Proposal for: Chehalis River Watershed Festival 2007
Name of Program: Chehalis River Watershed Festival
Place: Morrison River Front Park and Rotary Log Pavilion
This location is convenient to residents of Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Montesano and Elma. It is also very visible from the highway, would provide opportunities for indoor and outdoor displays, and as it is located right on the river, for historical and natural history interpretation of the river and of the area.
Second Choice: Vance Creek County Park
Third Choice: Friends Landing
A decision on the festival location will need to be made ASAP, so that we can reserve Log Pavilion and Morrison River Front Park, or one of the other locations.
Date: Saturday, September 22 or Saturday, October 13
These dates were selected as there are opportunities to partner with the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport. On the 22nd of September, the Chieftain could be available for tours and a sailing as well as the longboats. The longboats could take customers up the Wishkah River (From Friends Landing). October 13 coincides with the 20th Anniversary of the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport. There could be joint publicity, and on this date the Lady Washington could be available for tours and a sailing, as well as river tours using the longboats.
Time: 10am to 4pm
Planner Names: Kathy Jacobson, CBEC Coordinator and members of the Chehalis Basin Partnership.
Intended Audience: Residents of the Chehalis Watershed: school children and their families, youth groups, adults
Purpose Statement: (Why are we doing it?)
A Chehalis Watershed Festival meets several of the objectives outlined in the Chehalis Basin Partnership Watershed Management Plan “2007-2008 Detailed Implementation Plan, Volume 1, Strategies 1-5.” Public Involvement is listed as one of the five goals that the plan focuses on.
Under Interim Milestone 2.2: #4 “ Member agencies of the Partnership should consider what outreach techniques are a good fit for their resources and assist accordingly. The Citizens Advisory Committee should recommend options for information and involvement to the Partnership that the group feels will best meet the goals they have identified.”
Goals: What do you want this program to do? For you? For participants?
1. To sponsor a free family event celebrating the history and heritage of the Chehalis River Watershed. At the festival, participants will learn hands-on about local wildlife including salmon, about local water quality issues and about the special ecological features of the Chehalis Watershed.
2. The opportunity to promote local agriculture and forestry - Education and Outreach (DIPS 4 :)
4. To see this event as a vehicle to strengthen media relations with press, radio and television and to involve more organizations with environmental education such as non-profit resource protection organizations, conservations districts, counties, cities, WFPA, and state and federal agencies.
5. Provide more teacher trainings and information about existing resources.
6. Provide education on the value of salmon, salmon habitat, and stream ecology through workshops and field studies.
7. Inform the public about how they can best protect habitat on their own land.
Desired Outcome: What do you hope that the participants will take away with them?
1. At this year’s festival, we will help individuals and families make the connection between activities in our neighborhoods and the health of our local rivers, lakes, wetlands and the Pacific Ocean. Individuals will discover that “everyone has an important role to play in the protection of our water resources.”
Program Description: What are you going to do?
Coordinate a one day free, hands-on family event that will bring about an awareness and appreciation of the Chehalis Watershed. There will be a variety of hands-on activities, informational displays, interpretative (natural history and historical walks), sailings either on the Chieftain or Lady Washington or on the longboats; and entertainment. Participants will also learn about specific activities that they can participate in to help protect and restore local waters. Leading up to the festival, there will be classroom presentations and school visits highlighting local salmon, the salmon life cycle and “Fin”, the 28 foot long fiberglass salmon.
Festival Committees: Publicity, Entertainment, Fin, Schools, Exhibitors, Logistics, Others?
Program Outline:
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: Classroom presentations and school visits highlighting Fin. The schools selected may be in the Hoquiam, Aberdeen, Cosmopolis and/or Montesano school districts.
Saturday: Watershed Festival: 10am to 4:00pm (Set up from 7:30 to 9:30am and breakdown from 4:00 to 5:30pm)
10:00 to 4:00: Hands-on informational displays and activities
12:00 to 3:00 Entertainment
11:00 to 11:45, 1:00 to 1:45 and from 2:00 to 2:45: Natural History and Historical Interpretive Walks along the Waterfront.
12:30 to 3:00: Using van transportation, tours of sustainable farm(s) and restoration project site(s).
10:00 to 1:00ish: Public Viewing of either the Chieftain or the Lady Washington.
2:00 to 5:00: Sailing on either the Chieftain or the Lady Washington and longboats.
What is your budget for this program?
$10,000 from the Chehalis Basin Partnership and in-kind contributions from partnership members. CBP members will need to make decisions on proposed programmatic components based on budget available. Budget proposed is: $11, 402.00 (See attached budget for more programmatic information)
How many people are you expecting? 600 to 1,500?