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The Resilient Homestead

Sanctuary Forest  News:

1. Water, Fire & Soils

2. Scholarships Announced

Join Sanctuary Forest on Saturday, June 14th for the Resilient Homestead: Water, Fire & Soils hike. Led by Kyle Keegan and family on the Fool’s Farm in Salmon Creek, this hike will focus on building resilience on the homestead through a holistic land stewardship approach that integrates water, fire and soils. The day will include: permaculture design principles in action, water conservation techniques, groundwater recharge projects, no-till gardening, rainwater catchment, swale design and placement, brush check-dams, perennial bunchgrass and oak woodland reclamation/restoration, an active biochar kiln, and fire hazard reductionwith wildlife, water, soils and native foods in mind. Participants will also have an opportunity to purchase rare perennial edible plants from the Fool’s Farm nursery. Bring a lunch, water and notepad and wear sturdy shoes, long pants and sun protection. Exertion level on this hike is moderate. Please meet at the Shop Smart parking lot in Redway at 9 a.m. to carpool. This hike is limited to 25 people and pre-registration is required. Please contact Sanctuary Forest at 986-1087 x 1# to reserve a spot. For more information regarding specific hike topic details, you can contact Kyle Keegan at 943-1504, or owlsperch@asis.com. This hike is free of charge, though donations are gladly accepted and help Sanctuary Forest to offer this program year after year!

Support from volunteers and local businesses have made this program possible for Sanctuary Forest. Local businesses that have made generous contributions are Blue Star Gas, Caffe Dolce, Charlotte’s Perennial Gardens, Chautauqua Natural Foods, Dazey’s Supply, First Fig Gallery, Hohstadt’s Garden Center, Humboldt Bar & Grill, James Holland, MSW Counseling Services, J. Angus Publishing Group, Madrone Realty, Mattole Meadows, Mattole River Studios, Monica Coyne Artist Blacksmith, Ned Harwood Construction, Pierson Building Center, Redwood Properties, Roy Baker, O.D., Southern Humboldt Fitness, Sylvandale Gardens, The Security Store, Vella Wood Flooring, Whitethorn Construction, Whitethorn Winery, Wildberries Marketplace and Wyckoff’s Plumbing.

Sanctuary Forest is a land trust whose mission is to conserve the Mattole River watershed and surrounding areas for wildlife habitat and aesthetic, spiritual and intrinsic values, in cooperation with our diverse community.

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PS. Sanctuary Forest announces 2014 Scholarship Winners

by Eric Shafer

Whitethorn, CA, June 2014- Sanctuary Forest announces the winners of its Scholarship Program, now in its 19th year. Five outstanding North Coast high school seniors; Cyrus Maden from Mendocino High School, Haleigh Dunk from McKinleyville High School, Joseph L. Caminiti from Fortuna Union High School, Mengjiao Yang from Whale Gulch High School, and Ellen Thompson from the Northcoast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy in Arcata will each receive a $1,000 scholarship in recognition of their demonstrated commitment to environmental protection.

Sanctuary Forest scholarships are generously funded by Sanctuary Forest donors, by the Dimmick Family, the Robert and Maria Kelly Stewardship, Dr. Roy Baker OD and Janice Parakilas, James Friel Plumbing, The Coffee Break, Thrifty Supply, Redway Liquors and Deli, Douglas Ingold, Attorney at Law and The Hemp Connection.

The recipient of the Rondal Snodgrass Scholarship, (recognizing Sanctuary Forest’s founder and first Executive Director), is Mengjiao “Sherry” Yang. A foreign exchange student from China, Sherry is living with her host family in Whale Gulch. She has been accepted by Nick’s Interns, a program offering work to young people committed to helping restore the natural environment. In her own words Sherry explains that she “learned from [her] host father how to benefit from the environment without destroying it. ...I want to learn more about how people around here protect the environment. I still have the hope and dream to alleviate the pollution in China and make both China and America better places after completing a bachelor's degree in the US.” Sherry has been accepted by the University at Buffalo in New York with plans to study biology, chemistry, and physics.

The Dimmick Family Scholarship (funded for 19 years by the Dimmicks, local producers of timber for four generations) honors the compatible goals of sustainable forestry and environmental protection. 2014’s recipient is Joseph L. Caminiti, a resident of Rio Dell. Joseph recognizes how small movements led by skilled individuals “could be enough of a start for some communities...Helping small communities around the world with an environmental engineering degree would be my dream job in [the] future.” Joseph has been accepted by Humboldt State University for the fall semester.

The Robert and Maria Kelly Stewardship provides grants and funding for conservation, preservation, and restoration of natural resources, art, historic architecture and landscapes, and also supports education programs in these areas. Through Sanctuary Forest the Stewardship is awarding Cyrus Maden of Fort Bragg a scholarship to help him continue his study of riparian environments at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Cyrus states, “...I’m passionate about water conservation and riparian ecology...I was...an intern at the Coho Recovery Program at the University of California Cooperative Extension in Sonoma County, and am currently using the data we collected to develop a computer program that compares the survival and migration rates of various juvenile coho.” Cyrus declares he will pursue a “mix of activism and research...to mold into a career as a research associate.”

A second scholarship funded by the Robert and Maria Kelly Stewardship is being awarded to Haleigh Dunk of McKinleyville. Haleigh has been accepted to the College of Arts and Sciences at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. As a volunteer for the McKinleyville Land Trust, member of the Go Green Club at school, and applicant for a summer job with the Youth Conservation Corps, Haleigh continues to be involved in local environmental activities. She states, “...I know that the same issues of protection, restoration, and care for the environment are present worldwide and hope that I can contribute to the preservation of the environment in a larger way in the future.”

The local business community has again generously demonstrated its support of the next generation of environmental leaders with a Sanctuary Forest Business Community Scholarship. The winner of this scholarship is Ellen Thompson of Bayside. Ellen has been accepted to Humboldt State University. Ellen works with her family as stewards of Cloud Ridge Forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains, a sustainably harvested working forest. Ellen plans on “pursuing environmental studies in college with a focus in architecture so that, in the future, I can bring the joy of nature to suburban life. I plan to make environments where individuals feel unified, where nature and peace have a place in the big city.”

Over $60,000 has now been awarded to Sanctuary Forest Scholarship winners. Many have gone on to work in environmental fields contributing to the vitality of the natural world. We congratulate this year’s scholarship recipients and look forward to their positive impact on our shared cause of environmental protection. If you would like to help support the next generation of environmental leaders, or learn more about any aspect of this program, please call Sanctuary Forest at (707) 986-1087 or visit the website at www.sanctuaryforest.org

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