Nature and Human Health

Join volunteers for this monthly Third Saturday Cleanup in Northwest Portland. Pick up litter and remove graffiti in the area. Join us for some coffee and conversation afterward. Volunteers should come prepared with completed waiver forms (if possible) and work gloves on cold days. Activities include: Litter Cleanup. Register online here: http://solveoregon.org/get-involved/events/nwda-july-third-saturday-cleanup

Volunteers will remove trash from the beach in Seaside following the 4th of July festivities. Volunteers can meet at Prom & 12th, the Turnaround, or Prom & U. This project is a done in partnership with the Beach Drive Buccaneers, City of Seaside, Seaside Chamber, SOLVE, and the Seaside Fireworks Committee. Register online here: http://solveoregon.org/get-involved/events/treasure-beach-x

Celebrate Pollinator Week at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge!

For wheelchair access to this event, please contact Sarah prior to the event date.  

12pm - 4pm: Plankhouse Tours and Children's Activities

• Tour the Plankhouse on your own or guided by our experienced volunteers. 
• Children's cultural activities will be available, as will family activities. 
• Celebrate Pollinator Week by building a mason bee house & going on a pollinator scavenger hunt!  

1:00 pm & 2:00pm: Naturalist Led Hike 

• Explore the Oaks to Wetlands trail with a knowledgeable Refuge Naturalist

Cost:   Refuge admission is $3 per vehicle

Celebrate National Pollinator Week by visiting the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge June 14th for a day of connecting with wildlife and the cultural history of the Lower Columbia River. At 1:00pm join a Refuge Naturalist for a hike down the Oaks to Wetlands trail, and learn about the plants and animals that call the Refuge home. From 12-4, the Plankhouse will be open for visitors, and there will be activities for families to connect with the culture and wildlife at the Plankhouse. We will be building mason bee houses out of natural materials and going on a pollinator scavenger hunt.You can also check out the ample wildlife watching opportunities on the River 'S' Unit Auto Tour Driving Route. Check the Friends website ridgefieldfriends.org for maps of Refuge trails, or contact Plankhouse Director Sarah Hill at sarah_hill@fws.gov, or call (360) 887-4106.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Cathlapotle Plankhouse, and the house will now be open weekends from 12pm-4pm. Every second Sunday of the month the Plankhouse will host a special event with speakers, guided hikes, and children's activities. For more information on the upcoming events, visit www.ridgefieldfriends.org/plankhouse/programs .

The Cathlapotle Plankhouse is a modern Chinookan Plankhouse built to interpret the Chinookan village of Cathlapotle that once existed on what is today Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge property.  At the time Lewis and Clark visited Cathlapotle, it had 14 large plankhouses and a population of over 900 people.  The modern Cathlapotle Plankhouse is used to provide educational programs to youth and the general public through our Lifeways, Landscapes, and Wildlife Interpretive Program.  To learn more about the Plankhouse visitwww.ridgefieldfriends.org or contact Sarah Hill at Sarah_Hill@fws.gov or (360) 887-4106.

Funding for these programs has been generously provided by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, the Community Foundation for SW Washington, and Umpqua Bank.  

Where else but Portland, who else but you? Two years ago, attendees set the Guinness World Record with 936 tree-huggers at Hoyt Arboretum. This year, more than 1200 huggers are needed to top the new record set by South Korea.

Organizers have also challenged both Seattle and Vancouver to a Cascadia Cup of Tree Hugging to see once and for all who is the greenest, tree-huggiest city of the northwest.

Description:  You are lost and the storm clouds are gathering as night descends. Could you light a fire in the soggy woods? Join naturalist Dan Daly in this family oriented class to learn how to light a one-match fire in the toughest conditions. Participants use knives during class, and the safe conduct of young children is the responsibility of their guardians.

Register:  www.oregonmetro.gov/calendar

Where: Oxbow Regional Park

When: 11a.m. to 2p.m.

Cost: $6/person, $11/family. $5/vehicle, $7/bus.

Ages: 4 and older

Difficulty: 2 boots

Wheelchair accessible: No

No-dogs policy: To protect plants, wildlife and people, Metro does not allow pets at regional parks and natural areas. Pets can damage sensitive habitat and threaten wildlife the region has worked to protect. In natural areas where dogs are not allowed, people see more wildlife and get closer to it. Seeing-eye dogs or other service animals are permitted with proper identification and cleanup materials. http://www.oregonmetro.gov/parks/dogs-hunting-policies