family friendly

 Bring the family and paddle with Tualatin Riverkeepers. The paddle trip will launch and end at Cook Park in Tigard.  Pack a picnic and enjoy lunch in the park after the trip!

We recommend that you arrive 30 minutes early. No experience necessary.

Please print out the waiver form and bring it to the launch site. Review the General Paddle Trip Information sheet before the paddle trip.

While Tualatin Riverkeepers (TRK) paddle trips are open to all members and the general public, space is limited and reservations are required.

http://www.eventbrite.com/o/tualatin-riverkeepers-3912079195?s=24161027

Join with other hikers and walkers for a day of giving back to trails!

Info and Registration: http://vols.wta.org/web/web.pl?sm+21711+WP

Every 1st and 3rd Saturday through October the Washington Trails Association (WTA) hosts a morning work party at a nearby park from 9am to 12pm.

WTA provides all tools and instruction at these events that are geared towards youth, families and the young at heart (all ages welcome!)

This Saturday we're at Whipple Creek Regional Park in Clark County near Ridgefield, WA. The park features an extensive trail network that offers multiple loop options through lush Douglas-fir forest--an shaded oasis reminiscent of Old-Growth groves in the western Cascades.

Birdfest and Bluegrass Nature Festival brings weekend of discovery Oct. 4th & 5th, invitation to explore the beauty of nature and wonders of our ecoregion.
RIDGEFIELD, WA - Again this year, on Saturday and Sunday, October 4th & 5th, 2014, Birdfest and Bluegrass offers the chance to discover nature right in the Portland metro area's own backyard, with a weekend packed with activities for visitors of all ages and interests. The annual festival is a celebration of the fall migration and opportunity to experience wildlife of the region and local history firsthand. Leading names in bluegrass provide musical accompaniment. Ridgefield with its small-town charm is a just a 25-minute drive from Portland. One of the festival's signature events is the opportunity to observe sandhill cranes fly in and out of their night roost in a special sanctuary that is otherwise closed to the public. Admission to the refuge is free during Birdfest and Bluegrass. Activities include guided bird and nature walks, live bird shows, tours of Cathlapotle Plankhouse, demonstrations of Native American life and traditions, and a salmon bake with samplings on Sunday. Children can learn about nature and have fun at the craft stations, storytelling tent and at the Audubon Society's live bird show. Special offerings on both days include guided kayak and canoe tours, Kiwa Trail tour and the spectacular sandhill crane tours at dawn and dusk. These tours are offered on a limited basis and fill quickly, with reservations and fees required. For more information and a schedule of events, go to www.ridgefieldfriends.org.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 26th 2014. The 6th Annual Barn Dance & Barbecue, presented by Whole Foods Market with support from Organic Valley, and One PacificCoast Bank  begins at 4:30 pm. We'll have great food,Widmer Brothers beer and Lady Hill wine, a silent auction with Portlander's favorite goodies, and of course live music and square dancing.

The event kicks off with the Scavenger Hunt and tours of the award-winning  Sauvie Island Organics farm. Families will search the farm for everything from pollinators to edible flowers, while learning about how their food is grown.  A winner chosen at random will be handsomely rewarded. Don't forget to snap some photos and enter Portland Nursery's Fun Farm Photos contest.

Dinner, courtesy of the soon-to-open New American, will be served at 6. The Barn Dance menu offers guests a sneak peak at New American's offerings. Don't forget to save room for dessert, courtesy of Organic Valley dessert at 6:45.

At 7 pm, get ready to kick up your heels.  Music Sponsor One PacificCoast Bank presents the Square Dance featuring Ned Leager and the Whole Grain Crackers.

Individual tickets are $30*, children under 12 are $5 and a limited number of table sponsorships will be offered for $450.

Join the Estuary Partnership for a family friendly canoe paddle on the Willamette River. Participants paddle two 34' canoes behind Ross Island to the quiet Holgate Channel. Bring your lunch- we'll have picnic on the beach. Estuary Partnership staff will be on each canoe to steer, offer paddling advice, and share information about the river and surrounding ecosystem.

Who can paddle?
Big Canoe trips are open to the public. Children ages 5 and up and adults are welcome. Previous paddling experience is not necessary. We can often accommodate paddlers with special needs with advance notice.

Paddlers must be able to step 2.5 feet down into the canoe and sit on a wooden bench for 2 hours.

Registration required!