Announcing Otter Fest 2026 |
At WRI, we are always looking for ways to engage our community with nature. That’s why we are launching Otter Fest, a premier educational and interactive festival.
Otter Fest 2026 is dedicated to championing the spirit of the river through education, aquatic immersion, and belly-slide excellence. The event will include: - Food Immersion: A 5-course tasting menu consisting entirely of sustainable shellfish and cold-water fish.
- Hydro-Sprints: A competitive 50-meter belly-slide competition.
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Nap Mastery: A guided meditation session held on floating rafts.
We expect a high turnout for this wet and wild weekend. Check out more details below! |
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We have so many upcoming events and happenings that we simply can’t fit them all into one email. Check out the calendar to look ahead! |
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Upcycled Craft-ernoon at Eastside Rebuild Saturday, April 4th 1:00PM-3:00PM |
Inspired by WRI's Trashion Show, this Craft-ernoon is suitable for anyone who wants to turn "trash" into wearable or usable treasure! Take home your crafts, or donate them to our Decorations Committee and you might see your design at the April 24th, 2026 Trashion Show! Drop in or stay for the whole time!
Projects best suited to ages 8 and up, but younger children are welcome. Anyone under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult. |
| Red Barn Event: Valley of the Bears Film Screening (in-person ONLY!) Friday, April 10th 7:00PM-8:30PM |
Valley of the Bears follows bears and humans in the Bella Coola Valley, British Columbia. A coexistence way of life is being adopted, however, human-bear conflict is on the rise. We hope that local residents will find parallels between the lessons learned in other communities and those of us who live with black bears in the Cascades. Director Rob Murray is an award-winning Bristol based Documentary Filmmaker, with a background in wildlife cinematography and character-led documentary filmmaking. |
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Black Bear Bonanza Saturday, April 11th 9:00AM-8:00PM |
We're teaming up with the Washington Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, and the City of Leavenworth to host an all-ages educational event. Black Bear Bonanza will feature practical bear conflict-prevention education, bear biology and population insights from local experts, live demonstrations, youth activities, and conversations about the cultural, ecological, and conservation role of regulated bear hunting. |
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International Dark Sky Celebration Sunday, April 19th 3:30PM-10:00PM |
Join Wenatchee Valley Astronomy Club and WRI for a Dark Sky Celebration to close out International Dark Sky Week! If you've been to our Red Barn Events, this is like a Red Barn Event Plus- with two fantastic speakers, trivia, family-friendly crafts, and star-gazing! Join us for all or part of the festivities. For a full schedule of talks and activities, head to the event page.
Full week of events with WVAC can be found here. |
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Trashion Show: Registration is OPEN
Friday, April 24th
5:30PM-7:30PM |
Get ready to turn "trash" into high fashion! Our 5th annual Trashion Show is coming up soon! If you want to watch the show and vote for the People's Choice Award, join us April 24th at 5:30. Free, and no registration required!
Team registration is still open through April 9th! Teams of 1 to 6 people design and create ONE garment out of recycled materials to enter in our Adult, Youth (K-12), and Family categories. Whether you’re a student artist, a DIY enthusiast, or a family of eco-warriors, this is your chance to showcase upcycled designs on the runway for a chance to win a category title or the coveted People’s Choice award. Please note that team entry is "Pay What You Can"—your contributions help us keep the show running.
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Explore the Red Barn Archive |
WRI's past Red Barn Events are available to stream anytime. Head over to WRI's YouTube channel to dive into our library of recorded presentations. Watch the latest:
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Happy April Fool's! While we aren't actually hosting a slide-on-your-belly festival (yet), we DO have our 24th annual Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest coming up from May 14-17th! Click here to see the schedule and register.
We are introducing a significant change to this year's Bird Fest registration. We will not be maintaining waitlists. If a trip sells out and a spot later becomes available due to a cancellation, those open seats will be released for general registration on Wednesday, April 29th at 5:00PM. If you choose to cancel one trip to sign up for another, please be aware that our standard cancellation policy still applies.
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Celebrate Earth Month: Get Your Hands Dirty! |
April is Earth Month, a time to celebrate our planet and take action to protect the natural spaces we love. Whether you want to roll up your sleeves for hands-on restoration or witness the power of creative recycling, there are plenty of ways to get involved and give back to our local ecosystems.
Can’t make it to the two events listed below? No problem! You can still stay in the loop for future projects, campus maintenance, and seasonal events by signing up for our volunteer mailing list. |
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Community Garden Planter Box Rebuild Wednesday, April 15th 10:00AM-12:00PM |
There are only 12 boxes left to replace in the E. Lorene Young Community Garden, and we need your help to finish this project! These new boxes will serve community members for the next decade of fruit, vegetable, herb, and flower growing.
This is a family friendly volunteer event! WRI will have the materials and hand tools available for the work. We hope for 10 volunteers to come! The more the merrier. |
| Earth Day Trash Pick-Up
Wednesday, April 22nd 9:00AM-11:00AM |
Participate in a community cleanup of all the litter that accumulated over the winter along the riverfront trails. We will have gloves and bags available for volunteers!
Meet at the WRI parking lot. We will walk along the trails and pick up any trash that we find. Extra points for microplastics! |
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WRI After School Program Students in grades K-3rd |
We just wrapped up our Winter Session of After School Program last week. We got to spend some time in the freshly fallen snow, enjoyed the beaches and local parks, and got to learn about our local environment as spring begins to bloom here on campus!
We still have 4 spots available for Monday/Wednesday and 1 spot available for Tuesday/Thursday in WRI's Spring Session of After School Program! It is not too late to sign your kids up for a season of exploration and outdoor fun at WRI. This spring session runs from April 6 through June 4, offering a consistent way for your children to connect with nature as the weather warms up.
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Alpine Lakes Earth Explorers 5th Grade |
These 5th graders have visited our campus three times this school year, not including their many visits to us when they were in 3rd and 4th grade. As they transition out of our programming after more than five years, we wish them the very best in their next chapters!
Students conducted a scientific field study to investigate whether a correlation exists between ponderosa pines and the growth of wolf lichen. They also practiced their observation skills by examining various lichen species using stereoscopes and hand lenses. Lastly, the group enjoyed an interactive game focused on the complexities of the food web. |
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Waterville Elementary Habitat Detectives 1st Grade |
Last week, students came and learned about various habitats at WRI and what animals live within them. They adopted a tree by using their senses to get to know it more and then looked for various seeds and leaves or needles of the nearby trees. Students continued their curiosity by looking for a variety of bugs. They ended the day by learning about camouflage by looking for various beanie babies and then building their own habitat homes. |
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Exciting news! Our 2025 Annual Report is officially on its way to mailboxes this week!
Take a look back at an incredible year of connecting people with the nature of the Wenatchee Valley. In this edition, we’re sharing: -
Youth & Community Program Highlights
- Volunteer Recognition
- Financial Overview
- 2025 Donors & Sponsors
Whether you’ve been part of our programs, volunteered your time, or supported us from afar, this report is a celebration of our shared community. Keep an eye out for your copy! |
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Summer Camp Educator Interns |
We are hiring Summer Camp Educator Interns to be part of our 2026 Summer Camp team! This position is an opportunity to learn under the supervision and guidance of experienced environmental educators. Each week of camp, Summer Camp Educator Interns are paired with a WRI Field Educator, and they will help plan and deliver WRI Summer Camps. For more information including a full job description and how to apply, visit the link below. |
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Moving Beyond Land Acknowledgements |
Five months ago, the Wenatchee River Institute and Chelan-Douglas Land Trust joined leaders and facilitators from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation to host over 60 regional community leaders for a retreat in Leavenworth focused on Moving Beyond Land Acknowledgments.
In mid-March, participants reconvened to discuss how regional organizations can better support Tribal priorities. Key takeaways included formalizing government-to-government collaboration with the Colville Tribes and aligning with Tribal research and partnership processes. This work continues through monthly meetings of the p'squouse River Connections group—an informal collective of nonprofits and individuals dedicated to education and stewardship on traditional p'squosa lands. Through these efforts, they aim to build lasting relationships and learn directly from the p'squosa people.
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Science on Tap: Request for Presenters! |
Do you have a fascinating science topic you’d love to share with the community? We’re looking for presenters for Science on Tap in Wenatchee at Ground Control! Presentations are about an hour long and will take place throughout the winter and spring seasons.
If you have a topic idea, please reach out to Virginia so we can get your presentation on the calendar. |
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The birds are going nuts! We had a mischievous little friend trying to create a new home at WRI this past week. After an old bolt was removed from the wood siding of the River Haus, a Red-breasted Nuthatch found the new opening very enticing. We could hear pecking from inside the offices and went out to investigate, only to find a little rascal that was completely unfazed by our presence. This bird was so bold it let four of us watch as it worked to widen the hole into a potential nest site. Unfortunately, we can't let our feathered friend excavate the siding, so we patched the hole with putty. To make amends, we plan to drill a few enticing holes in a nearby snag to offer some better, more appropriate real estate for their nesting season.
Written by Tiffa Theden, 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 Rhodri Thomas and Liz Marzolf
Tracy Bowerman and Wilson Kern
Maura and Cody Gillin
Patrick English
Allison Johnson Dave and Nancy Bartholomew - Sustaining Leavenworth Outdoor Center Lisi Ott - Sustaining
Kurt and Celeste Peterson in honor of Canuche Terranella Alpine Lakes Foundation
NCW Audubon Society Sofia Bjorklund in honor of Canuche Terranella
The Hooter Fund II of Oregon Community Foundation Cheryl Gabel Icicle Brewing Company Osprey Rafting |
| Steven Alexander
Krista Ervin
Krista Fleming
Clare Gilgannon
Jon Polka and Britt Hansen
Dawn and Robert Kaufman Mark McDonald
Natasha Yankoffski Jeremy and Maria Howell - Sustaining James Costello
Lynn Dickinson - Sustaining Rita and Marcus Westbrook
Karen and Curt Haire - Sustaining
Laura and Greg Reichlin - Sustaining Mall Boyd - Sustaining
Christine Emmel - Sustaining
Melissa Roe - Sustaining Susan and Paul Ballinger
Diane and Herb Young - Sustaining Orin and Lisa Melvin - Sustaining Mandy Maxwell and Bill Riedel - Sustaining |
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