All posts by Jessica McDonald

Poetry for the Soul

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Like poetry, nature inspires and evokes emotion within us. We are excited to share both with you thanks to local poet, Linda Gelbrich. Linda wrote these poems at Bald Hill Farm as part of Greenbelt Land Trust’s writing workshops led by Robert Michael Pyle (2017) and Henry Hughes (2018). We hope you enjoy these poems as much as we do!

At the Farm

Over the field
tiny white puffs of seed
swirl like mad gnats
in a roiling breeze.
In a blink they’re gone.

Clouds line up over haze-glazed hills,
piled one over the other
information, ready to meld
into a great convergence overhead.

This metal fence I lean on
could keep me in or out
of the broad field
where just a few stalks of tall grass
stand like lookouts.

They tip their heads,
thick with seed, nodding
toward the patch of blackberry vines,
vines now lush with new leaves
like canopies
over their freshly sharpened thorns.

 

Along Mulkey Creek

It’s just the creek
and me and lots of green
under tall shading trees.

I sit a long time
on the porch listening
to the constant sound of water.

There’s no pulse or rhythm,
only a long hush
like an endless exhalation

that seems to lessen
as light rain moves in
on the back of a coastal breeze.

I hear tiny taps of raindrops
on leaves, another layer of sound
that fades and disappears

as the late-spring clouds move on.
Glimmers of sun begin streaking
down and the wet leaves glisten.

Now there’s all this shimmying
along the creek, and again,
the constant sound of water.

Adding 561 Acres to Conservation Corridor

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As the North Santiam River flows around a bend behind a dense stand of oak, cottonwood, and maple trees, a bald eagle soars above the tree-line towards one of a handful of nests along this reach of the river. On a bluff overlooking the river below, Greenbelt Land Trust’s Executive Director, Michael Pope, pauses to reflect on the rich diversity of forests, prairie, and wetlands on this 406-acre property just outside of Stayton. “There are few places in the Willamette Valley where you can find such a complex mixture of native habitats providing sanctuary for wildlife. Protecting this special place will have lasting impacts for generations to come,” says Pope.

And protect it is just what Greenbelt Land Trust has done.

This month, through a partnership with landowners who were committed to leaving a legacy on their land for future generations, Greenbelt Land Trust acquired the 406-acre Santiam Kingston Hills property. The acquisition of this dynamic property was provided through funding from the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program, a joint conservation fund administered through Bonneville Power Administration and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Overlook of North Santiam River

In addition, earlier in the month, the Land Trust assumed ownership of the adjacent 155-acre Kingston Prairie Preserve – expanding Greenbelt Land Trust’s footprint in the area to 561-acres. Kingston Prairie was transferred from The Nature Conservancy as part of a collaborative partnership designed to align conservation partners and priorities across Oregon. The Kingston Prairie Preserve protects some of the best remaining native prairie in the Willamette Valley.

“Oregon’s land trusts play a critical role in our state’s future,” says Derek Johnson, Director of Protection and Stewardship for The Nature Conservancy in Oregon. “After many years of partnership with Greenbelt Land Trust throughout the Willamette Valley, we are proud to place the long-term care of Kingston Prairie Preserve in their capable hands.”

These two properties join an expansive conservation corridor of 1,000+ acres along the North Santiam River, including lands managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, the City of Stayton, and the Bureau of Land Management. The region has also been a hub of private land restoration projects through partnerships with area nonprofits and state agencies.

“Kingston Prairie and Santiam-Kingston Hills are key puzzle pieces in this region. Their addition to this conservation corridor creates opportunities for large-scale habitat management for fish and wildlife, and brings together partners who are working on regional resiliency plans,” says Claire Fiegener, Greenbelt Land Trust’s Conservation Director. “Conservation is dependent on collaboration.”

Wet prairie abounds with wildflowers at Kingston Prairie Preserve

Greenbelt Land Trust, a nonprofit formed in 1989, has protected 3,662 acres across the Willamette Valley by working with private landowners on the permanent preservation and management of ecological, agricultural, and historically significant lands and waters. The land trust works strategically to secure significant natural areas in accordance with a thoughtful regional plan, and is committed to leaving a legacy of clean water and resilient lands for generations to come.

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, The Nature Conservancy creates innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest conservation challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. To learn more, visit nature.org/Oregon.

Funding for Santiam Kingston Hills provided by:

The Bonneville Power Administration contributed funding for the purchase and long-term stewardship of the property. Land purchases such as this are part of the 2010 Willamette Wildlife Habitat MOA – a 15-year agreement between the State of Oregon and BPA that provides stable funding for more than 26,000 acres of wildlife habitat acquisitions in the Willamette Valley. The property purchases help to offset the impacts of federal flood control and hydroelectric facilities on the Willamette River and its tributaries.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program manages the funds dedicated to the state by the Bonneville Power Administration.

Retirement Project

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Four and a half years ago I started a blog:  “Today,” I wrote, “we bought a farm.”  The reaction to this announcement was not unexpected.  “Have they forgotten how old they are?” our friends asked one another.  Our kids texted back and forth between Pasadena and Seattle.  “Weren’t one of us supposed to be watching them?  What’s next?  Beach-front property in Florida?  A Winnebago?”

No, freed from the constraints of a downtown job and the supervisory presence of offspring, we bought a piece of property along Llewellyn Road in Corvallis.  A hundred acres was more than we’d had in mind when we began to search, but there it was.  Rolling oak savanna, wetlands along Muddy Creek, a thick oak copse, and a view of Marys Peak.  We were so struck by the beauty that we didn’t stop to consider that farming is actually not a profession easily learned on the autumn slopes of life.

But that was okay.  We didn’t intend to “farm” this property.  What we had in mind was work on habitat restoration along the lines of the many sites we’d visited during Larry’s tenure as board member of the Oregon Chapter of the Nature Conservancy.  Yes, I know.  Habitat restoration isn’t easy, either, for amateurs like us without a lot of help.

The land had been heavily grazed and was choked with thistle, tansy, and blackberry.  The seasonal streams were degraded, a derelict house slumped on its foundation, the well, though operative, was heavy with nitrate, and the grazing cattle drank freely from Muddy Creek.  Yikes!

At about this point, the USFWS Partners Program came into our lives.  They would come onto the property, assess possibilities, provide plans, and even offer financial help in implementation.  A chance meeting with Jessica McDonald from Greenbelt Land Trust led to our introduction to the conservation community.  The amazing Donna Schmitz of Benton Soil and Water Conservation District led a successful bid for an OWEB grant.

And here we are in September of 2018.  The streams have been fenced and their banks planted with some 6,600 trees and shrubs all thanks to the grant.  Muddy Creek has been fenced off from the attention of grazing cattle.  (Don’t worry, a system of pipes provides water from the well to watering stations for the animals.)  Jarod Jebousek of USFWS is working to restore the natural flow of water across the land, planning to build a vernal pool on behalf of birds and aquatic creatures like frogs and salamanders.  He’s planted 13 acres of native seed to attract monarchs and the Fender’s blue butterfly.

There have certainly been challenges.  Cleaning the barn after decades of dairy animals wasn’t much fun.  Two years pulling tansy led to an acceptance of judicious spraying.  I accidently weed-whacked one of our new apple trees to death.  A little family of mice unknowingly settled into the foundation of the house as it was being built and sadly died over the first summer of our residence.  We drilled four wells, only one of which provides water, that ran dry, however, the morning of the open house we hosted for our Portland friends.  We lost the largest oak on the property to old age or wind last week, though it thoughtfully heaved its huge branches across, not onto, the new perimeter fence.

At the moment, we’re working to relocate the little chicken coop we had built.  Misplaced, it slopes with an endearing charm, but must be moved to a site adjoining our fenced orchard.  This so that the three hens we have yet to acquire may roam freely among the trees neighboring their new home.

While there’s no end to the work, we remain (despite the skepticism of friends and family) enthusiastic, although usually tired by the evening. We are pleased we chose this retirement option instead of golfing in the desert or that beachfront condo in Florida.

Blog Post: By Jane Viehl – you can follow along with Jane and her husband Larry’s restoration and farming progress on Jane’s wonderful blog Hundred Acre Wood.

Jane, hard at work along Muddy Creek

 

Larry, reflecting on newly-downed giant oak

 

‘In the beginning’ – a before photo

 

And, voila – a few years later!

So, what do you care about?

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We asked for your feedback, and you didn’t let us down! This past Spring we reached out to our members and volunteers to help us understand the motivations of our supporters. This input helps Greenbelt Land Trust to think about ways to better align our messaging to reflect the interests of our supporters. We wanted your perspective on … ‘what does a land trust do?’, ‘why is it important?‘, and ‘how can we involve more of our friends and neighbors in this work?‘

Sometimes I forget that the perspective that I have as a staff member at Greenbelt may be different from those who use our trails, attend a walk with us, or help restore our lands. I am so close to this work that it can blur out an objective lens on our conservation, stewardship, and outreach programs. And that’s why it is so important to hear from YOU, our friends! Your insight and vantage point on Greenbelt Land Trust provides a snapshot of how we are viewed by our beloved community.

Hundreds of individuals completed a survey conducted by the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts in coordination with DHM Research, and the results are in! There’s some really cool and insightful stuff in this survey, and here are a few highlights:

I care about land conservation because of certain core values I have, most importantly . . .

  • #1: Need to protect wildlife and natural resources
  • #2: Need to sustain life and a diversity of species
  • #3: Need to protect land for health
  • #4: Need to act as stewards of our planet
  • #5: Need to protect land for future generations

I care about land conservation because of certain core values I have, most importantly . . .

“. . .preserving open spaces for the recreational/aesthetic enjoyment of current and future generations.”  Female, 35-54

“. . . sustainable communities and recreation. Keeping species diverse and abundant even with human development.”  Male, 25-34

“. . .the value of public land for wildlife habitat.”  Male, 25-34

“. . .that the land is not ours to use up and destroy but to gain from and protect.” Male, 65-74

When asked specifically what a land trust or land conservancy does, I say . . .

“. . .it preserves what we consider precious to keep our land and animals healthy and for future generations.” Female, 85+

“. . .it helps preserve what we’re losing before it is too late.”  Male, 75-84 

Sentence Completion: My advice on how to increase the number of people in my state who support land conservation with money and/or time is to. . .

“. . .get them outside and in direct contact with these places!” Male, 25-34

“. . .directly ask for it, in person.  Reach out, have events and promote what we love.  But also just go to the people’ regular activities, walks, outings, etc.  And ask to actively support/protect what they already use/enjoy.” Female, 45-54

My advice on how to increase the number of people in my state who support land conservation with money and/or time is to. . .

  • #1: Provide education on how/why we should protect land
  • #2: Invite people out to the land
  • #3: Connect preservation with people’s personal interests
  • #4: Make it personal!
  • #5: Involve people from a young age
  • #6: Promote successes more

Some of the keywords that we heard over and over again in the responses are ‘long-term’, ‘steward’, and ‘future generations’. As I read through these survey results, I couldn’t help but feel an immense sense of pride and joy for the people who are within Greenbelt’s orbit. You get it. You understand that, as a land trust we are here forever, and you are committed to being a part of ‘forever’ with us.

There are pages of survey data for us to absorb and analyze, and every single response will help Greenbelt Land Trust to be a better organization. Thank you for helping us to see Greenbelt through your own lens!

 

Blog Post: Jessica McDonald, Associate Director

Where the Wild Things BElong

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I’m bored…

How many parents have heard this since the release of the wild ones? It begins in fun with “Let the wild rumpus start…” Then school lets out, children flood cul-de-sacs on their bikes, and swings never sit still in our city parks. Yet just as a wolf suit becomes wary for Max in Where the Wild Things Are, the summer heat begins to take a toll on the wild ones who have come to know the comforts of air conditioning and TV.

So children rush to the rivers that Greenbelt Land Trust works to protect and dive into neighborhood and local pools. Within the valley there are many wonderful summer camps that willingly take in these wild things, keeping them from boredom. As a mom of two wild things myself, we are exploring the opportunities available for my own rumpus makers in the upcoming weeks. There is always another cure for this so-called boredom and it is freely available and close by.

We are fortunate in the valley to live near so many beautiful and protected spaces. Natural areas such as Bald Hill, Fitton Green, and Mulkey Ridge Forest are the spots where the wild things belong. This is where they can truly be…BElong. No “ON” buttons, glowing screens, or activity whistles. Maybe the sound of a trickling stream setting a better pace for all of us.

So how does the parent who is working 9-5 fit this in? Or the parent staying at home attempting to keep their sanity? Start at the beginning. Hit a trail at a time that fits your schedule, attend an event, let the “walls became the world all around” for your children. Just as Max sailed in and out of weeks and years, your wild things will find their way…even if it starts with them pretending to be a wolf or a king.

Connection to place is such a valuable gift to give yourself and your children. So if your wild things are ready to come home, you know where to go. Keep an eye out for the Willamette Daisy at Bald Hill, or listen out for a hawk flying over Fitton Green. “There are so many beautiful things in the world”, and the stewardship of these places begins with belonging.

-Post and photos by Greenbelt Volunteer Naturalist, Kelly Hoke