PARTNERS
MEA 2011 Partners
Salmon Restoration Association and Mendocino Area Parks Association
This year MEA has formed partnerships with two important local environmental organizations. We are continuing our alliance with the Salmon Restoration Association (SRA) which supports improvement of salmon fisheries and provides environmental education and we have added and alliance with the Mendocino Area Parks Association, a non-profit organization which provides education and restoration support for the seven State Parks in our area.
Salmon Restoration Association
The SRA is a group of fishermen, biologists, and concerned businesses and citizens of the area which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year at its annual July fundraising event, the “World’s Largest Salmon Barbeque” in Fort Bragg. The barbeque has given their mission national exposure and has become a media event featured in travel and food related television programs as well as magazines.
The original goal of the SRA was to raise funds for the purpose of propagating young salmon in hatcheries located in their native streams. The young salmon (“smolts”) were to be later released to continue their life cycle by migrating to the open ocean, maturing there, and then returning to the rivers and creeks where they began life to spawn. This effort was found to be far less successful than biologists had hoped. The water became too shallow and warm in the summer, and the sediment-filled creeks could not maintain enough oxygen for healthy growth.
New strategies needed to be adopted. The Salmon Restoration Association was asked to focus its efforts on habitat restoration and particularly the Coho salmon. The SRA now works to clean up the streams and creeks and to restore them to healthy habitats where Coho salmon can spawn on their own and their young can mature until time to return to the ocean. Many local non-profit environmental organizations, as well as the California Conservation Corps, NOAA and other government entities are involved in this project.
www.salmonrestoration.com
Mendocino Area Parks Association
MEA’s new partner is the Mendocino Area Parks Association (MAPA), a non-profit organization formed to benefit the local state parks. MAPA provides educational activities, interpretive programs and informative exhibits in our local parks and promotes the restoration and conservation of park structures. Restoration targets this year are Ford House, MacKerricher Park and the Spring Ranch Barns.
Seventy State Parks are threatened with closure within a year. Seven of our local State Parks are on the list: Point Cabrillo Light Station, Jughandle, Russian Gulch, Westport, Hendy Wood, Greenwood and Manchester! These parks contribute a huge amount directly and indirectly to the economy of our area, and keeping the parks open and staffed is vital to their very existence. Without continual maintenance and staff oversight, the parks would be abused, people could be injured, and the actual facilities would rapidly decline.
www.mendoparks.org
HOW WILL MEA HELP?
Mendocino Eco Artist members are continually creating works of art which showcase the natural beauty of our region. These will be exhibited and for sale with 30% of the proceeds going to our partners’ projects. Two original paintings, donated by the artists, will be raffled with 100% of the ticket sales going to the organizations.
At each of the exhibits, there will also be informational materials about the organizations, their missions and projects, and how everyone can help.
MEA member artists are also participating in many local arts and environmental events to help increase awareness of the important missions of our partner organizations.
July 2, 2011 World’s Largest Salmon Barbeque: MEA will host an informative display, and sell raffle tickets for the painting “Spawning” by local painter Juriaan Blok.
June 1 – August 28: “Salmon-Oceans-Rivers II” benefit exhibit and sale of artwork by member artists at The Ravens Restaurant at the Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino.
August 28: Exhibit Closing party and raffle drawing at The
Ravens Restaurant. The painting is on display at The World of Suzi Long Gallery, 611 Albion Street watertower, Mendocino, until the drawing.
September 1 – 26: “Save Our Parks” exhibit of artwork by member artists at the Mendocino Art Center
September 10: MEA Celebration Party for MAPA at MAC
Autumn (t.b.a.): “Save Our Parks” exhibits in the Anderson Valley
Autumn (t.b.a.): SRA will host a return to the Kass Creek site which was restored in the summer 2010 to see how well the project has worked in just one year!
December: “Save Our Parks” exhibit at the Ford House
December 10: Second Saturday reception at the Ford House
