celebration

Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge's annual celebration BirdFest is the weekend of October 13 &14. Every year it concludes with a traditional Chinookan-style salmon bake, complete with free tastings. You can also sample some delicious seafood soup, learn about Chinook culture in the Cathlapotle Plankhouse, attend talks, presentations, and there are activities for the kiddos too. Samples will be given out beginning at 2:30, and will be on a first come, first serve basis. Check out the schedule of events here: http://ridgefieldfriends.org/birdfest/schedule-of-events/. Hope to see you on this wonder filled weekend!

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22

Oxbow Regional Park is rich in tracks at this time of year, when mink, beaver, otter and black bear often leave clear footprints in the sand. Learn to read the ground like a book. Metro naturalist and tracker Dan Daly introduces you to basic track identification and interpretation, and the stealth skills needed to watch wildlife up close. Suitable for adults and children 10 and older. Bring water and a snack and meet at the floodplain parking area. Leave pets at home. Registration and payment of $11 per adult or family required in advance. There is a $5 parking fee per vehicle payable at the park. You can now register and pay online for Metro activities. Go to Metro’s online calendar (www.oregonmetro.gov/calendar), find your event by searching or browsing, and follow the instructions. For questions or to register by phone, call 503-797-1650 option 2.

Beginning mushroom classes 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 13, and 20 Spicy scents of autumn trees, giant golden leaves on maples and the silvery chatter of American dippers in the river. These are the smells, sights and sounds of Oxbow Regional Park in the autumn. Witness the return of wild salmon to one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier rivers – the glacier-fed Sandy – just 45 minutes from downtown Portland.

Celebrate the abundance of fall by exploring the incredible diversity of fungi in Oxbow’s ancient forest. In this beginners mushroom class learn the basics of mushrooms and other fungi and how to go about identifying this complicated group of strange and fascinating life forms. This hands-on introduction will get you started identifying mushrooms and deepen your appreciation of the amazing variety of shapes, colors, textures and smells that make these life forms so intriguing. Suitable for adults and children age 12 and older. Meet at Alder Shelter (group picnic area A) at 1:45 p.m. Free with a $5 parking fee per vehicle and registration is not required. Leave pets at home. For more information, call 503-797-1650 option 2

On Saturday September 15th from 10 am to 6 pm at the Fiala Farm located at 21231 Johnson Rd there will be an all day festival at a century farm with 56 acres.

There will be live music, the Burgerville Nomad (restaurant on wheels), 25 plus artist booths, face painting, balloon twisting, a corn maze, a hay maze,

fresh farm fruits and vegetables, cearmics insturctors to let you create something special and maybe have it fired in a kiln at at later time.

The proceeds from the benefit will go to the White Oak Savanna, a natural park and significant wildlife habitat in West Linn.

This farm family has owned this beautiful farm since their grandfather paid for it with 2,000 pieces of gold in 1906. Come and have some fun on a summer

afternoon. The parking will be overseen by the local Scouts so you are in good hands all day long.

Thanks for marking this one down on your calendar.

Big and little pirates alike are welcome to join the Portland Water Bureau and the Columbia Slough Watershed Council for a family festival all about groundwater! Play fun games and go on a canoe ride in search of hidden treasure - not gold, but groundwater, a precious resource that flows beneath your feet! Come dressed in yer finest pirate togs, or else the Cap'n might make ye walk the plank.  Free prizes and t-shirts for kids. More information at www.columbiaslough.org.