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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 2005)
BY DAVE CONSTANTIN stretches of the McKenzie watershed to logging. The ancient trees here are prime fodder for tim- ber companies. But they also act as anchors for a delicate ecosystem that filters and purifies rain- water and snowmelt, keeping the river clean, clear and inviting. The hope of everyone on this trip is that with enough experiences like this one, these kids will want to take a stand in the coming years to protect this important ecosystem, in- stead of just letting it wash away. Tree’s Company Get ’Em While They’re Young Conservation for the next generation N o one needs to be convinced about the benefits of introducing kids to nature. It’s a no-brainer. Each generation is born more reliant on technology for its enter- tainment. So how can we keep the next crop in- terested in the world outside cell phones, com- puters and iPods? A world that desperately needs their help? The answer is simple, say edu- cators: Show them what they’re missing. To a Rapid Recovery “You see that,” says Donald Burton, point- ing to the stark, clear-cut hill that looms up be- hind us as we float down the crystal waters of the McKenzie River. “They say that’s from kids whose parents didn’t teach them very well.” The five kids in the raft glance back at the giant, fea- tureless dirt mound, silent. Burton watches their reactions and smiles, his lesson received. The bleak outline of the stripped hill stands in strik- ing contrast to the lush growth lining the river- banks. But Burton understands the river is no classroom. For the lessons to really sink in, it’s vital for the kids to simply have fun. Burton is one of those everyday heroes, planning this late summer rafting trip in his free time. He’s teamed up with some kindred spirits in the Lane County Boys and Girls Club, an or- ganization dedicated to providing academic in- centives and responsible recreation to economi- cally disadvantaged children. Most of the adults on the trip are Burton’s friends and neighbors, who share his dedication to introducing kids to nature. Mel Bankoff, a neighbor of Donald’s and the founder of Eugene-based Emerald Valley Organics, has brought his 10-year-old son Marley along. “Kids are just falling through the gaps in this country,“ says Bankoff. “This program is win, win, win, no matter how you look at it.” Storm clouds loom overhead, but several feet below us, the river bottom glides by in full detail. The water is so clear it feels like we’re flying over the rocks. But it seldom gets above 50 degrees. When a couple of errant splashes with the paddles turns into an all-out water fight between rafts, some occupants moan for a truce through chattering teeth. But the kids are clearly enjoying themselves, and all around us, evi- dence of the river’s health makes itself known. Someone points out a pair of osprey that have migrated from Brazil to mate here, and one of the kids spots a bald eagle. Families of mer- ganser ducks hide in the shadows, protecting their fuzzy fledglings from the giant, alien rafts. When we reach the class III Martin’s Rapids near the end, the shouts of glee from the kids serve as a clear sign of the outing’s success. With more than 200,000 Oregonians receiv- ing their drinking water from the McKenzie, these kids aren’t the only ones who need a les- son in keeping it healthy. The Bush administra- tion has recently taken steps to weaken the Northwest Forest Plan, once again opening vital When Theresa Damron talks about red tree voles, her eyes light up and she speaks quietly, her voice full of childish wonder. The red tree vole is a small rodent, unique to Oregon, that spends its entire life in the canopy of old-growth trees, never touching the ground. I suspect Damron would probably do the same if she could. Instead, she’s come up with a way to in- troduce the public, especially children, to the cu- rious world the voles inhabit. Damron runs The Pacific Tree Climbing Institute with her husband, Nathaniel Sperry, and her son Rob Miron. PTCI supplements the couple’s other business, Sperry Tree Care. Damron started this Eco-tourism company a year ago as Oregon’s answer to recreational tree climbing, an activity begun in Atlanta, Ga., 20 years ago with the goal of making forest canopy exploration open to everyone. “I’m convinced change doesn’t happen based on intellectual knowledge,“ says Damron. “It happens based on a sense of emotional emergency. Climbing into the upper reaches of an old growth forest is a transformational experience.” We’re standing in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Blue River, where a group of school children have assembled to climb a tree and, hopefully, walk away trans- formed. H.J. Andrews is a “living laboratory,” where scientists from all over the world come to research stream and forest ecosystems in an at- tempt to anticipate the effects of natural and human impact. On the Lookout Creek old-growth trail, the kids from Fern Ridge Middle School stand in a neat line. Damron gives them a short introduc- tion to their surroundings, reiterating the impor- tance of minimizing impact to the surrounding forest. She outfits some with helmets and har- nesses and directs them over to where Sperry, son Rob, and arborist Jason Seppa wait at the base of a carefully chosen, 150-ft. Douglas fir rigged with climbing ropes. The other kids take turns sitting crammed together in a “tree boat” (a hammock-like canvas platform strong enough to hold a truck), suspended just off the ground, quietly practicing knot-tying. Twenty feet away, their friends are learning how to hoist themselves up the ropes toward an- other tree boat suspended 40 feet over their heads. One by one, they all make the ascent. Some of the girls return to the ground exhila- rated and giddy from their accomplishment. But the boys, adhering to strict middle school social codes, choose to play it cool, like they’ve done it all before. Climbing into the upper reaches of an old growth forest is a transformational experience — Theresa Damron Normally, PTCI shoots for the canopy, but with a group this large, speed and equal opportu- nity dictate a more modest height. As the kids depart, assembly line style, the PTCI crew starts packing up gear. “I know we have some impact on the area,” says Damron, “but while we’re standing here, this stuff is being clear-cut.” I think back to the lunar surface of that hill on the McKenzie. In my book, climbing ropes beat chainsaws any day. But then again, I’ve felt that way since I was a kid. ew For more information contact: Pacific Tree Climbing Institute at 461-9410, www.pacifictreecliming.com or Helfrich’s McKenzie River Rafting at 726-5039, www.raft2fish.com or H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest at (541) 822-6300. N ob od y ’ s B a b y • T i m e W ar p 365 E. 13th St. • 343-6842 Mon-Sat 11-6 • Sun 12-4 C O ST U ME R E N T A L S When Being Someone Else Matters! OCTOBER 27, 2005 13
