Become an WRI member for the upcoming year by donating $45 or more, which automatically secures your membership through May 31, 2027. By directing your qualifying gift to our Nature Scholars campaign before June 30th, you will directly support youth environmental education and double your impact thanks to the Community Challenge match!
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Nature Menders NOW on Wednesdays 8:30AM-10:30AM |
As Nature Menders, we work collaboratively with the landscape to foster a healthy, balanced ecosystem. Join us every Wednesday. We’ll gather weekly to enjoy the morning cool until the summer heat sets in. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or a curious neighbor, come help us support our native habitat and give the garden the care it deserves.
Questions? Email Tiffa. |
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| Red Barn Event: "The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness" Film Screening (in-person ONLY!) Tuesday, June 2nd 7:00PM-8:30PM |
Experience the vast, untouched beauty of North America's wildest landscape through the first cinematic account of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Join us after the film for a discussion with local NCW Audubon Society members and naturalists. Having traveled through the Arctic personally, these speakers will share insights on the Coastal Plain and the vital need for its protection.
Film Access: Courtesy of Cosmic Pictures |
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Cascades Track and Sign Evaluation with David Moskowitz
Saturday, June 13th & Sunday, June 14th
8:00AM-5:00PM | Spend two full days in the Cascades around Leavenworth, with professional wildlife tracker, naturalist, educator and author, David Moskowitz. This wildlife track and sign evaluation is offered through CyberTracker North America. |
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The Icicle Calls Us Back May 30th at 7:00PM
Icicle Creek Center for the Arts: Snowy Owl Theatre |
The Icicle Calls Us Back is a documentary film that asks p’squosa/Wenatchi descendants what they wish to see for the future of nsíq̓əlt, or Icicle Creek, in their ancestral homelands, what is today the town of Leavenworth, Washington. This film asks three generations of p’squosa descendants what nsíq̓əlt means to them, and to imagine the future they wish to see for their homelands. In an era of climate change and uncertainty, one thing that is certain is that the Icicle’s original stewards know how best to care for this land, and that, together, we can achieve a better future for nsíq̓əlt.
The film was created in collaboration with the Wenatchi Advisory Group, under a research permit from the Colville Confederated Tribes, as Claire Seaman’s MA thesis, Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver B.C.
To join the waitlist for the May 30th screening, and for more information about this film please visit the filmmaker's website HERE. A second showing will be at Faith Lutheran Church on June 26th.
Support a Community Project: WRI is fiscally sponsoring a Wenatchi Leadership and Cultural Event by the Wenatchi-p'squosa Advisory Group (WAG). Donations will be matched up to $5,000! |
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As the school year winds down, we are excited to transition into our Youth Summer Camps! It won’t be long before our campus is filled with a new season of outdoor adventure.
We are thrilled to introduce Pathfinders Outdoor Camp, a brand-new camp this year! Hosted collaboratively with the Wenatchee Valley YMCA at Lake Wenatchee YMCA Camp, we’ve expanded the intended age group so that it is now open to incoming 3rd graders as well, welcoming campers entering 3rd through 6th grade for a week of outdoor living skills, team building, and ecosystem exploration.
Check the camps page to see the current list of camps with open spots. If the camp you are interested in is full, there’s a waitlist for each camp. From the calendar event, click the link to join the waitlist. See the recaps of some of the programs WRI Educators have been partnering with local schools. |
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Wild Bird Program Alpine Lakes 3rd Grade |
Three classrooms participated in five half-day rotations, immersing themselves in ornithology by examining specimens under microscopes, hunting for arthropods, and studying bird skins borrowed from Wenatchee Valley College. The students explored avian adaptations through a hands-on beak tool challenge, engineered their own bird nests, presented on migratory species before playing "Migration Mayhem," and practiced local bird calls. They also mastered binoculars during the "What’s that Bird?" partner activity.
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| Icicle River Middle School Life Skills |
Students from the Icicle River Middle School Life Skills class visited to dive deeper into how our local ecosystem works. They got hands-on experience learning about our watershed through an interactive stream table demonstration. In addition to exploring water systems, the students enjoyed a fun beanie baby hunt and put their creativity to work by building custom habitats for their new stuffed animals. |
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Peshastin-Dryden Elementary School Field Days |
Three classes of Kindergartners visited for their spring full-day Field Day. Embracing their roles as Nature Explorers, the students participated in a spring scavenger hunt and "adopted" a tree by using most of their senses to get to know it. They also learned about the lifecycle of plants by searching for various seeds, leaves, and needles across the campus, and wrapped up their adventure with an exciting bug hunt.
Four classes of 1st graders also enjoyed a spring full-day Field Day, taking on the title of Nature Detectives. The students dove into botany by learning what makes a plant a plant and dissecting sprouts to observe their internal structures. To understand animal adaptations, they learned about camouflage by hunting for hidden beanie babies and playing a game where they acted as little birds searching for bugs (disguised as beans). Additionally, they became soil detectives to dissect and analyze the components of dirt, and concluded their day with a "safari hunt" to record local wildlife and signs of animal activity.
For their Power Hours, our team visited the Peshastin-Dryden campus to teach four classes of 2nd graders. Operating as Habitat Detectives, the students stayed active by playing a local favorite game, "Park Ranger." They also practiced their observation skills by looking closely at the trees on their own school grounds, discovering how these trees serve as vital habitats for various local animals. |
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WRI After School Program: Spring |
WRI's After School Program has been watching 200 young Chinook and Coho salmon in a tank in our Red Barn since they were eggs last fall. Recently, we visited the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery to release our salmon and wish them well on their next journey. ASP kids practiced contour drawing, named their fish, and released them into the Icicle River where we said our goodbyes. Our Tuesday/Thursday group was also lucky enough to see a rescued beaver that is temporarily living at the hatchery! This spring, ASP kiddos have been learning about the salmon life cycle and the great journey these young fish will face now that they are in the river. A huge shoutout to the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery for allowing us to raise salmon eggs on campus, and to Sophia for guiding us through the release!
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We are still riding a major high from the 24th annual Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest, and honestly, we’re just so incredibly grateful for this community. Whether you’ve been flocking to Bird Fest for years or joined us for the very first time last weekend, you made the energy absolutely unmatched. We’re still tallying up the final stats, but we just couldn't wait to share a few early highlights that have us smiling:
We’d love to keep the magic going—what was your absolute favorite bird sighting or memory from the weekend? Share your feedback or submit your photos.
Oh, and because it’s never too early to start looking forward next year! |
Above photo by Karen Haire from the Birding Mountain Home Ridge with 2026 Keynote Speaker Field Trip. |
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Free Biochar Available at the Community Garden! |
A huge thank you to the team from Cascadia Prescribed Burn Association, who visited our campus earlier this month to help us safely and sustainably manage our debris. Thanks to their expertise, we were able to turn that waste into a valuable resource. We now have a fresh supply of biochar available for the community, located right near the Community Garden. We encourage everyone to bring a bucket or bag and grab some to use in your campus garden plots or around your own property.
If you haven’t used biochar before, think of it as a permanent sponge and a superpower for your soil. It is incredibly effective at increasing overall soil health and building a strong foundation for your plants.
To get the absolute most out of your biochar, it needs to be "charged" with nutrients before you put it in the ground. The perfect recipe is to mix nine parts compost with one part biochar. Just be sure to crush the biochar into smaller pieces before mixing it in; an easy way to do this is to put it in a heavy-duty bag and stomp on it, or even carefully drive over the bag with your car.
Supplies are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so stop by the Community Garden soon to grab yours. Happy gardening! |
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All the downed and damaged pine trees from the December storm have attracted a beautiful forest denizen to WRI. Just the other day this beauty—the Western Sculptured Pine Borer—landed right in front of me on Brandon's shirt.
They are surprisingly large and absolutely stunning in person, with big copper/bronze eyes and a metallic abdomen. The black on their elytra (wing-coverings) is shiny, while the grey looks almost velvety—a coloration that helps them blend perfectly into pine bark.
Their young feed exclusively on sick, dying, or dead pines. Because they don't target healthy trees, they actually help keep the forest vibrant by recycling nutrients from the unhealthy ones. Adults feed lightly on pine needles and tender twig bark just to fuel themselves while they search for a mate. Once they breed and lay their eggs, their life cycle is complete.
I hope you get to meet one of them in person—it was the highlight of my week! Written by Tiffa Theden, WRI Land Steward |
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Thank you to our donors from the last 2 weeks! |
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| Steve and Betsy Backstrom in honor of Arne Backstrom - Sustaining Gro Buer and Bruce Williams - Sustaining John and Judy Beebe Russ and Cordy Beckstead Jeanine and Skip Butler Richard Beckett and Hristina Popova Katrina Whitaker
Beth DiDomenico Kimberly Haven Dave and Pat Notter - Sustaining Heather and Ole Bore - Sustaining Ethan Parrish - Sustaining
Tracy Brulotte - Sustaining Jackie and Tom Andrewjeski - Sustaining Linda Christianson - Sustaining Jabe Blumenthal and Julie Edsforth Jim and Joan McCord Bob and Janet Frey Kate Farrar Susan Polizzi Steve Clem and Julie McAllister Jane and Stephen Mounsey
Ted Alway and Patricia Ortiz Jeanne and Don Poirier Diane McKenzie Eliot Scull Andrew Dolan Ken Heinle and Kris Cameron Pat and Gary Willett Bill Deters and Cindy Luksus Abby Gallegos Spencer Moss Aaron Schraner James Costello Tom and Patricia Freeburg Grete and Ian Porteous Rhodri Thomas and Liz Marzolf Lilith Vespier Jacob McHenry Photography
ZTEK Impressions Randy and Marge Zerger Jim and Suzanne Ullrich Randy and Cici Asplund Peter Speer Lisa and Scott Stroming Mike and Carol Wyant Sarah and Craig Jefferds in honor of Jack Jefferds, Fern Lopez Cruz, and Michaela Drougas |
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| Mark Terranella and Lucy Petrucelli Mountain Home Lodge Maura and Cody Gillin Ursula Maninger Jerry and Barbara Phillips Phil and Carol Miller Dave and Nancy Bartholomew - Sustaining Kurt and Celeste Peterson - Sustaining Dawn and Robert Kaufman
Lonnie and Jordan Schwirtlich Ken Marson and Margaret Schlotfeldt Mustache Unicorn Fund Betsy and Dave DeSimone Lisi Ott - Sustaining Tomas and Katka Weinfurt - Sustaining Susie Stenkamp Alison and Mike Miller Susan Rae Sampson and Gerald Horn Robin Boal and Craig Root Judy Chavez Monte and Judy Olson Linda Sarratt St James Episcopal Church Deborah Giles and Charles Simrell
Jan and Dave Conner Judy and Ken Butcher Crunch Pak LLC Paul Sozio and Kelsey Howe Donna Hill Cheryl and Tom Phillips Polly Kaczmarek Cheryl Bryant Gregory Harris - Sustaining Michael Creary Jeremy and Maria Howell - Sustaining Ken and Jill Ryan Patrick Ryan Keith Tower
Dan Yedinak Kathy and Keith Archibald
Scott and Jenny Wyatt
Rob and Debbie Sawyer
Mark Shorb and Kristin Ferrera
Lynn Dickinson - Sustaining
Lynn Tyler
Alex and Kevin McDonnell |
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