October 4th E-NEWSLETTER

Reminder! Last chance to enter to win a ski pass!

Tickets are for sale at all WRI events through October 11th and during business hours at the River Haus.

Programs

2nd annual Sunset & S'mores

Wednesday, October 11th

5:30PM-7:30PM

Can we ask you to dinner? This is your last chance to register for WRI's second annual Sunset & S'mores, a celebration with the WRI Community. Socialize with other WRI supporters, board members, staff, and students! Your ticket includes dinner and dessert from Ravenous Catering, a free drink, and live music with local musician, Corban Welter. We'll cap off the night with our first ever Ski Pass Raffle drawing. Tickets are available at Sunset & S'mores and all WRI events leading up to the drawing.

Please register by October 6th. After that, there will only be limited tickets at the door. We are excited to see you there!

S'more Info Here

Leavenworth Mayoral Forum at WRI

Tuesday, October 17th

6:00PM-7:30PM

Connecting people and communities is a core part of WRI's mission. We are proud to be a gathering space welcome to all. It's for this reason that we are giving the community an opportunity to learn about how the two Leavenworth mayoral candidates want to distinguish themselves around issues that matter to our community and WRI's mission.

Want to submit questions for the candidates? We've extended the deadline! WRI is accepting questions that are related to WRI's mission, including themes of climate change, fire, tourism economy, watershed health, housing, education, leadership philosophy, and wildlife. Submit questions through Thursday, October 12th at 11:59pm here.

To be more inclusive, this event will also be available via Zoom and later posted to YouTube, and free childcare will be offered during the event. If you're interested in childcare, let us know here.

Learn More Here

Autumn Ambles

Friday, October 6th and 13th

9:00AM-11:00AM

Join WRI's naturalists for a beginner-friendly walk through Waterfront Park. Not only will you have a prime view of golden foliage, but also an opportunity to learn about the plants, animals, and humans of Leavenworth. Register for your desired date below.

Amble Here

Worm Composting Workshop

Tuesday, October 10th

6:00PM-7:30PM

Join WRI and Waste Loop for a vermiculture workshop at the Red Barn. Learn to utilize red wigglers to compost scraps from your kitchen and create compost for your garden and plants! Register for this FREE workshop below. Only 2 spots are left, so register now!

Compost Here

Birding by the River

Wednesday, October 11th

8:00AM-9:30AM

Go birding with knowledgeable WRI staff around the WRI campus! All birding skills are welcome and we have loaner binoculars available. This is a FREE activity and no registration is needed.

Bird Here

Red Barn Event: Cascadia Field Guide

Thursday, October 19th

7:00PM-8:00PM

Poet, naturalist, and co-editor Derek Sheffield will lead you on a saunter through this collection of art and knowledge. Come with an open mind to learn and appreciate the wonderous land we call home.

Saunter Here

Red Barn Event: Climate Change- CO2, Smoke, and Haze, Oh My!

Thursday, October 26th

7:00PM-8:00PM

There's a lot going on in our skies that affect climate change. Join WRI and local atmospheric scientist and WRI board member, Dr. Sarah Doherty, to learn about how different particles in our atmosphere impact our climate.

Breathe Here

Make a Difference Day with WRI

Saturday, October 28th

9:00AM-12:00PM

For Make a Difference Day, we will be working in the E. Lorene Young Community Garden. Help us replace our old garden boxes with new cedar ones for future gardeners. This is a family friendly volunteer event! WRI will have the materials and hand tools available for the work. Register for this volunteer day below!

Make a Difference Here

Youth Field Days

It's officially fall and that means Field Days are in full swing! Students from local schools participate in hands-on science exploration days on the WRI campus or from their school's backyard. Check out some highlights from our Field Days below.

2nd Grade Habitat Detectives

Four second grade classrooms from Peshastin-Dryden Elementary visited WRI for Field Days! Students explored different habitats and learned what plants and animals could be found there and why they are there. Students built animal homes, looked at a model of a watershed, and learned what their effect on a watershed is. They played 'Meet a Tree' where students observed details of the a tree by using their sense of touch and smell all while blindfolded! They then had to go find that tree from their observations.

Kindergarten Nature Explorers

WRI visited four kindergarten classrooms at Peshastin-Dryden Elementary for Field Days! These students had the opportunity to be Nature Explorers as they learned about living and non-living things in nature and then found them in their school yard. We look forward to seeing these classes again when they come to visit us for their field days in spring!

WRI at Salmon Fest

WRI was invited to help with School Days at the 31st annual Wenatchee River Salmon Festival last week! This year, the festival was held at the Rocky Reach Dam Discovery Center. WRI partnered with Cascadia Conservation District (CCD) on some activities for elementary school students visiting with their schools. CCD had several rotating stations offering educational activities for students. WRI was stationed at the rolling rivers stream table teaching about erosion, flooding, and watersheds.

Place

Welcome to the WRI Board!

Paul Sozio

(he/him/his)

Board Member

As a market researcher, customer insights, and customer experience expert for companies including REI and Microsoft, Paul brings the skills and tools to deeply listen to what people want and need from organizations and help shape organizational strategy to meet those needs. Paul also brings experience in nonprofit management and cross-cultural learning having worked for an international development organization in Nicaragua and Honduras. Learn more about Paul here.

Welcome to the WRI Team!

Sam S'More

(he/they)

Delight Coordinator

Sam came to WRI with a glowing reference from a supporter after Sunset & S'mores last year. He specializes in event coordination, spreading joy, and loves to explore the WRI grounds with our staff. He is excited to be helping with this year's Sunset & S'mores and can't wait to meet more of his community on October 11th. RSVP to meet Sam Here.

Local Plant Highlight #3

Vine Maple (Acer circinatum)

Howdy! Have you seen my bright red, orange, and yellow foliage dotting the upper-valley landscape? Wondered who could be the bearer of such a striking sight? ‘Tis me, the glorious Vine Maple… They call me “vine”, yet I am actually a tree or shrub (depending on who you ask). I was given the name because of my horizontally crawling growth habit. As my branches sprawl and contact the soil, they root to produce new trees/shrubs. Now that’s ingenuity! I also offer food and shelter for deer, elk, birds, rodents, squirrels, chipmunks, and more. Over the years I have provided humans with materials for baskets, fish traps, charcoal paint, tool handles, bows, snowshoe frames, and baby cradles. How’s that for some form and function!? Thanks for letting me introduce myself, and I’ll see you soon!

Entry by Sean Eriksen, Land Steward

Photo Courtesy of Lincoln County Master Gardener Association

Thank you to our donors from the past two weeks!

Kurt and Celeste Peterson - Sustaining

Shayne Magdoff and Paul Armentor

Patti McGaughey in honor of Tom and Judy Derpack

Pam and Michael DeGrenier

Anonymous Donor in honor of Tom and Judy Derpack

Nancy and Gordon Gradwohl in honor of Tom and Judy Derpack

Kathryn and Doug Drew in honor of Tom and Judy Derpack

Lynn Dicksinson - Sustaining

Laura and Greg Reichlin - Sustaining