It’s time to get out to the Elwha River and help Olympic National Park as Park Service staff begin the massive undertaking of revegetating the now empty reservoirs behind the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams with nearly 400,000 native plants. With only 6 full time staff members, NPS is going to need all the help they can get–cleaning, packing, transporting, and planting native plant starts! So if you are ready to get covered in mud and be instrumental in the recovery of the Elwha River ecosystem, join Olympic National Park this fall and winter and be part of this incredible project.
Event Details
WHAT: This is more than just planting–NPS needs volunteers for a variety of associated tasks. At the nursery, plants need to be cleaned and packed for their journey home. Once they arrive at Lake Mills or Lake Aldwell, they need to be transported (by foot) to planting areas throughout the 600 acres of dewatered reservoirs, and then planted!
WHEN: The park is looking for help beginning Monday, November 5, and planting season will continue through mid-March, 2013, with a break during the month of December. Weekdays are preferred, but a limited number of weekend work parties are available.
WHERE: Former Sites of Lake Aldwell and Lake Mills on the Elwha River, Olympic National Park
WHO: NPCA Volunteers Led by Jill Zarzeczny of the Elwha Revegetation Project, National Park Service
RSVP: If you would like to participate in this historic restoration project, please contact Jill Zarzeczny at Jill_Zarzeczny@nps.gov or 360.565.3047. Let her know what day or dates would work for you, and with what tasks you are interested in helping.
An annual tradition, the Greenway Trust is hosting a series of native tree and shrub plantings starting with the October 13th Kick-Off. Sponsored in part by REI, Carter Subaru & Carter Volkswagen, and KMTT- The Mountain the celebration will feature food (including free pizza from Papa John’s), music and vendors for the whole family to enjoy, plus plenty of trees to plant.
Planting events are excellent for individuals, families, groups, and work teams. No experience is required. The Kick-Off will be at Sammamish Cove in Issaquah. Sammamish Cove is a former dairy farm adjacent to Lake Sammamish State Park. It borders Tibbetts Creek, a salmon-bearing stream, to the Northeast. Boasting sweeping views of the Issaquah Alps, the area has been extremely degraded over time by invasive weeds. During the Kick-Off, we will be planting 2,012 native trees and shrubs along the banks of Tibbetts Creek to increase vital tree cover and improve salmon and wildlife habitat.
Join the Burke Museum at the Neptune Theatre for an evening of fast-paced talks on the enduring relationship between the human imagination and the natural world. Inspired by the International Conservation Photography Awards exhibit, Short Takes features a stellar lineup of artists, scientists, students, and scholars. Speakers include internationally-renowned photographer Art Wolfe, curators from the Burke and the Seattle Art Museum, and explorers of the seas and the stars. Ten short talks, each illustrated with 20 slides, will take us on a journey from humanities’ first artistic impulses to our latest glimpse into the far reaches of space.
>>CLICK HERE for Short Takes topics and more information.
• Art Wolfe, internationally renowned photographer, host of “Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe”, and founder of the International Conservation Photography Awards
• Katie Bunn-Marcuse, Assistant Director of the Bill Holm Center, and a Curatorial Associate of Native American Art at the Burke Museum
• Allison Fundis, Education and Public Engagement Liaison, Ocean Observatories Initiative/Regional Scale Nodes, University of Washington
• Shaun Peterson, a pivotal figure in the revival of Coast Salish arts
• Ellen Dissanayake interdisciplinary scholar and writer, Affiliate Professor in the University of Washington, School of Music
• Wendy Call, 2012 Writer in Residence for the North Cascades and Joshua Tree National Parks
• Dan Ritzman, Northwest and Alaska Regional Director of the Sierra Club
• Brad Rutherford, Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Trust
• Phil Rosenfield, Graduate Student, Astronomy, University of Washington
• Patricia Junker, the Ann M. Barwick Curator of American Art at the Seattle Art Museum
The weather in the French Alps was so bad that we decided to head south to France’s Rhone Delta. There we photographed the spirited Camargue horses, and along the French Riviera. Now heading off to Italy’s Dolomites, where I am hoping for good conditions!
Patagonia offers a great opportunity to get close to wildlife. It really delivers the goods in that respect: foxes that walk right up to you, guanacos that are chilled out, and over 300 species of birds native to the region. And they are all surrounded by the really dramatic landscapes that are indicative to Patagonia. Big skies, big mountains, and wonderful wildlife. What more could you ask for?
This is one of the most beautiful and enchanted places on the Earth! I look forward to returning to Patagonia.
There is nothing like experiencing a place for the first time. I have traveled all over Western Europe, but the closest I have been to the southeastern nations is Greece and Turkey. Now I am traveling to the native land of my good friend and long time assistant, Gavriel Jecan.
Other than as the home to vampires, gymnasts and despots, Romania remains unknown to most. We will travel to Gavriel’s ancient hometown of Brasov, nestled in the Carpathian Alps. Brown bears come down from the mountains and roam the outskirts of the city. We will be traveling just as the untouched forests in the Carpathians are turning golden, which will lend a great backdrop to the very traditional 12th century villages we will be passing through.
We will visit several orthodox monasteries, famous for their medieval murals, and we will engage the diverse peoples—Roma, ethnic Hungarian and German, as well as Romanian—all along the way. With Gavriel as our guide it will be like visiting a good friend, not like traveling with a standard tour guide.
Those who follow me know that I have traveled much of this world. One of the places that I have enjoyed going to most is Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. It has essentially been isolated from the rest of the world for the last 50 years. Despite this I have always been greeted by warm and friendly people.
Myanmar offers unlimited photographic opportunities and it is one of the easiest places to photograph people. The traditional cultures have remained fairly intact throughout the country. Working with guides and assistants with whom I’ve worked before, we will be visit monasteries where we will work with monks. To witness and photograph a Buddhist monk prayer session is an amazing and memorable opportunity.
Myanmar is going to change in a very short time. We’ve seen it start to embrace the outside world. Therefore, I want to lead a small group of people to Myanmar one last time to share the traditional locations I’ve grown to love. It will most likely be my last trip there. I hope you can join us next February, when leaving cold North America and Europe will be a nice break!
Celebrate and give back to your parks with the National Parks Conservation Association and the National Park Service for National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 29. National Public Lands Day provides us the chance to give back to special places in our own backyard like Mount Rainier National Park. Join hundreds of other park supporters and help repair park trails, clean up campgrounds and picnic areas, and plant native vegetation.
National Public Lands Day is a great opportunity to help Mount Rainier and spend the rest of the day recreating or relaxing in the park. With free admission, feel free to bring a friend or make it a family outing, and enjoy the experience together.
RSVP: Please RSVP to Sean Smith so we can plan projects accordingly.
OTHER INFO: There will be free admission at the park that day. Parking will be available at the White River Campground. Please bring warm clothes and be prepared for weather changes as this work day will take place rain or shine! Sturdy work shoes are also needed, as well as gloves, lunch, and water. Sunscreen and a hat are also recommended. Please note that pets are not permitted on park trails.
Please join us!
Sincerely, Sean Smith
Policy Director
Northwest Region
One of the things I enjoy most, besides taking photographs, is taking people along with me to some of my favorite locations. Sharing the experiences I love with others is very fulfilling. I’ve been taking small groups of people to some of the locations where favorite episodes of Travels to the Edge took place. As seen in one of those episodes, Japan in winter is simply magical. Much of the wildlife has been habituated to people, and therefore translates into amazing photographic experiences.
First we’ll visit the snow macaques that live in the mountains about two hours west of Tokyo. Here in an isolated steep cut valley with an amazing mountain lodge are three extended families of macaques, numbering around 50. Because they are the most northern primate on earth, they have the longest, luxuriant fur of any primates, particularly in the winter months. They come down from the pine and oak forests and for a couple of hours a day they hang around a natural hot spring. They have been habituated to people visiting them there, so you can photograph from within inches without interrupting their behavior, which is very animated and fun. It is a photographic bonanza.
After visiting the macaques, we will travel to the northern island of Hokkaido. Hokkaido reminds me a bit of Alaska, full of forests of birch, pine and fir with a back drop of beautiful volcanic mountains. There are also large lakes and wild running rivers, and hosts three species of bird wildlife that are extraordinary to photograph. The Japanese Crane has been symbolized in Japanese culture for thousands of years due to its grace and beauty. Giant whooper swans come in the winter months from nesting in Siberia. They have been fed by locals for years, helping them sustain thru the winter, as well as creating an easy and wonderful photographic opportunity for us! And often Steller’s sea eagles will swoop around the same area. They are massive black and white raptors that winter over on the icy shores of Hokkaido.
The days are short in February on Hokkaido, but the beautiful hues of sunrise and sunset are protracted allowing us hours to capture quite stunning images. After sunset we will have time for a hot bath at the lodge before eating a traditional Japanese meal. After dinner we will have time for lectures and critiques before calling it a day. With the abridged daylight, it really allows for a nice schedule to fit everything in and still have enough hours for a good night’s sleep! Since we travel in and out of Tokyo, you will get to experience the surreal and wonderful contrast that Japan has to offer, not only the very modern and bustling city, but the natural and beautiful countryside.
I invite you to explore this unique and rich habitat with us.
Have a look at this beautiful show online: >>ICPA GALLERY
This is a reminder to be sure and get over to the Burke Museum and see the ICPA (International Conservation Photography Awards) show. They have had great turnout for the show this year. It is both beautiful in its presentation and valuable in its conservation message. Take the whole family. Kids totally get this. Photographers are also interacting with the Conservation Candids. This is an interactive Flickr gallery that anyone can contribute a like-minded image to. The Burke Museum even has prizes if you enter a photo.
