March madness is in effect at Everson Ranch! The weather is a month of transition with a split personality. It's typically the snowiest month and can be interlaced with early tastes of spring and everything in between. We have new baby animals and thoughts of this years projects and programs are getting some attention. March is also the time of year that Nancy Roberts, of Arrowpoint Beef Company, will bring her fold of highland cattle back to the ranch for grazing until fall.

Holy Cow! Here are a few fun facts about the Scottish Highland breed:

Highland, an ancient Scottish breed, is the oldest registered cattle breed. Highland cattle can withstand harshest conditions and seem to be immune to everything. They live longer and produce more calves than other breeds.

The correct name for a herd of Highlands is a Fold and that long almost comical fringe is called a Dossan. Highlands don't have a fat layer hence their long double layered 'hairy' coat which combined with sweeping horns makes them so recognizable.

Their double coat acts as a natural insulator, and protects them from severe cold, high rainfall, and strong winds. The outer coat consists of long, coarse hair, while the inner coat consists of soft, short, woolly hair. No other cattle breed has such a coat. Other breeds produce a layer of fat to stay warm. The excess fat stored in subcutaneous layers protects them from severe cold. Highland cattle do not need such fat for protection. And it has been noticed that Highlands do not increase their feed intake until the temperature drops to -18 degrees F, while other breeds increase their intake at 32 degrees F. That is why the meat of Highland cattle tends to be leaner than most beef. Tests done by the Scottish Agricultural College have proven that Highland Beef is significantly lower in fat and cholesterol than chicken, and higher in protein and iron than other beef.

Another little known fact associated with Highland Cattle is they thrive on poor grazing, so their ability to improve scrubland makes them a valuable asset in conservation grazing. That's what makes them a perfect addition to our soil restoration program. Along with the pigs, goats and chickens the cows are doing a great job of breaking up the soil crust and adding important nutrients to the land.

Please plan to visit and tour Everson Ranch on your next visit to OLT!

Volunteers are very important to our organization! In fact, we could not do it without them. In 2016, we had 113 volunteers work over 8,000 hours! Thank you to everyone who made 2016 a success!

It's that time of year again when I start scheduling for the summer season. We are looking for individuals who love this special place and have the time, energy, and expertise to share. A positive attitude, understanding of our unique culture, and the ability to work well with others is required. Having visited Valley View Hot Springs is also a plus. We want to match our volunteers up with a job they will enjoy and at which they will be successful. Please let us know if you have special skills or abilities!

Positions that we are looking to fill for the coming season are Camp Hosts, Discovery Hosts, Bat Tour Guides and Astronomy Tour Guides. In addition, this summer we would like some help on the Everson Ranch with the Community Garden and Ranch Tours. These Ambassador positions require a two-week minimum commitment and you have to love working with people! If you have less time to offer, consider helping our facilities staff with trail maintenance, fire mitigation, weed pulling or special projects! For full descriptions of the volunteer opportunities available please go to our web site www.olt.org. Click on the "Get Involved" tab and then "Volunteer." You can download the application on our web site or email Rosie at .

Whether you are a returning seasoned volunteer or coming for the first time, we appreciate, your support and I look forward to hearing from you!

Rosie
Volunteer Coordinator / Visitor Service Manager

Volunteer Application (PDF)

Have you been waiting for your letter from Orient Land Trust reminding you that your membership will be expiring? We are not going to mail those letters this year. The cost in time and postage of sending such letters is significant. Based on the follow up from these letters last year, this was not an effective approach; we had only a marginal response from our mailings. If you are curious about your membership level or the membership expiration date, a quick call to our office can answer any of those questions. Next time you call for a reservation, the front desk staff person you talk to can let you know your level of membership and the date your membership will end. There are many members who are signing up online and electing the option of recurring donations. Perhaps that would work for you! We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause your household.

The days are getting longer, the sun is stronger. We're glad that we are getting a respite from the cold temperatures we had for much of January. There will no doubt be more cold and snow. The aquifer can use whatever we get and we will rejoice instead of complaining when more snow comes. However, the past few days have been nice, if a bit hazy. We are technically midway through winter, though we often have May snowstorms. If you are planning a "dead of winter" visit, remember to call ahead and check availability.

A lot has changed over the last few years at the Everson Ranch. The hay fields have been restored and improved. A strawbale bathhouse was built for ranch volunteers and interns. New fences put up, old ones taken out and a gated irrigation pipe system installed to keep it all going. Along with these changes, the ranch animals have been brought back! Nancy Roberts, owner of Arrowpoint Beef, runs her Scottish Highland cattle here. We have a variety of chickens, a heritage breed of pigs called Large Blacks, and a llama to watch over them.

The newest addition to our animal family is a small herd of Boer goats that has just expanded by NINE NEW BABIES, "kids". Boer goats were developed in South Africa for their meat, hardiness and brush control abilities. The term "Boer" refers to the descendants of the Dutch immigrants, or Boers, most of them farmers, who settled the country; thus, "Boer" goat simply means "farmer's" goat.

Our intention for having goats on the ranch is mainly for weed control . Technically, goats don't graze; they browse. They'll eat brush, leaves, twigs, and other such food first, only turning to grass when there's nothing else left. Goats also don't munch each plant down to a nub and move on. They'll pick off the flower heads so the plant can't go to seed, and eat the leaves so it can't photosynthesize. But they'll leave the stalk, which holds the soil in place, preventing erosion. With only a bare stem left, the plant has to work overtime just to stay alive, giving native or more desirable plants a chance to grow. Goats also poop a lot, and as they roam, their tough hooves stomp the pellets into the soil, fertilizing and helping to soften the ground. They also irrigate, a pint at a time, with nitrogen-tinged urine that helps balance the minerals in the soil. And, notably, they'll eat just about anything, including plants that are poisonous to other animals.

Hopefully our goats will prove to be a valuable tool in our goal for pasture restoration. Please schedule a ranch tour on your next visit to OLT and visit our cute, curious and cuddly baby goats. You will also learn about their mothers and all of the other amazing things happening at Everson!

By Cherrye O'Donal

The electricity generated by OLT's hydroelectric plant is finite. Grid power is miles away. We can make about 62 kilowatts of continuous power. When people turn up their cabin baseboard heaters, that uses electricity. When people cook on the stoves, that uses electricity. When the dryers in the laundry room are spinning, that uses electricity. Vehicle campers that plug into those sites with electricity use electricity. When the air temperature is in the single digits, the water in the pools loses heat more quickly. The heated pools are heated by the electricity that is left over after all the primary uses. When it's cold and breezy, the pools will not be as warm.

A few years ago we had drought conditions and we couldn't generate as much electricity because there was less volume of water. When we removed the wood stoves in the cabins in an effort to eliminate fire danger, the cabins were then heated exclusively with electric heat. Now the cabins are heated geothermally and the baseboard heaters are used mainly to boost the temperature on cold nights. There are other ideas in the works to more efficiently use the available power. We would like the heated pools to remain a constant temperature. However, there are still trade-offs. The fact remains, when we use electrical power in other places there is less to heat the water in the heated pools.

Plan ahead - be prepared. The night time temperatures are cold. Indoor accommodations are typically reserved in advance. Winter campers have many choices and there is no tent site fee for tent camping October through April. Most winters, for most of the winter, there is snow on the ground. Winter campers should be prepared to clear the snow from their tent site to suit their needs. All visitors should bring good footwear, the trails can be slippery. A nice option is a good terry cloth bathrobe for wrapping up quickly as you get out of the water. The road is usually cleared but good tires make it easier to get around and provide a measure of safety as you travel on the highway. Watch the weather and check the road conditions. Winter days can be sunny and bright.

This December we remodeled the kitchenette and bathroom in the Visitor Center! The kitchenette has a new commercial refrigerator which required a wall being removed and refinished. The new fridge has a glass front and meat freezer which makes shopping more convenient. Cabinets were rehung and the kitchenette looks great! The bathroom walls, ceiling and floor were redone, including a beautiful mural! The remodel work was donated by Volunteer Adam Richards. Thank you so much Adam, we love the improvements!

The year is almost over. The staff of Orient Land Trust would like to take this moment to say, "Thank You!" to everyone that helped make 2016 a memorable year. We are grateful for the support of so many: members, volunteers, visitors, and all those interested in bats, hydroelectricity, geology, and the conservation work for the fish, replenishing the soils, and gardening. Your cheerfulness, generosity, and appreciation makes every day fulfilling. Happy Holidays and all the best for the New Year!

The next meeting of the OLT Board of Directors is Saturday, January 21, 2016 from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. All are welcome to attend in-person or online. The meeting will be held onsite and a basic breakfast will be provided. Come and join the meeting and meet the board members!

The Agenda and Information Packet will be available for download.