The daily Astorian., August 18, 2016, Page 11, Image 21

AUGUST 18, 2016 // 11
and the Elmer Feldenheimer State nat-
ural Area, Wickersham says Boneyard
Ridge represents a large contiguous
area that stretches from the coast to the
Necanicum Estuary, all of which make
NCLC extremely proud of this project.
“There’s something special about
going out there the irst time and realiz-
ing it’s always going to be here, always
going to exist,” he says.
30 YEARS AND COUNTING
It is said that change is the only
constant. From the NCLC point of view,
that’s fantastic news, particularly when
it comes to its growing staff.
“We got our second staff member
about 10 years ago, Katie Voelke, our
director,” Wickersham says. Grants
were written to help fund staff positions,
and, slowly but surely, what began as
a small all-volunteer effort in 1986
evolved into a conservation role model
that now enlists eight staff and the sup-
port of hundreds of volunteers.
Wickersham says the grassroots be-
ginnings — which included meeting in
people’s living rooms — have molded
NCLC into what it is today.
“To be able to reach out into the
community and keep the level of sup-
port we have has been monumental,” he
says.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of any
nonproit, and NCLC is no exception.
Wickersham says they have about 30
to 40 regular volunteers, as well as
hundreds more they can call on for help
with everything from budgetary help, to
leading nature walks, to staging events.
“The core of the NCLC is the volun-
teers, and many of them have been here
since the beginning,” he says. “Getting
to work with so many dedicated people
makes coming to work fun every day.”
When it comes to a project wishlist
for the next 30 years, Wickersham says
NCLC is always looking forward.
“We like to say we’re on a 500-year
time line,” he says with a laugh, adding
that they are constantly drafting and
updating conservation plans with the
future in mind.
With land at a premium and more
and more people choosing the North
Coast as a place to live or play, Wicker-
sham sees NCLC stewardship as a vital
piece of the conservation puzzle.
Having grown up in the area, he feels
that people who come here are drawn
to the natural beauty and the efforts to
preserve it.
“People, plants and animals all thrive
on the North Coast,” he says. “Every-
thing has its place, and we want to con-
tinue to protect the special places here.”
THE GOAL
HAS ALWAYS
BEEN A FULLY
FUNCTIONING
COASTAL
LANDSCAPE
WHERE
PEOPLE,
PLANTS AND
WILDLIFE
THRIVE.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Staf of North Coast Land Conservancy stand in a clearing on Boneyard Ridge, looking north to Seaside and east to the conservancy’s Circle Creek
Habitat Reserve.
PHOTO BY DANNY MILLER
Views from the trail at Circle Creek Habitat Reserve.
The property will host a summer picnic Aug. 25 in
honor of NCLC’s 30th anniversary.
PHOTO BY KATHERINE LACAZE
Last November, volunteers helped the North Coast
Land Conservancy plant more than 10,000 early
blue violets on the Clatsop Plains between Gearhart
and Warrenton.
PHOTO BY KATHERINE LACAZE
About 35 volunteers showed up to NCLC’s Circle Creek Trails Cleanup on April 23 to prepare
the habitat reserve for the summer hiking season.