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Westwind is a premier outdoor education, camp and retreat facility and wildlife sanctuary
situated on the Oregon Coast. The Westwind Stewardship Group (WSG) was created to
steward this site in perpetuity, and use it as a platform to serve the people of Oregon and the
Northwest by promoting conservation, education and sustainability. This Prospectus was
developed to guide the transition of the WSG from a young nonprofit to a more mature
organization, and to provide a roadmap for sustainable organizational, facilities and program
development in today’s challenging economic climate. It recaps a four-year history, takes a
three-year look ahead, and helps inform the evolution of a comprehensive Stewardship Plan
that will guide the development of Westwind into a long and sustainable future. WSG has
multiple challenge grants in place, providing an excellent opportunity to leverage earned and
donated income in support of these development activities.
The widely cherished 529-acre Westwind site is one of the last largely undeveloped tracts on
the spectacular Oregon Coast.1 Westwind has functioned for centuries with only minor human
impact. For this our children can thank two sources: the Nechesne tribal members for whom the
Salmon River area was home ground well into the 20th century, and the YWCA of Greater
Portland (YWCA), which acquired the site in the mid-1930s. For over seven decades the
YWCA’s rustic summer camp has introduced thousands of children to the natural world and
given them a solid sense of place.
Westwind is located on the mouth of the Salmon River,
between Neskowin and Lincoln City, and lies within the Cascade
Head Scenic Research Area (CHSRA) and the United Nations
designated “Cascade Head Biosphere Reserve”. Its rare
combination of marine, estuarine and upland forest habitats are
accessible only by vessel across the Salmon River Estuary.
Westwind is protected both by the constraints of the US Forest
Service administered CHSRA (to operate at roughly the same
scale and intensity as its use in 1974) and a conservation
easement granted to the State of Oregon in 2006 as part of the
acquisition of the property by WSG. Westwind’s facilities
include a historic lodge, a learning center, 15 rustic cabins, a
10-acre farm, a two-mile emergency access road and over 400
acres of largely wild land.
The nonprofit Westwind Stewardship Group (WSG) was created in
2004, and in 2006 acquired the Westwind site in order to provide
long-term stewardship to this sensitive ecosystem. WSG’s mission is
to serve the people of Oregon and the Northwest by conserving the
529 acre Westwind ecosystem, providing place-based educational
experiences, inspiring more balanced and sustainable living, and
nurturing solitude and individual connection to the natural world.
WSG’s mission was developed around one overriding idea: that the
greatest teaching tools and the most life-changing experiences come
from the Westwind site itself. These experiences can be augmented
by formal instruction. With that in mind, WSG seeks to protect the
essential character of the site, to allow visitors to experience its
solitude and diversity, and to offer visitors ways to answer questions
the site and our operations generate. WSG aspires to geographic,
socio-economic, educational, racial, employment, interest, and age
diversity in our guest groups. However, the strongest focus is on
giving new generations of children a connection to nature that is now
recognized as essential to their future.
An important part of the property transfer from the YWCA is a recorded Exclusive Use
Agreement (EUA) under which Westwind will be available to the YWCA in perpetuity o operate
its vital summer camp program. The new arrangement with WSG has relieved the YWCA of
year-round maintenance and operation while assuring ontinuation of summer camp with its
emphasis on diversity, equality and respect for the
environment.
Since taking ownership of the site WSG has managed use
by guest groups, brought annual budgets into the black,
and made great restorative improvements in the condition
of the site and facilities. These and future efforts are
guided by a commitment to sustainable practices, the
protective management prescriptions of the CHRSA,
conservation easement and EUA, and the advice of
numerous outside experts. WSG’s work is funded by
earned income, individual donors, foundation support and
soon program revenue.
Over the past three years WSG has:
- Secured funding to install three major fish-passage culverts under the emergency road.
- Convened a group of outside experts to develop the Westwind Conservation Plan.
- Implement over 20 energy saving initiatives that reduced carbon emissions and energy use.
- Completely greened the supply stream (paper products, cleaning supplies, paints and stains) and implemented/expanded composting and recycling programs.
- Completed upgrades of the trail system, improving safety & reducing erosion.
- Constructed two new Coast Guard certified barges for safe and efficient river crossings.
- Installed a community tsunami warning siren and signage.
- Installed a firefighting system with ability to reach all buildings and a large proportion of the sand spit vegetation (where fire danger is highest).
- Acquired an Automated External Defibrilator for cardiac emergencies.
- Drilled a new basalt well to replace the existing well threatened by salt water infiltration.
In early 2008 WSG took an important step toward the next phase of organizational growth by hiring its full-time Executive Director. It has begun the transition from a new organization and landowner focused on stabilizing infrastructure and building administrative systems, to a more mature nonprofit actively implementing its mission through new programs and an expanded role in the enviromental education and sustainability communities. An evolving, more comprehensive Stewardship Plan will lay out our vision of how to continue this work over next three years.
WSG has identified three compelling needs facing the residents of Oregon and the Northwest, in
which the Westwind site and WSG have a unique and substantial role to play in finding and
inspiring solutions: nature deficit disorder, disappearing coastal ecosystems and drawing down
natural capital.
Nature deficit disorder:
Recent studies have shown a 50% drop in the number of
hours children are spending out of doors over the last
decade2. Lack of outdoor time and connection to nature
is increasingly being correlated with both cognitive and
physical deficits in children. This issue received national
attention on Earth Day 2009 when the No Child Left
Inside Act was introduced in Congress, and a similar bill
has been introduced in the Oregon legislature. A strong
WSG insures that over 6000 Oregonians a year of all
ages and all walks of life will continue to have a direct
experience with the site’s rare and intact coastal
ecosystems, including the renowned YWCA and Northwest Outdoor Science School programs.
Children who make a connection to the land through their Westwind experience will be more
effective leaders and citizens of tomorrow.
Disappearing coastal ecosystems:
Wild lands along Oregon’s iconic coast have been disappearing at an alarming rate.3 One of
WSG’s early actions was chartering a Westwind Site
Conservation Advisory Group (WSCAG) of well qualified and
respected scientists and local watershed experts who created a
Westwind Conservation Plan to guide WSG’s stewardship. WSG
will continue to work with these and other experts and partners
to study, monitor and restore the site’s two miles of coastline,
fragile estuarine habitat and diverse forested uplands. It will
take into consideration efforts to anticipate and prepare for
impacts of climate change and sea level rise. It will seek
opportunities to include children, other guests and outside
partners in these efforts. It will share lessons learned with
other NGO’s, local, state and federal agencies, tribes and
academic institutions, and incorporate them into adaptive
management of the site. WSG purchased Westwind with funds
from many sources, including the State of Oregon. As part of
that purchase WSG granted a permanent conservation
easement over the entire site to Oregon, assuring that it will
remain intact and largely wild forever.
Drawing down natural capital:
We are in a time of rising prices and dwindling resources, from oil to food stuffs, forested lands
to fish stocks. Mortgaging our children’s future in order to meet today’s resource needs has
affected every citizen of Oregon, yet very few practical, experience-based
examples of how people can live more sustainable lives exist. Through its
site and facilities WSG demonstrates the compelling interdependence
between humans and nature by providing practical “living” examples to
guests so that they in turn can create more sustainable homes and
businesses. Every visitor learns or will learn about sourcing of local and
seasonal foodstuffs, “100% green” chemical and paper streams,
composting and waste systems, carbon sequestration, renewable energy
and other sustainable practices. More importantly, every guest sees or
will see these things in action.
Three pillars of WSG’s mission— Education, Conservation and Sustainability—provide a roadmap
for enhancing Westwind’s already impressive performance addressing these compelling needs.
WSG has set a goal for each of these pillars, and this plan identifies the work it seeks to
undertake over the next three years to move WSG and its operations significantly toward the
Board’s long term vision for the site.
EDUCATION GOAL: Give all visitors the opportunity to participate in educational experiences
which bring together the ideas of conservation, connection to the land and sustainability.
CONSERVATION GOAL: Conserve and enhance the Westwind site’s diverse biological and
natural assets.
SUSTAINABILITY GOAL: Operate Westwind based on local self sufficiency that is
environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
Accompanying each of these goals is the desire to keep Westwind’s built environment simple
and functional, assure that any improvements or modifications are beautiful, and protect the
site from physical or visual degradation. Particularly in the current economic climate, we are
committed to ensuring prudent fiscal management and providing our facilities to user groups at
the lowest possible cost.
Westwind is one of the most popular sites for outdoor education programs in Oregon4, hosting
thousands of children annually for Outdoor School, YWCA summer camp, tribal youth programs
and other events. During its first three years operating the Westwind site, WSG has taken
several steps toward enhancing visitors’ opportunities for educational experiences.
Guests of all
ages are transported away from their everyday lives to a transformative place called Westwind
as they cross the Salmon River by barge, and along the way receive an introduction to the
estuary and the species that call
Westwind home. Once in camp, staff
provide guests with necessary safety
information, and also orient the group
to their relationship with Westwind’s
natural systems (water conservation,
green cleaning products, recycling and
compost). A key aspect of the Westwind
visit is the responsibility we ask guests
to assume to clean camp after their
stay, and leave the facility in better
shape than when they arrived.
WSG is committed to providing well-maintained rustic facilities that support a comfortable
learning environment, represent and enhance the Westwind mission and experience, mitigate
risks and exceed safety standards wherever possible. Our facilities are accredited by the
American Camp Association.
As one can imagine, maintaining such a large facility in a harsh
marine environment is no small task. WSG employs two full time Site Managers, whose work is
augmented by part-time help and several annual volunteer weekends. WSG continues to offer
our facilities to our two largest institutional
users—the YWCA (10 weeks) and Outdoor
School (18 weeks)—at rates significantly
below our already-discounted nonprofit
rental rate. As part of the Stewardship
Plan, WSG seeks to develop earned and
donated revenue streams that will allow us
to maintain these rates.
Over the next three years, WSG will focus
on maintaining Westwind as a premier and
affordable outdoor education site, creating
additional educational materials and
curricula, and launching our own
education programs. Specific activities include:
- Publishing self-guided orientation materials appropriate for different age levels on many
topics: flora, fauna, geology, water cycle and conservation, marine biology and
sustainable energy.
- Further integrating recycling, local food sourcing, and composting principles into the
experiences of all groups.
- Developing curricula for WSG-sponsored teacher workshops and outdoor ducation
programs, and working with the YWCA, Outdoor School and other user groups to fold
WSG curricula into their programs.
- Investigating opportunities to use the Fraser farm area as an incubator for organic
farming.
- Involving guests in conservation and monitoring programs.
- Maintaining our facilities in excellent condition and making any necessary improvements.
- Building new partnerships to support all these efforts.
Organizational capacity and facilities: Regular facility maintenance is overseen by our staff with support from Board members and volunteers. Several improvement projects have been
identified (above and in other sections) that can be accomplished by current staff and
volunteers. Input and support from user groups to identify and implement necessary facility
improvements are continually sought. Expansion of WSG’s education efforts will be guided by
Board members and outside experts and volunteers, and by developing partnerships with other
regional educational institutions and organizations.
The core of WSG’s work starts with protecting and restoring Westwind’s diverse biological and
natural assets. Our conservation efforts are anchored by the protective management layers of
the Cascade Head Scenic Research Area and Westwind conservation easement, and guided by
the Westwind Site Conservation Advisory Group (WSCAG) and the Conservation Plan they
prepared in 2006.
A substantial number of the recommendations identified in the 2006 Conservation Plan have
already been met by WSG. This includes: enhancing trail design and maintenance; participating
in US Forest Service habitat restoration planning; developing a maintenance plan for the
emergency road; educating guests and public on responsible use of the beach; improving
maintenance of the septic system; creating a fire break on the spit and improving our fire
fighting system; and ensuring human use has minimal impacts on land.
In addition to our ongoing work to protect the Westwind site, major conservation efforts over
the next three years include:
- Convening the WSCAG annually to report progress and develop updated goals.
- Developing and implementing a plan to control and remove invasive species.
- Conducting and compiling cultural, geological and vegetation inventories of the site— providing key information for conservation and informing necessary site improvements.
- Designing monitoring approaches and indicators to track progress on conservation goals.
- We seek a mix of monitoring by experts, staff, and trained volunteers, and monitoring
that can be conducted by our guests.
- Identifying other research/monitoring efforts underway in the Salmon River basin and
Mid Coast region where WSG could become a partner and Westwind a research site.
- Installation of composting toilets to replace current pit outhouses.
Organizational capacity and facilities: WSG is extremely lucky to have a diverse group of
volunteers to guide and conduct much of this conservation work, including WSG Board
members, other regional nonprofits, members of the WSCAG, user groups and others. Site
inventories, removal of invasives and other conservation activities will be accomplished using a
combination of staff, volunteer and contract resources. We are very interested in long-term
partnership opportunities with agencies, tribes, academic institutions and nonprofits. Cultural
and other inventories will provide important information for long-term facility planning.
WSG’s long term goal is to make Westwind energy independent and carbon neutral, reduce
consumption and waste, source food and supplies locally while supporting sustainable
production practices, and to be largely self reliant in safety and emergency planning. One of the
many changes WSG has brought to Westwind in the past three years is making year-round food
service available, emphasizing local sourcing of foods, with sustainable and organic offerings
whenever possible. WSG has also installed a Tsunami warning system and substantially reduced
energy consumption. WSG’s long term vision includes making Westwind (including our guests’ visits and travel) carbon-neutral.
WSG’s next big challenges toward sustainability and self sufficiency over the next three years
include:
- Increasing the proportion of food, supplies and fuels that are local, biodegradable, low
carbon impact, and are produced using sustainable methods.
- Connecting the new basalt well drilled in 2008 to the water system in camp.
- Building and stocking an emergency cache adequate to sustain guests for several days
in case of major earthquake or tsunami.
- Providing low impact methods of moving our guests and staff around the site, and
offsetting the carbon footprint of guest travel in ways that directly benefit site
stewardship.
- Exploring options for solar or other renewable energy installations that are consistent
with the regulatory requirements of the Scenic Research Area.
Organizational capacity and facilities: As previously mentioned, WSG made
an important addition to its capacity with the hiring of a full-time Executive
Director in early 2009. Our commitment to sustainability includes making
WSG a model nonprofit. We are committed to maximizing benefits from
earned and donated income, and maintaining the lowest possible
administrative costs while providing wages, benefits and other staff support
that exceed state and regional averages for nonprofits. We will actively
engage our guests in carbon mitigation and offset efforts.
The activities listed above will be funded and supported by earned and donated income, new
partnerships and volunteer efforts. Grants and individual donations will support necessary onetime
investments in programs and facilities, and allow us to continue to provide our facilities at
the most affordable rates possible. Many of these donations will be leveraged by multiple
challenge grants in place, allowing us to double or even triple the impact of key donor
investments.
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