lecture

2pm: Spring First Foods Hike

Cathlapotle Plankhouse at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
28908 NW Main Ave, Ridgefield, WA 98642

Plankhouse Director Sarah Hill will be leading a walk on the Oaks to Wetlands Trail discussing traditional springtime foods of Chinookan Peoples and the seasonal cycles they live by. Participants should be prepared for a 2 mile hike on uneven terrain.  Meet at the Plankhouse. 

This hike is one of several activities that will be happening this day to kick off the Spring Opening of the Cathlapotle Plankhouse, including a family nature hike at 1pm, and from 12-4 Plankhouse tours and other Children's activities. 

The Cathlapotle Plankhouse is a contemporary Chinookan style Plankhouse located on the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The house was built in 2005 as a partnership with the Chinook Indian Nation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Its mission is to share the lifeways, culture, and history of Chinookan Peoples of the Lower Columbia, and the natural resources of the Refuge. 

Plankhouse programs are coordinated by the Friends of The Ridgefield NWR. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to providing access to this event for all participants. Please direct all requests for sign language interpreting services, closed captioning, or other accommodations needs to Eric Anderson, 360-887-4106, Eric_Anderson@fws.gov. TTY 800-877-8339 with your request by close of business one week before the event. For wheelchair access arrangements for this program, please contact Sarah Hill (360) 887-4106 or Sarah_Hill@fws.gov. 

Author William L. Sullivan takes us on a slide show tour of Oregon's oddest hiking and travel destinations, from an island sea cave to a forgotten canyon of colored pinnacles. Expect off-the-beaten-path tales of history and geology, as told by the bestselling author of a new short story collection, "The Oregon Variations."

Sullivan has hiked every trail he could find in the state for his popular "100 Hikes" guidebooks, a series that he updates continually. He has also written four novels and many nonfiction books about Oregon, including "Hiking Oregon's History," "Oregon Favorites," and "The Case of D. B. Cooper's Parachute." His journal of a 1000-mile hike he took across Oregon, "Listening for Coyote," was chosen by the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission as one of Oregon's "100 Books," the 100 most significant books in the state's history.

This presentation is free and open to the public. The author will be available to sign books following the slide show.

What is Rewilding?

(and why it is the answer to all our problems)

An Earth Day Benefit for Rewild Portland with Lecture & Silent Auction

Friday, April 24th @ Multnomah Arts Center, 6pm-9:30pm, $10-? Sliding Scale

"What is Rewilding?"  A Lecture by Author Peter Michael Bauer

Rewilding has been all over the news lately. From reality shows following survivalist types, to web articles about obscure paleo diet remedies. But what is rewilding, really? Why is it considered "radical" by some, intriguing to many, and disregarded altogether as nonsense by others? In this hour long presentation, long time catalyst of rewilding, Peter Michael Bauer, will break down the essentials of understanding rewilding; how it is beneficial (and perhaps the "answer to all our problems), and show what people in Portland and around the country are doing to create cultures of rewilding.

Silent Auction

At the silent auction, you can engage in a bidding war for crazy cool stuff and fund another year of awesome programs for Rewild Portland. Items at the silent auction include things like; massages, artwork, gift cards, float tanks, wellness, movie passes, and much more!

Ancestral Skills Demos

Apart from the lecture and silent auction there will be ancestral skills demonstrations, such as: basket weaving, stone tool, and felt-making.

The Swainson's Thrushes have arrived!  Who, you say?  Then this easy introduction into the world of songbirds is for you! Let's say you've been going to Lunch with the Birds weekly, you've come on Morning Bird Song Walks, and you're still unsure about the difference between thrushes, tanagers and buntings. Put down your binoculars for a spell and get some basic information to help you make sense of the field marks and behaviors you see. Take an optional bird walk after the class.

Celebrate Earth Day and welcome the return of bats to Oregon with this introduction into their fascinating night-time world. Learn about bats around the world, how they live and why they are important. What threats do they face to their continued existence? Is it just coincidence that Oregon has fifteen species of owls AND bats? After the program we go outside with special bat detectors and listen for bats over Jackson Bottom!  Long-time JBWP volunteer, Wolfgang Dempke, presents this program.