seasonal natural interest

Celebrate Pollinator Week at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge!

For wheelchair access to this event, please contact Sarah prior to the event date.  

12pm - 4pm: Plankhouse Tours and Children's Activities

• Tour the Plankhouse on your own or guided by our experienced volunteers. 
• Children's cultural activities will be available, as will family activities. 
• Celebrate Pollinator Week by building a mason bee house & going on a pollinator scavenger hunt!  

1:00 pm & 2:00pm: Naturalist Led Hike 

• Explore the Oaks to Wetlands trail with a knowledgeable Refuge Naturalist

Cost:   Refuge admission is $3 per vehicle

Celebrate National Pollinator Week by visiting the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge June 14th for a day of connecting with wildlife and the cultural history of the Lower Columbia River. At 1:00pm join a Refuge Naturalist for a hike down the Oaks to Wetlands trail, and learn about the plants and animals that call the Refuge home. From 12-4, the Plankhouse will be open for visitors, and there will be activities for families to connect with the culture and wildlife at the Plankhouse. We will be building mason bee houses out of natural materials and going on a pollinator scavenger hunt.You can also check out the ample wildlife watching opportunities on the River 'S' Unit Auto Tour Driving Route. Check the Friends website 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 from 12pm-4pm. Every second Sunday of the month 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 .

The Cathlapotle Plankhouse is a modern Chinookan Plankhouse built to interpret the Chinookan village of Cathlapotle that once existed on what is today Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge property.  At the time Lewis and Clark visited Cathlapotle, it had 14 large plankhouses and a population of over 900 people.  The modern 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 visitwww.ridgefieldfriends.org or contact Sarah Hill at Sarah_Hill@fws.gov or (360) 887-4106.

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.  

Explore Vancouver Lake from a whole new perspective! Join the Estuary Partnership for a family friendly canoe paddle aboard our two 29' 14-passenger canoes. Glide past a host of birds while learning about the Columbia River ecosystem from seasoned paddle guides. 

Registration required. 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vancouver-lake-paddle-71415-tickets-1528991...

The Sunday workshop is perfect as a continuation of Saturday's introductory class or for the already experienced odonate watcher.  This class explores the resources available for identification of odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) and the critical examination of photos and specimens of adults and nymphs. A field trip into the Preserve follows. Instructor Jim Johnson has studied and taught classes on dragonflies and damselflies of the Pacific Northwest for twenty years.  Open to Adults and interested teens accompanied by an adult.

Course # (for registering through City of Hillsboro Parks & Rec)
47201              Sun          7/26         10:30 am -- 3:00 pm    Sunday class is $20 / person
 

Mother's Day Presentation: Native Woman's Views on Lewis & Clark Expedition, Presented by Pat Courtney Gold

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

When: May 10, 2015
12pm - 4pm: Plankhouse Tours and Children's Activities
Tour the Plankhouse on your own or guided by our experienced volunteers. Children's activities will be available as well.

2pm: Presentation: Native Women's View of Lewis and Clark Presented by Pat Courtney Gold

All the books written about Lewis and Clark were from a white man's perspective.  In this presentation, you will learn about the Native People's view of Lewis and Clark. Pat will explore questions like: How did the Columbia River matriarchal society see Lewis and Clark? What did they think of the smelly bearded men who ignored the sacred salmon in preference for dog meat? This talk will present a point of view not often talked about in regards to the expedition, and one that deserves to be heard.

Cost:   Refuge admission is $3 per vehicle

Take mom for a walk, a talk, and wildlife watching at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge this Mother's Day! At 2pm in the Cathlapotle Plankhouse Pat Courtney Gold, member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and accomplished weaver and artist will be speaking about the perspective that Native Women had of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. There will also be activities for families to connect with the culture and wildlife at the plankhouse, hiking trails, in addition to ample wildlife watching opportunities on the River 'S' Unit Auto Tour Driving Route. Check the Friends website 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 from 12pm-4pm. Every second Sunday of the month 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.  

For wheelchair access to this event, please contact Sarah at Sarah_Hill@fws.gov or (360) 887-4106 prior to the event date.

Celebrate Great Blue Heron Week and join bird expert Rick Balazs to view the Owl Woods heron colony. Thirty to fifty pairs of herons nest in this stand of Douglas Fir trees. Rick has spent hundreds of hours monitoring the birds over the years and knows the behaviors and antics of nesting herons very well. Meet at the Education Center at 9am. Be prepared for a two mile (round-trip) leisurely walk over mostly flat terrain. Dress for the weather, the trails may be muddy. Bring binoculars. A variety of other birds including bald eagles, osprey and songbirds may be seen. Free. A donation of $2 / person to the Education Center is welcomed. Group size limited to 15. Call 503-681-6283 to reserve a spot.

Adults and children over 10 years

But Wait!  Rick is offering a second walk on May 30, from 1pm-4pm, for families with children under 10 years old.  Call the same number to register for this option.

Jackson Bottom Wetlands Education Center

Rick Balazs