Group working to better Sisters

Two years ago, the Ford Family Foundation Leadership Program came to Sisters to offer training to citizens interested in taking a leadership role in their community.

It was successful in bringing Sisters community members together to plan and implement a project that would benefit the Sisters Country.

They completed the Sisters Middle School Pavilion project, resulting in a new structure to be used as a concession stand during sporting events and by students needing a shady place to take an outdoor class or stash their sports equipment and

backpacks during practice.

Jessica Gellings participated in the program; her son is a middle school student and she loves watching the students using the pavilion.

"I don't know what the kids did before," she said. "It's so good to see them using what we created."

Now, two years later, a new group comprised of 27 community members and four returning students have taken on the task of infusing a better understanding of Whychus Creek and the on-going efforts by many organizations to return it to its original vitality.

"Our goal," said Sue Stafford, who is on the marketing team, "is to get the whole community engaged, either in their consciousness or by working to restore the creek for all of us, from farmers to fishermen. This creek can be the crowning jewel of our community."

The project is called "Whychus Creek ... Telling the Story," and includes an interpretive installation on the Creekside City Park bridge that celebrates the restoration of Whychus Creek and the potential return of steelhead and salmon. The installation will help educate people about the diverse history of the creek and motivate the community toward stewardship of the watershed.

Another reason the group wants people to become aware of the health of the creek is because Sisters is the first large area of impact on the creek after it leaves the glaciers.

Sisters is upstream from Camp Polk Meadow, where the Deschutes Land Trust is involved in a huge restoration project, "re-meandering" the creek and restoring the meadow to its historic condition so the fish can return.

"It's imperative that Sisters isn't sending contaminants downstream or withdrawing too much water," said Stafford.

Rod Bonacker, Janet Zuelke, Jinny Pitman, Larry Berrin, Michele Morseth and Kit Stafford have taken on the job of designing the installation, which will be completed in September. With the first steelhead smolt caught and tagged last month, the timing couldn't be better for a new campaign to get the Sisters community excited and engaged in the restoration of Whychus Creek.

According to Bonacker, an interpretive installation educates people about the diverse history of the creek, and motivates the community toward stewardship of the watershed.

"The name Whychus can be translated as a place where we cross the water," said Bonacker. "We think of the bridge and the installation as a place where our community can celebrate this tremendous achievement, and 'cross the water' to a new time where we no longer turn our backs on the creek in our midst. It also represents a community coming together to seek solutions to community issues."

The Ford Family Foundation will provide up to $5,000 toward the project. The Sisters leadership group is required to raise money and in-kind donations to total up to $12,000.

To learn more about the project or to donate to the cost of creating the interpretive installation, call 541-549-2091. To volunteer, e-mail [email protected]