native plants

Second Sunday event at the Cathlapotle Plankhouse:
"Celebrate Cedar" With Cowlitz artist and Weaver, Judy Bridges

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

When:    September 13, 2015
 

12pm - 4pm:

Plankhouse Tours and Children's activities

• Cedar Weaving and bark processing demonstrations by weaving and artist Judy Bridges
• Hands on demonstrations of Cedar Plank Splitting, Cedar bark pounding, and other hands on activities.

2:00 pm: Naturalist Led Hike "Cedar, Tree of life"

Cost:   Refuge admission is $3 per vehicle

Join us for a day of demonstrations and hands on activities celebrating an icon of the Pacific Northwest, the Western Red Cedar.  The Western Red Cedar tree is highly honored by many Native Peoples in the Northwest for the role that it plays in their lifeways and cultures. Since time immemorial, Cedar has supported the needs of people by providing homes, clothing, canoes, medicine, and many other items people need to thrive. Many of these Cedar traditions are still vibrant in Native communities today, and Cowlitz weaver Judy Bridges will be in the Plankhouse demonstrating cedar weaving and bark processing techniques. There will also be opportunities to try your hand at splitting a cedar log, pounding cedar bark for fiber, and at 2:00, a Refuge Naturalist will lead a hike around the Oaks to Wetlands trail, exploring the connection between people, wildlife, and cedar.

You can also check out the ample wildlife watching opportunities on the River 'S' Unit Auto Tour Driving Route. Check the Friends website www.ridgefieldfriends.org for maps of Refuge trails, or contact Plankhouse Director Sarah Hill at sarah_hill@fws.gov, or call (360) 887-4106.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Cathlapotle Plankhouse, and the house will now be open weekends from12pm-4pm. Every second Sunday of the month from April - Oct the Plankhouse will host a special event with speakers, guided hikes, and children's activities. For more information on the upcoming events, visit www.ridgefieldfriends.org/plankhouse/programs . 

Funding for these programs has been generously provided by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, the Community Foundation for SW Washington, and Umpqua Bank. 

The Cathlapotle Plankhouse is a contemporary Chinookan Plankhouse built to interpret the Chinookan village of Cathlapotle that exists on what is now called the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. When Lewis and Clark visited Cathlapotle, it had 14 large plankhouses and a population of over 900 people.  The contemporary Cathlapotle Plankhouse is used to provide educational programs to youth and the general public through our Lifeways, Landscapes, and Wildlife Interpretive Program. To learn more about the Plankhouse visit www.ridgefieldfriends.org or contact Sarah Hill at Sarah_Hill@fws.gov or (360) 887-4106.

Learn how to make a Scottish-style ribbed carrying basket out of locally available materials! Bring a sharp knife and hand pruners and keen ears and eyes for paying close attention to the teaching demonstrations. Learn the basic skills you need to weave while emphasizing the magic of the process and deepening your appreciation for the incredible strength and vitality of the plants in our area. Includes harvesting demonstration. Materials provided.

16 -- Adult

Tracy Harrison

Jackson Bottom Wetlands Education Center

48276   Sat       11/14    11 am -- 5:00 pm

$30 resident, $45 non-resident

Join us as we do what the squirrels do! In this Columbia Land Trust led event, we'll be collecting acorns from nearby oaks and planting them in the footprint of the former Haul Road along the Klickitat River. Come prepared for an athletic endeavor, featuring a 6-10 mile hike along the scenic shoreline. We'll be collecting and planting as we go, while Stewardship Lead Lindsay Cornelius shares information about property and this ambitious multi-phase restoration project. If you're able to join for this full day in the outdoors, you'll be treated to the rare opportunity to get hands-on with one of Columbia Land Trust's most impactful and interesting restoration projects yet.

About Haul Road: The Klickitat River is spectacular: Make a trip to the river and you'll see why its lower 10.8 miles were designated as Wild and Scenic. Located on the shores of the Klickitat, Haul Road is easily one of Columbia Land Trust's most ambitious restoration projects to date. We're removing eight and a half miles of the old Haul Road, allowing the river to reclaim its historic floodplain for the first time in 80 years. Using funds from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Columbia Land Trust purchased the old road in 2007. Since then, together with Yakama Nation Fisheries, we've removed 4.5 miles of road from the floodplain and plan to remove 4 more. Phase 5 of construction began in August.

Registration Required: To register, contact Sam Schongalla, Columbia Land Trust Volunteer Coordinator, at volunteer@columbialandtrust.org or 360-213-1214. Directions and additional information will be provided upon registration.

Come be introduced to some common native plants, see examples of their preferred growing conditions, and get tips on successfully planting and caring for a thriving and diverse native landscape.

Learn the basics of designing and maintaining a landscape that is beautiful and diverse while also conserving water, building soil, and creating habitat for birds and pollinators.  Make a positive impact on your watershed with your landscaping decisions -and save time, money and energy doing it!  The workshop includes a field trip to a nearby naturescaping project.