family friendly

Do you have a little one who enjoys being outdoors? Are you wondering what they can do during the rainy season? Bring your littlest naturalist to the Refuge to stomp in puddles and learn to appreciate the wet weather that makes Oregon so green!

This preschool environmental education program invites children and their families to spend the morning learning about the natural wonders of the Refuge. Volunteer Naturalists will lead nature crafts, share stories, and guide hikes on Refuge trails. The Refuge supplies 'froggy' raingear for the kids, but adults should bring their own. Each date offers a different theme, so Puddle Stompers are encouraged to visit on multiple days.

Restore a beautiful nature park that has become overrun by English Ivy and other invasives. Tools and gloves will be provided, just bring sturdy shoes and a friend. Activities include: Invasive Plant Removal and Litter Pickup.

Register online here: http://solveoregon.org/get-involved/events/january-burnside-wilderness-p...

Event: MLK Day of Service Volunteer Work Party

Date: Monday, January 18th

Time: 9 a.m. to Noon

Location: Columbia Springs

Contact: Kaley McLachlan Burton 360-882-0936 ext. 230 or volunteer@columbiasprings.org.

Cost: Free

Event Description: Make your "day-off" a "day-on" and give back to your community! All ages are welcome to join Columbia Springs for a "Stewardship Saturday" style volunteer service event. Groups of volunteers will work on several projects around our site that help maintain or enhance our recreational and educational facilities. Learn more at columbiasprings.org/events. Pre-registration is only required for groups larger than five people. Email volunteer@columbiasprings.org to register. 

Explore Sauvie Island in search of magnificent eagles, hawks and falcons. Naturalists and hawk experts host activities at four sites around the island. Enjoy guided bird viewing, meet live raptors and see hawk identification displays. Free hot drinks and donuts in the morning. After check in at Kruger's Farm Market, you'll receive a parking permit, event guide, birding map and picture handouts. Bring binoculars and dress for the weather. Allow about three hours. Sponsored by the Audubon Society of Portland, Metro, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Hawk Watch International.

Ages: All ages 

Have you ever wondered how to tell a nutria from a beaver, a gopher hole from a mole hole or a coyote from a fox? From your local squirrel to the occasional wandering mountain lion, learn about the many mammals that call Washington County home - how to recognize them, fascinating tidbits of their natural history and how to identify their tracks.  Ages 12 -- Adult.