By Terry Lavender
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Water Tenders, Bear Creek Basin Conservationists
By Terry Lavender
Monday, October 22, 2018
Water Tenders 2018 "Salmon Seeson" is cancelled -- lack of rain
Water Tender President Susan Wilkins at Issaquah fish hatchery |
Every year the Water Tenders pick up 1-2 Chinook salmon from the Issaquah fish hatchery for their Bear Creel exhibit. Susan Wilkins, Water Tenders President says,"this is an excellent way for viewers to see and touch the gills, scaling, and fins for show and tell." Here's a picture of Susan at the hatchery standing by two chinook she was saving for the exhibit.
Salmon docent holding chinook |
A few other Water Tenders projects are removal of invasive Knotweed and Blackberry shrubs from wetlands and creeks, monitoring the Western Pearlschell populations -- an indicator of stream health -- measuring rainfall within the Bear Creek Basin, and activism to protect wetlands and streams from proposed environmental sensitive land-use developments.
If you'd like more information about the Water Tenders or want to join this non--profit ($25) please e-mail Bob at redmondblog@gmail.com
-- Bob Yoder
Photos, Yoder
Monday, December 3, 2012
Water Tenders exhibit at Redmond Town Center REI store December 9
Key Club members help Water Tenders restore riparian habitat on a Bear Creek tributary. My daughter Lexie recruited these volunteers. She's on the Water Tenders Board. |
Friday, April 10, 2009
THE WATER TENDERS
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Water Tenders Celebrate 25 years of care for Bear Creek Basin
They handed out salmon cut-outs to children and told visitors about the trail along the creek only a few blocks away from REI.
Some of the projects they've done over the years involve: a Newsletter, Monitoring, Education and Outreach, Plant salvages and native plantings, Adopt a Natural area maintenance, Task Forces, and Advocacy.
Want to help or at least know what is going on? Join Water Tenders by sending $20 and your name and address and email to Water Tenders, P.O. Box 402, Woodinville, WA. 98072. www.watertenders.org
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Take the Plunge - Join Water Tenders!
Water Tenders Celebrate 25 Years with Anniversary Barbecue
Water Tenders has been working hard the past 25 years to maintain and protect Bear Creek, it’s headwaters, creeks, streams, and wetlands that make up the Bear Creek Basin. It’s time to celebrate, acknowledge, and reconnect with the Water Tenders volunteers and members, past and present, who have helped make this accomplishment possible.
We are hosting a 25th Anniversary Barbecue, open to the public, at Mary Cash Farm, on Sunday, September 15 at 3:30 PM. We will be grilling hamburgers and veggie burgers and of course, we will have a 25th Anniversary cake for dessert. We will also provide the paper and plasticware for meals.
Participants are asked to bring an appetizer or salad and their own drinks (alcohol is not allowed in King County Parks).
We will have a variety of posters, booklets, flyers, and newsletters on display to illustrate our rich history.
Mary Cash Farm is located at the intersection of Woodinville-Duvall Road and 182nd Avenue NE. Overflow parking will be available across the street in the upper parking lot of the Cottage lake Presbyterian Church and Preschool located at 18350 NE Woodinville-Duvall Place.
Please RSVP to jan-guy@hotmail.com if you think you will attend so we can get a headcount for burgers. We hope to see you there!
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Water Tenders is resurrected
Key Club members help to restore a Bear Creek tributary My daughter Lexie is far left; she recruited the Key Club members. |
The torch of Water Tenders (WT) leadership was passed from President Eric Soshea to Susan Wilkins at the WT Annual Meeting last week. Many of the of the original tenders were present, including a relative of the founder. Leader Terry Lavender and past president Dick Schaetzel were out of town. Gary Smith was present. Debbie Aftebro from Novelty Hill had never attended a WT meeting yet she collects and measures rainwater for Guy Baltzelle's program. She wanted to meet Guy but unfortunately he wasn't at the meeting. Shirley Doolittle-Egerdahl was up front with Susan and Eric. Shirley was once President and is now the Treasurer, replacing John Reinke,who replaced Dick S. One of the new board members, Heather Poe was president and secretary for WT in the Early 2000 - 2005 era (before Susan became a member.) Shirley Doolittle-Egerdahl was also once a president along with five others.
Friday, September 30, 2016
Witness the salmon journey through Redmond and Woodinville
Native salmon – sockeye, chinook, coho and chum – have begun their journey from the open ocean to their birthplaces in the streams and rivers that feed into Puget Sound. You may be able to witness their amazing journey at locations around King County.
Best viewing late September to mid-November (self-guided daily during KIS Farm hours)Bear Creek in Redmond, 12526 Avondale Rd. NE
For info on docent-led visits: Linda at 425-882-1846 or lyhussey@comcast.net
More info: 206-437-8754
Sponsored by Water Tenders
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Water Tenders open an exhibit at the Woodinville Library
Guy Baltzelle (left) and Dick Schaetzel at the Woodinville Library Water Tender Exhibit/ JOHN REINKE
The public is invited to stop by the Woodinville Library to view the new Water Tender exhibit featuring the behavior and biology of Bear Creek's salmon and fresh water mussels. Water Tenders reach out to educate the community on the value and presence of local salmon and shellfish and monitor the health of their ecosystem. Learn more about the Water Tenders at the library or by visiting their website at www.watertenders.org
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Friday, January 7, 2022
VIDEO UPDATE: Bear Creek and the Stewards Who Saved a Salmon Stream
Redmond Historical Society: "Bear Creek a small stream east of Seattle – some Redmond residents don’t even know it runs through town ending at the Sammamish River between Marymoor Park and Redmond Town Center -- but Bear Creek is notable for its historically strong runs of wild salmon. In the past half-century those runs have declined, especially that of the threatened Puget Sound Chinook. That trend is sadly common in Northwest waterways, but in this case the decline has been slowed by local efforts to support the fish."
Interview with Shirley Doolittle-Egerdahl -- Water Tender President & Board member with long family history of life at Paradise Lake, the headwaters of Bear Creek.
Interview with Terry Lavender, *Founder of Water Tenders and Board Chair. Terry describes her long experience on Bear Creek working with citizen groups and county officials to preserve and rehabilitate property on and around the creek.
Interview with Mayor John Marchione.
Interview with Dick Schaetzel, past President of Water Tenders (1991.) Very active. Dick's home is 30 feet from Bear Creek.
Interview with Tom Murdock, Executive Director of "Adopt A Stream."
Ray Heller, King County Basin Steward for Bear Creek, 91-93
Written Q&A with Roger Dane C.O.R. Public Works.
Many thanks to the Redmond Historical Society for initiating and publishing "Bear Creek and the Stewards Who Saved a Salmon Stream," 1980 - 2020 (7/13/2021)
-- Bob Yoder, 1/7/2022
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Redmond-Cascade Conservancy forestry stewardship project is launched
Neighbor Lisa from the Parks farm volunteered as did two officers from the Water Tenders. Several passersby signed up for the next project. It was hard work but rewarding. We removed 40 gallons of recyclable drinking containers. (A month ago 120 gallons were removed). Invasive plants were removed from approximately 8000 square feet of forest floor . We protected and left untouched a low-lying bird's nest with two chicks.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
UPDATED: Bear Creek advocates hold meeting
Credit/ Water Tender John Reinke |
The torch of Water Tenders (WT) leadership was passed from President Eric Soshea to Susan Wilkins at the WT Annual Meeting last week. Many of the of the original tenders were present, including a relative of the founder. Leader Terry Lavender and past president Dick Schaetzel were out of town. Gary Smith was present. Debbie Aftebro from Novelty Hill had never attended a WT meeting yet she collects and measures rainwater for Guy Baltzelle's program. She wanted to meet Guy but unfortunately he wasn't at the meeting. Shirley Doolittle-Egerdahl was up front with Susan and Eric. Shirley was once President and is now the Treasurer, replacing John Reinke,who replaced Dick S. One of the new board members, Heather Poe was president and secretary for WT in the Early 2000 - 2005 era (before Susan became a member.) Shirley Doolittle-Egerdahl was also once a president along with five others.
"The Bear Creek Basin is an exceptionally natural and healthy environment for our native salmon runs given that it is so close to a major metropolitan area. We want to direct more community involvement into observing the stream habitat and collecting year-round data (such as rainfall, water temperature, stream flow) across the whole Bear Creek Basin. We also want to carefully monitor land use planning by the local government jurisdictions to encourage preservation and protection of our land and water resources."
A slide show of my daughter and her Key Club/ Bio-Chem classmates restoring the Bear Creek tributary.