Camas Restoration and Traditional Pit Roast, October 21st

Click to read more about camassia quamash.The camas plant is ecologically important to western Washington prairies. It is also important to the cultural history of the Pacific Northwest. “Camas,” according to Native American Netroots, “is very high in protein: 5.4 ounces of protein per pound of roots. In comparison, steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri) has 3.4 ounces of protein per pound.” Generations of local people have gathered and consumed camas. Early white explorers, too, learned how to find and prepare camas. “Some American explorers report eating camas that had been prepared 36 years earlier.”

Click image for a larger version.

The camas plant is an important part of South South prairies and we recently published an article regarding efforts to restore a piece of the prairie many of us pass through, every day.

You are invited to join the Squaxin Tribe and Thurston Conservation District to celebrate prairies, community, and camas.

Community for Camas
Saturday, October 21
11 AM to 2 PM
6710 Sexton Dr. NW, Olympia
Parking will be on the street with overflow parking at Griffin School.

This project brings together the tribe and community members to restore a small prairie in the Steamboat Island/Highway 101 interchange by planting camas and removing invasive species. Through restoration and partnerships, this parcel of land can be used as a teaching space for students of all ages!

Highlights include:

  • Learn about the cultural and ecological importance of camas from Squaxin tribal members
  • Plant camas bulbs on the site
  • Share food prepared in a traditional pit roast
  • Meet neighbors in your community!

If you have questions, contact Stephanie Bishop, of the Thurston County Conservation District, at sbishop@thurstoncd.com or 360-754-3588, ext. 108.

Many thanks to the event sponsors: Squaxin Island Tribe, Thurston Conservation District, Washington Native Plant Society, Washington State Department of Transportation, Steamboat Conservation Partnership, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Copenhagen Climate Conference

THURSDAY, Feb. 18, 7:30pm, Olympia Center. 222 Columbia Street, Olympia
SPEAKER: Janice Adair, Special Assistant for Climate Policy at the Washington State Department of Ecology and Delegate to the Copenhagen Climate Conference
TOPIC: The Copenhagen Climate Conference, The Western Climate Initiative and Where Do We Go from Here
Janice Adair, Special Assistant for Climate Policy at the Dept. of Ecology, will discuss the Copenhagen Climate Conference (COP15) and the Western Climate Initiative. Janice traveled to the U.N. conference, as part of the Washington State Delegation led by Governor Gregoire, serving as the state’s expert on climate policy and to participate as a panelist. Janice also represents Washington on the Western Climate Initiative (WCI). WCI is a collaboration of independent, international jurisdictions working together to identify, evaluate, and implement policies to tackle climate change at a regional level. During its first 1 and 1⁄2 years, Janice chaired the WCI.
According to the New York Times, the climate change accord passed its first test recently after countries responsible for the bulk of climate-altering pollution formally submitted emission reduction plans, meeting the Jan. 31 deadline. Most major nations — including the U.S., the 27 nations of the European Union, China, India, Japan and Brazil — restated earlier pledges to curb emissions by 2020.
Much has been written about COP15 before, during and after the event. Was it a success, a failure or somewhere in between? Janice will give us a first hand report on how it was organized, who participated, what worked, what failed and what lies ahead. See UN website: http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/climatechange/gateway
In contrast to COP15, a world-wide effort to address climate issues, the WCI takes a regional approach by bringing together Pacific Rim jurisdictions from Canada to Mexico. Among the participants and observers have been: Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Sonora and Tamaulipas. This is a comprehensive effort to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, spur growth in new green technologies, help build a strong clean-energy economy, and reduce dependence on foreign oil. More information is available on the WCI website: http://www.westernclimateinitiative.org/.