By Kate Tidwell, Southern California Development Officer
Hi! You probably haven’t seen my name before and that’s because I’m new to CalTrout. Let me introduce myself – I’m Kate Tidwell, and I am the Southern California Development Officer. I have a fun background in mission-based work that ranges from the arts (both fine and culinary), education, and children’s charities. Most recently I was at Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles. One could say I swapped out wishes for the fishes. You might think the missions are pretty different but ultimately, I am learning that in both roles I have the opportunity to be part of healing our local communities.
Many of you picture a first day at the office, getting set up with a key, laptop, onboarding videos. You know the drill. I didn’t have your typical first day. My day began with a journey that started with a 7:00am flight up to San Francisco and then to Medford, Oregon to meet some of my new colleagues where we would embark on a 2 ½ hour journey to Rock Creek Ranch in Crescent City, CA for the CalTrout staff retreat. I was incredibly nervous about starting a new job on a camping trip with colleagues, but it turned out to be one of the most rewarding and affirming weeks I have ever had.
Arriving at the ranch was equally exciting and a bit nerve-racking. Let’s meet most of the team while also spending several days and nights with them without cell service. A baptism by fire moment, for sure. My anxiety immediately vanished upon arrival. I was greeted with open arms and realized that many of my colleagues hadn’t met each other in person or hadn’t seen each other in a long time given CalTrout’s regional structure. As we settled in, we learned what the retreat would hold for us – breakout sessions, project site visits, team building, and more. Chef Ryan created a beautiful meal that set the vibe for the rest of the week and after that, it was time for rest.
Tuesday began with an all-staff session discussing employee satisfaction at CalTrout. This includes opportunities to improve (no one is perfect, right?) and all the things staff love about working at CalTrout that enable us to do the great work driving our state-wide mission. It was a privilege to be in this conversation so early on so I could see the team members’ favorite parts of working at CalTrout and how forward-looking the organization is. After the session, it was lunch time and the part that I was looking forward to the most – free time in the Smith River. This was the buzz as soon as everyone settled on Monday night. “Are you going in the river tomorrow?” “Did you bring your snorkel?” It was unbelievable how clear the water was. Listen, I come from Chicago…the fresh water isn’t exactly crystal clear so when I saw what we had right next to us, I was in absolute awe. Also, just knowing that some of the very creatures that we support, and research are in there made it even more special. Tuesday evening ended with dinner and a workshop before saying good night. We had a big day ahead of us.
Wednesday was the start of our big site visit – ‘O Rew at Prairie Creek! We took the 90-minute drive, through the redwoods, to the site of an extraordinary project led by CalTrout staff, Mary Burke and Ashley Shannon, the Yurok Tribe, Save the Redwoods League, funding agencies, and a team of local partners. It was immediately clear the care they put into this project, working diligently to make sure this project happens in a timely and respectful fashion. We met with members of the Yurok Tribe, whose Construction Corporation is leading the on-the-ground construction. The guided tour included touchpoints on how the creek is being rerouted, a space affectionately known as the “vampire graveyard,” the native wildlife benefitting including coho salmon and elk, and a description of how the landscape will look at the end of the project. Seeing CalTrout’s mission in action was the coolest thing to see on my third day on the job.
After our site visit and a quick lunch, the team broke off into different groups for some free time. Some chose to go back to the Ranch, some went to the Avenue of the Titans (a scenic drive among the redwoods), and a few went to the mouth of the Klamath River to hang at the beach. I chose the beach route, and I am so happy that I did. While we didn’t see any salmon, we got to see sea lions, seals, pelicans, banana slugs, and my favorite animal – whales (the grey ones, specifically). This was a beautiful moment to share with my new colleagues and to take in the picturesque surroundings of Northern California.
The day wrapped with dinner and the best game of trivia hosted by CalTrout staff, Kara and Lucy. It was an opportunity for me to learn a bit about the organization, as well as my colleagues.
The retreat ended on Thursday morning with breakfast and a brief closing session led by our Executive Director, Curtis Knight. The retreat was energizing. It solidified for me CalTrout’s tagline, “Fish. Water. People.” All those aspects were touched on during these four days in the wilderness. We are doing incredible work that helps so much more than just the fish and the water. We are helping people and wildlife thrive. Communities are able to heal and grow. I am so proud to be a member of the CalTrout team!
