Gratitude

Recently, a fourth-grade girl from Jewell Elementary School sent a card to the Watershed Council thanking us for taking her class to visit Tumalo Creek.  In her note she wrote, "I learned so much about rivers and how to keep them healthy.  You taught me that nature is beautiful no matter how you look at it.  Everyone should be thankful for it."  Her classmate also wrote saying that she is going to "tell her mom and dad and friends to go there someday."   The sentiment of gratitude was abundant in the stacks of handmade cards we received, and in return we would like to thank all of the students and teachers that we work with for their desire to learn about their local watershed and be involved in helping to keep in healthy.  Watching you make personal connections with the place we live gives us hope that the future health of our watershed will be in good and capable hands.  ~Kelly Beck 12/18/12

What Will the Future Bring?

What is a watershed and why does it matter?  That is the question I posed to the 5th graders from Lava Ridge Elementary last week when we met out at Skyliner Lodge.   As we began our day, we used our senses to take in the place and share what we observed.  Students saw and smelled the pines, felt the sun and chilly wind, saw birds and ground squirrels, and heard the rushing creek below.

 But the creek and the birds were not the only sounds we heard in the woods that day.  From the other side of the stream, we couldn't help but hear the rumblings and roarings of heavy machinery beginning a construction project which would lay new pipes to carry water for the city of Bend.  While it didn't make for the most serene nature experience, it was a relevant, real-life example of some of the important issues surrounding our natural areas.

After our observations, we hiked from the lodge down to our study site under the bridge on Tumalo Creek where we would explore the area as scientists and artists to help us determine the health of our stream.  With our scientist hats on, we got in the water and collected macroinvertebrates.  As we identified them, students learned that these creatures are excellent "bioindicators", since some are intolerant or sensitive to polluted water.  Based on the fact that we found many stoneflies and mayflies (both intolerant species), we were able to infer that our stream is relatively healthy! 

As artists, we spent time drawing stream sketches and using water from the creek to paint them with watercolors.  While carefully observing the area for our artwork, students observed healthy vegetation stabilizing the banks, woody debris in the stream helping to slow the water down, and areas of cover and shade for fish.  Our stream looks healthy and the artwork was beautiful!

 In addition to our pre-planned activities, students were also able to take some time to explore a bit on their own. On the first morning, a student found ice along the edge of stream---it was chilly!  Another boy found a dead snake in a shallow pool of water.  Others poured their energy into trying to be the one to build the highest structure of balanced rocks.  I think 10 rocks was the winner!  After spending the morning along and in the creek, the group left with new knowledge about an area that they hadn't explored before and many said they hope to come back to share this place with their families.

 As I waved goodbye to the kids along the stream with the construction vehicles towering behind them, the significance of that image was not lost on me.  While the future of the piping project still remains undecided and in debate, the importance of the health of Tumalo Creek and the surrounding area is not in question.  So, why should it matter to fifth graders?  Because this is part of their home.  Someday soon, THEY will be among the ones making the important decisions about this area, and their knowledge of and connections to this place will help to guide them.

~Kelly Beck 10/11/2012

Riparian Art Gallery

Itchin' To Be By The River

It was a gorgeous day yesterday up at Ryan Ranch along the banks of the Deschutes River.  The sun was shining, the sky was smoke-free, and the air was still.  A perfect day for a field study with the 4th graders from Amity Creek.  Oh, and did I mention there were a few mosquitoes?  Actually quite a few, and they made a meal out of us!  But that didn't stop us from having a lot of fun and enjoying being on the river.  In fact, it may have made it all the more memorable as the kids were "buzzing" around the halls of Amity this morning comparing the size and numbers of bites that they acquired!
Despite the unexpected visitors, the students managed to complete a successful transect study of the riparian area.  In small groups, they began by measuring out 100 foot-long sections stretching from the water's edge and moving inland.  They then walked the transect and stopped every 20 feet to record what they found in a 15 foot-wide area.  Students were able to identify various plants and native species, such as willow and alder. One group spotted a pile of feathers that indicated a possible bird-kill.  Another group narrowly missed stepping on a garter snake!  Signs of wildlife abounded as dragonflies darted past our ears, crayfish were spotted in the water, and elk poop was found among the conifers!  The riparian area appeared healthy and vibrant.
After sharing our transect data, we sat down to put on our artist hats and sketch the scenery. Our goal was to "tell the story" of this riparian area at this time through art.   Everybody found a nice spot to carefully observe the surroundings while choosing a favorite portion to include in their drawings.  Watercolors were added and we filled up our cups with water from the river to help the colors flow across the page.  The results were beautiful, but the quiet and reflective moment while thirty children were busy painting along the rivers edge was priceless. 
Thank you Amity Creek for sharing your day on the river with us. 

~Kelly Beck

Thanks to everyone who made Stream Stewardship Day a huge success!

Click here to check out some more awesome photos from Stream Stewardship Day!

Stream Stewardship Day on June 8th

Thank you to all of you who made Stream Stewardship Day an amazing success!! A big round of applause to our event sponsors: REI, the Old Mill District, the City of Bend, Bend Park and Recreation District, the Clabough Foundation, and Lay It Out Events. 400 elementary students from Highland School rocked the day and helped us restore and enhance the Deschutes River and its riparian zone in Bend.

An amazing day along Tumalo Creek! Highland Elementary students came out in full force...

We kicked off a ten-week river study project with Highland Elementary School today. A whole school project!! As part of their Deschutes Riverkeepers storyline, Highland students are exploring the Deschutes River and Tumalo Creek with the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council. Thanks to funding from the Clabough Foundation and REI, we will be coordinating 15 more field days to help all of the students learn about, connect to, and help care for our home streams.

For our first day in the field, we decided to go big today-- really big. Over 300 students helped us restore hundreds of ponderosa pine trees to the Tumalo Creek watershed. To guide the students to understand the value of the trees in relation to the health of the creek, we led them on an adventurous scavenger hunt to explore and discover all of the wonders along the streambanks. Check out today's photos and video and stay tuned for more to come...

Conservation education out on our rivers and in the field!

It is that time of year again, we are busy working with multiple schools and partners this spring. Stay tuned to hear more about:  

• A hands-on project with Miller Elementary School to explore and learn about Ryan Ranch. Wait until you see the beautiful flora and fauna flags the kids are going to create!
• The Whychus Creek field guide that Sisters Middle School students are working on. With botanical sketches, creative writing, and ecological information about Whychus Creek, everyone is going to want this field guide in their back pocket.
• Our newest education project-- The Deschutes Riverkeepers Project is an exciting opportunity for an entire school to become activated Riverkeepers who will adopt and steward the Deschutes River!!

As an ongoing project in partnership with Deschutes National Forest and Discover Your Northwest, hundreds of students have been participating in hands-on conservation education projects at Ryan Ranch on the Deschutes River. The entire fifth grade at Miller Elementary will be working on three different projects to look at Ryan Ranch through different lenses. They will be artist, writers, historians, and scientists for the next four months as they try to capture Ryan Ranch through painting, creative writing, research, and data collection while out in the field. Ultimately, the students will create an educational video about Ryan Ranch, a mural of the past, present, and future of Ryan Ranch, and flora and fauna flags to share with the community. Students will present their final projects at our annual watershed event at Mt. Bachelor Village on May 15th, Students Speak: A Watershed Summit.

Sisters MIddle School students are halfway through their year-long Whychus Creek study project. Thanks to support from the Roundhouse Foundation and a really cool partnership with Arts Central, 120 middle school students are applying their new environmental knowledge to create a field guide all about Whychus Creek.
 
In April, we will be starting the three-month Deschutes Riverkeepers project with 400 elementary students. The Deschutes Riverkeepers is an interdisciplinary, place-based watershed education program for these elementary students to explore and connect with their home watersheds. They will participate in activities such as hiking along the river, creative writing, streamside art, hands-on science, and stewardship projects. The Deschutes Riverkeepers is a holistic program that combines regional curricula with outdoor exploration in an effective way to guide students to become engaged in informed and active conservation. With so many great kids out in the field, we need volunteers! Please email kyake@restorethedeschutes to sign up!
 

It should be a fun filled spring with many days spent along the beautiful Deschutes River!

All of our projects are made possible with community support and donations. To contribute to conservation education in Central Oregon, click here to make your donation today.