Society http://www.fidalgo.net/~audubon/ Meet at S-W Food Pavilion Dress for walking through brush, bring binoculars, lunch
Sat. May 31 North Cascades Institute Annual Free Picnic 11:00am – 4:00pm Environmental Learning Center at Diablo Lake, 1 ½ hrs up Highway 20. http://www.ncascades.org/picnic for info. and RSVP Try to car pool.
Many similar events and activities and opportunities are posted on the GoSkagit Event Calendar. Check it often!
(Your comments about this blog will be helpful. New ideas to consider, and changes we should make are especially welcome. Corrections and further enlightenment will help as well. You can email to {encode="PeteH@Skagitwater.org" title="PeteH@Skagitwater.org"}. Thank you.)
