6th Annual Coho Confab

August 1, 2003


Join Trees Foundation, the Salmonid Restoration Federation, and Jughandle Creek Farm at the Farm on the Mendocino Coast for the 6th annual Coho Confab, to be held August 22-24.The theme for this year's Confab is "From the Classroom to the Field; From the Estuary, Upstream." Trees Foundation believes that community participation and cooperation (not to mention getting your hands a bit dirty) nurtures vibrant watersheds for all residents and "spawns" new and creative ways to bring back the Coho.

The Coho Confab is an informal gathering focused on watershed restoration and sharing the means to enhance recovery of salmon and steelhead. The Confab offers both a venue for communication and hands-on restoration training workshops and site tours. Full and half-day skills workshops will be offered both Saturday and Sunday.

The Coho Confab is the brainchild of visionary restorationist Richard Gienger. Over six years it has grown into a vital annual networking and educational event that brings together community members, landowners, activists, and restorationists with a common interest in the recovery and continued health of salmon and steelhead.

Richard Gienger will kick-off this year's Confab with a campfire talk on Friday night, followed by a PowerPoint presentation about the state of Coho recovery on the North Coast by Craig Bell of the Salmonid Restoration Federation. Chuck Williams from Redwood Valley Rancheria will also present a slideshow about using sedge for stream-bank stabilization and native basketry.

Other presenters for this year include fisheries biologist Patrick Higgins of the KRIS Coho Project, who will demonstrate tools for understanding water quality and salmonid health. Craig Bell will conduct a tour of model sustainable forestry sites at the Parker Ranch on Ten Mile River. Karen Gaffney of Circuit Riders Productions will give a presentation on re-vegetation with native plants, which will be combined with a tour of the native nursery at Jughandle Farm. Steve Levesque of Hawthorn Campbell Timber Company will tour recent restoration sites on Ten Mile River. Maureen Roche of the Mattole will offer her popular workshop, "Tails From a Hidden World," fish identification and temperature and sediment monitoring. Entomologist John Lee will offer the workshop, "Identification of Aquatic Macro Invertebrates." The School of Natural Resources (SONAR) will take us to the Big River for Underwater Estuary Exploration. Teri Jo Barber from Ridgetop to River will offer a hands-on workshop on streambed crossing decommissioning.

Other workshops include GIS mapping and GPS monitoring by Trees' GIS Coordinator Scott LaMorte, as well as stories and songs of salmon with Yurok tribal member and storyteller Jene McCovey and pioneering restorationist Freeman House, author of Totem Salmon. Jene and Freeman will join the Saturday evening campfire for more stories along with the musical talents of local favorites including Francine Allen, Helene Johnson, and Louisa Morris as well as river troubadour Melissa Crabtree. Participants are encouraged as well to bring stories, songs and musical instruments to share in the evening activities.

The cost of the weekend varies depending on accommodations. To stay in the Victorian farmhouse is $27 per night per person. Camping on the Jughandle meadow is free. The cost of the conference is $50-100 sliding scale that includes all meals and workshops. Work-trade positions are available, although limited.

Please join us as we gather on the beautiful Mendocino coast to explore the potential of restoration in your place and learn first hand, the skills to begin your efforts. We look forward to your participation!

For more info, or for a complete schedule of events and registration form, please contact the Trees Foundation at (707) 923-4377. As well, Trees and SRF have posted information on our web sites (www.treesfoundation.org or www.calsalmon.org) with all presenters, topics, and registration forms.


This article can be found online at www.treesfoundation.org/publications/article-127

Forest & River News is produced by Trees Foundation.