Stewardship volunteers joined NCLC Stewardship Director Celeste Coulter at NCLC’s Circle Creek Habitat Reserve to help plant trees as part of a flood plain habitat restoration project.   The Tongue Point Job Corps crew showed up in the afternoon to help, and altogether about 1,500  trees were planted that day- a future temperate rainforest in the making.

Our next Saturday Morning Stewardship day is coming up at the end of February- join us on February 25th for willow planting at Thompson Creek, continuing to build great habitat for the amazing population of beavers that are engineering a healthier ecosystem there.

More information about the day can be found here, or by calling NCLC at (503) 738-9126.  See you outside!

Circle Creek Stewardship Day is a post from: North Coast Land Conservancy

However, their motivation is not to be awarded a gold medal, but something far more traditional.

It’s all about impressing the ladies!

Mill Ponds Synchronized Swim Team is a post from: North Coast Land Conservancy

Botanists Nancy Eid and Kathleen Sayce explore the Swalalahos Floristic Province

If the winter weather is getting you down this week, why don’t you join NCLC for one (or both!) of the great programs we are helping to present this Wednesday and Thursday ?  South County, North County- you don’t have to travel far to connect with nature this week.

At this month’s Listening to the Land program on Wednesday, January 18 at 6 p.m. at the Seaside Public Library, follow ecologist Mike Patterson on a journey through the Swalalahos Floristic Province- a dynamic ecosystem right here on the North Coast that has evolved in isolation over thousands of years. Many rare and unusual plants and animals call this region home, and Mike has photographs and stories about most of them.  Come find out why the North Coast is even more special than you already thought!

Exploring the Swalalahos Floristic Province

From the  peaks of the coast range, we head down into the ocean for Nature Matters: Reef Refuges.

Colleen Flanigan's biorock sculpture

Nature Matters is the new series we are producing with the North Coast Watershed Association and Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.  On Thursday, January 19th at 7 p.m. at the Fort George Brewery + Public House in Astoria,  environmental performance artist and TED fellow Colleen Flanigan (appearing in the persona of Amphtrite, Goddess of the Sea!) will take us on an underwater adventure as she describes how she combines art and science to restore endangered coral reefs.  She’ll bring the conversation home to the north coast by looking at how similar creative restoration could benefit our local mussel populations.

Doors open at 6 p.m. in the Fort George’s Lovell Building next to their tap room for those wishing to purchase seasonal beers on tap and other beverages.

Amphitrite, Goddess of the Sea (aka artist Colleen Flanigan)

Stop by our table at either event to say hello, and find out more about some of our other upcoming programs- 2012 is going to be a fun and fascinating year at NCLC!

From the Mountains to the Ocean! is a post from: North Coast Land Conservancy

At the mouth of Necarney Creek on Short Sands beach

It was an overcast, misty day- perfect for experiencing a rainforest doing what it does best-capturing water and slowly dripping it back down to earth.

The lack of any trail meant a lot of (careful) walking in the creek, which was running pretty good, but not nearly at capacity- this creek must really roar after a good rainfall.

Our fearless Executive Director Katie Voelke demonstrated her skill at navigating rocky coastal creeks, reliving her early career doing fish surveys on the Oregon Coast.

Conservation Director Jon Wickersham tested the limits of his chest waders as he searched for the best way across the creek. (The rest of us did not follow him here!)

Having driven across it many times, it was strange seeing the Necarney Creek Bridge from underneath!

And at last, we found the waterfall!

The waterfall was amazing!  I’m not sure how high it was, but the force of the cascade had worn the rock at the base of the waterfall into a box shaped pool. If you told me that skilled stonecutters had carefully carved the rock into that shape, I might believe you for a moment, it was that precise.

I preferred to stand back and contemplate the waterfall from a relatively secure and somewhat non-slippery rock, unlike the others who scrambled up close to feel the spray and check out the pool at the base of the waterfall.

Stewardship Director Celeste Coulter found a rare (for Oregon) plant growing just next to the waterfall-Filipendula occidentalis, commonly known as Queen of the Forest.  Winter is not the best time to observe this lovely plant, but it was nice to know that such an abundant patch of it is growing happily here.

Queen of the Forest Filipendula occidentalis

Then we were off to find our way to the logging road that would take us back to the highway-a nearly vertical climb up the hillside.  We made our way up carefully, clambering across decaying cedar trees, through thick patches of sword fern, moving slowly up through the trees clinging to the hillside.

We came upon one enormous old cedar tree at the top of the hill, and stood in awe of such a beautiful, majestic tree.  Having seen a surprisingly large number of young cedar trees growing everywhere along the creek during our hike, it was inspiring to see this great great grandmother tree at the end.   I like knowing that someday many of those seedlings will grow to be even bigger than this tree.

Our great great grandchildren are in for quite a treat when they hike up Necarney Creek to find the waterfall, a few hundred years from now.

Up a creek, in a good way is a post from: North Coast Land Conservancy

Sand Creek Wetland in Warrenton

December has been a very busy month for North Coast Land Conservancy!  At the beginning of the month we celebrated the acquisition of our 41st habitat reserve: the Sand Creek 2 project, which expands our current 31-acre habitat reserve in Warrenton by adding on another 40 acres of globally rare Sitka spruce swamp to this protected area.

Big leaf maple tree in the North Fork Necanicum Habitat Reserve

And now, we finish the year with another reason for good cheer!  After almost 4 years and four different landowners, 40 acres of North Coast forest–including a quarter mile of both sides of the North Fork Necanicum River–are protected forever.  This gorgeous Sitka spruce dominated forest already has great structure and biodiversity, including some impressive old-growth big leaf maple trees.  The interface of long undisturbed forest and river has created a key habitat for spawning coho, chinook and steelhead, making this property a rare refuge on the North Fork Necanicum River for salmon.

We celebrate these achievements with all of our volunteers and supporters- it is only because of your support and help that these properties are now conserved forever–Thank You!

We look forward to sharing more great conservation news with you in 2012- Happy New Year!

And then there were 41…no, make that 42! is a post from: North Coast Land Conservancy

NCLC Volunteer Nancy Holmes joins Development Director Teresa Retzlaff at the 2010 Gift Fair

Join NCLC at the 2011 Gifts that Make a Difference Fair on Saturday December 10th at the Liberty Theatre in Astoria!  The event takes place from 11 am- 5 pm in the McTavish Room.

This unique local event offers holiday shoppers a low-impact, high-return way to do their holiday gift giving by bringing together some of the best non-profits on the North Coast. Shoppers can make a donation to the organizations of their choice as gifts, and are given acknowledgement cards to wrap and present to the lucky recipients on their gift lists.

Blue Heron-Snow by Michael Wing/PacificLight Images

NCLC is thrilled with our Holiday Gift acknowledgement card this year, which features this gorgeous image Blue Heron-Snow by local photographer Michael Wing of PacificLight Images.  We liked it so much we also added it to our notecard line which now has four different card images to choose from.

You can buy individual NCLC Notecards or sets of cards at the Gifts that Make a Difference Fair, or you can stop by our office at Circle Creek- call ahead at (503) 738-9126 to make sure someone will be there to help you.

We liked this image of a cedar waxwing on twinberry by Neal Maine so much that we made it into a notecare AND a postcard.

For those of you who like to write shorter notes, we also have a fun packet of Wildlife Postcards–12 different images from PacificLight Images illustrating the tremendous biodiversity of Oregon’s North Coast.

All proceeds from the sale of our notecards and postcards go to help NCLC continue our work conserving and connecting the North Coast landscape for generations to come- thanks for supporting us!

NCLC Board Member Doug Ray joins Teresa Retzlaff at the 2010 Gift Fair

Gifts that Make a Difference 2011 is a post from: North Coast Land Conservancy

Saturday Morning Stewardship days help NCLC achieve some of the crucial work that needs to be done on lands that we hold in conservation.  Be sure to check out our schedule for upcoming Stewardship Days in 2012, there are many opportunities to get out on the land and make a difference on the North Oregon Coast!

Keeping the Beavers Happy is a post from: North Coast Land Conservancy

Austin with NCLC interns Markus Virta and Regina Southworth at Wild Ace Lake

In his time with us, Austin completed 24 site visits to NCLC properties and worked on 24 stewardship plans. He wrote 1 grant, and monitored 4 easements for The Nature Conservancy. He oversaw the placement of 55 pieces of large wood in the Circle Creek pasture, and cleared 5 truckloads of trash out of the barns at our Circle Creek Conservation Center.

Austin spent a total of six weeks supervising regional youth crews who were doing stewardship work on NCLC properties, and he set an NCLC planting record:

350 holes augered and planted in 1 hour!

Austin, NCLC board member Doug Ray and Stewardship Director Celeste Coulter enjoy time out on a site survey at Onion Peak in 2011.

Austin has been a pleasure to work with.  We are sorry to see him go, but wish him well as he pursues other work for the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and eventually graduate work at OSU. (We hope to lure him back for future projects, of course.)

Austin’s enthusiasm for conservation work and his dedication to the North Oregon Coast gives all of us at NCLC hope for the future.  With leaders like Austin emerging to take their place in the world, we know that the North Coast is going to be in good hands for generations to come.

Good luck Austin- and come back soon!

Farewell for Now is a post from: North Coast Land Conservancy

Belted Kingfishers are a fairly common sight along the waterways and estuaries of the North Oregon Coast.  You often see them perching on dead branches above open water as they scan around for their next meal, preferably fresh fish.  They will plunge straight down into the water as deep as 2 feet to catch their prey, spreading their wings underwater to break the force of the dive.

Once their fish is caught, the kingfisher will fly back to its perch and bang it against the branch to kill it and break up the bones. Then they toss it into the air (or otherwise adjust it into position) and eat it head first, which helps them any avoid sharp spiny fins the fish may have for defense.

Usually they opt for fish that can be swallowed easily, but when fortune offers up a heartier meal to the kingfisher, who can blame them for giving it their best shot?

As anyone who has stepped away from a Thanksgiving table loosening their belt buckle and wishing that that last piece of pie hadn’t looked so tempting knows, it is very easy to have eyes that are bigger than your stomach!

Think Before You Eat! is a post from: North Coast Land Conservancy

http://oregonflyfishingblog.com/2011/11/09/oregon-silvers-part-2-leaving-it-to-beaver/

We’re hoping to have lots of TU-ers make their way to the coast, joining local Beaver Believers for a fun day of willow-and-alder planting at this wonderful property.  For more information, follow the link to the event’s Info Page or call NCLC at 503 738-9126.

(I wonder if Alan will give us all a ride on the Beaver Bus?)

Trout Unlimited fires up the Beaver Bus is a post from: North Coast Land Conservancy