Behind the Waterfall
A NEWSLETTER FOR FRIENDS OF SILVER FALLS MEMBERS
A Park for All Seasons
By Kim Maley, Park Interpreter
What is your favorite season to visit Silver Falls?
Is it Springtime Silver Falls, with wildflowers waking up, and birds returning from their migratory journeys? When the rain is still coming down, but instead of grey hues all around, there are increasingly bright green leaves on the trees and lighter skies.
Is it Summertime Silver Falls, when the energy is high with visitors from all over the globe? Educational programs, the smell of campfires, coffee, and bacon, and the sound of children fill the campground. The waterfalls may be on the lighter side, but the smiles of happy hikers are full!
Or is it Fall at Silver Falls that captures your attention? When the forest (and staff) seem to collectively sigh in relief at the oncoming calm season. When the air cools, the leaves start to turn, the campground and trails have more space, and the waterfalls delight with the increasing rainfall.
There are a few of us who love Winter Silver Falls. It’s quiet. It’s restful. Yes, it’s cold. The wildlife who’s food source is scarce have either migrated or hunkered down for their winter hibernation. The ravens enjoy dominating the daily scene. The waterfalls are majestic. And when it snows, everything is silent!
Winter Festival is December 13th & 14th
Silver Falls State Park has celebrated the winter season for decades with an annual festival. Aptly called the Winter Festival, this event is a continuation of the long-running Christmas Festival that was started 50 years ago as a way to give back to the local community.
This year’s Winter Festival will be December 13th-14th and will include several familiar winter activities for visitors to enjoy learning about the park in winter:
Wreath-making
Nest boxes
Paper Bird craft
Pinecone bird feeders
Discovery Tables (topics to include lichens, winter tracks, winter solstice, and more)
Mushroom and tree walks
Plant propagation information from Marion County Soil and Water Conservation
Complete the majority of the activities and earn a collectible Silver Falls ornament—featuring a new original design each year by our own Ranger Rowan!
As is tradition, all activities are free (the regular $10 parking fee is required).
Thank you to our Event sponsors and partners!
Transitions Open up Opportunities for Board Membership
by Mike Niemeyer, Board President
Patti Lindquist
This past year saw the retirement of two pillars of our Friends of Silver Falls organization, Jossi Davidson and Patti Lindquist. Jossi and Patti showed what happens when our passions and skills match an important need. In Patti’s case we benefited, and we continue to benefit, from her wisdom, courage and knowledge of the Park. Her courage was evident when a dissenting opinion was needed to get a policy or discussion back on course. Her wisdom was evident in the principled way she approached important policy discussions and organizational issues. Thankfully, since stepping down from the Board Patti continues to serve as a Friends volunteer where her love and knowledge of the Park, and the people in it, is abundantly evident.
Jossi Davidson
Jossi has served on the Board for 37 of the 39 years that the Friends of Silver Falls has existed, having served in every role on the Board. His calm demeanor and knowledge of law and finance made him an invaluable asset to the Board in his many roles. Most recently Jossi worked tirelessly to ensure the health of our financial systems, legal filings and investment strategies. Thank you, Jossi!
At our last Board retreat, Board members shared how they first became aware of Silver Falls, what it means to them now, and how that motivated them to serve on the Board and promote its mission. As a reader of the Friends newsletter, you clearly have your own Silver Falls story.
There are many ways to support the Park and the mission of the Friends of Silver Falls, from becoming a member to donating your time of treasure to this work. Serving on the Board is another way to have an impact, but it is not for everyone. As Board members, we sometimes pause and wonder how our enjoyment of sunlight filtering through mature forest or the mist from cascading waterfalls resulted in us now spending hours editing policies or staring at spreadsheets. For me, I need to regularly get out on the trails and engage with Park visitors to be renewed in this work.
The enormous post-COVID interest in outdoor recreation in general, and Silver Falls in particular, has resulted in both interest in, and impacts to, Silver Falls State Park. As we look to the future and the 100th anniversary of Silver Falls State Park in 2033, we are seeking persons with a passion for the Park, interest in Board service, and a desire to shape the future of the Friends of Silver Falls.
Interested in serving on the Friends Board?
The application is available here. We will review your application and schedule an interview with you to discuss our organizational needs, your interests, and answer any questions you might have.
Thank you business sponsors!
Updates from Park Management
New Staff Member
This September, Silver Falls welcomed a new park specialist, Dick Basl.
Dick was born and raised in the Stayton/Sublimity Community. He joined the Army at 18 as a Scout/Reconnaissance specialist and served in places like Iraq, Hawaii, Germany, and all over the United States. After 10 years in the Army, he took a change in career paths and volunteered for recruiting duty. His last 13 years were spent in recruiting command, where he had the opportunity to travel and work with people all over the world. Dick lived and worked in Hawaii, the Marshall Islands, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, and Washington before retiring after 23 years of Active-duty service.
After retirement, he spent time helping my father-in-law at his restaurant in Stayton, Ugo’s Pizza, and worked at Chemeketa Community College as an advisor for Veteran’s Education Benefits. He did most of his undergrad university coursework at Post University with a major in Business Administration and a minor in accounting and did coursework at Chemeketa towards another Associate’s in business management. He has been married since 2017 to his wonderful wife, Nicole, and has 2 children Louella(6), Junior(5), and another on the way!
Fall Projects
Park staff have a short window between the YMCA summer camps and the start of Opal Creek Outdoor School to complete important projects at Camp Silver Creek. This season’s work includes rebuilding bridges, repairing the historic cedar shake roofs, and taking care of routine maintenance to ensure the camp is ready for the next group of kids.
Friends of Silver Falls has an ongoing fund account to maintain this historic site for future campers and schools. You can donate directly and be a part of the Camp Silver Creek Legacy below.
Volunteer Appreciation Tea Party
By Chelsea Sims, Executive Director
This week, we gathered to celebrate the heart of Silver Falls: our volunteers! Each year, these folks give thousands of hours to caring for trails, welcoming visitors, supporting programs, and helping the park thrive. To celebrate, Friends and Silver Falls staff threw a Volunteer Appreciation Tea Party.
The afternoon was filled with great food, conversation, and a few friendly competitions. A crowd favorite was Two Truths and a Lie. Congratulations to Ellan Olsan and Phyllis Bond, who caught staff in the most lies and walked away with a well-earned prize!
Thank you to every volunteer for pouring your energy, talents, and care into Oregon’s crown jewel. Silver Falls truly wouldn’t be the same without you. If you’re interested in volunteering, visit our volunteer page for more info.
Member Survey Update
by Chelsea Sims, Executive Director
A big thank you to all our members who have already filled out the member survey! Your feedback is helping us strengthen our program, grow our community, and better support Silver Falls State Park. It has been especially encouraging to know that 92% of you enjoy reading Behind the Waterfall, and that you gave the membership program an average rating of 4.6 stars.
We also heard that many of you would like more invitations to events, hikes, and programs, as well as more information about park projects. We’re excited to include these as we plan ahead.
If you haven’t had the chance to complete the survey yet, there’s still time. Every response makes a difference in shaping the direction of Friends of Silver Falls. We’re so grateful for your support and for being part of the Silver Falls community!
Silver Falls Trail Runs
Space is filling up fast for the annual Silver Falls Trail Runs kicking off this year on Halloween!
This long-time partner event not only brings runners from near and far to enjoy the trails, but also gives back. A portion of the proceeds is donated to the park through Friends of Silver Falls.
Don’t wait to register—spots are limited!
