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Beginning
of 2009-10 budget crisis
We began working on the
budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year April of 2009. From that date forward, the budget constantly changed; and
every time we found a plan to deal with a cut to the budget, we got news that
another cut was on the way. It’s
like trying to climb a mountain during a landslide.
The Effie Yeaw Nature
Center will not receive any funds from the County of Sacramento’s General Fund.
This is the fund that pays for the Sheriff, Child Protective Services, Human
Assistance, etc. The entire Park’s Department’s share of county funding dropped
so low that only Park’s maintenance and operations are funded.
Some good
news
Since there is no funding
from the county’s general fund, we looked for other funding. For this 2009-10 fiscal year our
biggest funders are from the Solid Waste Authority and the Oak Tree
Preservation Fund. Together these
sponsors will contribute a total of $387,000. For these funds, staff will be adding more oak tree education
to the tours and vacation Fun Days classes. Students are also planting lots of valley oak acorns in the
preserve and more oak tree saplings are to be caged to prevent them from being
consumed by the deer.
That’s the good news, but
the unfortunate news is this funding is for one time only and will not be
available next year.
Critical
funding sources
Another important group of
sponsors are: Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District – SRCSD, Fish
& Game Propagation Fund, County of Sacramento Water Quality – Stormwater
District, Environmental Management District (EMD), Bureau of Reclamation and
the Water Forum. Together they are
sponsoring us for $97,500. The
funding from these sources is dependent upon the Effie Yeaw Nature Center
teaching environmental education with an emphasis on pollution prevention,
protecting the watershed, water conservation and the water cycle. We do this in
our many programs and Fun Days vacation camps.
The revenue we are to
bring in from school and other programs this year is $100,000. Now that we have fewer staff and have
to cut programs, raising this revenue will be difficult. Nevertheless we will book as many
programs as we can staff. We
depend greatly on volunteers.
Last but certainly not
least is the $70,000 to 100,000 from the American River Natural History
Association we hope to receive this year.
The higher amount is dependent on how many people contribute to ARNHA in
support of the Effie Yeaw Nature Center.
Not
enough to ward off staff cuts
With all this revenue and
the special grants the Nature Center receives it will still be cutting hours of
operation, staffing, free programs and much more. The highest expenditure the
Nature Center has is staffing; other costs are associated with operating two
buildings, the 77-acre preserve and overhead (money back to the County). The EYNC’s funding cuts have resulted
in the reduction of the permanent staff by one position—our Education Director.
It also cut the funding for the seasonal and intermittent staff by 50% which
reduces the number of programs we can do.
Cutting the staff means
fewer revenue earning programs which leads to more cuts in staffing unless this
lost revenue can be replenished from another funding source.
What is the
Nature Center losing with the 50% drop in funding for staff naturalists?
The following programs
have been reduced or eliminated:
- Gibson Ranch Living History Program is
eliminated
- Free weekend programs reduced by 70%
- EYNC closed two afternoons a week in the fall
and may be closed up to five days a week in the winter (except for tours
and Maidu programs).
- Elimination of birthday parties (we don’t have
enough staff to present the party program)
- Elimination of winter Fun Days youth programs
during holiday vacation
- Reduction in ability to provide
environment-based educational games that are taught in the big playing
field across from the Nature Center.
These games were provided to schools that had to bring several
classes on a fieldtrip due to fewer and more costly busses for
fieldtrips.
- Reduction in number of school programs.
Nature
Center may have to close weekdays
We are looking into the
possibility of closing to the public on weekdays (except holidays and school
vacation days) beginning the first week of December through February (three months)
to save staff costs. This will be publicized before implemented.
One of the most troubling
aspects of closing to the public is that we will not have a staff Naturalist
available to monitor the 77-acre Nature Study Area, or deal immediately with
reported problems. The 500 – 900+
people who use the Preserve on weekdays will not have access the Nature Center
restrooms, store or exhibits.
During the months we will
not be open and not have a Naturalist on Duty, we foresee many problems such as
those that occur in the five other Nature Study Areas within the American River
Parkway (ARP). We have been
fortunate that our Nature Study Area has had volunteers and staff located on
site daily to tend and protect it.
Our Nature Study Area is
designated as a California State Watchable Wildlife site. See www.cawatchablewildlife.org
So what are we doing to rescue the Nature Center from closure during weekdays and elimination of popular programs?
We are
trying many reductions in operating costs such as:
- Using volunteers wherever possible. Volunteers must still be screened
fingerprinted, given safety training, supervised and provided with the
ongoing resources they need to do their jobs. Without our 200 active volunteers per year we couldn’t
operate the EYNC as well as we have since 1976. Our volunteers will always and have always been needed.
- Returned one of the vehicles leased from the
County’s motor pool. We will
be doing fewer programs in the classrooms and think we can get by with one
vehicle.
- Kept the air conditioner off in the assembly
building nearly all summer saving a couple thousand dollars.
- Moved our donation box close to the front door
with a sign noting that we have free admission but need donations in order
to stay open. Donations have
doubled since this began.
- Stepping up fundraising efforts and grant
writing through ARNHA.
We’re reexamining the way
we do programs and trying to find ways to cut costs. Unfortunately, we’ve had to raise the fees for our
educational programs to help offset the costs. We’re constantly searching for grants to support the Urban
Nature Project – a scholarship program that pays for schools that can’t afford
our program fees.
Since its opening in 1976
the Effie Yeaw Nature Center has grown from a small neighborhood nature center
to a nature center of regional importance. We are in sight of the summit. With the current economic crisis
causing this landslide we must decide if, with ARNHA’s help, we can wait out
the adversity then continue to the summit.
We must also ask ourselves
if experiencing wildness or nature is essential to the growth and development
of our youth. Is it essential to
the well being of adults, mothers, fathers and seniors? If the answer is “yes,”
then we need to work together to keep the preserve protected and the
educational programs available to our community.
How can you help?
If you would like to support the Nature Center, there are several possibilities:
- Donate—change, cash, checks, credit cards. You may donate
to Effie Yeaw Nature Center through the American River Natural History
Association or through the County of Sacramento. You will probably hear us asking for donations and see
our donation boxes more prominently displayed.
- Renew your ARNHA membership level at a higher level.
- Buy a Parks Annual Pass for $50 that will gain you entrance into
any of the County Parks for 12 months.
- Participate in any of the fundraisers that we will be organizing,
hosting, or publicizing to raise money for the Center. You, your
friends, and family can host a fundraiser to benefit the Nature
Center.
- Give gifts of ARNHA memberships, Park Passes, or buy
environmental gifts from our Discovery Shop.
- You can write or call the County of Sacramento Supervisors to
encourage them to support the Effie Yeaw Nature Center. You can also
share this with friends, co-workers and family to rally their support for
the Nature Center.
Only with your help, can we
continue to offer meaningful and fun environmental and cultural history
programs to the families of Sacramento.
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