Here the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show was kind enough to let us repost Betty's blog about her quilt panel:


When I was invited to participate in this project I envisioned creating something totally different.  The orientation and hike to the area opened my eyes to an inspiring project of the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, the U.S. Forest Service and Deschutes Land Trust.

Artist Betty Gientke's full quilt panel that depicts the remeandering of Whychus Creek at the Land Trust's Camp Polk Meadow Preserve. Photo: Betty Gientke.

The Camp Polk Meadow restoration area guide talked about returning the straight channel to the original meander of the creek.  I didnʼt fully understand what that was all about. With some research after the hike I was able to figure out fish like to hide under logs, and they like slow water with pools, riffles and glides.

It was an “ah-ha” moment for me, since Iʼm not a fisherwoman. The project, to dig a meandering channel through the meadow, would start the process of returning the creek to its original flow and provide quality habitat for fish and other wildlife.

The groups planted some 180,000 native plants, placed 5,000 cubic feet of rocks and 700 logs, and moved fish that were left behind. I wanted to design a quilt that represented some of these things.

When I visited Camp Polk Meadow the skies were grey and the vegetation mostly gold, brown, some green, with an occasional orange. I wanted to represent the remeandering of the creek very simply with the meander being the focus. I pieced and appliqued layers of fabrics and colors. I designed a view from an old Ponderosa pine tree to show some representative rocks and logs along the creek.

There are some representative eddies and pools–and you just might just find one of those elusive fish if you look hard enough.

Itʼs been a privilege to be part of this project. It has given me an increased appreciation for the work of the restoraton groups and the value of the remeandering of Whychus Creek.

Thanks to Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, The Stitchinʼ Post and those working to bring back native fish for the opportunity and challenge to design a piece of the two rivers. I am calling my quilt “Remeandering of Whychus Creek.”

–Betty Gientke

• Learn more about the Quilt for Two Rivers project and the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.
  
• Learn more about the restoration of Whychus Creek at the Land Trust's Camp Polk Meadow Preserve.

for making this project possible.

This year I made the trek with my husband once again--a sweetly gifted day--thanks Grandma and Grandad! We hit the trailhead late on a crazy 80 degree spring day that really felt like summer. I had forgotten that this part of the Grasslands burned last year fall, completely changing the face of this hike. The few trees that lined the trail down into the Whychus Creek Canyon are now charred black skeletons providing little shade or shelter for wildlife. But the ground around those burned trees was a vivid green--already showing signs of renewal and recovery.

A yellow bell, Fritillaria pudica, blooms along the trail to Alder Springs. Photo: Land Trust.

We skirted the top of the canyon enjoying the few early spring flowers dotting the sagebrush flats. First gold fields, Crocidium multicaule, tiny yellow flowers carpeting the bare soil and adding some sun to the scene. Then, prairie star, Lithophragma parviflorum, with its sweet little white-pink flowers and sand lilies, Leucocrinum montanum, with their bright white flowers soaking in the sunshine. Finally a yellow bell, Fritillaria pudica, bravely open on the side of the trail, adding more yellow to the landscape. It's these early flowers, though small and easy to miss, that I look for each year to lift my spirits and convince me that spring will come.

As we descended down the steep trail to Whychus Creek and to the springs itself, we were surprised to find that the fire had burned right down to the creek. Large elderberry and alder  bushes completely burned and even an old ponderosa pine. Surprisingly the interpretive sign that some brave soul must have carried down there survived. We crossed the cold and swift Whychus Creek and continued our way downstream relieved to find less fire damage as hiked.  

We ate our lunch at the confluence of Whychus Creek and the Deschutes River, enjoying the loud roar of the water and the shade of the old ponderosa pines. Refueled and refreshed, we began the 3 mile trek back to our cars catching shade where we could and dipping our hats in the creek to stay cool. An arrowleaf balsamroot, Balsamorhiza sagitta, caught our eye, just starting to bloom in the sheltered nook of a rock. We were also amazed by some large logjams on the creek that must of accumulated during the winter. We could only imagine what fish might be hiding there!

Fire has changed the face of Alder Springs, though it's still worth exploring. Photo: Sarah Mowry.

The cold creek crossing felt wonderful on the return trip giving us a refreshing break before the final ascent. Though we were hot and ready to head home, we stopped along the way to admire a bright blue western bluebird and listen to its song. Relieved to see the car, we nearly missed the most showy flower of the day a dagger pod, Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides, with bright purple flowers hidden in the cleft of a rock right at the trailhead. We hopped in the car, blasted the air conditioning, guzzled some water and started talking about our next trip to Alder Springs. How would this landscape recover from the fire? Recovery had clearly begun, but what would follow? More flowers? Morels? How would it look next year? Guess we'll have to see...

By Eva Eagle

On April 9, I had the pleasure to help Mary Crow lead a Land Trust hike at Whychus Canyon Preserve. The route is sometimes known as the ‘mountain goat walk,’ thanks to a few steep sections where having four feet might be quite helpful. Our group, a full complement of guests and leaders, had no problem with the terrain but respected its difficulty as we made our way down the steep canyon trail.

With the late arrival of spring, this was a welcome hike.  We were favored with a mild day after many stormy ones, yet it was still fairly cool as we descended into the canyon. The signs of spring were subtle--flickers drumming in the treetops, Idaho fescue bunches showing new green close to the earth, sand lily leaves poking through the sandy soil, and a few tiny gold star flowers among the dust. Whychus Creek was flowing rapidly, no doubt too rapidly for the health of the fish that would like more friendly habitat, but the sound alongside our canyon bottom trail was delightful.

Mary knows Whychus Canyon Preserve well, and we were favored with her observations about everything from geology to flowers to badgers to knapweed. We enjoyed watching the aerial displays of tree swallows near the western rimrock, then the more pedestrian, but still very colorful “Rock Doves” (aka “Feral Pigeons”), as they explored possible nest sites. 

Strolling along the creek was pleasant indeed, and it was all too soon that we were heading back up to the canyon rim. This is truly a mountain goat-like section of trail, often testing the stride length of short folk like myself. Then we spread out on The Boulders to enjoy lunch with a view.  As if the canyon and the mountains weren’t enough, we also watched the steady upstream flight of a bald eagle and the circling of turkey vultures above the opposite wall of the canyon.

Of course, once at The Boulders we still had two miles to go to the trailhead, starting with an uphill slog. But the footing was good, the sun was out, and the old growth trees were beautiful. Drawing close to the gate, we looked over remnants of an old homestead and made up stories about some of the artifacts we saw.  Before long we were heading out the gate and back up the road to our cars, pleasantly tired and relaxed after our five mile loop.

Thank you Mary!  And thanks to Karen, Ehrhard, Elke, David, Andy, Dwayne, Greg, Jodi, Jean, … for making this hike a great First of the Season for me.

Here Land Trust member and attorney John Sorlie has provided some answers to common planned giving questions.

What tax advantages are available when considering planned giving?

• There is a charitable deduction from the estate tax, so every dollar given to charity upon your death reduces the size of your estate and avoids estate taxes on the dollars given away.
• If done during your lifetime, you’ll receive an income tax deduction in the year the gift is given, and to the extent the deduction cannot be fully utilized, it can be carried forward for up to five years.  Lifetime charitable giving also reduces the size of your estate so would accomplish the same estate tax objectives as charitable giving at death.
  

Should I give to a charity while alive or only at my death?
Lifetime giving can be very rewarding because you can see the benefits of the gift while you are alive.  Also, if you have a history of being involved in a charity while you are alive, the charity will be aware of your particular charitable inclinations and you can better direct where the funds should be used.  It’s more difficult for the charity to make those decisions if a gift is left at death and the charity has no history with the person donating.  Lifetime gifts are not always financially possible for everyone, and you should consider a lifetime gifting plan only if you have sufficient assets to support yourself for the remainder of your life.  It’s beneficial to review your financial situation with a trusted advisor before making significant lifetime gifts.

What are some of the common methods of planned giving?
There are a variety of ways to make a planned charitable gift. The most common forms are:

• Direct gifts such as gifts of stock, cash, or real estate to a charity.
• Lifetime gifts that reserve a benefit to the donor.  These include gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts where the donor receives an income stream after the gift is made.
• Gift of a qualified plan such as IRA or 401(k) account.  These accounts hold pretax money so if left to a family member upon your death, the family member will be obligated to pay income tax on the amounts withdrawn from the account.  In addition, the entire account is included as part of your estate for estate tax purposes.  If given to a charity, the account passes to the charity free of income tax.  In addition, it will qualify for the charitable deduction for the estate tax.  So, the tax that would be due if these accounts are left to a family member could be avoided if left to a charity.
• Through a private foundation or donor advised fund.  These are gifts made through a fund or foundation established by the donor, who then makes annual or testamentary gifts through this organization.  This is a good way to involve children and grandchildren in the donation process to help instill a culture of charitable giving within the family.
  

From: John D. Sorlie
Estate planning attorney
Bryan, Lovlien & Jarvis, PC