Over the past few years Westwind has been renovating Tillicum (the barn near the Salmon River estuary) into a multipurpose, covered outdoor program space. We have been extraordinarily fortunate that donors and grantors have seen the value of these changes. Recently, Pacific Power Blue Sky Community Project awarded Westwind $100,000 to install solar  panels atop Tillicum. Last month The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) awarded $45,000 grant ($25,000 from OCF proper, and $20,000 from the RAM Foundation) to renovate Tillicum’s interior space. Thank you to both foundations!
Recent grant to fund Estuary Arts & Science programming for Camp Westwind & CampershipsJust last week, to cap off this great focus on a Tillicum, an anonymous grantor awarded $20,000 towards to support and evolve Westwind programming in and around the estuary. For example, Westwind will improve its naturalist activities and convey the intricacy of salmonid life cycles through aquatic tanks, fish models/specimen mounts, and interactive displays situated in Tillicum’s soon to be rebuilt tack room (we have yet to name the room – your ideas are welcome!). Campers and other students and guests will learn science through art, science and direct engagement with the estuary. With gear purchased through the grant, participants will canoe down the estuary to conduct water quality tests, study microscopic life in the water, gather macro-aquatic specimens through seine The idea is that in future years Westwind will offer a stand-alone ‘Water Camp’ to focus on this most fundamental component of our lives, and answering Westwind’s call to ‘Tell the Story of Life through Water.”Water Camp’s innovative program elements will include: orienteering through the watershed, plotting ecotones and secrets of nature; Gyotaku (fish printmaking) on handmade beach grass paper; Live Salmon Cycle activities; and guest field instructors from partner organizations (Salmon Drift Creek Watershed Council, Native Fish Society, Friends of Cascade Head Marine Reserve, Oregon Coast Aquarium and researchers from ODFW, US Fish & Wildlife, and NOAA). Campers will measure water quality, conduct hikes and trail activities (art, writing, invasives removal, native plant seed collection, etc.) on Westwind’s ‘Water Loop,’ and follow water through its entire cycle within the Westwind ecosystem. Stay tuned! Continued giving to Camperships!Finally, the grant from this anonymous foundation will pay for limited Camperships for Teen Adventure and Trekkers programming that will pilot some of these newest ‘Water Camp’ programming elements. This component of the grant echoes Westwind’s ongoing End of Year appeal to support financial aid for campers who otherwise could not afford camp. If you have not done so already, please donate now to Camperships! |
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netting, and conduct direct field observations.