Wolves in the Land of Salmon - Notes from the March "First Tuesday" Program

By Bob Herbert, Volunteer & Program Attendee
All photos © David Moskowitz

The Methow Conservancy’s March “First Tuesday” program was presented by David Moskowitz, author of the new book, Wolves in the Land of Salmon, as well as the field guide, Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest.  The free program attracted well over 200 people.  

For the past two years David put his expert tracking skills to work all over the Northwest studying and documenting the elusive and thrilling wolf.  Wolves have had a long history with North America, and their presence has come and gone for different reasons.  When the glaciers crept south, so too did the wolf.  When the ice receded the wolf followed it north into Canada.  There have been times when the wolf’s range covered all of North America, and we are lucky to live in one of the few places in America where the wolf has begun to naturally reestablish itself.

Wolves’ adaptability is one of its strengths, and through evolution the wolf has separated itself from its cousin the coyote in size, bulk, speed and strength.  The increase in the size of their paw and leg, combined with a broader chest, enable the wolf to take down large game like elk.  Wolves also have larger and broader noses compared with coyotes, and they have adapted to the snow by increasing paw size and decreasing the height of their ears.  They also have thicker coats compared with coyotes, which helps their survival throughout the cold winter months of the Northwest.

           

A wolf den in the North Cascades

Wolf packs typically contain one mating pair of adults and a group of their offspring and cousins.  Wolves coalesce at a “den site” only for the summer birthing period.  Dens are dug around natural features, such as holes under rocks, or old burrows of other animals.  After the pups have nursed and are outside the den, the pack roams within a territory, often splitting up, but then meeting again at a designated “rendezvous site.”  Here in the Pacific Northwest, the ideal range used by wolves is middle to low elevation forests and meadows.  Only in the height of summer do wolves move into the high country when large game has moved there too. 

Two wolves playing on the beach. Clayoquot Sound, BC

David’s research brought him far north of Vancouver to the Great Bear Rainforest wolf pack of British Columbia where he learned just how adaptable the wolf really is.  This area is a chain of uninhabited islands and he observed wolves fishing for salmon, eating barnacles and seals, and swimming miles of open ocean in order to travel between islands.  They have adapted to life on the coast to the point that they know to only eat the brain of the salmon, because the remainder of the flesh contains a parasite that can be harmful to canines.  We also learned that the Imnaha wolf pack that lives in Northeast Oregon swam across the Snake River in order to establish their new home. 

The last historic wolf pack in Washington lived in Olympic National Park in the 1930’s, and as we saw in photos, the elk have overgrazed many areas of the rainforest as a result of the elimination of the wolf.  The one thing ecologists, scientists and environmentalists all agree on these days is the fact that everything is interconnected on this planet.  The wolf is a glaring example of what can happen when a major predator is removed from a landscape.  Populations of various species can expand unnaturally and uncurbed, resulting in imbalances that can be seen throughout the ecosystem, from plants to animals.  When a wolf pack keeps populations of deer and elk in check everyone benefits, including the ravens, eagles, bears, coyote, fox and mice that eat from the wolf’s kill. 

Young wolves in the Great Bear Rainforest, BC

Another unexpected change that has occurred as a result of the elimination of the wolf is the reduction in the population of the Olympic Marmot.  The coyote population expanded after the wolf disappeared, but unlike the wolf, the coyote eats marmots.  In another example of interconnectedness, after the wolf was reintroduced into Yellowstone researchers discovered that the beaver made a comeback.  The elk no longer over-grazed the streams that contained the cottonwood and aspen groves because they needed to stay alert and on the move with a predator in the vicinity.  Beaver will only live where there are mature aspen and cottonwood and the elk had been eating the new shoots and not allowing them to mature, but that all changed when the wolf returned.  The elk moved about more and the beaver returned to their natural habitat.    

A wolf feeding on an elk carcass in MT

The wolf is at the top of the food chain, except for perhaps humans, David pointed out.  Wolves will hunt and kill prey species for food but they will also scavenge from other carnivore’s work.  Humans and wolves have a long history of coexisting together, but there is only one documented case in all of history of an attack on a human.  The parking lot at the mall poses more of a threat to us and with the help and dedication of people like David, the education process and understanding of wolves will continue moving in a positive direction.

Wolf in NW Montana

Every action we impose on the natural world around us results in a cascade of events.  The more we understand about the wolf and the integral part they play in the balance of nature, the better off we will all be.  David led an invigorating and enlightening discussion on wolves and his dedication to the species seemed inspiring to those in attendance.                     

The reddish hue of this young grey wolf is typical of many wolves in coastal British Columbia

             

Inspiring Conservation Through Education

by Mary Kiesau

We take seriously the concept of being a community-based land trust, and education is a unique part of our mission. In addition to directly protecting and stewarding land through conservation easements, we also strive to provide the information and resources community members want and need to learn about the natural history of the Methow, and practice land conservation and stewardship on their own. Just like the people of the Methow, we care deeply about both community and land, and it's through our Education program that we attempt to integrate the two. We've found that educational resources are not only helpful and powerful tools; they are also invaluable ways for us to connect with and learn about our members and community.  

The crowd at our Dec. 2011 First Tuesday & Holiday Social, photo by John Scurlock.

One of our most popular education programs is our First Tuesday Lecture Series. On the First Tuesday of each month we host a free community presentation on a natural history, Methow history, ecological or conservation-focused topic. The sessions are well-attended and create lots of discussion.  For a listing of upcoming First Tuesday lectures, see our Events Page.  Our First Tuesday programs were started in 1997.  For a complete list of our past presentations, click here.

Monthly, we share news about our work as well as relevant natural history and conservation information in our online E-Newsletter.  See and sign-up for our E-News here.  We also post regularly on our Blog, where we are able to share more detailed information about numerous topics (good for you for reading it now!).  A paper newsletter is mailed to members twice a year.

We also share conservation information through our Good Neighbor Handbook and our Restoring Shrub-Steppe in the Methow Valley Handbook.  Originally published in 2000, then revised and reprinted in 2005, the Good Neighbor Handbook offers helpful ecological and practical information for landowners to consider before building or living in the Methow.  The 40-page “restoration handbook” is for anyone who lives on and cares for shrub-steppe lands.  It provides guidance on protecting and restoring this habitat on a small scale, strategies for weed control, and ways to rehabilitate disturbances.  Both handbooks are free at our office or via mail.  They are also downloadable at the links above.

In 2005, we initiated an annual "Methow Conservation Course" for people who wanted a more in-depth study of Methow Valley natural history.  The six-week Methow Conservation Course, held every winter, is designed for both the novice and the experienced naturalist (and for everyone in between).  The course topic changes each year, but goals are always to inspire more observation of, interest in and connections with the natural world so that people can help encourage conservation of the Methow Valley.

In 2011, we created both a Methow Valley Field Guide and a Young Naturalist Activity Booklet.  The field guide is a laminated “pocket” booklet that features 124 plant and animal species.  It is available for $6 at the Methow Conservancy office and vendors around the Valley.  The activity booklet features a variety of nature-related games, quizzes, and activities for kids 6 and up.  It is available as a free download on our website or hard copies are $3 at our office or stores around the Valley.

Grass ID Class

In addition to these educational tools, we also offer an ever-changing variety of field-trips, workshops and classes; host a weed and native plant education table at the Twisp Farmer's Market in late spring (we'll be there May 19th & 26th and June 2nd & 9th this year); and have a conservation resource library with books, videos, and scientific reports anyone can check out.

Much of our educational work is guided by an all-volunteer Education Committee comprised of interested community members and Methow Conservancy Board members.  We are committed to providing the most current and accurate information we can about some of the most pressing conservation issues in the Valley.  Please feel free to contact us with questions or suggestions anytime.

Mary Kiesau is the Methow Conservancy's Educational Programs Director and she's passionate about conservation, natural history and education.  When not in the office, you might find her in the field photographing flowers, birds, wildlife or field-trip participants!

Behind the Scenes: The Sweetness of the Cider Squeeze

By Sarah Brooks, Associate Director  

I still get nervous before our events.  Are all the little details (and the big ones, for that matter) in place?  What will happen that’s out of my control?  What if no one shows?  What if we don’t have enough food?   What if…

Prepping for my 8^th annual Cider Squeeze, it seemed I shouldn’t be too nervous.  After all, it’s a great event every year:  generous hosts Marilyn and Dave Sabold are about the nicest people you could meet, there is always plenty of tasty cider flowing from a cool antique press, the weather was set to be sunny and warm, and who doesn’t enjoy an excuse to enjoy a fall day at the Sabold’s beautiful pond? 

On Friday afternoon, however, I found something to worry about.  I went to the Sabold’s early to do a little pre-pressing to ensure we had enough cider for all the guests.  I was excited to have some time on the press—usually I work the nametag table, so I don’t get to be a part of the cider making.  All too soon, the yellowjackets arrived.  They were fierce.  No one could remember them being quite so ferocious quite so late into the fall.  I found myself seeking an almost Zen-like state of calm to work the press or the tap without making a movement too quick to cause a wasp frenzy as they swarmed the filtering screen.   Despite my focus, I still managed to get stung and ended the day with a rapidly swelling arm.

And, so, I fretted most of Friday night and Saturday morning.  What if others get stung ?  What if no one wants to press the cider because of those pesky wasps?  Here was an event wrinkle I had not anticipated.

The event began and soon enough the press was running.  I must admit that I spent much of the following two hours thinking about all the details that could go awry.  I saw lots of smiling faces and people seemed to be having a good time (and no medical emergencies emerged), but I still couldn’t seem to relax.

As the event drew to a close, Nellie Casey stopped by my nametag table to say thank you for the event.  She then proceeded to say that she looks forward to the event because even if you don’t leave with cider, there’s just something about taking a turn on that press and looking up to see another community member working with you.

And suddenly, I stopped all that fretting.  Nellie was completely right.  That’s the point of the Cider Squeeze.  It does take a whole team of people to make that sweet nectar:  people to put the apples in the press, someone strong to spin the wheel, someone else to monitor the flow, another to crank the press, others to filter and fill the bottles.  A whole crew of people—who often haven’t met before—have to work together. 

That’s a pretty perfect metaphor for doing conservation work in the Methow.  You can’t do it alone.  It takes a whole team – a whole community—of people.  And, it takes working with people you may not know for the end cause you all care about. 

So, maybe the yellowjackets were annoying and maybe it was too hot for the cream cheese frosting, and maybe the speeches were hard to hear in the wind.  That didn’t matter, because at it’s core (excuse the bad pun), the Cider Squeeze is the perfect celebration for conservation.  It is about all of us coming together to celebrate our collective work as people protecting a place we love.  And, that’s pretty sweet.