Conservation Northwest

Gaining ground Double Blessings Power to the people Harnessing the power of people is my job at Conservation Northwest. At a recent Conservation Northwest wolf film event held at University of Washington I was reminded how uniquely situated we Northwesterners make powerful and positive changes for wildlife and habitat. Chris Morgan, of BearTrek and PBS fame and a member of that evening's discussion panel, pointed out our double blessings. Not only do people in Washington value wild places, but we have enough of an intact landscape left to restore functioning ecosystems. This presents a rare opportunity to make our region's natural bounty wilder, healthier, and even more special. How we do that fundamentally comes down to you, the people of the Northwest. The engagement and energy of our members, volunteers, and supporters is what propels our small organization of 16 staff forward. 2012 was a year of people power. Here's some of what you did for wildlife and wild places. You stepped up to keep the Northwest wild by testifying Kit McGurn Outreach associate, kit@conservationnw.org for wolf recovery and speaking up for recreation, clean water, and forests at Lake Whatcom reconveyance meetings. While visiting remote cameras and recording snowy tracks, you lent your eyes and ears to documenting rare and sensitive carnivores in the Cascades and beyond. You dug, pulled, and planted, restoring native habitat near the Gold Creek underpass in the busy I-90 wildlife corridor. Hundreds of you attended Conservation Northwest sponsored events, to learn more about a wild Northwest. Thousands of you played a critical role online, as part of our Facebook community and more, urging decision makers to protect wildlife and wild places. It's people power that renews my commitment to this work, and of course people power is renewable. Want to renew your commitment to Conservation Northwest? Contact me to find out how you can get involved. See you in the woods and in the meeting rooms! Julia Spencer Membership associate, julia@conservationnw.org For community Clear support Marbled murrelet. Roger Contor Working closely as I do with our members and supporters at Conservation Northwest, I probably know your name. And if I don't, I would certainly like to! Yes, that's my voice on the Bellingham phone—and when you call, I'm the one you talk to first. I love interacting with members, and it is often the highlight of my day. Your dedication to our work connecting and protecting the Coast to the Rockies allows us to share our successes, including wolves returning to Washington, more resilient and sustainable national forests, and an overall wilder Northwest that includes fishers, wolverines, and grizzly bears. 10 In September I invited membership intern Genevieve Shank and another young volunteer, Natalie Anderson, to help at a Whatcom County Council public hearing. We arrived early to hand out information and lapel stickers to identify advocates for the Lake Whatcom Forest Preserve. I knew it would be packed, and I wanted to be sure that it was clear how many were there in support of protecting 8,700 acres within our drinking watershed as a low-impact park—a tremendous opportunity. That evening, 200 supporters filled the chambers! They even spilled out onto chairs in the rotunda and many stayed to the end of this long, heartfelt evening. Though it was disappointing that the council in a midnight decision postponed its final vote until 2013, I still felt a huge sense of accomplishment and solidarity with those who turned out on a Tuesday night. We brought our voices together when needed most—and it mattered. You matter! I celebrate each of our successes with you, our supporters, in mind. I celebrate them with a thankful heart for being part of a community who believe the health of the land, wildlife, and people are inextricably linked and worth treating sacredly. Winter 2013www.conservationnw.org

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