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Is hunting about more than just killing animals? I decided to find out myself and here’s the story;

I remember the first morning I drug myself out of bed to go hunting. Early doesn’t begin to describe the hour – I think even the birds were still asleep.

Things that crossed my mind: Am I crazy? Please, can I go back to sleep?! Who does this?!

The answer: me. My name is Asha, and I’m the board secretary for Project Wilderness. I was born in India, raised in Southern Oregon, and consider myself a native Oregonian. Being here since two months of age will do that to you! My childhood was spent exploring the Rogue River and the southern Oregon Coast, never understanding that the piece of heaven I call home had been fought for and defended for decades before I first wiggled my toes in the warm sand of Gold Beach. Years and travels later – I understand. I appreciate. And finally, I stepped up to the plate.

Hunting was never a passion of mine – sure, I had friends that did it (I had friends that raised pygmy goats too, but I didn’t do that either) that was always their thing. I never considered how much thought, time and effort it took to hunt; the stalking aside, how careful hunters have to be not to disturb the natural order, how precious they consider the time that mother nature allows us to spend in her world, or even how much work it takes to help protect & restore an area to ensure the land can continue to support annual harvest of deer and elk.

Back to my morning hunt – with the help of my significant other, I was out of bed and ready to go, dressed down in camo, as scent-free as I could get and binoculars in hand. I’d hiked and camped but until this point in my life, had never considered hunting as a past time. I’m a believer that you should always try new things, so here I was, dressed in 3 layers at an ungodly hour, trekking along in the wilderness.

I started to notice things. Things I missed while in the forest for other reasons. The wind was cold, but smelled fresh. The small rodents – chipmunks, squirrels, birds, snakes etc. – were more than willing to announce our presence to the world. All the things you miss when moving at hiking speed seemed to jump out at you. Yes, my tail end was cold, but close to the earth, I saw more tracks and poop from elk, deer and coyote then I’d ever dreamed. The hills were steep – but once we reached the top, the view was so beautiful that even I, a native, was struck speechless. The wildflowers were bright and full, and everything was so very alive – a type of vitality you can only appreciate when you have  nothing else to distract you. I never thought hunting would bring you so close to  the natural environment.

That first day was a slow one – but from then on, I was hooked. I began to learn how to trek through the woods leaving as little trace as possible, and why it’s important to be quiet and as unobtrusive. This point was hammered home the first time we jumped a herd of elk – watching 12-15 elk run away literally 5 feet in front of you gives you a sense of how small you are in the world.

While I haven’t gotten anything harvested an animal, my attitude is a clear 360 from what it used to be. I used to think hunters were in it for the kill and the kill only. I couldn’t have been more wrong. As I’ve learned to hunt, I’ve learned to appreciate every step I take. I have read about and photographed more native plants than I know what to do with. I get a chance to observe wildlife and get just as excited about the elk I get to watch as the one I might get a chance to take home. Coyote prints, salamanders, yellow finches, grouse – it doesn’t matter what I see, I am always excited about something. Suddenly I want to learn about everything around me – how to protect it, how to live with it and what responsible wildlife management entails.

Learning how to hunt hasn’t made me a better hunter – it’s made me a better steward, a better Oregonian, and a better person. We all should be more open and not be quick to judge other recreational users of our (all of ours) forest!

Asha Swem

Project Wilderness Board Secretary

Recently I volunteered to “Paint The Town Clean” – a group of 50 volunteers worked with local business owners to paint their store fronts that had been hit by graffiti tags. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun and very productive. But the second I was done, it struck me that my heart is really with nature. The pleasure and satisfaction of a wilderness clean up, for me, far outweighed even this amazing volunteer effort. There’s just something about nature that sooths the mind – I think “being out in nature” should be the third universal suggestion for mood elevation.

So when that 5 am alarm sounds on your precious Saturday and it’s time to make good on that project you signed up for – hopefully that medial information about volunteering can be as useful of a mantra to you as it has become to me.

With that said here’s a recap from our last couple cleanups:

June 12th, Working with partner organization Clackamas County Dumpstopers we removed 768 cubic feet of garbage which included 11 tires from the wildcat mountain rd area of the Mt Hood National Forest!

July 31st on Memaloose road in Mt Hood National Forest 11 Volunteers removed 1,536 cubic feet of garbage! Way to go!

On August 14th at 9am in Hood River County Forestry we’ll be hosting another cleanup on Kingsley Road. Give Dominic a call for more details – (503)484-6292. Also use the box in the upper right hand corner to subscribe to this blog to keep updated and help out when we make it in your area! Together we’ve removed 14,976 cubic feet of garbage from public land in Oregon & Washington in the past 12 months!

Rachel Taleff

Board Member

The positive news:

Story #1

Courtesy of Oregon Forestry Dept

“Oregon Lottery – It does good things” - Oregon created a new state forest for the first time since 1948, 43,000 acres of young pine trees in central Oregon. The state purchased the land from Fidelity National Timber Resources Inc., of Whitefish, Mont., with $15 million in lottery-backed bonds.

The land was owned for much of the 20th century by the founders of the town of Gilchrist. The department said Gilchrist Timber Co. sold it to Crown Pacific Partners, which logged the timber in the 1990s and replanted before going broke. Fidelity National Timber Resources bought 293,000 acres from Crown Pacific in 2006. It is the real estate subsidiary of Fidelity National Financial Inc., a title insurance company based in Florida.

The sale was part of a strategy of finding buyers who would maintain conservation benefits of the land, said Greg Lane, executive vice president of Fidelity National Timber Resources. – Source: Registered Guard

Story #2

Oregon Dept of Fish & Wildlife announced Rocky Mountain Goat reintroduction. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are about to move 30 to 40 Rocky Mountain goats from their home in the Elkhorn Mountains onto the slopes of Oregon’s second-tallest peak.

He said the goats will be trapped with a drop-net in northeast Oregon’s Elkhorn Mountains, home of the state’s 400-strong parent herd.

They will be taken to the upper headwaters of the Whitewater River, which is on the Warm Springs Reservation.

Assuming all goes well, he said, additional transplant sites in the future might include the slopes of Three Sisters, Three Fingered Jack and, eventually, the Columbia River Gorge.

A few introductions were attempted in the gorge a few decades ago, but only a few goats at a time were transplanted, not enough to establish breeding herds. – Source: Oregon Live

Story #3

Courtesy of NAU

Project Wilderness is up for a $10,000 grant which you can help us win! NAU.Com a Portland, Oregon based clothing company is awarding $10,000 to support one non-profit who instigates lasting, positive change in their communities.

You ask, what will Project Wilderness do with the $10,000 if they win? Well, here’s your answer:

Project Wilderness is working to break the mold of standard non-profit funding by developing a Portland based for-profit subsidiary.

“The Green House”, a wilderness themed ale house will donate 100% of proceeds above and beyond standard operating expenses for Project Wilderness to improve & expand public land in the Pacific Northwest. In addition The Green House will serve as a conduit to further engage the community in stewardship education and volunteerism.

Click the link to vote for Project Wilderness!

http://www.nau.com/collective/grant-for-change/project-wilderness-1375.html.share

Tragic news:

Courtesy of Terry Richard

News reports said a hiker fell to his death on Saddle Mountain this past weekend. Reports said the accident occurred after a group of hikers reached the mountain’s 3,283-foot summit Sunday. One of the hikers in his 20s apparently went out on a ledge to take some pictures, lost his footing and fell more than 100 feet down a steep slope. Rescuers said the hiker died shortly after a rescue climber was able to reach him. – Source: KATU

This is not the first death at saddle mountain and recently a hiker died at Silver Falls State Park.

Remember while hiking obey signs warning of danger & do not climb over any fence. The photo is not worth your life.

Dominic Aiello

Founder & President

www.projectwilderness.org

www.facebook.com/projectwilderness

www.twitter.com/prowilderness

For those members, supporters and volunteers of Project Wilderness once, sometimes twice, a month Saturday is just another day in the office. However, don’t be confused…this is our office….

So come join us for a “work party”, haha pun definitely intended, at one of the upcoming cleanups;

- May 15th;
Info: Gravel Pit Cleanup
Location: North Fork Gravel Pit in Whatcom County, WA
Time: 8:30am
View Map

- June 12th:
Info: Mt Hood National Forest (Wildcat Mountain Rd)
Time: 8:00am – 12:00pm
Location: Oregon 211 & SE Firwood Rd, Clackamas, Oregon
View Map

- June 26th;
Info: Scappoose area Forest Cleanup
Time:  9:00am – 1:00pm
Location:Pigsah Home Rd

- August 12th;
Info: Hood River County Forest Cleanup
Time: 9:00am – 2:00pm
Location: Kinglsey Rd
View Map

We appreciate all the loyal outdoor enthusiast that continue to report public land in need of our support. Without you we couldn’t achieve our goals. Please continue to report unnatural occurrences and hope you can join us!

Dominic Aiello

Founder & President

www.projectwilderness.org

www.facebook.com/projectwilderness

www.twitter.com/prowilderness

Earlier in the year a hunter from the Bend area reported that China Hat Rd in the Deschutes National Forest had become a dumping ground. Fed up he turned to Project Wilderness for help in cleaning this place up!

We arrived to meet Mark McCraken, US Forest Ranger near the Lost Tracks Golf Course around 9:30am. Did I mention we were coming from Portland? … yes that’s right… that means we had left Portland at around 6am…on a Saturday morning. Luckily when it comes to the great outdoors, I can be a morning person.

The day before Mark emailed me this map

Dang good sketch for a government employee if you ask me! The distances are even spot on! Couldn’t ask for anything more from an employee in an underfunded department of the federal government. Mark McCraken gets a round of applause from me! This forest and it’s users are lucky to have his as it’s guardian.

Did you know that there are only 2 National Forest Service Law enforcement officers to cover 1.6 million acres of the Deschutes National Forest?

Pulling up to the first site that we knew had a large hot-tub, we joke …

We’ll all have to jump into the hot-tub and get some funny pictures

Yes, well walking up to the hot-tub our noses notified us that siting anywhere near this hot-tub was unlikely if you wanted to hold down breakfast. It was filled with rain water, and 3 decomposing chipmunks were floating in the water.

After dumping the water out, including the dead chipmunks, we proceeded to attempt to tow it to the main road side for haul to the dump. The truck easily began towing, however, our tow straps (yes plural is correct) could not take the stress and snapped. Clearly we need higher rated straps for the future. We finally gave up on towing the hot-tub and called in a Boy Scout Troop leader from the area that had a trailer.

Before the end of the day all the locations marked on the map were successfully cleaned! Here’s pictures from a couple of the other areas cleaned.

Hey! Get back to work!

More Goofing off!

Other than illegal dumping in the area, upon noticing lots of deer carcasses laying around I asked Mark if there is a problem with people poaching in the area. He confirmed that yes, unfortunately that there is poaching going on.

Clearly this specific picture could be dumped skulls and not poached. However every trash site included a deer carcass, several of which still had red tissue on the joints. Pointing to out of season kills. I would like to remind everyone that poachers are not hunters they are poachers. The hunters I know take pride in legal and ethical methods to harvest meat. Meat which was from an animal that was able to roam free its entire life and not confined to a pasture or barn before slaughter. Poachers ignore laws and use any means possible to harvest meat, regardless of the effects on the overall health of the animal population.

After everything was said and done we gathered 9 truck loads of garbage that equaled 3,456 cubic feet of garbage! Here are a couple pictures from the surrounding area and more proof of why we need to stay vigilant in our work!

Until next time, get outside and enjoy what nature has to offer…and if you see someone driving into the forest with a truck full of garbage write down the license plate number, call 911, and try to get a picture of them actually dumping it to provide as evidence to the police. Following these simple steps will ensure a proper conviction!

Dominic Aiello

Founder & President

www.projectwilderness.org

www.facebook.com/projectwilderness

www.twitter.com/prowilderness

]]> http://projectwilderness.wordpress.com/2010/04/27/celebrating-earth-day-in-deschutes-national-forest/feed/ 0 Dominic Aiello Central Oregon Deschutes National Forest Cleanup Map Hot-tub Deschutes National Forest Cleanup Deschutes National Forest Cleanup Deschutes National Forest Cleanup Deschutes National Forest Cleanup Deschutes National Forest Cleanup Deschutes National Forest Cleanup Deer skulls Deschutes National Forest Cleanup Deschutes National Forest Cleanup Deschutes National Forest Cleanup http://projectwilderness.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/earth-month-photo-contest-the-winners-are-in/ http://projectwilderness.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/earth-month-photo-contest-the-winners-are-in/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:01:55 +0000 Dominic Aiello http://projectwilderness.wordpress.com/?p=346 ]]> In honor of Earth Month, Project Wilderness held a photo contest for the best Pacific Northwest Native Plant photo.

64 Photos & 320 Votes later, we have our winners!

Before we get to the pictures, we want to thank ever photographer that submitted a photo! There are an abundance of amazing pictures. This is clear by how distributed the votes are. Also be sure to check out our facebook page,  we’re continually holding contest with great prizes. Visit the facebook fan page now and enter two win two tickets to any regular season Portland Timbers home game, courtesy of the Portland Timbers.

Also, to celebrate earth day we’ll be in the Deschutes National Forest this Saturday 4/24 cleaning along China Hat Road, a known area for illegal dumping. If you can’t make it be sure to check facebook or projectwilderness.org on Sunday for post cleanup report.

Here are a few great photo’s that received honorable mentions.
All rights are reserved by the individual photographers. Permission for download or re-posting individual photos is not granted unless provided by the individual photographer.

Adam Sawyer

Brian Jim

Mike Bostwick

Richard Harding

Richard Harding

Philip Peterson

Now for the winners!
First Place

Photographer - Andrew Macrea

Second Place

Photographer - Pete Bowling

Third Place

Photographer - Patrick Smith

Dominic Aiello

Founder & President

www.projectwilderness.org

www.facebook.com/projectwilderness

www.twitter.com/prowilderness

Buttes Creek

I must say, although the weatherman would never call me and can’t change the weather it sure seems he’s looking out for Project Wilderness on cleanup days! I can’t recall a single cleanup that it rained. So not only do we get to spend sunny days out in mountains & forest, which, we may not have otherwise had the chance to experience, but we’re making it better! No matter how tired I am after a cleanup, I always feel good.

On Saturday, March 27th we worked out in the Scotts Mills, Oregon area forest. This area was reported to us from local recreational shooters that noticed trash accumulating. Even though they packed out more debris than they created it didn’t seem to make an impact. We cleaned what appeared to be two small shooting areas, little did we know one would turn out to be a dumpsite;

Site #1

Site #1

Pulling up to site # 1, pictured above, we jumped out eager to pickup trash. Divide and conquer was the plan. Of course this site and site # 2 look small, especially compared to other cleanups we’ve done, however don’t judge a book by it’s cover. The worst of the trash had been thrown into the bushes, which was full of thorns!

After - Site # 1

Site #2

Asha – “Anyone interested in going for a swim?”

Me; “No, why?”

Asha – “Well, because there’s a kiddie pool over here.”

That was good for a laugh, until the reality hit. It just wasn’t a kiddie pool, but lots of household garbage that had been dumped over the edge with it.

Site #2

Let me tell you, I thought I’d seen the nastiest stuff during previous cleanups. However, I think I’ve come across the winner. A bag full of decomposing diapers. They had started to turn into this green ooze, and the smell…yuck, almost enough to make you vomit. After everything was said and done we gathered 384 cubic feet of garbage on the 27th.

To-date Project Wilderness has been in existence for less than 1 year and we’ve removed 6,528 cubit feet of garbage from public land in the Pacific Northwest! Check out projectwilderness.org for all the cleanups to-date.

Dominic Aiello
Founder & President
www.projectwilderness.org

Just outside the Eugene area near the Willamette National Forest is Fall Creek Reservoir. Fall Creek is home to “Party Cove”, an area with plenty of beautiful scenery, a water fall & rope swing making this a prime summer hot spot!

Recently I was contacted by a fellow that goes by “Thuggin4Life” on www.oregonfishingforum.com. Living in Springfield, OR he writes;

Huge mess unearthed while water level is low

…As I got close I see cans glimmering in the sun, passed several floating beer bottles, and noticed a few cans here and there along the shoreline. I rounded the corner to Party Cove and I quickly became pissed off. … Someone should close Party Cove down. I would like to maybe set up a volunteer clean up. The only thing is; it’s a long hike down the road and don’t even know where to pull over. The best bet is by boat. Who do you report things like this to? Does anyone even care? Please don’t sink your cans and bottles they don’t just disappear forever.

A cleanup was organized;
16 Volunteers
3 Boats
3 Dogs

As we pull up to “Party Cove”, it clearly looks like what you would expect to see in the movies after a huge beach party. Only difference is – This isn’t the movies;

After wading through sometimes almost knee high muck and carefully picking up thousands of broken beer bottle pieces that would easily cut a swimmers foot the area begins to look natural again;

Then the task of shuttling all the people and newly collected garbage back to shore.

Finally after working from around 10am through 2pm all the garbage, volunteers and great dogs are back on dry land.

In all 65 bags of garbage was gathered, of that 65 it’s estimated approximately 60 of those contained ONLY beer cans & beer bottles. Which have been marked for the recycling center. Thuggin4Life said it best – “they don’t just disappear forever.” Just because something is “out of sight – out of mind” it isn’t gone…very few items can truly just “disappear”. In response to his earlier question “does anyone really care?” – Yes thuggin4life, you care, we care and clearly the other volunteers care. I imagine if you’re reading this then you care too, and you can help do your part. Not only by leaving the places you love natural, but by reporting areas that have become “un-natural” to us at Project Wilderness. Remember we strive to host a cleanup once every month, rain or shine. Together we can eliminate littering & dumping at our beautiful places which have been protected by the previous generations for our and future generations to enjoy!

In closing here is a couple great pictures from other OregonFishingForum.com members taken after the cleanup;

Dominic Aiello

Founder & President

Just this past weekend I was driving on a forest road, you know those “2 lane” paved roads that really are just wide enough for 1 truck let alone two vehicles! They always make my knuckles white as another truck and I have to pass each other. Both have 2 wheels on the dirt edge and we still almost hit mirrors. I didn’t count but on the way down I easily encountered 15 other vehicles. This was around 2pm, I can’t imagine how busy the road was earlier in the day.

Now, think how much of an impact would be made on that area if everyone left something behind!

Maybe something like this?

To be honest; that place was the worst I have ever seen and hopefully the worst anyone has to ever see! Moving forward as we continue our work to restore and prevent public land from reach that point we’ve announced our cleanup locations for March, April, May & June.

I want to take a moment to thank all those who care enough to take a few minutes and report locations that are in need of our help! It can be easy to see it and forget about it, “out of sight out of mind” as the saying goes. We count on your input to keep up our efforts to keep Oregon & Washington beautiful!

—-
- March 27th, East of Salem in Silverfalls State park there is a recreational shooting area that needs cleaning. Google Maps Location

- April 24th (earth day is 22nd), I received an email from a Central Oregon hunter disgusted with dumping that’s taking place on public land where he hunts, including items like regular garbage and a hot tub.
Horse Butte Road FS RD 1815
China Hat Rd-FS RD 18
It’s SE of Bend in the Deschutes National Forest.

- May 15th, another group of local WA recreation shooters is requesting help on a cleanup they’re trying to organize;
Info: Gravel Pit Cleanup
Location: (North Fork Gravel Pit in Whatcom County)
Date: May 15, 2010
Time: 0830

- June 26th, I received report of an area near Pigsah Home Rd. in the hills about 5 miles west of Scappoose. Debris includes TVs, Propane tanks, wood frames, etc.

—–

While we were out and about in the forest this weekend Asha (Project Wilderness Secretary) and I found some wild Indian Plum.

The Indian Plum (Oemleria Cerasiformis) is generally described as a perennial tree or shrub. This dicot (dicotyledon) is native to the U.S. (United States) has its most active growth period in the spring and summer and fall . The Indian Plum has dark green foliage and inconspicuous white flowers, with a smattering of conspicuous black fruits or seeds. The greatest bloom is usually observed in the early spring, with fruit and seed production starting in the spring and continuing until summer. Leaves are not retained year to year. The Indian Plum has a short life span relative to most other plant species and a rapid growth rate. At maturity, the typical Indian Plum will reach up to 23 feet high, with a maximum height at 20 years of 34 feet. – GardenGuides.com

So in honor of spring flowers we’re holding a little contest! Send us your favorite picture of Pacific Northwest Flowers – wild or garden – and we’ll pick our favorite and give you a great prize from our collection of donations! Email them or post them on our facebook page;

ProjectWilderness@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/projectwilderness

Keep up the efforts and continue to let us know when natural landscape becomes not-so-natural.

Dominic Aiello
Founder & President