January 26th E-NEWSLETTER

Indoor Programming Update

As a responsible host, the Wenatchee River Institute has made the decision to halt INDOOR programming for January and February due to the rapidly rising COVID-19 case numbers in our community. We made this decision to keep our participants, attendees, instructors, and staff safe and healthy.

We look forward to seeing you again inside in March. Until then, check out our outdoor and virtual programs! Below are some of the upcoming programs still planned for January & February.

Programs

Snowshoe Strolls at

WRI & the Hatchery

January & February

Thursdays-Saturdays

Snowshoe season is upon us! Come take a walk through winter wonderland with WRI's knowledgeable naturalists, learning about native wildlife, ecology, and history. Check our calendar for available dates and times!

Snowshoe Here

Red Barn Event:

An Evening with Marcela Todd Zaragoza - Her Research on Small Seabirds

Wednesday, February 16th

7:00PM-8:00PM

Join us for an evening with Marcela learning about the research she was doing before joining WRI as a Field Educator! She worked with the Quantitative Conservation Lab at the University of Washington conducting research on Scripps's Murrelets reproduction.

"Sea" Birds Here

Fun with Twigs:

Plant ID in the Winter

Saturday, February 26th OR

Wednesday, March 2nd

10:00AM-12:00PM

Join Washington Native Plant Society for a stroll along the Wenatchee River to learn some new identification skills. During the winter months, deciduous woody shrubs and trees without flowers and leaves still hold clues to their identity!

Identify Plants Here

SAVE THE DATE:

20th Annual Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest

May 19th-22nd, 2022

The Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest, put on by WRI and North Central Washington Audubon Society, occurs every 3rd weekend in May. Save the date for a weekend of birding, learning, and excitement! More information and details to come.

Bird Here

Family Fun with Snowshoes

It has been so wonderful to connect with people out on the snowshoe trails. Over the holiday weekend, a family came to visit Leavenworth for the Ice Festival, a tradition they've had since 2004! This was their first time visiting the Hatchery, "we saw the Sleeping Lady!". Marie wanted to take her family snowshoeing and learn more about the area. Marie said "Joshua and Elisa gave lots of valuable information about the area, the environment, the animals, and the trees". She said "the tour turned out to be so wonderful".

Photo and quotes courtesy of Marie Ramirez

Mid-Winter Break Camp Registration is OPEN

February 22nd-25th, 2022

10:00AM-3:00PM (with pre-care available at 9:00am)

Grades K-3

Spend Mid-Winter Break with WRI! Participants will spend their days outdoors, exploring WRI and the surrounding park, walking through forested habitats, snowy meadows, and along the river. Participants will investigate and learn about the world around us, play fun games, and do art activities!

Bird Fest Youth Art Contest is LIVE

Participate in this year's Bird Fest Youth Art Contest! Students will have the chance to win a prize and have their art featured on the 2022 Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest poster. The poster will be distributed around the Leavenworth area.

To participate, you must:

be in grades K-8
have a bird focus in the art piece (preferably a bird that can be found in North Central Washington)
submit art by Monday, March 7th at 12pm.

More Details Here

Place

Join the WRI Board of Directors or a WRI Committee

WRI is still looking for new Board and Committee members to join the WRI Team! WRI Committees include: Finance, Events, Programs, Facilities, and Equity, Inclusion, & Diversity (EID). Any community members are welcome to join. If you are interested in joining either the Board or a Committee, email Randee and more information will be sent to you.

Tax Receipt Email for Your Donation(s)

If you have donated to WRI in 2021, you should have received your tax receipt via email this week. If you did NOT receive this email, first check your junk or spam. If it can't be found there and you'd like to keep it for your records, reach out to Randee for a hardcopy to be mailed to you. Thank you once again for choosing WRI for your 2021 giving!