NEW Naturalists on the River Program this Summer! |
Join WRI and Leavenworth Outdoor Center for a new program this summer! Become a river naturalist as you paddle down the Icicle and Wenatchee Rivers. These are guided trips that will introduce you to the plants and animals of our diverse river area. You will learn how to be a better observer of nature and be introduced to river safety and navigation. This is a great way to build your naturalist skills and confidence on the river.
Learn more and find dates at the link below! |
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Bilingual Mountain Home Ridge Day Hike Saturday, July 8th 9:00AM-1:00PM |
Join WRI and Chelan-Douglas Land Trust on a day hike up Mountain Home Ridge! The dramatic views of the Icicle River Valley show the amazing geology and ecology of our region and remind us why this is such an important place to protect. This is a FREE, bilingual event. Register online! |
| Birding by the River Wednesday, July 12th 8:00AM-9:30AM |
Join WRI for Birding by the River happening the second Wednesday of every month! Join us for as many as you can. You'll walk around the WRI campus with knowledgeable WRI staff. All birding experience levels are welcome. Need binoculars? We have loaners! |
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Red Barn Event: Both Sides of the Fire Line Wednesday, July 19th
7:00PM-8:00PM |
Join WRI, A Book for All Seasons, and Wenatchee Pride to welcome retired firefighter and author, Bobbie Scopa. In her memoir, she "shares her life as a man, a woman, and a firefighter. Each chapter of her life, and of this book, can help us to better understand what it means to be transgender." Come listen to her stories!
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| Wednesday Wenatchee Birding Wednesday, July 26th 7:30AM-9:30AM |
Go birding with knowledgeable WRI staff around Walla Walla Point Park and the Horan Natural Area in Wenatchee! All birding skills are welcome. This is a FREE event and no registration is needed. |
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You know summer has really begun when WRI Summer Camps start! Last week and this week, over 80 students from Wenatchee came to WRI for Explorer Camp. These students just finished 2nd-5th grade, and many of them were also in WRI's After School Program.
Last week, students from Mission View, Lincoln, and Newbery Elementary Schools visited us for a 3-day camp. They spent their first day here on the WRI campus learning about communities and then built their own communities in small groups. On the second day, students visited Lake Wenatchee State Park to learn about water, the watershed there, and how water cycles through our planet. On their final day, they visited Ski Hill to work on a stewardship project on the trails for bikers and hikers with the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance.
This week, students from Lewis & Clark and Columbia Elementary Schools are visiting us for a 4-day camp. They visited all the same places as the students from last week. Today, they are visiting Squilchuck State Park to learn about lichen, explore the area, and make a nature craft from the lichen they find. Overall, it has been 2 weeks of fun and exploration! |
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Student-led Native Plant Garden at WRI |
Earlier this year, WRI began a new program working with the Plant Science class at Cascade High School to design and develop a new native plant garden on the WRI campus. The garden is now finished! If you walk the trails near the Red Barn, you can't miss it! The group of 11th and 12th grade students helped clear the beds, spread mulch, put up the fence, and planted their chosen native plants. There are about 9 different plant species and 40 plants in the garden!
Throughout these last few months, the students learned about plant biodiversity, native plants, how to perform site evaluations, and which plants may grow better together. The garden also helps students gain community service hours to place towards graduation, college applications, and more. The garden also has drip irrigation to support the growth of the young plants throughout the summer. This program is possible because of the grant from Washington Native Plant Society. With the grant, multi-lingual native plant signs will also be created. Cascadia Conservation District also helped with their expertise and supplies.
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After School Program Wrap-Up |
Throughout the school year, WRI visited 6 schools in Wenatchee to deliver an After School Program. This year was the first time WRI had included middle schools in this program. Kyra, Field Educator, visited Orchard and Pioneer Middle Schools once a month to teach students in 6th-8th grade about natural history, get them outside to explore, and connect with other students. Earlier this month, Kyra brought 15 students from Pioneer Middle School on a field trip to Saddle Rock where they embarked on a nature hike. They learned about ecology and history of the area. They even made yarrow tea and made cordage bracelets out of plant materials!
The other 4 schools include Columbia, Mission View, Newbery, and Lincoln Elementary Schools. At each visit, WRI staff delivered an 1.5-hour After School Program to 2nd-5th grade students. During this time, students got to play nature and field games, go outside and explore, learn more about the natural world, and connect with other students. | | |
Salmon Sculpture Ceremony |
Yesterday, over 70 community members gathered to celebrate WRI's new salmon sculpture, created by Indigenous artist, Swede Albert of Omak, WA (photo on left). Swede spoke about his business, Salvage Artistry, and showcased some of his previous art pieces. Salmon Chief, Darnell Sam (photo on right), as well as other members of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation also joined us to perform a ceremony and blessing of the sculpture. Elders spoke about the meaning of the salmon to the šnp̍əšqʷáw̉šəxʷ (p'squosa or Wenatchi) people and their culture. It was a powerful evening with the threatening thunder, lightning, and beautiful sunset to follow. Thanks to all who came to show their support!
The sculpture is located near Barn Beach along the Waterfront Park Trail. Go check it out!
NOTE: This salmon sculpture is the second sculpture commissioned from Swede Albert. The first sculpture was, unfortunately, stolen in February, and has not been recovered. The new sculpture is bigger and heavier, and has been installed on a more secure base. It will be monitored at all times with trail cameras. Want to help offset the extra cost for the cameras? Donate here.
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E. Lorene Young House Ownership |
Earlier this year, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT) deeded ownership of the E. Lorene Young House along with the property it sits on (including the space where the E. Lorene Young Community Garden is located) to WRI. This is exciting news! The WRI campus now measures 13 acres (previously 9 acres).
E. Lorene Young was the first woman mayor of Leavenworth. When she died in 2007 at 94 years old, she donated her home and property to CDLT to be used as a nature center for environmental education. In 2008, CDLT agreed to steward the property to fulfill her final request. She hoped that her space would be used to promote conservation, connect people with nature, and teach about the environment.
Today, her legacy lives on. Since 2008, WRI has managed the property and continues to incorporate her values into the space that she loved. Her land is being preserved and helps with environmental education not only for participants of WRI's programs, but also for Mountain Sprouts Children's Community. The house is also used to house education staff and program presenters. Now that WRI officially owns the property, WRI is looking for next steps to help promote E. Lorene Young's wishes. We are working on the vision for the future of this property in the next strategic plan. Do you have ideas for the space? Feel free to email them to info@wenatcheeriverinstitute.org.
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Thank you to our donors from the last two weeks! |
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Rebecca and James Grandin Rita Westbrook
Tiffany Brine-Davies and Bill Davies - Sustaining Dave and Nancy Bartholomew - Sustaining Lisi Ott - Sustaining Patti McGaughey Lynn Dickinson - Sustaining |
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