Conservation Northwest protects and connects old-growth forests and other wild areas from the Washington Coast to the British Columbia Rockies, vital to a healthy future for us, our children, and wildlife. Since 1989, Conservation Northwest has worke
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15 years of Northwest Ecosystem Alliance ping the Northwest Wild Stories from the field Keeping Life's Fabric Intact Mitch Friedman founded Northwest Ecosystem Alliance in 1989 and has served as executive director since its inception. He is a long-time resident of Bellingham. For me, the journey of NWEA boils down to the simple fulfillment of an idea—saving large wild places for large wild animals. The origin of that idea was a single lecture during my senior year at the University of Washington, in 1985. I was a young student in zoology, an Earth First! activist, and an inspired nature lover from birth, just gaining the personal tools and power to pursue my dreams and demands. The curriculum of a 400level survey ecology course called for a lecture in island biogeography from Gordon Orians, Ph.D., a luminary name in the field of ecology. Dr. Orians' lecture described the findings of cutting edge research, that national parks in the US and Canada were experiencing local extinctions of species in direct proportion to their size (the smaller the park, the higher the number of extinctions). Additional research predicted that even the world's very largest parks, those of East Africa, would not be large enough to sustain their largest native mammal species. That caught my attention. It wasn't enough to save the last of the best habitat, or to nurture a love of real wilderness. I realized that my wildlife heritage, the most inspiring wild creatures in the nation and world, were at risk far beyond the scope of current conservation actions. That single lecture led me to co-write and edit a book in 1988 on sciencebased actions needed to save the North Cascades Ecosystem, and to help found NWEA (at that time GEA—Greater Ecosystem Alliance) shortly thereafter. The journey since has involved countless successes, failures, people, and adventures. But for me it all traces back to that beginning. Northwest Ecosystem Alliance is about more than saving places and creatures, it's about keeping the fabric of life intact. That idea keeps my fire burning bright, and always will. Ancient Forest Rescue Expedition reaches out to the nation—and the next generation—in 1991. Daniel Dancer "Dream We Did, and Dream Big" Mary Humphries spent seven years working at NWEA, first as office manager and later as development director. She currently serves as senior fundraising associate at Training Resources for the Environmental Community, and lives in Bellingham. I remember the early days at GEA well—Mitch and I huddled over antiquated computers, answering the one and only phone, working determinedly and exchanging few words. The walls were a stale beige and the hideous green carpet was worn and stained. Not exactly the kind of place to inspire dreams of saving old-growth forests, majestic creatures, and vast stretches of untouched wilderness. Yet dream we did, and dream big! What's more, lots of people shared GEA's vision and were willing to put money on the table. In the early days, a check of $500 from a donor was cause for celebration—we'd open a beer and toast the donor's generosity. Slowly, over time, more and more people joined NWEA's ranks, which, for example, grew ten-fold from 1991 to 1996. They were attracted Keeping the Northwest wild Mary and Mitch in spring of 1991. NWEA archives Summer 2004 9