August LCNN partner connection - meeting and paddle
In August we continued to take advantage of the amazing weather and bounty of great outdoor recreation spaces we have in southwest Washington and held our meeting outside at Felida Park. Many partners had never been there and said they appreciated having meetings in different areas to explore the array of outdoor spaces we have in our local area. After the meeting, some hopped in a Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership canoe and we paddled around Vancouver Lake as we learned more about the waterway, clean water issues, bird habitat and each other. We were dazzled by the show the birds put on for us as we explored Vancouver Lake.
Meeting updates
Jane shared some updates on LCNN progress and an upcoming Green Schoolyards Steering Committee. The Lower Columbia Nature Network strives to reduce barriers for SW Washington youth to access nature. One of the ways we are approaching this work is through our partnership with the Children and Nature Network and National League of Cities - Cities Connecting Children to Nature project. Over the last several months we’ve been working with them on activating our community to create more opportunities for kids to get outside, specifically in their school environment. Our colleagues from the National League of Cities and Children and Nature Network will be in town September 27-28 to help facilitate some robust discussions. Our hope is that we can work to bridge the gap so all students can experience the physical and emotional benefits of nature.
Other partners shared the great work from their organizations:
Eric Lambert from Clark County Public Works shared about their new resource Follow the Water…Connect the Drops. He’d love support in sharing out that resource. They are also elevating the Students for Clean Water video contest. 2022 winners can be viewed on the Stormwater Partners website.
Valerie Pufahl from Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership shared how their canoe program works to get underserved communities on the water. Over the last ten years they have put over 30,000 people on the water in their canoe experiences. In addition to the paddle experiences, they also provide classrooms with 1-3 lessons and other field experiences.
Shane Carter from the Watershed Alliance shared they have three beach clean ups coming up and are excited to start work with Lacamas Lake with a clean up there October 1. He also shared they have an Volunteer Coordinator opening.
Erin Figy, Illahee Elementary garden coordinator shared how so many of the components of their outdoor learning space called their Garden Classroom have been spurred on by connections they’ve made through the Lower Columbia Nature Network. Backyard Habitat Certification, campus update plan, outdoor classroom, trees planted on campus, curriculum and lesson ideas from a fellow school garden coordinator. Read all about this and more in this month’s blog feature, Illahee Elementary Garden Classroom - a community effort.
Hailey from the City of Vancouver’s volunteer program shared they have an environmental focus of their volunteer events; “rewilding” small chunks of land, trail counts, community gardens etc.
Kris Potter, school garden coordinator at River Homelink is working with an Eagle Scout to create a willow hut. This willow hut will accommodate an entire classroom.
Sami Springs from Clark County Green Schools shared they are working on food waste reduction campaigns to align with the state’s directive of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030.
Jared Strawderman from Gorge Refuge Stewards shared the temporary Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge closure to finish up some projects.
Mesha Wood from US Fish & Wildlife Service shared they are working on inclusive lessons for schools, their headquarters in Ridgefield will be opening for staff offices. Public spaces will open in the future. They want people to come out for Birdfest & Bluegrass 2022, October 1st.
When we’ve held our in-person and outdoor meetings they’ve often started with the feeling of a reunion after many months of not seeing each other in person. Some had never met in person but have just engaged in our Zoom format. Some came from distances just to finally meet in person. We appreciate all who came to share and listen.
