ANNUAL REPORT2019

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We extend a special thank you to 2019 donors. While we are unable to list every donor in this Annual Report, please know that we acknowledge and appreciate your generosity.

$50,000 & AboveJohn Schuldt and Mary Chisholm

$20,000 - $49,999Anonymous

Anonymous

Bennington Properties

Dave Buhaly and Gail Drew

Mike and Linda Gocke

Marv and Laurie Henberg

Sunriver Resort

$10,000 - $19,999Katherine Mendenhall

WH Moore Company

Mike and Carolyn Spaniol

$5,000 - $9,999William Arthur

Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation

Mitzi C. Putney

Cregg and Jerilyn Baumbaugh

Rotary Club of Sunriver-La Pine

Ron and Jackie Schmid

$1,000 - $4,999Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Children’s Forest of Central Oregon

Gerhard and Elizabeth Beenen

Parker Bounds Johnson Foundation

Robin Burford

Jamie Carr

Theresa Ciccolo

Thomas and Paula Daniel

Jim and Raeceil Day

Stephen and Kathy Dewalt

Phyllis and Wayne Duncan

First Interstate Bank

John and Kathy Flanigan

Verda Giustina

Martha Helmreich and Al Graf

Krista Hildebrand

The Hooter Fund II of the Oregon Community Foundation

IBEW Local 280

Darryl and Candice Larson

Dennis Maddelein

Eldon and Diana Marks

Stu and Marjorie Mathison

The Mervyn L Brenner Foundation

Therese Poncy

Michael Reggiani

Aaron and Hilary Richmond

John and Martha Ross

Paul and Edee Sobel

Christopher and Sharon Steele

Lee and Marcia Stevenson

Sunriver Brewing Company

TJ Education Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation

Sunriver Veterinary Clinic

Ken and Joy Ware

Watkinson, Laird & Rubenstein, PC

Sunriver Women’s Club

Connelly and Linda Woody

$300 - $999Jean and Mike Reidy

Ken and Pat Arnold

Paul Arthur

Darrell and Joanne Beck

Moe and Sid Caba

Win and Judy Calkins

East Cascades Audubon Society

Dave and Janet Cassing

Dave and Debbie Craig

Paul and Susan Curtin

Hal and Kim Curtis

David Delano and Sharon Milhous

Harry and Oralee Hamilton

Veronica Hummel

Ed Fess and Helen Luna Fess

Ray and Carolyn Maxwell

Gregory McDuffie

Network for Good

Chris and Donna Paisley

Kenneth Provencher and Karen Hooker

Carolyn Russell

Rod and Mitzi Shirk

Steve and Linda Sogge

Rick and Denyse Stawicki

Ron and Margaret Ward

Margaret Beard

Dale and Jolita Benson

Gary and Chris Bigham

First Interstate Bank Foundation

Roger and Teresa Knox

Richard and Carol Luebke

Richard Moore

Jim and Linda Odom

Ed and Patty Pitera

Tom and Lois Worcester

CASCADE SOCIETY

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS

DONORS OF $1,000 OR MORE

We try to ensure that all donor names are listed correctly; however, occasional mistakes do occur. Please contact us at 541-593-4442 with any questions or concerns.

YOUR IMPACTSNCO is an independent nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, receiving no state or local tax funding. Support from donors, corporations, and foundations makes our mission possible.

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Friends,

We are thrilled to share with you our 2019 annual report. This report showcases Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory’s (SNCO) smart, committed, and enthusiastic team and several programs we are most proud of that continue inspiring discovery from the forest floor to the night sky.

Over our five decades, this unique cultural resource has inspired countless minds and taken thousands of new and returning friends on a journey of discovery and a celebration of science and nature.

2019 was no exception, and our evolution continued with new leadership, new challenges and a continued new vision for our future. This year saw exhibit renovations, new programmatic opportunities, hope for Trumpeter swans and an increase in the work we do within our community.

We at Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory take pride in offering many ways to access the nature and science learning resources we provide, but we couldn’t do it without the vast network of support. Hundreds of volunteers, community partners, donors, visitors and educators in our community make our work possible. Right now, the need for environmental literacy is so clear. Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory will continue to educate and engage Central Oregonians to best steward this special place we are fortunate to call home.

Thank you for contributing to an incredible 2019. We look forward to getting to know you better in the weeks, months, and years ahead, and sincerely appreciate your continued support of our organization and our mission.

Enjoy the read,

Abby Rowland Executive Director

David Buhaly President, Board of Directors

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In 2019, Sunriver’s Trumpeter Swan population increased from one swan to six, almost overnight. After an exhaustive search that began in 2017, our resident female Trumpeter Swan, Grace, was introduced to a new mate, Gus. Seven weeks later, four cygnets hatched and Oregon’s Trumpeter Swan reintroduction program was reignited.

Each cygnet brings us closer to a thriving and sustainable population of Trumpeter Swans in Oregon. After nearly being hunted to extinction in Oregon in the early 1900s, this species has been slow to recover in part due to loss and degradation of wetland habitats. However, through the efforts of The Trumpeter Swan Society, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, many other partners, and support through generous donors, there will be a future for Trumpeter Swans in Oregon once again.

Through our commitment to hosting Grace and Gus and caring for the growing cygnets, SNCO plays a critical role in helping to restore Oregon’s natural heritage. We know that local conservation initiatives can have large scale impacts and we are proud to contribute to this important project, one swan at a time.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATIONONE SWAN AT A TIME

We cared for our animal ambassadors – 32 species, 58 animals - 365 days a year.

ANIMAL CARE

Photo by: George D. Lepp

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The entire universe is being brought to school gymnasiums through SNCO’s portable and inflatable portal to the cosmos. For the past two years, our educators have traveled all over Central Oregon to visit elementary, middle school and high schools from Madras to La Pine with a unique learning tool - the Star Dome portable planetarium.

In this dome, which resembles a bouncy house, our educators navigate the cosmos. With the flick of a switch, they take groups of school children on trips from the moons of Saturn to the fringes of the known universe—and back again.

The planetarium system was purchased in 2018 and features two different size domes to be used at schools and in the Pozzi Education Center. Significant funding was provided through the Oregon Community Foundation with one thing in mind, to share the love of space with students all across Oregon. Gazing at the stars is fun and an exciting introduction to the wonders of science. In 2019, over 700 students experienced the Star Dome.

SNCO’s partnership with Bend-La Pine School District continues to strengthen. A grant by Sunriver Women’s Club allowed the Star Dome to reach higher numbers of students in south Deschutes county. Almost 40% of the students who experienced the planetarium were from South county schools.

There’s something truly extraordinary about gazing at the stars together, and even sitting in a bubble in the middle of a school gym; we can share the wonders of the cosmos with the youngest of minds and maybe, just maybe, spark some curiosity.

INFLATABLE PLANETARIUM OPEN ACCESS TO THE COSMOS FOR STUDENTS

EDUCATION

SNCO’s educational programs served more than 5,000 students in 55 schools. 51% of the students were from Title 1 schools.

$17,265 in scholarships were awarded to schools in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties for K-12 field trips and school programs.

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Since 1984, when SNCO took up residence at its current location, our landscape has been slowly loved to death. With over 50,000 visitors each year, and thousands more using the trails throughout campus and along Lake Aspen, SNCO’s plant communities, trails, and even wildlife habitat have been highly impacted. A new initiative developed in 2019 sought to begin restoring these areas to their once wild and native landscape, while still maintaining recreational and educational access for visitors and trail users.

The long-term plans to restore SNCO’s campus to that of a healthy landscape include creating a design based in native plant communities and revamping the current trail system. Native plants that are adapted to our local environment will help decrease our use of water, increase soil health, increase survivability through droughts and freezes, and create high quality habitat for pollinators, birds and other wildlife. These efforts are supported by an intentional trail system that educates visitors about the important restoration taking place, while still allowing access to the educational and scenic opportunities on campus.

REBIRTH OF A NATIVE LANDSCAPE

TREE PLANTINGS

A record 1,600 tree seedlings were potted at the Project Ponderosa nursery with the help of local students, community partners, and volunteers.

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From the Karen Clarke Stardeck at the observatory, students and visitors can get an up-close view of the Universe and details that are normally too faint to see with the human eye. These awesome views are possible thanks to an ever growing collection of telescopes.

Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory has a continued mission to enhance students’ academic experience through technology. The observatory is in regular use and benefits more than 20,000 students and visitors each year. The new solar telescope, a 70mm Hydrogen-Alpha is one telescope among many that has vastly improved astronomy instruction and inspired a sense of awe in so many.

SNCO believes that learning concepts from a textbook alone cannot match the educational benefit of a hands-on experience. Witnessing astronomical objects through the telescope can change one’s entire view of the universe. On a moonless night, observers can spot an object 10,000 times fainter than the faintest object the human eye can see. The wide range of telescopes at the observatory make those views possible. The one that attracts our visitors and wows the students is the Yocum 20” Ritchey Cassegrain telescope that resides within the dome. Then they head out back, where the Matthews 30” Newtonian telescope resides, among the collection of different size. The most important property of a telescope is the size of its primary mirror, controlling the number of photons the telescope can collect from faint astronomical objects. If planets are of specific interest, the Tryon Televue 101 or the Brondum Meade 130 refracting telescope is the right tool. A few of the telescopes also have state-of-the-art control systems such as computerized mounts that enhance the ability to find faint objects in the sky.

In addition to serving our community’s K-12 students, the observatory’s presence affords undergraduate astronomy students the rare opportunity to control such equipment and propose their own observations.

As the observatory moves towards its future expansion, SNCO continues to expand our telescopes and accessories to meet the demand for our services and stay true to our roots of being an accessible science educational resource to schools and to the public.

LIKE NOWHERE ELSESEEKING THE STARS WITH AN EXPANDING COLLECTION

TELESCOPES SUPPORTED BY

Brondum Family Brown Family Lehner Family Marcoe/Norton Family Dennis Martin Corwin Matthews Harold Osborne Pestes Family Porter Family Rotary Club of Sunriver Joe Rottman Shasta Astronomy Club Sunriver Women’s Club Tryon Family Worthy Garden Club Yocum Family

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SECOND TERNREDUCE, RECYCLE, & REINVIGORATE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Thousands of items are donated each year to the Second Tern Thrift Store – clothing, books, furniture, housewares, and more. The individuals who donate goods often give back in another way – offloading their vehicle and then circling around to the front parking lot and shopping in the store. The Second Tern motto, ‘one item in, two items out’, drives over 40% of operational support for Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory.

Each week the donations are diligently sorted, cleaned, priced and displayed by over 75 volunteers. However, sometimes we simply have more than we can turn-around and sell. We view this as a good problem to have as we can share this bounty with others in our community, extending our impact much farther than our own doors. For example, we pass on gently used clothing to the La Pine Community Closet which distributes to those in need. Brightside Animal Shelter in Redmond receives our surplus of furniture and household goods. And books are shared with Bend Senior Center, the county jail, and Care and Share Community Outreach.

Over the years we have also worked closely to support various community partners that provide essential services to students, families, and those in need. In 2019, we worked closely with the school-based Family Access Network (FAN) in Deschutes County to provide clothing, furniture, and house goods to families. These resources go to families most in need and the Second Tern plays a small part in paving the way for a child’s success in school and in life.

VOLUNTEERS

145 volunteers donated a total of 27,746 hours of their time, talents and skills to SNCO.

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From the microscopic spores of a puffball mushroom, to the showy blooms of a lupine, in 2019our community celebrated nature in some very special ways.

Through a partnership with the Native Plant Society of Oregon, the annual Wildflower Show returned to Sunriver in late June. For the first time the event was expanded to include a family-friendly pollinator festival to highlight the importance of bees, birds, and other wildlife to the diversity of wildflowers in the high desert. Botanic garden tours, bee walks, talks, a native plant sale, specialty vendors, and an enchanting display of wildflowers were enjoyed by over 600 people. A few months later, the best mushroom season in nearly a decade produced an unforgettable display for the third annual FungiFest & Mushroom Show. Cooking demonstrations, mushroom walks, a keynote speaker, and a mushroom marketplace rounded out a week’s long celebration of fungi.

A COMMUNITY CELEBRATES

ACCESS

More than 2,000 visitors enjoyed reduced or free admission through access programs such as Open House Free Days, Blue Star Museums, and Deschutes Public Library Museum Passes.

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STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

FINANCIAL REPORT

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Current Assets:Cash 275 339 676 914 984

Unconditional Promises to Give 122 157 61

Accounts Receivable 1 1 14 13 5

Inventory 76 71 70 71 77

Total Current Assets 352 412 881 1,155 1,128

Note Receivable and Refundable Deposits 0 11 0 1 0

Prepaid Expenses 0 0 13 11 11

Property Held for Sale 0 330 0 0 0

OCF Investment Funds 325 356 422 345 348

Property and Equipment 1,361 1,472 1,583 1,827 2,000 Less Accum Depreciation -772 -826 -884 -952 -1,028

590 646 699 876 972

Total Assets 1,267 1,754 2,016 2,387 2,458

Net Property and Equipment

Statements of Financial Position

2015 - 2019

AssetsRounded to the Nearest Thousand

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2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Current Liabilities:Accounts Payable and Deferred Revenue 16 35 35 23 30

Accrued Payroll Liabilities and Vacation 20 25 27 41 42

Vehicle Loan 0 0 0 0 16

Total Current Liabilities 36 60 62 64 88

Net Assets:Unrestricted 270 381 478 349 358Invested in Property and Equipment 590 646 699 876 972

859 1,027 1,177 1,224 1,330

Temporarily Restricted 248 537 626 953 868

Permanently Restricted 124 130 150 146 172

Total Net Assets 1,231 1,694 1,953 2,323 2,370

1,267 1,754 2,016 2,387 2,458

7/22/2020

Total Liabilities and Net Assets

Liabilities and Net AssetsRounded to the Nearest Thousand

Statements of Financial Position

2015 - 2019

FINANCIAL REPORT

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2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Support:Donations and Grants 243 578 497 785 352

Memberships 37 55 57 56 69Sales, Net 349 363 399 470 458

Programs and Admissions 191 245 231 249 299OCF Investment, Net -7 19 54 -10 57Other Income 92 88 68 72 85

663 769 809 837 968

907 1,347 1,306 1,622 1,320

Operating Expenses:Program Services 669 695 731 913 904General and Administrative 165 95 146 87 88Fundraising 51 94 169 253 281

Total Expenses 884 884 1,047 1,253 1,273

Increase in Net Assets 22 463 259 369 47

1,209 1,231 1,694 1,953 2,323

Net Assets, End of Year 1,231 1,694 1,953 2,323 2,370

7/22/2020

Total Support, Revenues and Program Receipts

Net Assets Beginning of Year

Statements of Activities2015 - 2019

Rounded to the Nearest Thousand

Total Revenue and Program Receipts

Revenues and Program Receipts:

FINANCIAL REPORT

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0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

SNCO 2015 - 2019 Income & Expense Comparison

Rounded to the Nearest Thousand Total Revenue Total Expenses

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

69.1 69.2 82.3 98.8 99.7

269.8 380.8 478.1 348.6 358.1

Solvency Ratio 3.9 5.5 5.8 3.5 3.6

Unrestricted/ Undesignated Funds

Solvency Ratios

2015 - 2019

SOLVENCY RATIOSRounded to the Nearest Thousand

Average Monthly Expense- Before Depreciation

FINANCIAL REPORT

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Board of Directors

David Buhaly, President

Alan Eames, Vice President

Harry Hamilton, Immediate Past President

Mike Gocke, Treasurer

Jan Tuckerman, Secretary

Ken Arnold

Gerhard Beenen

Gary Bigham

Molly Johnson

Dick Luebke

Dave Wolfman

Staff

Abby Rowland Executive Director

Amanda Accamando Nature Center Manager

Susan Ertsgaard Second Tern Store Manager

Bob Grossfeld Observatory Manager

Kirsten Force Marketing & Digital Systems Manager

Carolyn Maxwell Administrative Manager

Kelli Neumann Animal Program Coordinator

Davey Pearson Education & Outreach Coordinator

Paul Poncy Astronomy Interpreter

David WalkerFacilities & Grounds

P.O. Box 3533, Sunriver, OR 97707 | 541-593-4394 | www.snco.org