hiking

Where:  Cathlapotle Plankhouse at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge:  Carty Unit - 28908 NW Main Ave, Ridgefield, WA 98642

When:    August 14, 2016

Join us for a day of demonstrations and hands on activities highlighting traditional technologies found across the world and throughout time.  The Cathlapotle Plankhouse will be open from 12:-4:00 and there will be activities for families to connect with local culture and wildlife. In the House students from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde's Lifeways class will be demonstrating carving, weaving, and Native art design, while outside visitors can try their hand throwing an atlatl, shooting a bow and arrow, making cordage, friction fire, and watch stone tools being created by an experienced flintknapper.

12pm - 4pm: Experience traditional tools and technologies humans have used since time immemorial. Demonstrators will be at the Plankhouse showing various traditional skills found both around the world and in Indigenous cultures of the Lower Columbia River.

Carving, Weaving, and Native Art Design demonstrations by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Lifeways students
Chinuk Wawa, the heritage language of Chinookan Peoples
Cordage Making              
Atlatl Throwing          
Friction Fire        
Flintknapping
Natural Paints and Pigments

12:00pm: Naturalist Led Hike "Bird Language" - join us for a hike directed towards opening up participant's eyes to the world of Bird Language. Learn how to use bird calls and behavior to discover what is happening in the environment around you. 

2:00 pm: Naturalist Led Hike "A Walk through the Oaks" - join a us for a hike down the Oaks to Wetlands Trail and learn about how the Native Peoples of this area have been taking care of Oak and other Refuge ecosystems since time immemorial.

You can also check out the ample wildlife watching opportunities on the River 'S' Unit Auto Tour Driving Route.

Cost:   Refuge admission is $3 per vehicle

For more information: 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.

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

H3 is a new collaborative program between the OSU Extension 4-H Program, the Oregon Master Naturalist Program, and the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District. On the second Saturday of each month, a Master Naturalist will lead a nature walk in a metro region natural area. These events are open to all ages and levels of naturalist experience. This nature walk will start at Oxbow Regional Park at 9am (carpooling available from the new Washington County Extension Service Education Center (ESEC) at 8am). This month's hike will focus on salmon.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Follow this link to the registration page. 

Come on up and elevate your soul at Mt. Hood Meadows! Join us for an on slope search for litter. Collection locations will be designated based on ability levels and interest but will be mostly beginner to intermediate terrain near the base area. We will provide a complimentary scenic chairlift ride to those collecting for the duration of the litter collection event (11am-1pm). Activities include: Litter Cleanup

Register online here: http://solveoregon.org/get-involved/events/sustainable-slopes

Volunteer for Trails on National Trails Day! Washington Trails Association (WTA) and the Mount St. Helens Institute joined forces to construct this newest trail on the Monument. Now its time to do some maintenance and restoration work.

The Volcano View Trail begins at the popular Ape Cave and in a mile pops out at the upper trailhead parking area next to a great view of the south side of the Volcano.

Come lend a hand restoring native vegetation around the viewing platform and doing annual trail maintenance. No experience necessary!

Registration required: Info and RSVP Link

Where:  Cathlapotle Plankhouse at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge - Carty Unit:

28908 NW Main Ave, Ridgefield, WA 98642; www.ridgefieldfriends.org

When: Sunday, May 8th, 2016

What: Take mom out for a stroll at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge to connect with wildlife and Native culture this Mothers' Day at 1:00pm. Learn how the traditional roles of Native women in Pacific Northwest helped maintain gender equality and how evidence of women's labor show up in the archaeological record. The Plankhouse will be open for visitors from 12pm-4pm, and there will be activities for the kids as well. 

1pm: Presentation "Where the Women Are: Gender and Power in the Archaeological Record of the Pacific Northwest"

The Pacific Northwest has a rich ethnographic record which details the lifeways of Native Americans at the time of Euro-American contact. Despite the wealth of data on gender division of labor in indigenous groups of the 19th-20th centuries, archaeological research on gender is rare. Activities traditionally associated with women such as plant gathering cooking, basketry, and mat making remain poorly understood in comparison to activities typically associated with men. In this presentation doctoral student, Tiffany Fulkerson, will explore the relationship between women's labor and their social power through evidence in the archaeological record.

2pm: Ethnobotany Hike
Join our speaker and a Refuge Naturalist for a walk on the Oaks to Wetlands Trail discussing spring plants and their relationship with Chinookan culture. Participants should be prepared for a 2 mile hike on moderately uneven terrain. Meet at the Plankhouse.

12pm - 4pm: Plankhouse Tours and Children's Activities
Tour the Plankhouse on your own or guided by our experienced volunteers. Children's activities exploring local nature and culture will be available as well.

Cost:   Refuge admission is $3 per vehicle - save money and carpool with a friend!

Contact:  Sarah Hill; 360.887.4106/Sarah_Hill@fws.gov For wheelchair access to events, please contact Sarah prior to the event date.