Mitch Friedman Executive director,
mitch@conservationnw.org
View from the Director
Going into beast mode for the wild
The Seahawks are worth cheering about this year, powered by one of
the NFL's most exciting running backs. Marshawn Lynch is an inspiration who
reminds me of Conservation Northwest.
Lynch's key is what he calls beast mode, in which he seems to harness the spirit
of our Northwest wild things: the power of a grizzly, agility of a lynx, speed of a
wolf, and ferocity of a wolverine.
Like Conservation Northwest, Lynch is focused on the goal of the end zone.
But he has the flexibility and innovation to find any way that will move him in
that direction.
He has the kinetic potential for an incredible, field-length breakout run, like this
classic that you can watch at tinyurl.com/36znezd. How can that not remind you
of what Conservation Northwest accomplished with the Loomis Forest Fund, The
Cascades Conservation Partnership, a Mountain Caribou Recovery Plan protecting
5 million acres in British Columbia, and our catalyzing Washington reintroduction
of the fisher?
But Lynch is also dogged, tenacious, and can be counted on for more than the
occasional glory run. He consistently grinds out needed yards. That equates to
the subject of this edition, where we tell the stories of Conservation Northwest's
everyday, quiet wins, from removing harmful road miles to restoring ecological
health and resilience in overgrown forest to making the tough calls for wildlife.
Read a list of our accomplishments for 2012 inside.
As with Lynch, the key to our success isn't just a bold heart, determined strength,
and strategic mind; it's balance. When Lynch runs, it's with his feet apart, creating
a wide, stable base that makes him hard to stop. So it is here, where we go beyond
bold, determined, and strategic to deploy a program that is balanced.
Conservation Northwest works to protect and connect habitat across the region, including a sweeping linkage from the Rockies to the Cascades, and to recover the native wildlife that belong here. We do this with a healthy mix of tactics,
from collaborative to confrontational, always with the end goal in mind.
Another thing about Marshawn Lynch: He's backed by a strong team. For us,
you are that team. We hope to inspire you to applaud and cheer on our own form
of beast mode. But even more, we hope to involve you in every aspect of the game.
The wildness of our beautiful Northwest belongs to us all. And it is the responsibility of us all to carry it forward, ever forward.
Mitch Friedman. Photo by Erin Moore
The key to our
success isn't just a
bold heart, determined
strength, and strategic
mind; it's balance—
and the backing of a
strong team.
© Seattle Times
Conservation Northwest works to protect and connect habitat across the region,
including a sweeping linkage from the Rockies to the Cascades, and to recover
the native wildlife that belong here. We do this with a healthy mix of tactics,
from collaborative to confrontational, always with the end goal in mind.
