Emily, Kevin, Ryan, Tyler, Abby, Elizabeth, William … these are the names of Bill Beck’s grandchildren. They are names that I hear often as Bill relays graduation and swim-camp stories after Greenbelt Finance Committee Meetings, or when he stops by the office to drop off a load of tomatoes from his voluminous garden.
To Bill, a board member of Greenbelt Land Trust from 2004 to 2010, his grandchildren are not only a source of pride, but they are a beacon of hope for the next generation – they hold the opportunity to pass along an appreciation for the natural world around us. Bill’s grandchildren who lived close enough were brought on rainy Saturday mornings to plant camas bulbs at Owens Farm, and took part in summer canoe trips down the Willamette River with Greenbelt staff and other board members.
Bill and Nan with their grandchildren, 2014
So, it was no surprise when Bill stepped into my office last month with a request … could he make a donation to make sure all of his grandchildren were members of Greenbelt Land Trust? And, while we’re at it, Bill suggested that we think about spreading the word to other grandparents … “if other grandparents want to help instill a sense of place and stewardship within the next generation, they might consider making a contribution in honor of their grandchild,” he said.
Reader … you will see why I love my job. I love my job because of people like Bill and his wife Nan Beck – always thinking of ways to help, to raise awareness for our shared responsibility to protect and steward our home here in the Willamette Valley.
Bill, Emily, and Nan at Emily’s graduation from OSU, June 2015
One of the grandchildren that I hear most about is Bill’s granddaughter, Emily Branigan. A recent OSU graduate, Emily’s work in fisheries at a young age is a source of pride and amusement for Bill. Emily was a regular at Greenbelt in her teen years, attending volunteer outings and hikes. Let’s catch up with Emily and see where she is today!
Well, I graduated from Oregon State University last June with a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Science, and I’ve been working on seasonal fisheries jobs for several years.
Actually, when I arrived at OSU I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to pursue. I explored several departments and took a fisheries and wildlife introductory course. After taking an ichthyology class taught by Dr. Sidlauskas, I discovered how uniquely interesting fish are, and was hooked. I knew that this was what I wanted to major in, and I started to take any and every fisheries class I could manage.
I guess I always knew that I would end up in a field related to biology. I remember as a small child, my life goal was to be a marine biologist and save endangered species. I always dreamed of working in oceans, and started volunteering at the Oregon Coast aquarium as a high schooler. When I was a senior at OSU I took all of my classes at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, which was another amazing opportunity.
I’ve worked in Eastern Oregon monitoring the chinook salmon fishery on the Wallowa River, and with ODFW out of Adair Village doing snorkel surveys and educational outreach for kids. One of my most interesting jobs was in eastern Washington, conducting chinook carcass surveys on the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. Our sampling helped to set the catch limits for the next year. I’d have to say – that was the best fish job, but you had to be able to handle the smell of hundreds of fish carcasses all day!
I am just now preparing to move to Enterprise, OR, where I’ve accepted a creel job monitoring the summer steelhead fishery on the Imnaha River.
“Carcass Crew’, 2015
Emily on the ‘Carcass Creww’, White Bluffs
I was one of those kids who had a subscription to National Geographic Kids magazine since I could read. I think it was probably telling that I always wanted to play with stuffed animals over dolls.
Over the years I became exposed to the work of conservation and started to understand how the animals I loved were part of a larger, sensitive system. Once I started volunteering at the aquarium, helping with outreach and education, and volunteering for organizations like Surfrider, and Salmon Watch I really started to understand and appreciate the need for conservation.
Also, as a child I was exposed to nature, growing up in the Willamette Valley. My grandparents would often take us hiking or boating, and I especially remember a camping trip we took to Wallowa Lake. My grandpa has always really encouraged my interests, and brought me on volunteer days with Greenbelt.
While conservation has always been important to me personally, I think more people need to be thinking at the community level. We don’t have to only be concerned with thinking on a grand-scale about how we can help nature. Instead, we can help out in our own communities. My grandfather has helped me to think that way since I was a young child, and it’s an ethic that I look forward to passing along to the next generation.
