Welcome and Logistics

Thank you so much for registering for the first Environmental Evaluators Network Pacific forum, September 22-24!

We are thrilled about this event –and like many of you, we are saying “it’s about time” that evaluators and program managers came together on the west coast to talk about our common needs and interests in the environmental and natural resource fields.

This event is organized by a volunteer committee made up of colleagues who simply wanted to see it happen. Menucha Retreat and Conference Center is informal, intimate, relaxed, and in a gorgeous natural setting. To call this a conference gives the wrong picture… it is more accurate to imagine a gathering of colleagues who share the same interests, principles and quest for learning who come to retreat together. It is a “no frills,” cooperative event meant to be affordable, low-impact, and interactive.

This letter confirms your registration, either as a commuter or overnighter.  Please carefully read this letter as it will give you important information on logistics, what to bring and what to expect. If you have questions after you read the information, please don’t hesitate to contact Shawn Morford at 503-989-4041 or smorford@rdiinc.org.

Menucha is a former Governor’s summer estate overlooking the Columbia Gorge with plenty of space to stroll and a pretty darn nice view. The buildings are historic but not elaborate.

Menucha is a non-profit retreat center owned and operated by the Presbyterian Church and the staff is committed to environmental stewardship. They have hosted events like World Forestry Center and U.S. Forest Service staff trainings. They are committed to removal and/or control of invasive species, recycling, fair trade coffee, use of environmentally sensitive cleaning agents in housekeeping, and a forest management plan to enhance and restore the natural habitat.

Photos on the Menucha website will give you a sense of the facilities (http://menucha.org/facilities). We have Wright and Ballard Halls for sessions and sleeping and the Greenhouse for breakout sessions.

The Menucha staff is thrilled that we are coming and are bending over backward to make this affordable and pleasant for us.

There is cell reception and wifi at the center. The rooms are shared and there are no locks on the doors.

There will be coffee pots (and coffee and various teas) in both buildings available for our use.  In addition, “Just Wright Java” (Menucha’s espresso bar) will sell 12 oz. drinks at $2.50- cash only. Coffee cards can be purchased in the office or gift shop for $5.00.  Hours are 6:30-7:45 a.m., 8:30-9 a.m. and 2:30-4 p.m.

Expect a communal, outdoor-school style of living and sleeping arrangements. Please dress casually. We brew our own coffee (except the espresso), eat family style in the dining hall (dinner songs are optional J), and Sunday evening is an evening campfire (pending fire danger levels). —you get the picture.

Emergency phone number:  If you can’t be reached on your cell phone for any reason while you are there, the office number at Menucha is 503-695-2243 (open 8-5 daily) and the on-site staff cell number is 503-866-2485.

No pets are allowed unless they are service animals that have been trained to perform a certain task.

If you registered as a commuter, the following meals and snacks are included in your registration:

Monday and Tuesday lunches (noon) and dinner (6 p.m.)

Monday reception (5 p.m.)

Snacks Monday and Tuesday 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (fruits and vegetables)

We start each day at 9 a.m. To minimize the number of cars coming and going, we encourage car-pooling. Contact us for a list of names and email addresses of commuters (excellent networking opportunity too). We want to minimize the number of SOVs (single occupancy vehicles) driving out to the center.

Lodging is included in the registration fee if you registered as an overnighter.  Beds are selected on a first-come basis — the rooms will be divided by gender with a sign on the room doors.  There is a variety of room sizes, but the typical room has 4-6 bunk beds in them with a bathroom.  We will request quiet hours after 10 p.m. in the rooms and hallways but there is ample space throughout the facility for small groups after 10 p.m.

The beds have comfortable bunk bed mattresses. Linens will be provided (towels, sheets, pillows and blankets), however, if you prefer to bring your own items, please let us know no later than August 30 (it saves us a bit of $ if you bring your own).

If you have access issues that require you to have a bottom bunk, we suggest you arrive as close to 4 p.m. on Sunday as possible –or if that is not possible, contact us and we will try to reserve a bunk for you.

Menucha provides a variety of foods at the meals, however if you would like to ensure that a specific type of food is available or avoided, please register on their website at http://menucha.org/dining.  The center asks for $2 per meal total in addition to your registration fee to accommodate special requests (please pay when you check in by check or cash only- check made out to the Oregon Program Evaluators Network).  Contact Becky in Food Service at Menucha Center at 503-695-2290 for more information on special diets.

Last we checked, Green Shuttle offers transportation from the airport for about $50.00 one way.  Taxis will also take you there, but would be more expensive.  Menucha is about 17 miles from the airport.  We suggest calling Green Shuttle in advance at (503) 234-1414 to arrange a ride and check current pricing.

We are undertaking a pilot project to explore how social network analysis might be a useful addition to the environmental evaluator’s toolbox.  If you haven’t already done so, please respond to a short questionnaire that will reveal knowledge, experience, and relationships within the Environmental Evaluators Network. We will explore the results during the forum, using maps, analyses, and activities to understand networks and how a network approach could apply to our work.

Your participation is particularly important. We need an 80%-90% response rate for the social network analysis methodology. The questionnaire consists of 19 questions, 15 of which are multiple choice. It should take you about 10 minutes to complete. Please enter the URL below in your browser, and complete the questionnaire by September 15 so you can see how you fit into the network.

URL for Questionnaire:  http://networkweaving.com/projects2/start.cfm?id=230

If you run into any issues, here are some instructions.

1.       Click the link or enter the project url into your browser.

2.       On the left side, there will be a pull-down menu containing all the names of the people taking the survey.

3.       Find your name and select it.

4.       Type your email address

5.       Click on the buttons to select the answers. When you have completed entry of all your answers, click “Submit” at the bottom of the page.

If you have questions, please contact Ken Vance Borland at kenvb@consplan.net

-Hiking or outdoor shoes and comfortable, casual clothing (layers are recommended)

-Earplugs, if desired

-Bedding, towels if desired (will be provided unless you tell us otherwise)

-Snacks (cut fruit and vegetables will be provided at the breaks but you are welcome to bring in our own as well)

-If you have slides, bring them on a thumb drive (if you are presenting)

-Your favourite coffee mug

Menucha Retreat and Conference Center is about 17 miles east of the Portland International Airport on the historic Columbia River Highway.  Take I-84 east from the airport past the town of Troutdale.  Take the Corbett exit and follow the winding steep road uphill.  When you reach the ridgeline (top), take the left fork.  Menucha is on the left –watch for the signs. The address:  38711 E Historic Columbia River Hwy, Corbett, OR 97019

Logistics—Shawn Morford, 503-989-4041 or smorford@rdiinc.org

Program:  Michael Coe, 503-503-680-8774 or Michael@cedarlakeresearch.org