Meet Our Guests: Kristen Kirkby

Kristen Kirkby

Fisheries Biologist, Cascade Fisheries

Wenatchee, WA

8/29/22

Salmon populations in the Methow Valley are struggling. Swimming over 500 miles on their journey to the Pacific Ocean, juvenile salmon have to cross 9 perilous dams that drastically reduce their numbers. As adults, they have to swim all the way back upstream, again past 9 dams, before they reach their natal streams to spawn. We met with Kristen Kirkby to discuss the current situation of Methow Valley salmon, as well as what is being done to help them.

Kristen works as a Fisheries Biologist for Cascade Fisheries, a nonprofit organization working to restore native fish habitat in the upper Columbia Basin through enhancement, education, and community engagement. A Whitman graduate and 2004 Westie who majored in Environmental Studies and Biology, Kristen has over a decade of field experience with salmon.

On the banks of the Methow River, Westies learned from Kristen about a restoration project recently carried out by Cascade Fisheries. After learning about this project, and about the decline of salmon throughout the Columbia Basin, Westies got the chance to don wetsuits and snorkel the Methow River to observe fish. Although we saw many, they were a slim fraction of the abundance that once was. Kristen is working to help recover salmon populations through river restoration, education, and outreach.

By Henry Roller

Meet Our Guests: John Rohrer

John Rohrer

Program Manager, US Forest Service

Methow Valley, Washington

8/28/22

I attentively stare at John Rohrer’s tall leather boots that wrap around both ankles and search for evidence of bites. Nearsighted, I place my glasses upon my nose and sure enough, there are no marks, given decades of prior experience handling rattlesnakes as a youth in the southwest.   

            As an adolescent in Arizona, the desert and John’s father’s interest in snakes together instilled a fascination with the reptiles, and brewed an interest in pursuing the career as a wildlife biologist. Enthused that ectothermic animals such as rattlesnakes are able to exist in a much cooler climate like Washington, John moved to Twisp in 1991.

            He wishes to flip the negative paradigm surrounding rattlesnakes, and inform the masses that these are ectothermic creatures simply focused on maintaining their body temperature so they can survive. Spending only five months of the year out of the den, the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake resides underground during the other seven. The objective is to stay warm, and “attacks” he says are generally instances of defense or accidents, as only one person is bit in the Methow every three to four years. He ruminates on those who blindly “whack” rattle snakes on site, “…and people are evil,” he hesitates, “…some people, not everybody.”

            John later shares a story with the students on wolverine tracking while working as a field coordinator for the USFS, this span being the highlight of his career. One wolverine that took the name of “Special K,” given its high tolerance for a certain sedative, appeared multiple times coincidentally over the years despite the reclusive nature of wolverines. With shakiness in his delicately weathered raspy voice, he states that wolverine conservation and tracking work is what he was born for.

By Leo Cohen

Meet Our Educators: Kent Woodruff

Kent Woodruff

Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Forest Service

Methow Valley, WA

8/18/2022 — 8/29/2022

Make way for the irrepressible Kent Woodruff!

Kent was our humble, knowledgeable, and overwhelmingly generous guide in the Methow Valley. He, along with our fearless leader Phil, planned the entirety of our Methow segment. His numerous connections in the valley provided us with a plethora of wise, kind, and informative speakers from day one onwards.

Kent began his work in the valley with the United States Forest Service (USFS) in the early 90’s and completed a truly mind numbing quantity of projects in his many years there. A number of these projects have taken off in incredible ways since their humble beginnings. And, as their humble founder, Kent took us to see the exciting work that is now being done around the Methow. Beginning with a rickety shack at the foot of a jaw-dropping cliff containing what is thought to be the largest townsend's big eared bat population in Washington state; to the Methow Beaver project, whom we spent a thrilling day with at one of their most successful restoration sites in the valley; to the Chelan Ridge Raptor Migration Observatory, where we saw the (very humane) trapping, data collection, and release of the first migrating sharp shinned hawk of the season. Kent gave us the insider scoop on the inner workings of the valley and the inspiring conservation efforts being spearheaded by passionate locals.

It was immediately apparent to our cohort that Kent was incredibly well respected among the many speakers with whom we met. Everyone we spoke with greeted Kent as an old friend, which we eventually came to do as well. Kent met us at the crack of dawn everyday and didn't leave until long after dusk. He bestowed an immense amount of his own knowledge and worked tirelessly to provide an unbeatable lineup of guests, each bringing their own unique take on the importance of place-based conservation. And, after two weeks in the Methow he had earned the respect, love, and friendship of each and every one of us.

We are overflowing with gratitude for you, Kent. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off our semester. Thank you so much for all your hard work and for being the sweetest, wisest human being to have touched our lives.

By Jonah Rosen-Bloom

Meet Our Guests: Ashley Ahearn

Ashley Ahearn

Journalist

Winthrop, WA

8/19/22

Early in this semester, the Westies have been fortunate to work with former NPR reporter and podcaster Ashley Ahern here in the Methow Valley. Ashley led a special workshop designed to give Westies skills in conducting interviews and designing podcasts.

In her work at NPR, Ashley wrote stories featured on programs like All Things Considered, Here and Now, and The World.  She has since moved to the Methow Valley and worked on her own productions, including “Grouse,” a series on the endangered sage grouse, and “Women’s Work,” a podcast about female ranchers in the West. Working with Ashley allowed us to make use of her formidable podcasting experience and learn about how to make our interviews and recordings interesting and effective.

To help Westies become podcast pros, Ashley sent us out into the communities of Winthrop and Twisp, where we interviewed residents of the Methow Valley. After traveling around the dry, scenic valley to get our stories, we reconvened at TwispWorks, a retrofitted Forest Service ranger station that now serves as a commercial and community space. In the midst of native plant gardens, craft breweries, and the North Cascade Mountains, Ashley taught Westies the basics of using audio software, writing scripts, and conducting productive interviews.

All the skills Westies learned from Ashley will help us in interviewing our guests throughout the semester. This winter, keep an eye out for a series of podcasts made by us that summarize some of the amazing people and fascinating issues we have been studying! These will be available wherever you normally find your podcasts.  (For those of you in the Methow, these podcasts will also be played on KTRT, 97.5 FM Winthrop, AKA ‘The Root.’)

By Sam Allen

Meet Our Guests: Tom and Gina McCoy

Tom and Gina McCoy

Founders, C6 Forest to Farm

Methow, WA

8/24/22

Gina McCoy stood on the raised roots of a tree, speaking to us in front of a rippling lake framed by deep green mountains. Explaining to us the planetary carbon cycle, she emphasized how human activities disrupt the natural process of plant photosynthesis and respiration. Industrial agricultural practices deplete the soil’s nutrients, sucking carbon out of the soil, and years of fire suppression have created an excess of plant material that places forests at risk of megafire. Gina and her husband Tom founded the nonprofit C6 Forest to Farm from a deep concern for the forests, hoping to reconnect the cycle of nutrients and carbon in soil.

Gina and Tom’s nonprofit produces biochar from the discarded biomass of Forest Service logging and thinning projects. They sought a way to enable the Forest Service to expand their forest restoration projects, which often require tree removal to manage underbrush thickness and fire risk. Biomass, or plant material, is heated under specific conditions to produce a form of charcoal called biochar. Biochar’s porous structure retains water, nutrients, and bacteria, creating fertile soils and sequestering carbon by preventing it from decomposing or burning, both of which release CO2 into the atmosphere. By turning biomass into biochar, Tom and Gina are working towards a more sustainable forest, farm, and planet.

By Ellen Haney

Meet Our Guests: Dana Visalli

Dana Visalli

Organic Farmer, Editor of the Methow Naturalist

Methow Valley, WA

8/20/22

We drove down a long dirt driveway to met with Dana on his farm, which consisted of a few large garden patches and a green house next to his cement, two-story property. He explained the organization of his land and gave us an introductory lesson on ecology and botany. One of the main tenants of his approach was that “nature doesn’t waste anything.” His eyes lit up and his hand gestures became more pronounced when explaining how photosynthesis uses the power of the sun along with oxygen and water to fuel life, and the process of cellular respiration moves around molecules to reverse this reaction.

He also described how he uses his compost pile to return the nutrients from his harvests to the soil for the next year. The way Dana’s property is organized serves as one example of how he matches his words and ethos to his actions. He built his house to be completely off the grid, with solar power and a back-up generator for power. His water comes from a well on his property next to the Methow River, and he supports himself by selling the produce from his garden. His self-sustaining approach minimizes waste he creates by using renewable, locally sourced resources. He also set up an outdoor classroom in his backyard for us where we used microscopes to view tiny, clear diatoms that live in the orange-brown scunge that coats river rocks. The conscientiousness that he put into this lesson and set-up demonstrates his enthusiasm for showing others that how the land around him supports life.

By Sonia Burns

Meet Our Guests: Carmen Vanbianchi

Carmen Vanbianchi

Research Director, Homerange Wildlife Research

Methow Valley, WA

8/23/22

With a population of just over 50, lynx are at a dangerous tipping point in Washington state. Large wildfires have vastly reduced their available habitat and rising temperatures have decreased the snowpack they have adapted to thrive in. Luckily, they seem to be slowly making a comeback, or at least resisting extinction, in large part due to the dedicated efforts of wildlife biologist Carmen Vanbianchi and her colleagues. Carmen has dedicated her career to passionately advocating for lynx, and firmly believes in the right of every species to exist regardless of their perceived economic value. She argues “It’s our responsibility and our job to not just throw up our hands… and [to] keep looking for solutions.”

After leading us up to the top of a wooded hillside surrounded by pines and the charred remains of past wildfires, she showed us proof of the lynx presence through wildlife cameras placed in strategic locations throughout the forest. She explained that, although the extreme and widespread fires of recent years have done significant damage to lynx habitat, lynx have actually evolved to thrive in heterogeneous environments that include sections of burned forest alongside more luscious woods. This reinforced what we have been hearing from other speakers, that prescribed burning can mitigate bigger fires and create a healthier, more resilient ecosystem.

Despite the lynx’ promising resilience, it can be hard to stay optimistic when progress is slow and there are few others making lynx a priority in wildlife management. “I’m just one little person pushing a rock up a hill and we need lots of people pushing rocks uphill,” she told us. However, as public opinion is slowly shifting toward seeing the innate value in all parts of ecological systems, there is hope of lynx making a meaningful recovery in Washington thanks to lynx biologists like Carmen.  

By Kaitlyn Salazar

Meet Our Guests: Matt Ellis

Matt Ellis

Fire Management Officer, Methow Valley Ranger District, U.S. Forest Service

Methow Valley, WA

8/23/22

Our exposed skin soaks in the beating Methow sun as we sit perched on the edge of a dusty gravel road overlooking a field that has been swept with a large black paintbrush. Our eager eyes follow the outline of the valley ridge that Matt Ellis traces with his hand. We sit amidst a man who offers insight into the power of fire.

Matt is the Methow Valley District Fire Manager Officer. Originally from Tennessee, Matt has worked in fire management in several states, and has been in the Methow Valley region for the past seven years. He states, “even though I am from Tennessee, working in the Methow has been a highlight in my career because the area fits my personality. ” This statement shines through not only in his work, but also in how he speaks with us.

In our time together, Matt makes clear that fire serves many purposes. He speaks of how fire has the power to destroy, while it is also a natural process that is key in maintaining a healthy environment. Wildfires, or “disturbances” as Matt refers to them, result in burning vegetation, which eventually become heterogeneous zones. Heterogeneity allows for diversification of flora and fauna that is necessary for the formation of a “patchwork quilt” landscape. In creating this quilt, species have a greater chance at surviving and further evolving.

Everything in the world is deeply interconnected, and as we learn from Matt, destruction in the form of fire can contribute to a healthy ecosystem. Matt is confident that with a combination of clear communication with community members and a positive attitude, the Methow Valley will become an even more resilient place. Future fires, whether prescribed or not, will weave that textured patchwork into a tighter quilt, ultimately balancing everything out and benefiting the environment.  

By Katie Spegar

Meet Our Guests: Sarah Brooks

Sarah Brooks

Executive Director, Methow Conservancy

Winthrop, WA

8/20/22

Snowy Tree Crickets provide a sound track to the perfectly rehearsed performance of night falling over the Methow Valley. As the sky deepens and stars flicker on, squinted eyes turn to headlamps and Sarah Brooks welcomes Semester in the West to the Methow. Sarah is the Executive Director of the Methow Valley Land Trust. She was the first non-scientist hired to the organization, and it is obvious why. Her ideologies of community and collective support are deeply aligned with scientific views of ecological restoration. In her welcome she asks us to consider the question, “What’s your responsibility as a human when you love a place?” Sarah exudes love for the Methow, where she has lived and worked for the last 18 years. Her answer to this question is found in the mission statement of the Land Trust: “to inspire people to care for the land.” Sarah extends this by explaining that it is also our responsibility to care for the people who care for the land.

As we sink into camp chairs molded by generations of Westies, Sarah encourages us to “lean into the complexity required to study environmental issues.” This complexity forces Sarah to grapple with her position as a white settler as she works to integrate a process of reconciliation with the Methow people into the work of the Land Trust. Contradictory to a long history and tradition of conservation as exclusionary to indigenous peoples, building a relationship with the Methow people in which they can collaborate as stewards of the land is absolutely essential to Sarah and the Land Trust. The project Sarah is most proud of in her 18 years working for the Land Trust is the return of 320 acres the Methow Tribe. This is only the start. She tells us that building this collaboration she so deeply believes in will take time, dedication, and humility. This relationship must be fostered “at the speed of trust.” 

By Mosley Lerner