Lets Go Exploring

Mark Hougardy's Portfolio

Stepping Back in Time at the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site

In John Day, Oregon, a true gem is hidden in plain sight.

This tiny, unassuming building was built in 1865 and was a Chinese medical clinic, general store, community center, and residence. Closed in the 1940s the building lay quiet until the late 1960s when there was talk of demolishing the structure. When the building was opened it revealed a time capsule into the past. Today, visitors can explore the building on a ranger-led walk.

From the State Park website: “This tiny, unassuming building became home to two Chinese immigrants, Ing “Doc” Hay and Lung On in 1888. Both became locally famous: Lung On as a general store proprietor and businessman, and “Doc” Hay as a herbal medicine practitioner. For over 60-some years the building was a social, medical, and religious center for Oregon’s Chinese community.”

Learn more about Kam Wah Chung by watching an Emmy-nominated documentary by Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Hiking Heceta Head & Tahkenitch Dunes on Oregon’s Central Coast

Trip Report:
Group Leader: Mark Hougardy | Organization: Eugene-based hiking group | Date: in June 2023 | Duration: 3 days | Walking Distance: 17 miles | Participants: 8 | Elevation Gain/Loss: 1,000 feet | Type: Urban Walking

Pitcher Plant – Darlingtonia californica

On our first day, after getting settled at the Sutton Group Campground, we drove about 5 minutes to the Darlingtonia State Natural Site. This small botanical park is home, to a carnivorous pitcher plant Darlingtonia californica. The Sutton campground was strangely quiet for the time of year, and the host was out of campfire wood to sell. We recovered some wood from vacant campsites for that evening’s fire. The next morning, we drove about twenty minutes north to Carl G Washburne Memorial State Park. We hiked down the coast while exploring the cliff face and rocks, then up the Hobbit Trail and onto the Heceta Head Lighthouse. The day was surprisingly sunny with little wind. On our return hike, the wind began to pick up. We crossed the coast highway and down to the China Creek Loop, which, unfortunately, was still closed from the year before due to a collapsed footbridge. Continuing our hike, we explored a nearby old homestead. We saw many beautiful rhododendron blooms. In the park, we walked to the far end of the beach trail that took us under the highway and out to the mouth of China Creek. We walked a short distance back to our cars. The Washburne ranger was generous enough to sell us some wood. That evening, we enjoyed dinner around our campfire. On the last morning, we departed camp for the Tahkenitch Campground day-use area. We hiked out to the beach, saw some storm damage, and also a bald eagle. We crossed inland over the dunes to Threemile Lake, where we had lunch. We had a pleasant hike through the woods and back to our cars.

In search of a Rough-skinned Newt
The Heceta Head Lighthouse
A Bald Eagle Seen Flying Over the Beach
Crossing the dunes at Tahkenitch

Getting Outside with the Oregon Master Naturalist Program

I am excited to have completed the first half of my ecoregion fieldwork with the Oregon Master Naturalist (OMN) program this past week. The focus area was the mid-Willamette Valley. The OMN program is through Oregon State University Extension. Oregon’s landscapes define the people and wild species that call this land home. Students of the OMN program learn about the natural history, ecology, and natural resource management practices of Oregon. I am looking forward to applying this new knowledge within my own volunteer-led hikes so others can better appreciate Oregon’s beautiful and dynamic landscape. Kudos to the OSU Extension and the many volunteer instructors for helping to make this happen!

Pacific giant salamander

Green heron

Major Donors: Characteristics & Motivators

It is said that around 80% of your nonprofit’s revenue comes from just 20% of donors. Locating these major donors, and securing their gifts is often an easier task to say than doing. A major gift is large in comparison to the majority of gifts your organization receives. Before you begin, you need a complete picture of the current donors in your database and then research who can help you with your mission. For that research, here are some resources to help with the process of soliciting a major donor, their characteristics, and motives.

Visiting the Kalapuya Talking Stones

Trip Report:
Group Leader: Mark Hougardy | Organization: Eugene-based hiking group | Date: in April 2023 | Duration: 1 day | Walking Distance: 4.5 miles | Participants: 8 | Elevation Gain/Loss: <100 feet | Type: Urban Walking

Walkers, runners, bikers, birders, and anyone who enjoys exploring the many trails and paths of the Whilamut Natural Area in Eugene, Oregon (and nearby Springfield) can learn from these quiet stones of place. The stones help to connect people with traditional names on the land and remind people that the Kalapuya people are still here. Our 2.5-hour walk was sunny and the temperatures were perfect for a springtime walk. Shown is the Gudu-kut stone; Gudu-kut is the Kalapuyan name for frog.

A Colorful Mural Walk in Corvallis Oregon

Trip Report:
Group Leader: Mark Hougardy | Organization: Eugene-based hiking group | Date: in April 2023 | Duration: 1 day | Walking Distance: 3 miles | Participants: 12 | Elevation Gain/Loss: 50 feet | Type: Urban Walking

Corvallis, Oregon, has a picturesque downtown area that is easily walkable. Hidden in plain sight, and in the alleyways are some colorful murals and art pieces just waiting to be discovered.

A Colorful Mural Walk in Downtown Eugene Oregon

Trip Report:
Group Leader: Mark Hougardy | Organization: Eugene-based hiking group | Date: in April 2023 | Duration: 1 day | Walking Distance: 3 miles | Participants: 12 | Elevation Gain/Loss: 50 feet | Type: Urban Walking

A little rain did not deter our group from seeing large murals and micro art pieces in downtown Eugene. A special treat was seeing the new colorful mural at the Farmers Market (shown).

Discovering the Murals & History of Cottage Grove

Trip Report:
Group Leader: Mark Hougardy | Organization: Eugene-based hiking group | Date: in April 2023 | Duration: 1 day | Hiking Distance: 3 miles | Participants: 10 | Type: Walking

The weather was a little cool and cloudy, but that did not deter our group of lifelong learners. Our walking group enjoyed exploring local museums, seeing colorful murals, and eating some great local food. Shown in the Opal Whitely mural in Cottage Grove. A special thanks to the Cottage Grove Museum.

Building a Development Office: Clarify Financial Responsibilities

Too often at nonprofits, the person in charge of Development and Fundraising gets charged with doing everything from processing donations, to managing bank accounts, to reporting. This is a problem waiting for an opportunity. One individual should never be allowed to complete a financial transaction by themselves. Having others verify transactions is good for the staff, is ethical for your organization, and it gives donors the peace of mind that processes are in place so their gift is being used effectively.

Start by identifying the stakeholders in the financial process, and then their primary roles. Everyone should have some insight into what the other is doing. Also, make sure there is a touch-base event where the stakeholders can meet to reconcile any paperwork or actions.

Exploring Ape Cave & Lava Canyon – Mount St. Helens National Monument

Trip Report:
Group Leader: Mark Hougardy | Organization: Eugene-based hiking group | Date: late-June 2022 | Duration: 3 days | Hiking Distance: 9 miles | Participants: 5 | Type: Hiking & Tent Camping

This trip was to visit the southeast side of Mount St. Helens, in Washington State.

Day 1: The group arrived and we had time to explore the quiet tent-only campground and some local trails near Cougar, Washington. We had dinner, talked around the campfire, and some stayed out close to 10 pm as the mid-summer sun stayed long into the evening sky.

Having lunch at Lava Canyon.

The morning of Day 2 began with birds blasting the campground with calls at about 4:30 am! The group had a relaxed morning, though several commented they had not slept well that night. Possibly this was related to being tired, or we were talking, but while driving to the hiking area we missed a turn-off and went the expected distance down a road to realize we needed to backtrack. This delay caused us to start about an hour and a half late. Driving back, we learned there was a significant absence of Forest Service signage in the area related to general features like river crossings, sights, overlooks, etc. We finally made our destination of Lava Canyon and hiked around the upper trail area. Prior to the trip, we knew the suspension bridge was out of commission, though we had hoped to hike downstream to the Ship Rock area, sadly this trail was also closed. Hiking back, we crossed over the main footbridge and ate lunch overlooking the beautiful glacial-blue Muddy River. Leaving, we made a stop at the bridge overlooking the 1980 lahar flow with Mount St. Helens looming in the background.

Viewing the waterfall at June Lake.

We drove to the June Lake parking area and began our hike to June Lake. The plan had been to continue to Chocolate Falls for a 5-mile loop, but about 2 miles into the trip the leader made the call to stop the hike soon after June Lake. This was an unhappy call to make but hopefully avoided an injury. Driving back to camp, we located where the earlier signage mistake had been made – a sign had been misinterpreted. We also visited the Ape Cave turnoff to better know where to go the following morning and we discovered the sign along the road identifying the turn for Ape Cave was completely missing! Finding the turn, we stopped for 20 minutes at the Trail of Two Forests Interpretive Site where a 2,000-year-old lava flow from Mount St. Helens ran through the forest, around trees, solidifying around the trunks and leaving tree wells. The group ended our day back at the campground and had an early evening.

Looking up the lahar, Mount St. Helens is in distance. For scale, note the people walking in the lahar.

On the final day, we departed camp at 8:45 am and visited Ape Cave for our 9-9:30 am time slot to arrive. We parked in a lower lot as the official signage in the area was poor and did not direct us to the upper lot. Finally, we began our adventure up the difficult 1.5-mile upper cave route. Progress was slow as there was a significant amount of bouldering across rock falls, several tight places, and a harder-than-it-sounds narrow 8-foot wall that had to be scaled. There were a few scraped knees, but the group arrived at the end of the lava tube; our completion time was 2 hours and 15 minutes. We walked 1.5 miles back to the visitor center through the forest for farewells and then drove back to Eugene. We had hoped to get ahead of any surge related to the Fourth of July weekend holiday traffic but still managed to hit bumper-to-bumper traffic through Portland, making drive time from Ape Cave to Eugene 4 hours.

Looking up at the skylight – Ape Cave

Guiding Tips: Include a Rooming List to Document Gratuities for Housekeeping

Several years ago at a trip leader training, someone asked the question, “At the end of a travel program what happens to the tips intended for housekeeping?

Some quick background: The travel company had been providing tips to the housekeeping staff (at the various hotels utilized on tours) by paying the hotels directly. The expectation was these funds would navigate corporate accounting departments and “trickle down” to the individuals who did the work. The general feedback was these funds were not getting paid out, and if this was being paid out, had not been communicated to staff or observed in paychecks. To ensure that housekeeping was receiving their hard-earned tips, the travel company made the individual trip leaders responsible for this. The company would deposit the tips for housekeeping into the trip leader’s bank account, who then had to pull this out of their bank as cash, and then pay the housekeeping manager directly at the end of the trip.

Then another question was asked, “How does someone know if the cash even reaches housekeeping?” The answer from the travel company was, “We don’t know. There’s no way to track this once the trip leaders pull it from their account.”

Whoa! This was not just a glaring hole in the travel company’s process, but one that left the trip leader in a precarious position regarding their honesty if anyone ever asked the question, “What happened to the money?”  Integrity and being mindful of others’ hard work mean everything in the hospitality/travel business. Having integrity questioned –or even an ounce of suspicion– is a death knell to one’s career.

After that day, I documented everything related to tips intended for others, and I did this with a simple process. I’ve listed this as A, B, C, & D:

A) TAKE A PHOTO: At the end of the trip, when I am ready to pay out tips for housekeeping, I lay out the following items and take a photo that shows:

  • The Rooming List (this must include my traveler’s room numbers and the dates); I include a little note on the rooming list saying this is tip money for housekeeping’s hard work.
  • The correct amount of cash out, and I clearly display the ID numbers and amount of each bill.
  • An envelope with the housekeeping manager’s name [if possible] or at least their title; near and edge I write the date, the time, and the travel company’s trip ID.
  • A big “Thank You” is written on the envelope with the name of the travel company and my name.

B) DELIVER: I put the rooming list and cash in the envelope and immediately deliver this to the front desk staff, preferably when two people are at the desk, or someone whom I have a working relationship with, and I say, “Please place this envelope directly in the Housekeeping Manager’s mailbox.” I stay to make sure I see the envelope go into their mailbox or at least make its way into the staff room, then I thank the person when they return. Many front desks have cameras, and if I see one, I make sure to look at the camera for a moment so there is a record of me having delivered the tip envelope.

C) DOCUMENT: Depending on the situation, I might email my manager at the main office about this being delivered and I document the time and place this happened and even give a name of who this was delivered to.  Regardless, I always include the earlier photo when I electronically submit all my transaction receipts at the end of the trip for reconciliation.

D). CYA (Cover Your A$$): Lastly, I keep a copy of this with my trip documents in my own files and I never get rid of this information.

This sounds a bit like overkill, but again, integrity is everything in this business; I want to make sure those who have helped my travelers receive their tips, and I also wish to practice CYA [Cover Your Backside].

On a walking tour that I led last year, a woman approached and asked about housekeeping tips since they were supposedly included in what she and others on the trip had paid. On two separate trips, with other companies, she found the tipping policy to be gray or nonexistent. This was a concern for the woman as her mother had been a housekeeper for decades and rarely received tips or was recognized. I agreed that housekeeping staff are the unsung heroes of any tour, and I wanted them to receive what was theirs. I explained the company she was currently traveling with recognized this was an issue and provided tip money to the leader to then pay the housekeeping manager directly. And, to ensure better accountability, I briefly mentioned my own process. The woman choked up and began to cry. She returned a few minutes later and thanked me for caring. At the end of the trip, she thanked me again and said she would be traveling again with the same company.

Minus Tide Explorations & Eagle Viewing on Oregon’s Central Coast

Trip Report:
Group Leader: Mark Hougardy | Organization: Eugene-based hiking group | Date: mid-June 2022 | Duration: 3 days | Hiking Distance: 7 miles | Participants: 8 | Type: Hiking & Tent Camping

The low tide zone is always covered, except for a few times a year during the lowest tides. It was during one such minus low tide that 8 of us ventured to an area along Oregon’s central coast to explore tide pools during an impressive -2.4 feet (-73 cm) low tide!

Day 1: Our group arrived on their schedule at one of the nearby Oregon State Park group camps. That afternoon and evening were open for beach walking, exploring on your own, or watching the sunset. In the evening, everyone enjoyed a campfire and discussed plans for the next day. It was interesting that one topic of conversation that arose was the book, “Braiding Sweetgrass.” Of the 8 participants, more than half had read the book, one was in the process of reading, and the others were interested. At 10 pm a gentle rain started and continued through to the morning.

Day 2: At 7 am, we carpooled to an unnamed parking area expecting a filling parking lot, but to the trip leader’s surprise were only 3 cars. The rain, cool temperatures, and overcast skies likely contributed to the low turnout. We arrived about 2 hours before low tide to follow the tide out. This particular tide pool area is special because we can walk on sand and open rocky surfaces to visit ‘islands’ of marine life. After 2.5 hours, and a returning tide, we started back and met several rangers who helped to provide some more context to the area. One ranger said the rain had chased most away that morning. We saw numerous anemones, various seaweeds, chitons, crabs, limpets, mussels, and some small fish believed to be skulpins. Also observed were a pacific harbor seal, seagulls, and great blue heron. Later that morning, we drove to a coffee shop in Nye Beach to warm up. Then half of the group ventured back to the campground, and the other half visited the Hatfield Marine Science Center. That afternoon, we met up at the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area and saw at least 4 bald eagles in addition to the common murres, surf scoters, and pigeon guillemots. One participant said that in 30 years of visiting Yaquina Head she had not seen that many eagles there as that day. That evening we enjoyed dinner around a campfire. Several of the group visited the beach at sunset to see up to 8 large birds visiting what appeared to be the body of a deer on the beach (the deer had not been there 24 hours earlier). The deer had been possibly struck by a vehicle on the nearby highway and made it to the beach before dying. Near the body were 8 birds; 3 were vultures, 2 were adult bald eagles, and 3 were juvenile bald eagles. The interactions between the birds were raucous at times. Just at sunset, the eagles departed and the vultures returned. That evening the rain returned.

Day 3: We awoke to a wet campsite and decided to meet in Depoe Bay at 9 am. Some broke camp early to grab some breakfast in town. In Depot Bay the group met up again, and we looked briefly for whales, but saw no signs, then drove north to Fogarty Creek to enjoy a -1.5 foot low tide. After an hour and a half, everyone departed for home.

Pacific Harbor Seal
A visitor to the tide pools during a minus low tide.
Great Blue Heron
Wet and overcast during our visit.
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. What was most amazing today is the lack of wind.
Eagles!
An adult bald eagle and what appear to be two juvenile eagles at the ocean’s edge.
An adult bald eagle and juvenile (at left) stand over what appears to be a deer carcass on the beach. A turkey vulture is at the right.
The two juvenile eagles are much larger that the turkey vultures who are keeping their distance.
Found some fossils while tide pooling!
Mussel colonies
Up close with a starfish

Three Golden Moments for Trip Leaders That Will Make or Break an Adventure Travel Program

As a trip leader, the first interactions with your group are golden. Participants want to know if they will be safe and if you as a leader are professional, approachable, and will help them to succeed in this adventure. Operations differ at different travel companies, but here are 3 golden moments that can set the tone of your entire adventure travel program.

Golden Moment #1: The Pre-Trip Communication Email
Not all companies provide this information to leaders before a trip, but If you have access to names and emails -and time- sending a pre-trip communication to your participants can be golden. You will help your travelers be better prepared, and they will greatly appreciate your effort.

  • Send a pre-trip email about 7-10 days before the trip begins.
  • Introduce your history with the area they are visiting, what they will be experiencing, a general idea about the weather they will encounter, and about helpful gear to have (as this is in addition to what the company provided).
  • Remind them the travel company remains their best point of contact before their trip.
  • Confirm to see them on X date at Y time and provide a personal email and phone number.

If you don’t have access to this information, don’t worry, just make sure Golden Moment #2 is knocked out of the park.

Golden Moment #2: Checking-In 
This differs from company to company, but at the trip’s beginning, there is often a quick check-in followed shortly after that by a more formal welcome. This part covers the check-in. Keep the check-in short and sweet and down to a few basics:

  • Welcome them; let them know they are in the right spot.
  • Let them know where the nearest restrooms are and what the hotel’s Wi-Fi password is.
  • Ask if they have all their luggage and if their check-in at the hotel was okay.
  • Ask them to set their watches to the local time (many people use watches); their phones will auto-update.
  • Inform them -although unlikely- where to gather if an emergency occurs (i.e fire alarm).
  • Give them any welcome materials from the travel or expedition company.
  • Let them know where/when to meet next, even if it’s in the same room.

Golden Moment #3: The First Night Welcome / Dinner / Presentation
I amend these depending on the situation such as the speed of when dinner is ready, how tired participants are, etc. My notes are for a group no larger than 24 travelers.

In the Room: (If this is possible, I have arrived much earlier to set up and review paperwork)

  1. On each dining table, I try to provide a printed sheet with a URL or a process for the group to share photos of their shared experience.
  2. I have set up a portable projector and my foldable fabric screen.
  3. On a side table are hands-on items like topo maps, park maps, brochures, local natural history books, molds of animal tracks they might see, etc.

These are some core items to include in a first night’s welcome:

Start On Time, Show Empathy, and Have a Purposeful Welcome

  • Start on time; inform them that you respect their time by being on time.
  • Understand that many have traveled far, possibly from a different time zone, and are likely tired.
  • Keep the first evening’s welcome (with dinner) to an hour and fifteen minutes.
  • Announce that the trip’s experience has officially begun.
  • Give a quick overview of what they can expect that evening and when you will be finished.
  • Announce that their experience on this travel program has officially begun.

Introductions:

  • Introduce any other staff (like a naturalist or area expert)
  • Provide an overview of the uniqueness of the trip experience and why you are qualified to be their guide.
  • Provide a space for the travelers to introduce themselves (I try to keep this to about 20 minutes, definitely less than half an hour.)
  • Let people eat (depending on the situation, sometimes I start the evening directly with dinner, it really depends on the needs of the program at that time, so be flexible)

The Presentation:

  • I usually start my presentation just as people are halfway through dinner.
  • As a lead-in, I let them know about ways to share photos with the group during their trip. I also give them a heads-up that I’ll be leading a short and optional [natural history or interpretive] walk, at the end of that evening for those who might want to stretch their legs.
  • Try to keep the presentation to 20 minutes with 5 minutes for questions
    • The presentation should be colorful with photos (from previous trips on the itinerary) helping to tell the story of the program.
    • I share my personal reason for being on that trip.
    • The rest of the presentation includes logistical info: the shuttle, the terrain, safety protocols, meals, communications, etc.
    • The 2nd to the last slide covers the weather for the next day.
    • The final slide includes 5 data points -what I want them to remember- and this slide is all about the next day:
      1. For a wake-up I suggest using their phone AND setting a time with the main desk; don’t use the in-room clock.
      2. Breakfast is at X time and Y location.
      3. Gear to bring (daypack, sunhat, sunglasses, etc.)
      4. We depart at X time at Y location (or if there is a speaker, or walk, etc.)
      5. I say that I’ll see everyone in the morning; for those interested in the short natural history walk join me in 20 minutes.

These first three interactions with your group are golden. Let them see that they are in professional hands, that you love what you do, that you respect their time, and assure them they will be having a life-enhancing experience on your adventure travel trip.

    An Easy “On the Go” Tool for Helping to Tell the Story of an Educational Adventure Tour

    When leading an educational adventure how does one tell the program’s story, while keeping those on your tour informed, imparting knowledge that helps them to make a connection, is lightweight, and “on the go?”

    When building out my interpretive program I develop it so I can carry laminated sheets. For lack of a better term, I often call them placards. Here is the set of placards I use while visiting central Oregon on a 6-day educational travel program. There are about 80 placards that support my trip’s 1 interpretive theme and 3 sub-themes.

    I also have about 10 placards with just data. For example, when we visit Bend, Oregon, travelers want to know about the cost of housing, population, etc. While I sometimes use the placards to help me remember, and even after discussing them, I often pass around the placards or share them during a meal so people can read at their leisure and better the photos.

    On each placard, I include a color photo on one side and on the other text in 14-point font. This makes it easier to read for eyes that are over 50.

    When I am working with a local or knowledge expert, I try to research their emphasis and then selectively use my materials to help them tell their story. It is like helping to set the stage so the sage on that stage can better succeed.

    One of my favorite uses of placards was on an intergenerational (grandparents and their grandchildren) trip to Crater Lake National Park. That morning, I gave a brief presentation about where we were visiting and what to look out for, including a rare sight known as The Old Man of the Lake, a centuries old tree trunk that floats upright and traverses the lake’s clear waters. When I was done, I passed the placards around so people who wanted could read up a bit more. The placards included:
    – basics about the lake water’s clarity
    – the newts & crawdads of the area
    – key info about the lake’s depth with a detailed satellite image
    – how the lake is the source point of various watersheds
    – more about the Old Man of the Lake (shown left).

    Then our group was to hike 700 feet down to Cleetwood Cove where we would board a boat for a two-hour boat ride inside the 5-mile wide caldera. While returning across the lake, one of the kids called out that she had seen in the distance something on the water. She asked the caption if the boat could investigate, the captain did and everyone received a rare surprise, seeing the Old Man of the Lake up close.

    Afterward, the captain pulled me aside and mentioned that he had known where the Old Man of the Lake was, but it was just far enough out of our route that he was not going to make a stop unless someone said they had observed it. She was surprised that someone so young in my group knew about the old man and was so eager about seeing this wonderful natural feature.

    It is feedback like that that makes my job so wonderful, and having items that are lightweight, supports a theme, adds that bit of magic that makes travel so wonderful, and can better help me keep the program on schedule, are golden.

    If interpretation is an idea you would like to know more about, here is a short video from the National Association for Interpretation.