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.