Paint & Stroll Fridays, July 24th & 31st
1:30PM-2:30PM |
Get inspired by the amazing artists at Village Art in the Park, then join us for a short walk down to the river and take some creative time for yourself. Join us for this free program suitable for children and adults by meeting at the Leavenworth Gazebo (820 Front St). View the event calendar for August dates. |
|
| 5th annual Sunset & S'mores Wednesday, September 30th 5:30PM-7:30PM |
Early bird registration is now open! Celebrate our community as the evening light fades with a delicious catered meal, drinks, family-friendly campus activities! It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow WRI supporters, staff, board members, and students while soaking in the fall crispness. |
|
|
|
We have a few remaining spots left in August camps: Adventurous Artists Camp - Status: 1 spot recently opened!
- When: August 3-7 | Who: Students entering 4th-6th grades
Pathfinders Outdoors Camp (at Lake Wenatchee YMCA Camp) - Status: Spots available - now expanded to include 3rd graders!
- When: August 3-7 | Who: Students entering 3rd-6th grades
Forest Friends - Status: Only 2 spots left!
-
When: August 10-14 | Who: Students entering 1st-3rd grades
Join a Waitlist
If these dates don't work for your family, you can always view our full summer calendar online. If your preferred camp is full, we highly recommend signing your child up for a waitlist spot—plans change, and spots do open up! |
Check out our Facebook album to see more photos from some camps so far this summer! |
|
|
|
River Wild 2 Camp Entering 4th-6th grades |
River Wild Camp 2 was an action-packed week filled with water adventures, hands-on learning, and community building! Campers kicked off the week by mastering essential river safety and navigation before putting those skills to work during exciting tubing runs, Paddleboarders sharpened their steering and ferrying skills, capping off their SUP days at the Icicle Creek and Wenatchee River confluence with a fan-favorite challenge: chaining all the boards together to run across the top!
Beyond paddling, campers spent time exploring local beaches, searching for unique rocks, tracking animal prints, and tackling an interactive scavenger hunt that combined skill practice with flora, fauna, and First Peoples' history. Balanced with morning icebreakers, beach lunches, team games, and watercolor painting, it was an unforgettable week of outdoor exploration, skill-building, and riverfront fun! |
|
|
|
Bike & Explore Camp with WRI and Evergreen Mountain Biking Kids Ages 6-10
|
Bike & Explore Camp was an incredible week of trail riding, nature discovery, and creative fun! Partnering with the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance (EMBA), campers tackled trail rides all week and had longer Thursday and Friday rides. Each day featured a unique theme: crafting dragonflies and bug hunting in the Community Garden on Monday, playing camouflage games with paper butterflies and cooling off in the sprinklers on Tuesday, and hosting water relays and Beanie Baby habitat building by the river on Wednesday. Campers wrapped up the week making "Bike Around the World" art on Thursday and crafting natural mini-boats to float downstream on Friday.
|
|
| Creativity Camp at ICCA Entering 4th-6th grades |
Creativity Camp was a vibrant week dedicated to self-expression, imagination, and artistic exploration! Guided and supported by Icicle Center for the Arts (ICCA) team members, campers dove into the performing arts through fun theater games, lively improv exercises, and creative poetry writing. The artistic journey extended into hands-on studio projects, where campers sculpted with clay and gathered natural elements to craft detailed collages. Taking full advantage of our beautiful surroundings, campers drew inspiration from the land around Sleeping Lady, wandering the scenic trails, discovering local art installations, and letting nature spark their imagination every step of the way!
|
|
|
|
Parking Reminder: Spaces in our main lot are limited, especially in the busy summer months. A friendly reminder that our lot is strictly reserved Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM for staff, program participants, clients, and members of WRI and Upper Valley MEND. 2026–2027 WRI Members should display their permits on their dash when visiting. Public parking is welcome after hours and on weekends for a $5 fee. Thank you for helping keep our shared lot accessible!
Read more about our parking lot here. |
|
|
|
Communi-Tea in the Garden |
What a lovely morning spent celebrating community and growth! Yesterday, WRI supporters recently gathered in the E. Lorene Young Community Garden for our Communi-Tea in the Garden party, an event designed to express our gratitude to the supporters who help WRI thrive. Nineteen wonderful friends, neighbors, and community members joined us among the summer blooms to enjoy a beautiful spread of delicious teas and treats, soak in the garden splendors, and connect over the shared impact of our work.
A heartfelt thank you to our our incredible Events Committee volunteers, Claudia and Marge, and staff members, Randee and Tiffa, for organizing such a special, relaxed morning. It was a truly beautiful gathering rooted in the spirit of togetherness that makes our community so strong. If you haven't had the chance to visit the E. Lorene Young Community Garden recently, now is the time to go explore the beautiful beds our community gardeners have nurtured. |
|
|
|
WRI is hiring for our next After School Program (ASP) Lead Educator. The ASP Lead Educator will develop and implement program four days per week for participants in grades K-3rd. The position is 20 hours per week. Apply now, application review has already started. |
P.S. Are you interested in full-time? Our partner, Mountain Sprouts Children's Community, is hiring for a part-time morning teacher for the 2026-2027 school year. These positions would compliment each other well! Check out their employment page here. |
|
|
|
Contribute! Apply to be a Board Member! |
Are you passionate about environmental education, community stewardship, and protecting the places we love? We’re searching for new Board Members! We’re seeking community members from all backgrounds and skill sets—from finance and strategy to community outreach and creative ideas. If you want to help guide WRI’s future and inspire the next generation of outdoor stewards, we’d love to hear from you. |
|
|
|
Support WRI via our Amazon Wish List! From program art supplies to daily campus necessities, you can support us directly by purchasing needed items straight from our Amazon Wish List. Click "Sort By" and "Priority (high to low)" to see what our most urgent needs are. Please be sure to include your name and email in the Amazon "gift message" box at checkout so we can send your in-kind tax receipt and properly thank you! Send shipments directly to: Wenatchee River Institute, PO Box 2073, Leavenworth, WA 98826.
|
|
|
|
Looking ahead to fall planting, I’m on the search for native plants that have gone to seed, so I can harvest them. In our new accessible path garden, the bigleaf lupines had tons of seeds to offer!
Lupine seed collection is tricky; the timing has to be just right. If you pick them too early, they aren't ripe, but if you wait too long, the pods burst open and shoot seeds in all directions! These plants came from Xerces Society habitat kits, which feature native species chosen specifically to support local bumblebees. They definitely did the trick. I even snapped a photo of the exact bee that pollinated the seeds I collected!
Written by Tiffa Theden, WRI Land Steward |
|
|
|
Thank you to our donors from the last 2 weeks! |
Steve and Betsy Backstrom in honor of Arne Backstrom - Sustaining Gro Buer and Bruce Williams - Sustaining Chuck and Candace Egner - Sustaining David Stoller and Diane Patterson - Sustaining Kamuron Gurol - Sustaining Penelope and Larry Tobiska Sharon Lunz Lisa and Jim Osse - Sustaining
Jill and Joel Martinez - Sustaining
Mary Ersek and Jerry Schellenberg
Bridget Farrell and Paul Shotwell
Dave and Pat Notter - Sustaining
Heather and Ole Bore - Sustaining Vincent Badagnani and Wina Wichienwidhtaya Andy and Maureen Seikel - Sustaining Tracy Brulotte - Sustaining
Jackie and Tom Andrewjeski - Sustaining George and Nancy Dunn
Wendy and Ryan Flanagan
Christine Benita and Steve Kivett
Dave and Nancy Bartholomew - Sustaining
Kurt and Celeste Peterson - Sustaining Lisi Ott - Sustaining
Anonymous Donors |
|
|
|
Our Contact Information
*{{Organization Name}}*
*{{Organization Address}}*
*{{Organization Phone}}*
*{{Organization Website}}*
*{{Unsubscribe}}* |
|
| |
|
|
