Past Grantees: 2018, Cycle 1

The Wolf Creek Community Alliance works to protect the natural and cultural history of the Wolf Creek Watershed in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. For this project the Schwemm Family Foundation supported the design and construction of two interpretive panels that were placed along a public stretch of the creek. The signs describe the geography of the watershed as well as the history of the Nisenan tribe, whose ancestors occupied the region for thousands of years prior to the Gold Rush era. Displaying signage at this well-traveled location will help more people understand the history and culture of the watershed.

Along the Willamette River in Oregon, the Friends of Historic Butteville are working to restore Butteville Landing, a site that has connected the town with the river for as long as people have lived here. The project aims to increase public access to the site, improve shoreline conditions, and interpret the history of the Landing. The SFF supported the project by funding interpretive signage that will help visitors understand the important connections between the natural river and human enterprise in both historic and present-day Butteville.

The Ocean Institute in Dana Point, California engages students in many facets of maritime history and marine ecology. One of the institute’s most unique programs involves the ‘Pilgrim’, a replica of the merchant ship described in Richard Henry Dana’s book Two Years Before the Mast. The story tells the tale of Dana’s adventures in the 1830s as the ship traveled from Boston to California via Cape Horn. Students in 4th grade can participate in a living history adventure aboard the Pilgrim where they learn first-hand the life of a sailor in the 1800s. In support of this program The Schwemm Foundation funded a special printing of Two Years Before the Mast so that it can be made available at low cost to all students.

Waterboard Park is a designated heritage tree grove, located in Oregon City, Oregon. Currently, the trees in the park are under attack from invasive English ivy. With help from the Schwemm Family Foundation, the Oregon City Parks Foundation organized volunteers for several ‘ivy-pull’ days that removed ivy that surrounds the base of the trees, allowing new growth of native forest-floor plants and improved tree health. The removal of the ivy will also allow the construction of new trails in the future.

Treasure Valley Childrens’ Relief Network (TVCRN) works to improve the diets of at-risk children by teaching parents to grown and prepare healthy food. TVCRN is located in one of the highest-poverty counties in Oregon, and low-income communities are often hindered by a scarcity of available fresh produce. The Schwemm Family Foundation supported a TVCRN project utilizing raised bed gardens to grow vegetables along with a 6-week cooking course. Maintaining healthy eating practices is a challenge, especially for marginalized populations, but with ongoing efforts such as this we hope to improve the health of children currently living in poverty.

Wildlife Safari, in Winston, Oregon, provides visitors an interactive experience with native and exotic wildlife. The Schwemm Family Foundation supported a project called Raptor Ridge that created a new exhibit that allows more animals to be on display, in this case an American Badger. The exhibit is open to all visitors including those with disabilities, and the badger has a new home.