December 14th E-NEWSLETTER

Programs

Holiday Snowshoe Strolls at WRI

Thursday, December 15th

Friday, December 16th

10:00AM-12:00PM

Since it's already a winter wonderland in Leavenworth, we are kickstarting snowshoeing earlier into the holiday season this year! Join us for one of our Holiday Snowshoe Strolls and learn about the natural and cultural history of Leavenworth with many scenic, snowy views along the way.

Snowshoe Here

Volunteer Training:

Snowshoe Strolls

Saturday, December 17th

11:00AM-3:00PM

WRI is holding a Volunteer Training for those who are interested in volunteering for our Snowshoe Strolls beginning this January! This training is designed for volunteers to learn how Snowshoe Strolls work, learn your role as a volunteer, and safety while on snowshoes.

RSVP Here

Christmas Bird Count

Tuesday, December 20th

8:30AM-1:30PM

The Christmas Bird Count is one of the largest bird conservation data points to date! WRI is partnering with NCW Audubon Society to lead one of the routes in Waterfront Park in Leavenworth. The data collected from this bird survey will help guide conservation actions. You aren't required to stay the whole walk and all birding skills are welcome.

Bird Here

Snowshoe Strolls

Thursdays-Saturdays (and select Sundays) in January and February

Begin the year with new discoveries! Join WRI for a Snowshoe Stroll through winter wonderland at either the WRI campus or the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery. We will learn about native wildlife and ecology and the history of Leavenworth with many scenic, snowy views along the way.

Snowshoe Here

NWAC Avalanche Awareness Class

Tuesday, January 10th

6:30PM-8:00PM

Whether you ski, snowshoe, snowboard, or snowmobile, recognition of avalanche danger is an essential and potentially lifesaving skill. In this FREE class, NWAC instructors will explain how to access avalanche and mountain weather forecasts and recognize basic signs of avalanche danger.

Build Awareness Here

Night Sky Snowshoe Stroll and Planetarium

Thursdays, January 26th

5:00PM-7:30PM

Witness the night sky during different seasons throughout the year, learn winter constellations and get to know our sun, moon and stars like never before. You'll enter our planetarium for a realistic view of our night sky before heading out on snowshoes to see the real thing!

See Stars Here

Upcoming Red Barn Events in 2023

Red Barn Event:

The Approach 2 with

Ingrid Backstrom

Wednesday, January 4th

7:00PM-8:00PM

Help us welcome back local professional skier, Ingrid Backstrom for a Red Barn Event! She is back to show her team's new film, The Approach 2: a ski and snowboard film elevating people of color, women, and adaptive athletes. This is an in person only event.

Elevate Athletes Here

Red Barn Event:

The Many Adventures of the Riding Writer

Thursday, January 12th

7:00PM-8:00PM

Join WRI and Link Transit for a Red Barn Event! Danielle Worley is a "Riding Writer" and author. She uses her time in transit to up her weekly word count on her books. Selina Danko will also be joining us to share the myriad of travel options offered by Link Transit.

Transit Here

Red Barn Event: Leavenworth Mill Dam Rehabilitation and Recreation Improvement Project

Wednesday, January 18th

7:00PM-8:00PM

The Chelan County Natural Resource Department has selected the Leavenworth Mill Dam for a development of conceptual design for rehabilitation and recreation improvement. This event will give the opportunity to share the idea with the community and gather feedback to help guide the direction of project development.

Provide Feedback Here

Red Barn Event: Grizzly Grub - Bear Habitat in the North Cascades

Wednesday, January 25th

7:00PM-8:00PM

Join Dr. Bill Gaines, Wildlife Ecologist and Director of the Washington Conservation Science Institute, for a presentation about grizzly bear habitat and recovery. He will talk about their diverse habitat and how the North Cascades could have enough remote areas to support their potential reintroduction and recovery.

Grub Here

Thank you to our 2022-2023 Red Barn Event Sponsors! These businesses help make Red Barn Events possible.

You're Invited!

Passing the Baton

Saturday, January 21st

4:00PM-5:30PM

WRI River Haus

Join us for a "passing the baton" open house to welcome Canuche and bid farewell to Carolyn. This will be a great opportunity to meet Canuche, get to know him, and ask questions. It will also be a great time to bid a fond farewell to Carolyn and honor her time and stewardship over the last 4 years. There will be light snacks and drinks available. Stay tuned for more details!

Lessons from WRI's Traveling Naturalists

This month, WRI has visited all 26 fourth and fifth grade classrooms in the Traveling Naturalist in the Classroom program to deliver their fourth lesson. Fourth grade students learned the three strategies that animals use to survive a cold winter. Can you take a guess on what they are?

Migrate, hibernate, or tolerate.

They explored all three and chose which one they'd want to do. Which one would you choose?

Fifth grades students did an experiment out in the cold to discover Bergmann's Rule: animals that live at northern latitudes (where winters get the coldest) are bigger than animals of the same species that live in warmer climates in the south. In their experiment, they measured the temperature of hot water in two different sized tin cans over a period of seven minutes (outside in the cold!). The smaller can lost heat much faster than the larger can.

Place

Outdoor Classroom Ribbon Cutting

Thanks to all who came to celebrate the completion of WRI's Outdoor Classroom last week! After all of the planning, coordination, and construction, it's finally complete and ready for use... perfect timing for all of this snowy weather. It was a wonderful group who attended, including supporters from the Leavenworth Rotary Club, the City of Leavenworth, Wiley Construction, Alison Miller Architect... and even Mountain Sprouts!

Make your gift today!

The Community Foundation of North Central Washington's Give NCW campaign is still happening! You can give to any of the 73 participating local non-profits until December 31st.

100% of your donation(s) go straight to the non-profit(s) of your choice. Even better, if you give on a FUNDAY MONDAY, you'll be entered to win $1,000 to gift to your non-profit(s) of choice! You can donate to WRI today through Give NCW or directly on our website. Thanks so much for helping us continue to grow our programs for next year!