News Releases
May 2009
National Awards received for excellence in cooperative conservation and volunteer coordination
WREN has recently received two significant national awards. The first recognizes the tremendous contributions that our volunteers make to stewardship and environmental education.
The annual Bureau of Land Management “Making a Difference” National Volunteer Awards recognized the volunteer coordinators and volunteers who work or partner with the BLM for programs, initiatives, and events. This year's award acknowledges the more than 3,000 hours that WREN volunteers dedicated to classroom programs and field trips, community programs, and stewardship events throughout 2008. WREN is one of six award recipients out of the 60 agencies that were nominated across the country!
WREN also accepted the the Secretary of Interior Partners in Conservation Award on behalf of the West Eugene Wetlands Partnership. This annual award recognizes organizations who accomplish environmental and natural resource goals in ways
that promote cooperative conservation among agencies.
Holly McRae and Jules Abbott travelled to Washington D.C. to accept the awards on behalf of WREN at special ceremonies in May. The awards were presented by Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar.
Read the article in the Register-Guard by Susan Palmer
September 2008
9/17/08
Several brush fires, which officials are reporting as arson, were set in different areas within the West Eugene Wetlands on Sunday, September 14 within the same hour. Here are stories from local media. Anyone with information about the fires is asked to call Eugene police at 682-5111.
KVAL 9/15 (video)
Arson suspected in series of grass fires
Register-Guard 9/15
Brush fires called suspicious: Crews from several agencies scramble to contain simultaneous blazes in west Eugene fields
Register-Guard 9/16
Fire Crews Search for Hotspots
January 2008
THE WEST EUGENE WETLANDS EDUCATION CENTER RECEIVES A GIFT FROM THE HENRY LEA HILLMAN JR. FOUNDATION
EUGENE, Ore.- The Henry Lea Hillman Jr. Foundation in Pittsburgh, Penn., has awarded $10,000 to the capital campaign to build the West Eugene Wetlands Education Center. The foundation is the first to dedicate funds to the campaign, which entered its public phase in 2007.
The grant was awarded to the nonprofit organization Willamette Resources and Educational Network (WREN), which is leading the capital campaign for the center.
"It was especially invigorating to receive this award from the Henry Lea Hillman Jr. Foundation," said Holly McRae, environmental education coordinator for WREN. "This grant will allow WREN to leverage funds from many other regional foundations. We are confident it is the first of what will be many grant contributions to this project."
When completed, the West Eugene Wetlands Education Center will include the Invitrogen field science laboratory for students and citizen science research, a reference library, interpretive displays, and green roof. WREN is actively seeking capital campaign volunteers and local contributions of all sizes to build this world-class facility.
November 2007
STATE SUPERINTENDENT SUSAN CASTILLO TO CHAIR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE WEST EUGENE WETLANDS EDUCATION CENTER
Every contribution to this project is critical to its success. WREN is actively seeking pledges and capital campaign committee members who are excited about this project and its opportunities for education and citizen science research. Eager volunteers should contact Windy Hovey, WREN Capital Campaign Manager, at windy@wewetlands.org or 541-683-6413.
EUGENE, OR—Sealing an outstanding match of values and vision, Oregon State Superintendent Susan Castillo has pledged to chair the campaign to build an education center in the West Eugene Wetlands. The center will serve as a pinnacle for citizen science research, education, and land stewardship for the entire Willamette River Valley.
“The West Eugene Wetlands Education Center will provide education opportunities for our children and community that will be unmatched, and otherwise unavailable, in this region,” Castillo stated. “I am honored to chair the campaign for this project and urge those who support field science education in the Willamette Valley to join me in this effort.”
Castillo’s engagement comes at an energized time, as the project enters final design stages this fall under Rowell Brokaw Architects of Eugene and the education center planning team. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2008.
The West Eugene Wetlands Education Center will be home for innovative and collaborative education programs. A field science laboratory, reference library and hands-on learning centers will serve as a common resource for regional students and educators who otherwise would not have access to such tools and facilities. It will serve as a hub for citizen science research that will provide resources unavailable to federal and state agencies.
The expanded educational opportunities will bring to life the unique upland and wetland habitats at the project site off South Danebo Avenue, as well as throughout the ecosystem that spans more than 3,000 acres in and around west Eugene.
Community focus groups, planning meetings, and visioning sessions have moved this project steadily forward. More than 1,500 individuals contributed input and ideas to critical issues such as transportation, ecological impacts on the site, accessibility, and education and interpretation at the center.
The budget is $6 million for Phase 1, which will include the Invitrogen Field Science Laboratory and site development. Sixty percent of funding for Phase 1 is now secured though corporate, business, and individual contributions, $1.75 million from the 2006 Parks and Open Space Bond Measure approved by Eugene voters, and project partners including the City of Eugene and Bureau of Land Management.
The nonprofit Willamette Resources and Educational Network (WREN) is leading the capital campaign for community support of the project. WREN President Michael Shippey says the momentum and community need for the center are both rapidly growing, now further demonstrated by endorsement from the state superintendent of public schools.
“We are very excited by Ms. Castillo’s initiative to lead this community effort and establish the West Eugene Wetlands Education Center,” Shippey said. “Her commitment to education and appreciation of the Oregon environment make her particularly well-suited for the project’s campaign chair. WREN looks forward to her tenure and leadership.”
WREN has already served more than 15,000 community members and students from several local school districts since 2002 through classroom presentations, field trips and outdoor programs in the West Eugene Wetlands.
“Field and lab experiences foster the process of asking and answering questions as a way to understand the natural world,” Castillo stated. “WREN will be a resource for students needing to meet the new high school graduation requirements in science – both for lab and field experiences. The Oregon diploma will require students to learn real problem solving skills. It is the responsibility of schools and communities to create engaged citizens, prepared to address the challenges and opportunities that will characterize life and work in the 21 century. WREN will be a part of meeting that challenge.”
WREN’s current education facility is a 30-foot seasonal yurt, which can no longer serve the needs of educators and the public in both numbers of programs and types of learning experiences. WREN shares office space with several West Eugene Wetlands partners in a 20 century farmhouse at West 11 and South Danebo Avenues, which is also stretched to its capacity limit. Phase 2 of the project will build offices, storage and meeting rooms to support the program.
Susan Castillo was elected Oregon's State Superintendent of Public Instruction in May 2002 and reelected in 2006 for additional four-year term. As the first Hispanic woman in the Oregon Legislative Assembly, she served in the Oregon State Senate from 1997 to 2002, where she was Vice-Chair of the Senate Education Committee. She was also elected an Assistant Democratic Leader for the 1999 and 2001 legislative sessions. She is dedicated to fostering innovation in public schools, and removing barriers to achievement. In addition to her duties as an elected official, Susan is a fellow in the American Leadership Forum, which is dedicated to bringing leaders together to strengthen their skills and better serve the public good; a board member of Birth to Three in Eugene, and an active board member of the Council of Chief State School Officers.
WREN is actively seeking members of the community who are excited about this project and its opportunities for education and citizen science research to serve on the capital campaign committee, in raising funds and support. Eager volunteers should contact Windy Hovey, Capital Campaign Manager for WREN at 541-683-6413. For up-to-date information on the West Eugene Wetlands Education Center, visit www.wewetlands.org.
March 2007
An article in the BLM public newsletter Snapshots discusses how prescribed burns help the natural Willamette Valley habitat here in Oregon. Click here to read
December 2006
Bird Watching at Willow Creek Natural Area in the West Eugene Wetlands
Written by Steve Gordon
See also, the segment by KVAL 13 on the 2006 Lane County Audubon Society Annual Christmas Bird Count, filmed in the West Eugene Wetlands (mainly Meadowlark Prairie).
This morning Cary Kerst and I went out to cover my Willow Creek monitoring route. We picked this morning last week and decided to stick with it despite the weather updates and the darkness that comes with a Monday morning rain. While on the route, we agreed that once you get dressed properly and get into the field, it is always easier and more comfortable than it sounds from in front of the fire at home.
The first half of the route was usual with some sun, wind, rain, and a little mixed snow. The firs on the hills above the Willow Creek Reserve sported a skiff of white snow. We found a Varied Thrush and a couple of Golden-crowned Kinglets. We heard a sorry excuse for a Chorus Frog trying to croak.
As we ended the route along Willow Creek's east branch, a Red-shouldered Hawk flew westward across the field and banked with its back to us, giving us a wonderful view of the red shoulders contrasting with the black and white checkered wings. We also saw A flock of Juncos mixed with Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow, three Lincoln's Sparrows, and a White-throated Sparrow. American Kestrels had flown by several times. As another Falcon approached it seemed much lager. It flew overhead and landed nearby in a cottonwood - a Peregrine Falcon! I was sure it was a new bird for the Willow Creek bird list, and the best was yet to come.
As we walked back to the pickup along 18th Avenue, we spotted a White-tailed Kite at Luk-wah Prairie. Then the Peregrine returned and flushed a Northern Harrier. The Peregrine would gain altitude and then dive and fly strongly toward small trees; scaring up Flickers each time. Over and over it repeated this behavior, until a Flicker made a fatal mistake and flew west across the expanse of prairie just south of the old speedway. The Falcon hit it in mid-air and grasped the dead Flicker in its talons. Harriers, Red-tiled Hawks, two Kestrels, and the White-tailed Kite were all flying about and the Peregrine dropped the Flicker. Soon it disappeared to the ground to feast.
The walk in cold rain and snow seemed worthwhile. It was all worth it to watch the Falcon hunt Flickers on a Monday morning. And the Peregrine is now bird number 115 on The Nature Conservancy Willow Creek list.
Eugene Land Conveyance Act passes: proposed site for the Education Center will transfer to the City.
In the early morning hours of December 9th, a significant piece fell into place for the future of the West Eugene Wetlands Education Center. The Eugene Land Conveyance Act was passed unanimously at 2 a.m. by the 109th Congress in a lame duck session. This Legislative Land Transfer directs the Secretary of Interior to transfer 12.5 acres of land administered by the Bureau of Land Management at West 11th and Danebo Ave to the City of Eugene, for the purpose of building a community environmental education center.
Long time planners and visionaries of the Education Center celebrated the news and enjoyed the success of a cooperative effort that began in 2000, when they realized that their plans for building on the site required an act of Congress. The City of Eugene, Bureau of Land Management, and the Oregon Congressional delegation Senator Ron Wyden (Dem-Ore), Senator Gordon Smith (Rep-Ore), and Representative Peter DeFazio (Dem-Ore) were all part of an unprecedented collaboration in passing this land transfer.
The building process will move forward quickly beginning with a public planning process in January/February. While the City of Eugene will own the land, the nonprofit Willamette Resources and Educational Network (WREN) is leading the capital campaign, and will build, maintain and manage the center on behalf of the community.
Read also: the article by Edward Russo of the Register-Guard from December 13.
Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation awards a $10,000 grant to the Wetlands Education Program
The WREN environmental education program will flourish in 2007, with the support of $10,350 from the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation (CCUIF) in Roseburg, OR. Through a grant from this foundation, WREN was awarded the opportunity to develop two completely new outreach programs for elementary and middle school students.
Acknowledging educators' time limitations and the high costs of field trips, WREN brings the wetlands into classrooms through our outreach programs. In 2006, WREN reached more than 2,000 students through outreach programs, and expects this number will grow to more than 3,000 in 2007. WREN will also use funds to pay for teacher training sessions in the wetlands throughout 2007. Lane County schools have had numerous budgetary cuts, and yet all Oregon schools have yearly statewide benchmark education standards to attain. WREN's curriculum-based programs enable teachers to fulfill these requirements, while providing their students with a unique, hands-on experience.
CCUIF is the philanthropic branch of the The Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians in the Umpqua Valley. Formed in 1997, CCUIF had contributed more than $5.1 million in grants to local organizations by 2005. After their land was taken from them in an 1853 treaty, and the U.S. government declared them to be a "terminated tribe" a century later, the Cow Creeks persisted in court until they received federal restoration and recognition in the 1980s.
The Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Indians invested the government restoration money into business, and today is highly successful and well-known for the Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort in Roseburg, and other establishments. They also provide wide spread community support for education, families and health services.
"We are very excited that the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation has chosen to support WREN's education program in 2007," said Liz Myers, Environmental Education Specialist for WREN. "With their financial support we are looking forward to diversifying our education program and reaching a larger audience of students and teachers in the coming months." WREN representatives will accept the check at an awards ceremony in January at the Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort in Roseburg.
Invitrogen earns first naming opportunity in the West Eugene Wetlands Education Center
Invitrogen Corporation is the first lead corporate donor in the mission to build a field science education center in the West Eugene Wetlands! With a total of $150,000 pledged, the company has secured the first naming opportunity in the center: the Invitrogen Field Science Laboratory Room within the Field Science Laboratory Building.
Invitrogen provided $30,000 for WREN in to contribute to Public Process/Master Planning activities and permit use processes, and pledged $100,000 toward building costs. WREN and Invitrogen are also considering a partnership in current restoration efforts in the West Eugene Wetlands, which could bring an additional in-kind donation of up to $20,000.
Outside of support for restoration projects at Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad, Calif., headquarters for Invitrogen Corporation, this marks the most significant donation the company has presented to an environmental organization in the U.S.
"Invitrogen is excited to partner with WREN and the other countless organizations helping make the West Eugene Wetlands Education Center a reality," said Lisa Peterson, Community Relations Manager for Invitrogen. "Invitrogen expects that the center will be a source of inspiration for residents and students. The center will serve as an innovation hub for scientific literacy, restoration efforts and environmental awareness and sustainability."
Invitrogen Corporation, founded in 1987, is a $1.2 billion global company that conducts business in more than 70 countries. Invitrogen provides products and services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as academic and government research institutions with a focus on disease research, drug discovery, and commercial bioproduction.
Invitrogen-Molecular Probes employs approximately 300 people at the west Eugene site on Willow Creek Road. As an active corporate citizen and neighbor, the company is involved with local schools, educational programs, environmental sustainability efforts and health and human service organizations. Invitrogen-Molecular Probes has also held several blood drives, donated excess equipment, and hundreds of hours of volunteer time during its annual Global Volunteer Day in July and throughout the year. In Eugene, their employees have worked with The Nature Conservancy to collect native seed for habitat restoration at the Willow Creek Preserve.
Molecular Probes was founded in Minnesota in 1975, and was located in Junction City in the early 1980s. The company moved to west Eugene in 1989. Invitrogen Corporation purchased Molecular Probes, Inc. in July, 2003.
November 2006
Eugene Parks and Open Space Bond Measure Passes, November 7
Eugene Parks and Open Space Bond Measure 20-110 passes! By a wide margin, Eugene citizens have voted to support the purchase of land for parks and open space, making Golden Gardens Park a safer place for families, the addition of synthetic athletic fields to allow year-round play, and building an outdoor community education center in the West Eugene Wetlands. The bond authorizes $1.75 million to the building of the education center. Thank you to all who voted yes to investing in the future of all these projects!
Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne visits the West Eugene Wetlands, November 2
West Eugene Wetlands Partners and community leaders celebrated a visit from the U.S. Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne on the afternoon of November 2nd. The group reached the Checkermallow Access viewing site overlooking Meadowlark Prairie, just as the rain broke, and a flock of geese skimmed over head tops to settle in Amazon Creek. The visit concluded at the Wetland Project Office with a look at plans for the West Eugene Wetlands Education Center. Kempthorne expressed his commitment to education and the next generation of public lands stewards. There are many photos of the wetlands tour available on the U.S. Department of Interior website.
WREN staff members accept nominations for national award
Thursday, November 2, WREN Environmental Education Coordinator Holly McRae and Environmental Education Specialist Liz Myers accepted nominations for the 2006 national Take Pride in America Awards, presented by Eugene BLM Eugene District Manager Virginia Grilley. Holly and Liz were honored for their dedication to providing students with unique, hands-on learning activities on wetland soils, wildlife and habitats. Because of their work, more than 4,000 students have visited the West Eugene Wetlands, or received classroom presentations in the past year. Holly and Liz received the awards at the Wetland Project Office in front of a distinguished group of community leaders that included Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and City Manager Dennis Taylor, School District 4J Superintendent George Russell and top leaders in Oregon departments from The Nature Conservancy and Bureau of Land Management. The group had gathered at the Wetland Project Office that day to welcome Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne on his visit to the West Eugene Wetlands. The TPIA awards were established by the Department of Interior to honor federal, state and local partnerships for their dedication to protection, education and restoration of natural resources.
