TREE TALK
by Gary Martin“FUN GUYS V”
How’s it going this month! Can you believe the year is going by so fast. Short talk this month, hope that’s OK. I think this will be about our 5th “fun guy” that we’ve checked out. It’s a fungus and it hits Ponderosa and lodgepole pines. We’ve been working in some areas where quite a few of the trees are being hit hard. Sorry I don’t have a photo. We’ll use our good visualization skills. The best way to identify this fun guy is to look for the “galls” that form on branches and stems. These “galls” are round swellings. It’s like an explosion of plant tissue, stimulated by the attack of the fungus. I think it’s a lot like a “tumor” in us humans. It’s not good. These galls can shut off the circulation of water and nutrients to the trees’ needles. The needles will die and the branches will have a “flagging” look. You’ll look up into a tree, see these “galls” on the middle of the branch and dead needles on the end. This is not good. A tree can tolerate only so much of this. Insects and other fungi can also attack the galled plant tissue and make things worse. These galls can also form on the main stem of a tree and are called “cankers”. These “tumors” really weaken the tree and can result in windbreakage. This time of year, a fresh gall can look bright orange with some yellow. This is when it releases spores, which are carried by the wind to perhaps infect more trees. As with other fungi that harm our trees, moisture and poor air movement are involved. By keeping trees thinned out, we can improve air circulation and keep the above ground environment a little drier. The fun guy spores have a tougher time in dry air. Fortunately, we can reduce the negative impacts of this guy with forestry treatments. Overstocked trees (poor air movement) can be thinned out. Infected trees standing tall in the overstory (spreading spores) can be harvested. This fun guy is called “western gall rust”. Latin name Endocronartium harknessii. These “galls” are very distinctive. Something interesting, that you may see, while you’re enjoying a day in the forest.
In other fun news, we’re having an “open house” on May 17, to discuss upcoming projects. We have a “public field trip” scheduled for June 6, to visit the Swimptkin Creek project. We have a “public meeting” scheduled for June 21, to get your input on the Swimptkin Creek project. Please check out our announcement in the Tribune for specific times and locations. You can always call us at 634-2566 also.
For you faithful readers that follow our trivia contests and are wondering what movie I was referring to last month; here it is. Our word was “notion”. The movie is “Sometimes a Great Notion”. It’s been a long time, but I remember that it was good. Have a safe, great spring. We’ll talk with you again next month. J
Winter Report from the Youth Program
Omak kids ice fishing
Lake Roosevelt H.S. making salmon hook molds
Skilskin High School - Tan hides & drum
R-RAC Archery shoot
INCHELIUM HUNTERS 3-D ARCHERY HUNTERS SHOOT
June 3rd & 4th, 2006
9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.
*20+ SHOT COURSE
*NO BROADHEADS
*NO ALCOHOL OR NO DRUGS ALLOWED
*ANIMALS MUST BE ON A LEASH
*SCORE CARDS OPTIONAL
*ENTER AT OWN RISK
*PUBLIC WELCOME – RAFFLE
*YOUTH EDUCATION
*VENDORS WELCOME
*FOOD STAND AVAILABLE
*$5.00 DOLLAR ENTRY FEE
Directions: ¼ mile west of
Gifford Ferry AA Campground
Contact: Aaron Carden @ 509-634-2151 or
Joe Condon @ 509-826-2551Winter has been long and cold but here at Fish & Wildlife, it didn’t slow us down; the youth and I did some major things in the schools and a lot of ceremonial hunting for deer, elk, and turkeys. This winter I visited different schools in the four districts of the reservation to work with the kids in the classroom. One of the things I worked with was introduction to brain tanning of hides.
I started at Inchelium School and learned a little, a different method of teaching for different schools in order to fit in with their schedules. I learned that you need to be prepared for whatever the kids and teachers throw at you on the interest part as well the time you are allowed to teach. Well, Inchelium district has a very good native studies program and that made it easy to fit in; we tanned one deer hide in this class so they got to keep it for the use on other projects.
This project went on to Lake Roosevelt High School, Keller Middle School and Skilskin alternative school. I noticed that you have to embarrass some of the tribal kids to get them involved but in all I think a lot of the kids will come to learn more in a different environment.
Some of the schools went on to learn to make drums. Would you believe we made twenty-seven of them in a week with the help of other students in other classes? These kids involved took a drum home with them after we had finished.
Some of the other projects we worked on was building salmon hook molds to prepare the kids for our adventures at Chief Joe Dam this summer that starts in late June or early July so you need to get your paperwork in.
A lot of time is spent on gathering food for these ceremonies on the reservation; I took four kids in the program that already hunt and worked with them on their skills as a hunter as well to prepare the food for the cooks. During this time I show them the other things we can do with the hide, horns and bones as well as making sinew. During this time together, I get to know these young adults and grow fonder of their efforts as growing up and learning to share their knowledge with others and showing me they have things to offer me as a coordinator.
I have taken the youth ice fishing in cold weather and they didn’t complain a bit; we fished the San Poil in the early spring. During these times there have been adults who are willing to share our moments by just helping out or even talking to them. This is a positive way to change the way we see our youth and for them to see adult’s ideas.
I have been to different educational programs to learn different resources of education such as Hunter’s Education Instructor Training through the state, archery for the 4-H program. Through these programs I learned there are a lot of people out there willing to work with the youth during their free time.
During spring break, Rick D. and I had a Hunter’s Ed class in Nespelem. There are fourteen kids out there with more education in hunting safety. There are three more classes scheduled on the reservation; these are the dates for two of them: June 22 & 23 Inchelium; June 29 & 30 Keller. If you are interested please contact me at 634-2151. I will get back to you on any other Hunter’s Ed classes.
As for you archery hunters, I had the R-RAC 3-D archery shoot in Omak already! This event was scheduled for the public to come and shoot at targets with our archery equipment. We had a total of 123 people show up and shoot within two days. During this shoot, I had a lot of door prizes and a raffle to help pay for the shoot and help the Omak archery club get started.
To put on an archery shoot as big as this you need a lot of time and money and I would like to thank all who supported this event especially our sponsors: Fish & Wildlife Youth Program, Omak Marine, Spanky’s, S&H Manufactured Homes, Rawson’s, Omak Feed, X-Treme Power Sports, Jackson’s Choice Auto, Dave’s Gun & Pawn, Trading Post, Okanogan Bingo Casino, TANF, Beads and Things, Sunflower Graphics, Cascade Outfitters, Ketch Pen, Pepsi, Flying Spur Rodeo, NAPA Omak, Ace Hardware Omak, Les Schwab, J&J Smokeshack, Schucks, Carquest, Hamilton Machinery, and all the people who helped – THANK YOU!
A lot of people showed up to shoot. When I schedule things like this I am hoping to get people out and use their hunting equipment as well as offer them others with the same interests willing to share their friendship as well as their skills. The youth will have my full attention during these times but I have people who are willing to work with their equipment and your shooting skills. As for the youth, I have archery equipment to teach or to share with you in your quest to learn different skills, so just show up and we will try to accommodate your needs.
I am working on the next archery shoot to be held in Inchelium, WA on June 2 & 3, there will be an archery shoot in the Omak area on Memorial Day weekend. You can contact me here at Fish & Wildlife any time for more information.
Well, there has been a lot more going on. I am working on getting clubs started in your area. I’ve already started working in Omak, Nespelem and Keller, and have been asked to help start one in Inchelium. With these clubs I will use them as ways of scheduling and working with the youth and adults to make my job here just that much simpler to reach people on events and ideas. By joining these clubs you can help the youth and me with our adventures on our reservation.
My finger tips are getting tired, so I am going to say Good bye and Thank you.
Aaron Carden
Fish & Wildlife Youth Program
634-2151 work, 826-2551 home
OMAK/NESPELEM FORESTRY
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
May 17, 2006
Open House
Catholic Longhouse, Nespelem
5:30 – 7:30 pm
Presentation and discussion of upcoming
Natural Resource Projects
“4 Bears”, “Swimptkin Creek”, “Upper Gold Creek”,
“Owhi Creek” & “Stapaloop Creek”
June 6, 2006
Public Field Trip
BIA Building, Nespelem Agency Campus, by flagpole
9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Field trip to the “Swimptkin Creek” Natural Resource Project
June 21, 2006
Public Meeting
Catholic Longhouse, Nespelem
5:30 – 7:30 pm
Presentation, discussion and gathering of input, for the
“Swimptkin Creek” Natural Resource Project
Contact Person: Phil Wapato 634-2565
