Inside Conservation Northwest
(left to right) Kit McGurn, volunteers at one of the Gold Creek habitat restoration work parties he organized,
and supporters at the Conservation Northwest Trivia social nights he championed. Conservation NW
hAPPY TRAILS
Kit McGurn
After a little more than three years at
Conservation Northwest, Kit McGurn
is saying his final goodbye to the
organization. McGurn was the outreach
associate working in Conser vation
Northwest's Seattle office. A native of
Colorado who loves outdoor sports,
he's made the Northwest his home. He
hopes in future jobs to continue his
work towards a sustainable world, likely
outside of the non-profit sector.
While he said he loves the people at
Conservation Northwest and will miss
them and their commitment to tackling
the problem of conservation, he wants
to move on from the non-profit sector
to find other ways to tackle the "big, big
issues."
While tackling the larger issues is
more difficult when working for a nonprofit, good things get accomplished
nonetheless. McGurn cited seeing final
approval of a Washington wolf conservation and management plan as one of
his biggest accomplishments at Conservation Northwest. He inspired, organized, and turned out hundreds of
people for comment during a long process for the plan, which was approved in
2011.
"I saw glimpses of the power of individuals to effect change," McGurn said
about the wolf management plan approval process. The goal of the wolf plan
is to help the wolves that are return-
Mary Shoup Communications intern
ing on their own to Washington while
minimizing the effects of their return on
people, particularly livestock producers.
The plan has been successful so far,
with few incidents of conflict, from either wolves or poachers. Another aspect
of the plan is to teach people how to live
alongside wolves again.
"Change is possible, but you have to
be patient and you have to be willing to
see it through long term," McGurn said
about his time at Conservation Northwest. He hopes to take this lesson with
him to future jobs.
Kit McGurn will be missed and the
staff wishes him the best in all of his future endeavors.
Coyote, Taneum, Cascades. Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project
Sponsor a wildlife monitoring team!
You can help this season's volunteers in the field with equipment as they
document Washington's rare and returning wildlife. $150 sponsors one team
member for the season, $275 buys one team a new motion-triggered camera,
$500 sponsors a whole team for an entire season.
Feel the excitement! Learn more at conservationnw.org/monitoring. See remote
camera images and more at our Flickr page, flickr.com/conservationnw
20 Fall 2013
conservationnw.org
