Announcing the Lost Valley Nature Center

Announcing the Lost Valley Nature Center

 
October, 2005

Dear Friend,                          

This letter is to request your participation in an exciting new project here at Lost Valley Educational Center: the Lost Valley Nature Center.

Lost Valley’s biologically rich, diverse land holds amazing potential to serve as a Nature Center and place for on-the-ground environmental education, but until now we have not developed that aspect much. Based on my conversations with neighbors, community members, and other friends, as well as my own strong interests in these areas, I realize that the time is ripe for Lost Valley to become a place where we, our conference guests, program participants, and many others can better explore the natural world and the intricate webs of life in which we participate. The Nature Center will help give structure and language to the experience of attunement that many people already find on the land here, and will provide more opportunities for us and our visitors to develop awareness, knowledge, sensitivity, curiosity, understanding, and appreciation of what is going on all around us ecologically. As our naturalist neighbor (and future Nature Center instructor) Dave Bontrager says, nature study, like bird watching, can be addictive—there is always more to discover. We want to create the space at Lost Valley for people of all ages to discover and rediscover the natural world in deeper, ever more fascinating ways.

I am proposing a new part-time position at Lost Valley focusing on:

•    nature trail development on our 87 acres

•    development of interpretive materials (especially signs and booklets) about Lost Valley’s natural history: plants, animals (from birds to gastropods to rodents, amphibians, insects, and everything in between), geology, ecosystems and ecotones, species relationships, food webs, seasonal cycles, human interactions, etc.

•    creation of ecologically-focused programs, walks, and other opportunities for nature observation and study

•    coordination with DELVE (Lost Valley’s children’s education program), EPCP (our Ecovillage and Permaculture program), local naturalists, and others to create materials and nature-study opportunities appropriate to all ages and levels of expertise

•    coordination with the Events staff to give those coming to Lost Valley for retreats and workshops more opportunities to learn about and experience the natural environment on our land

•    coordination of volunteers and nature center members to help develop ecological-education materials, trails, facilities, and programs at Lost Valley

•    encouraging diverse, creative approaches to environmental education, and inviting participation in the creation of journals, displays, etc., that look at nature from all angles encompassing the poetic, the scientific, the mystical, the mythic, the historical, the personal…

There are many more aspects of this work which will emerge over time. But the brass tacks is: until tangible income starts coming in from Nature Center-related programs, we will be raising the initial funds for this project and position through individual donations and grants—Founding Nature Center Memberships and Gifts. Depending on the amount of money we raise, we will be able to fund a salaried position (quarter or half time at the outset), supplies, and production of interpretive materials (signs, publications, etc.). If we raise enough money, we may be able to purchase a yurt or other structure to serve as the headquarters for the Nature Center and its resource library. Ultimately, I have hopes that we may be able to protect the land in perpetuity through a land trust based on Nature Center donations, grants, and memberships. But no matter what the future holds, developing a Nature Center here is something we can do now to make better use of the tremendous educational potential of our 87 acres.

I believe that everyone who comes to Lost Valley will benefit from this project. If you can help, you will be welcome to visit and view (or take part in) our progress. All contributions are tax-deductible; you can make your check to “Lost Valley Educational Center—Nature Center Fund.”

We also welcome feedback and ideas: this Nature Center and its programs will be up to all of us to create, and your input will be invaluable.

Thanks very much for considering this—I hope this project inspires you as much as it does me—

Chris Roth

PS: We will keep all donors/members informed as our Nature Center unfolds. Please let us know if you do NOT want to be publicly acknowledged for your contribution. Thank you, in advance, to those who can help make this dream a reality.

Lost Valley Nature Center c/o LVEC, 81868 Lost Valley Lane, Dexter, OR 97431, 541-937-2567 ext. 116, nature@lostvalley.org

Lost Valley Nature Center Founding Memberships

Contributions received will determine the extent of our Nature Center development this coming year. Here’s what these total amounts could fund:

$5000: a quarter-time position, needed supplies, and the development of some interpretive trails, educational materials, and programs

$10,000: a half-time position, more extensive trail, material, and program development

$20,000: all of the above, plus purchase or down payment on a structure to house educational materials, displays, and programs

$50,000: all of the above, plus first steps toward putting the Nature Center land into a land trust

$100,000-$500,000: all of the above and more, including, at the upper end of the scale, development of more extensive, permanent educational facilities and securing the land and its ecological integrity in perpetuity

We invite you to join us at whatever level you choose. This will be an ongoing project, and each step we are able to take toward this larger vision will bring its own, independent benefits. Every contribution, from small to large, helps.

All contributions are fully tax-deductible. Here are membership categories to choose from—or feel free to create your own species niche:

Friends of the Lost Valley Nature Center:
__ Pacific Dewberry Rubus ursinus $25
__ Salal Gaultheria shallon $50
__ Serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia $75

Founding Nature Center Members:
__ Lazuli Bunting Passerina amoena $100
__ Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias $250
__ Swainson’s Thrush Catharus ustulatus $500

Nature Center Benefactors:
__ Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii $1000
__ Pacific Madrone Arbutus menziesii $2000
__ Bigleaf Maple Acer macrophyllum $5000
__ Oregon Oak Quercus garryana $10,000

Land Trust Angels:
__ Tiger Lily Lilium columbianum $20,000
__ Blue Camas Camassia quamash $50,000
__ Calypso Orchid Calypso bulbosa $100,000

__ Other: ___________________ $_________

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