March 25 (1981, 2001, 2003, 2008) Flower Gallery. NFARA is Launched

“3/25/81 rain, rain, rain… And snow up above. Fire crackles.”

[Russell Towle's journal]

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Date: Sunday, 25 March 2001
To: North_Fork_Trails
From: Russell Towle
Subject: Flowers

Hi All,

I put up some pictures of flowers in Canyon Creek, this year. More to come as more comes into bloom.

Flowers and Ferns
of Canyon Creek

Winter and Spring, 2001

~ Special thanks to Karen Callahan ~

Photography by Russell Towle

The upper trail is crowded with Rue anemone right now, and larkspur is coming on strong down by Gorge Point. Also some poppies have appeared, violets, and others.

Cheers,

Russell Towle

[The page Russell was referencing is now archived on Ron Gould's North Fork Trails website, here:
http://www.northforktrails.com/RussellTowle/NorthFork/Wildflowers/Flower_Gallery.html ]

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Porch worms, after heavy rains, 3/25/2001

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Date: Tuesday, 25 March 2003
To: North_Fork_Trails
From: Russell Towle
Subject: Meeting Report

Hi all,

Some of those interested in forming a non-profit organization devoted to advocacy of environmental issues in and around the North Fork American, met at the Dutch Flat Community Club on Monday evening. Thanks to some diligent telephone tag on the part of Catherine O'Riley, we expected seven people to attend, but were pleasantly surprised when fourteen people arrived.

Jim Ricker of Dutch Flat ably presided over the meeting. He astounded me by bringing along a folder containing his notes of the meeting we held in March of 2000, at Bob & Judy Suter's house, in which we discussed forming a non-profit organization. Susan Prince of Dutch Flat used an amazing little folding keyboard attached to a Palm minicomputer to take notes.

I had envisioned reading aloud the text of six emails received from people interested in forming a non-profit, but unable to attend the meeting, but the opportunity never seemed to arise. Thanks nevertheless to those who offered support and suggestions, notably Michael McCormack, Tim Lasko, Tom McDonnell, Michael Joyce, Bill Newsom, and Evan Jones. Catherine and Jim did take the time to read these emails, at any rate.

Having established that those present were all in favor of forming an organization, and moreover a non-profit organization, we moved on to the initial issues of, first, what should the name be, and second, what should the "mission statement" of the organization be. We did little more than chalk up some possibilities on the old blackboard (the DF Community Club is the old DF school, which dates to 1898).

We scheduled another meeting for early May, on Monday the 6th, I believe.

Suggestions as to a name are welcome. Since we intend to defend the wildness and beauty of the North Fork of the American river, the name should reference that. Immediately we have quite a mouthful of words and syllables. Hence a name which lends itself to a good acronym is desired; much as the group "Protect the American River Canyons" has the acronym "PARC" which of course sounds like "park."

Incidentally, from an historic viewpoint, the phrase "American River Canyon" was taken to apply only to the North Fork canyon, not to any other branch of the American river. However, this point has been muddled over the course of time, and nowadays one often finds other forks of the American denoted as *the* American River Canyon. All this is only to say that a name which includes the phrase "American River Canyon" is susceptible to misinterpretation on the one hand, and confusion with PARC on the other.

The meeting went very well. Thanks to all who attended, and all who sent emails.

Cheers,

Russell Towle

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March 25, 2008

“Playhouse Oak,” Moody Ridge

[Russ discovered this tree near the pond, along the line of an old narrow gauge railroad bed, in a thickly-forested area where he was doing some clearing and burning for the property owner.]

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