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Dear Friend of TEP,
The TEP community is deeply saddened this week by the passing of our longtime friend and supporter, Jim Mundell, after a lengthy battle with cancer. Jim was born and raised on the shores of Netarts Bay, where he returned to make his home after sailing the oceans as a merchant marine. An environmentalist to the core, the passion that Jim felt for Tillamook's watersheds, estuaries, beaches, and sea was surpassed only by his extraordinary enthusiasm to foster their protection. Not surprisingly Jim's name was the first called out - and the organization's unanimous choice - for TEP's inaugural "Steward of the Year" award, an honor that will now bear his name.
Jim's philanthropy continues to support a list of organizations far too long to recount here, but a comment he made to me shortly before his passing illustrates Jim's joyful and uplifting spirit far better than a mere list of his charitable giving. "Charity is about community, Mark, about supporting people who come together around a shared purpose and a shared vision to protect this beautiful place and its creatures, for all of the people who haven't had a chance to experience it yet." So I know Jim, the humble philanthropist, would never want me to miss an opportunity to thank all of you for your support and your dedication to the cause of conservation, because
"You can never, ever underestimate what one person or one small group of people can accomplish if you truly believe in what you're doing."
On behalf of the entire TEP community, whom you so deeply touched... thank you, Salty Dog. You will never be forgotten.
With Best Regards,
Mark Trenholm
Executive Director
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Education & Outreach Highlight: Salmonpeople  Experience Salmonpeople - Peter Donaldson's one-man theatrical performance about the interdependence of salmon and people in the Pacific Northwest. Peter's character, Cyrus Jackson, works at the local dam and finds himself ferrying salmon upriver where there are no fish ladders to help them reach their spawning grounds. With inquisitive charm and masterful freehand cartography, Cyrus unfolds a delightfully disturbing history of the Pacific Northwest, and through one man's theories, we come to know our "watershed address" in a way we had never imagined.
This TEP-supported event is sponsored by Netarts Bay's Watershed, Estuary, Beach and Sea (WEBS), an organization founded and inspired by Jim Mundell. The Bay City Arts Center will host this showcase performance, opening their doors to the community on October 14th, 2006. Please read more to find out how to RSVP for Salmonpeople (and if you like, for the Arts Center's fabulous Greek Dinner before the show!). |
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Habitat Enhancement Highlight: Backyard Planting Program  Blackberries got you down? Us too, but there's a way to solve the thorny problem. Since 2003, TEP's Backyard Planting Program (BYPP) has replaced Himalayan blackberry and other non-native vegetation with almost 18,000 native trees and shrubs along nearly 17 miles of local streams. Private landowners take part in the program because streambank restoration not only enhances property values and aesthetics, it also improves water quality and salmonid habitat. All BYPP work, including landscape planning & design, invasive species removal, planting, and maintenance is provided at no cost to the landowner! In just three years, nearly 70 landowners have participated in the program.
The photos to the left show a streambank choked with invasive vegetation (top), and the same stream shortly after BYPP eradicated the invasives and planted new trees. Cages around the young trees protect them from grazing by elk and deer. BYPP will revisit this property twice a year to keep the invasive species in check, allowing time for the trees to grow. In a few years the trees will have grown tall enough to begin shading the stream, stabilizing eroding streambanks, and enhancing the value of this property. Interested in participating? Please read more about TEP's Backyard Planting Program.
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Research & Monitoring Highlight: DNA Marker Study  Since the inception of the Tillamook Bay National Estuary Project in 1994, we have worked closely with public and private partners to reduce bacteria loading to the Bay, while identifying sources of contamination at specific locations. We are pleased to announce that Oregon State University has furthered these efforts with the completion of its "Genetic Marker Study". Receiving extensive field and lab support from TEP, this study has isolated the genetic markers found in E. coli bacteria, allowing OSU researchers to identify the sources of bacteria found in a given water sample.
Prior TEP research has demonstrated that there are numerous bacteria conduits to Tillamook Bay rivers, including municipal treatment plants, dairies and hobby farms, failing septic systems, and wildlife. The new technology can identify whether bacteria comes from humans, ruminants (hoofed animals), domestic pets, and other animals. Although this study does not discern the amount of bacteria contributed by a single source relative to the whole, the technology can quantify the frequency of positive "hits" across multiple sites. This will allow managers to better identify which of the aforementioned sources is the major contributor of bacteria at a specific location. TEP can use this information to work (on a voluntary, non-regulatory basis) with those public and private landowners that are most likely the largest contributors of bacteria to surface waterways.
To review the Basin-Wide Analysis of the Dynamics of Fecal Contamination and Fecal Source Identification in Tillamook Bay, Oregon, and learn more about the project, you can download the report from our website. |
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Local Grant Program Highlight: Teacher Training in Natural Resources Education  The crisp fall air has begun to give way to the faithful Oregon rain, which means that Tillamook County's three school districts are once again open for business. TEP has completed another collaborative summer with the Districts and was pleased to have an opportunity support a retreat for Tillamook School District #9 staff. In its application to TEP's Local Grant Program, the District highlighted that it is becoming increasingly difficult for educators to find time to build curriculum. With a $2,500 grant from TEP, the summer retreat convened educators to develop a collaborative science curriculum that provides students with hands-on experience in natural resources education. Attendees pooled their connections to establish a network of natural resource community contacts, developed "learning teams", and received hands-on training with Global Positioning System (photo) and other technologies. This fall teachers will carry these skills back with them into the classroom to strengthen students' technical and scientific skills.
Learn more about TEP's Local Grant program. |
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IN THIS ISSUE: PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS |
Education & Outreach Program:
Salmonpeople
Habitat Enhancement Program:
Backyard Planting Program
Research & Monitoring Program:
DNA Marker Study
Local Grant Program:
Teacher Training in Natural Resources Education
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
Salmonpeople is coming!
Mark the date: Saturday, October 14th, 2006.
Hosted by the Bay City Arts Center, 5680 A Street in Bay City.
Read about it!
TEP's Annual Volunteer Appreciation Open House!
Don't miss it! -Thursday, December 14th, 2006.
11 AM - 2 PM at the TEP office. Hoquarton Interpretive Trail Volunteer Workdays:
Held the 3rd Saturday of each month. Email Laurie Lamb or call the TEP office at (503) 322-2222 to get involved & have some fun on the Hoquarton Slough... come see the progress we've made on the Trail.
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DONATE TO TEP |
TEP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and restoration of the five Tillamook County estuaries and their associated watersheds.
Your charitable donation to TEP is tax-deductible and helps preserve the health and beauty of our region. Follow this link to our contribution page, and thank you for your support!
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ISSUE 4: FALL 2006 |
Let us know what you think! If you have feedback or suggestions after reading our newsletter please send us an email.
Visit our website at www.tbnep.org to learn more about TEP.
Tillamook Estuaries Partnership
613 Commercial Street
P.O. Box 493
Garibaldi, OR 97118
(503) 322-2222 phone
(503) 322-2261 fax
info@tbnep.org |
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