Wenatchee Outdoors

Gold Sprints!
2022-06-15 18:30 - 21:00 UTC
Location: Riverfront Rock Gym-Last Pitch Cafe
Head-to-head racing series
A goldsprint is a bicycle rollers racing event where riders on stationary bikes compete for GOLD in front of a spectator crowd! You win cash if you get first place!
For more information click here.

Monthly eBird Surveys at WRI
2022-06-15 08:00 - 09:30, 2022-05-18 08:00 - 09:30
Monthly eBird Surveys at WRI
The eBird Surveys go throughout the year from 8-9:30am @ WRI
Join WRI’s knowledgeable naturalists on a birding survey around the WRI Campus! eBird is the largest biodiversity-related community science project in the world. We will be utilizing it to record our observations of local wild birds. You will conduct four 15-minute stationary bird counts for an hour of birding. Total walking distance is ½ mile, over a gravel path with two moderate hills. All skill levels are welcome!
To learn more about our monthly eBird walks, visit: https://wenatcheeriverinstitute.org/education-programs/community-programs/seasonal-nature-walks.html

Kayaking Down the Columbia River
2022-06-14 19:00 - 20:00
The Wenatchee Valley Erratics, Ice Age Floods Institute’s next Zoom program will be on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:00 PM. Bill Burgel will present, “Kayaking down the Columbia River: Evidence of the Missoula Flood from the Perspective of the River”The Columbia River was the pathway for many of the Ice Age floods that occurred repeatedly between 18,000 and 15,000 years ago. This hour-long presentation will show evidence of the power of these floodwaters at various points along the Columbia River, between the Grand Coulee Dam to the mouth of the Willamette River in Portland. The author has kayaked nearly the entire length of this stretch of the river taking hundreds of photos as he drifted along downstream.Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84812873290?pwd=[REDACTED] ID: 84812873290Passcode: [REDACTED] sign in at 7:00 PM, June 14!Contact information:Brent Cunderla, Chapter Presidentcunderla@nwi.net(509) 860-6067

Miles for Monarchs
2022-06-13, 2022-05-09
Community Science Project
Miles for Monarchs, an individual or team program from Monarch Joint Venture. Walk, bike, swim, paddle, and run for monarch conservation, February-November, 2022. Designed to engage participants in personal
wellness while supporting monarch conservation. A single monarch can fly 3,000 miles, so can we? Register, $10. Family teams welcome!

Discover Pass Free Day!
2022-06-11
Washington State Parks has designated the free days in 2022 when visitors will not need a Discover Pass to park at state parks and on recreation lands managed by Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
For more information click here.
Saturday, June 11 – National Get Outdoors Day

Basecamp Cascadia's Fungi Fartlek Fundraiser
2022-06-10
Basecamp Cascadia’s Fungi Fartlek Fundraiser with Salish Sea Mushrooms| June 10 – 12, 2022
A playful event that combines Basecamp Cascadia’s love of trail running, hiking, camping, pizza and learning about mushrooms all into one amazing weekend! Basecamp Cascadia is holding this event as a fundraiser to reinforce the roof of their beloved geodome after a winter in which Leavenworth declared a state of emergency due to ~5 feet falling in 48 hours.

For more information about this and other programs, checkout Basecamp Cascadia’s website here.

Weed Warrior Knapweed Pulling
2022-06-09 09:00 - 11:00, 2022-06-06 09:00 - 11:00, 2022-06-01 17:30 - 19:30
Are you looking for a hands-on way to positively impact our lands in just two hours? Do you like to get outside in the company of other like-minded folks? Consider signing up to join the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust for our Weed Warrior knapweed pulls this spring, listed below. We will be following COVID-19 safety protocol, which you can read about here.
What & Where – A weed hand-pulling volunteer project at our newly acquired Lower Sleepy Hollow Preserve. Sign up for one or more work party dates and times. We will cross dry river channels with 3-5 ft. sloped banks, then walk on uneven ground across former pastures and a dry riverbed with large rocks, and on uneven forest paths to get to the river’s edge-about ¼ mile from the parking lot. If you use hiking poles for hiking, bring them.
Why – Our goal is to hand-pull knapweed as one element of a larger habitat improvement plan. By pulling the weeds before they flower and set seed, we can leave the plants on-site with no need to bag them.
Will it be fun? – Conversations can flow as we work in the shade of cottonwood trees, listening to birdsong along the Wenatchee River. Consider inviting your friends or family members to join you for one or more of these outdoor work parties. Our time on-site will be limited to 2 hours.
How- To sign up, email Susan Ballinger (susan@cdlandtrust.org) She will send you a confirmation email with full logistic details.

Free Outdoor Concert at the Wells House
2022-06-08 19:00 - 21:00
The Wells House and the Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra present the “Low-down Brass”. Dillon Alas, Tom McNair, and Don Larson, trombones, and Bryan Pomianek, tuba, will play a variety of “non-symphonic” music on the lawn of the beautiful, historic house.
Bring a chair or a blanket and enjoy an evening of music. We will have wine available for purchase. This free concert will start at 7:00 pm.
Other concerts include:

July 13 – Rose Trio
August 10 – WVS Strings
September 14 – WVS Flutes

All groups are ensembles from the Wenatchee Valley Symphony.
The Wells House is located at the end of Nelson Street on the Wenatchee Valley College campus.
For more information click here.

Gold Sprints!
2022-06-08 18:30 - 21:00
Location: Riverfront Rock Gym-Last Pitch Cafe
Head to head racing series
A goldsprint is a bicycle rollers racing event where riders on stationary bikes compete for GOLD in front of a spectator crowd! You win cash if you get first place!
For more information click here.

Early Morning Birding
2022-06-08 06:00 - 10:00
This event is hosted by the Chelan Douglas Land Trust
Would you like to spend a weekday morning hiking, viewing wildlife, wildflowers, and snow-capped mountains, while being part of a small team collecting bird species data? Community Science Projects are collaborations between scientists and volunteers that expand opportunities for scientific data collection and help answer real-world questions. Learn more about becoming a CDLT citizen scientist volunteer by contacting Conservation Fellow, Susan Ballinger at susan@cdlandtrust.org or call 509-667-9708. Please note contact Susan by cell phone 24-hours ahead (509-669-7820) to confirm, because changing weather conditions can result in cancelling the route.
CDLT is recruiting volunteers to help with two once/month bird monitoring projects.

Mountain Home Preserve eBird Monitoring Project, prior and after forest health thinning projects designed to restore open ponderosa-pine forest and to reduce future wildfire risks. Meeting at the Safeway store in Leavenworth, or Susan will pick up carpoolers in Wenatchee at the Penny Road Park and Ride. We walk a 2.2-mile route, stopping at 5 points to conduct 10-minute counts. 2022 Dates: March 28 (7:00am-11am), April 20 (6:00am-10:00am), May 11 (6:00am-10am), June 8 (6:00am-10:00am). July-October dates To Be Determined.
Independent volunteers are invited to do the CDLT eBird monitoring project at Horse Lake Preserve, and then share data with CDLT. Contact Susan Ballinger (susan@cdlandtrust.org) to learn more. The project goal is to learn about bird use with a variety of habitats that included areas burned in 2012 and 2015 wildfires.

For more information click here.

Invaders in our Foothills: Help Stop the Weeds!
2022-06-07 17:30 - 19:30
Invaders in our Foothills: Help Stop the Weeds! A free outdoor workshop at the Saddle Rock Trailhead covered shelter to teach you to identify the 15 most noxious weeds that threaten our shrub-steppe foothills, especially after fire with speaker, Chelan County Weed Board Field Supervisor, Julie Sanderson. You’ll take home a free field guide.
This is a free event.

Adaptive Cycling
2022-06-04 11:00 - 15:00, 2022-05-07 14:00 - 18:00
Location: Pybus Public Market-3 North Worthen Street Wenatchee, WA 98801
These events are FREE and open to everyone in our community ages 5 to 105+ with cognitive, physical, and/or sensory impairments. Outdoors for All will be providing a wide variety of adaptive bikes including handcycles, trikes, recumbents and tandems for participants to ride on the Loop Trail between Pybus and Walla Walla park. We will not be scheduling specific appointments so participants can come at any time during event hours.
These events are sponsored by the Confluence Health Foundation and are part of our new local adaptive cycling program.
Questions? Email NCWAdaptive@gmail.com

Four County Bird Count!
2022-06-04
2022 Four-county Bird Count – Saturday, June 4, 2022
Each spring, from as far away as South America, millions of birds migrate into north-central Washington. The new arrivals, together with the plucky resident birds that have endured our cold and snowy winter, start their breeding activities – courting, building nests, laying eggs, and raising young. For many birdwatchers, the highlight of each year is anticipating and then observing this annual pageant.
To celebrate this spectacle, on Saturday, June 4 NCWAS will hold its annual bird count covering the four counties covered by our chapter – Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, and Okanogan counties. On June 4, teams of birdwatchers will go into the field, each team counting birds within a specific area within our region. Each area will have a lead person to organize counting activities.
Our goal is to collect important data on birdlife in our region while having an exciting and fun day of birding. If you’re a birdwatcher, we welcome your participation. If you’re concerned about your ability level, we’ll make sure you’re teamed with high-ability birders.
If you watch birds, and want to participate, e-mail either Joe Veverka or Art Campbell. We look forward to your involvement, and let’s have a good time on June 4!

Basecamp Cascadia's Paddle into the Wild
2022-06-03
Basecamp Cascadia’s Paddle into the Wild | June 3-6, 2022
A four-day immersive experience to empower you to be a stronger packraft paddler and ignite your thirst for river adventure at Basecamp Cascadia. A river collaborative program with Basecamp Cascadia Co-Founder Jon Strahl, International Expedition Kayaker Chris Korbulic, The Packraft Handbook’s Illustrator Sarah Glaser, and ACA Certified White Water Instructor Electra Mathews-Novelli.

For more information about this and other programs, checkout Basecamp Cascadia’s website here.

Chelan-Douglas Bicycle Meeting
2022-06-01 17:30 - 19:30
Location: Pybus Public Market Wenatchee
Chelan-Douglas Bicycle Forum (formerly the Regional Bicycle Advisory Committee) is meeting for an informal community discussion platform for all things related to bicycle transportation.They are holding their first in-person meeting in two years at the Pybus Market Board Room, Wednesday June 1, from 5:30 – 7:30 PM.
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MTk4NmIzYjEtZjc2OS00MWY0LThlMTItOTUxM2YyOTRmMmQx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22c2c96dee-ff88-4dec-ab46-d35aba9fccd4%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22e956c0f1-1497-4f90-86e4-baa620bbc553%22%7d
Contact Riley using the information below if you have questions.
Riley Shewak | Senior Transportation Planner | Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council
O: (509)663-9059 | www.chelan-douglas.org/

Washington State's Endangered Tufted Puffins
2022-05-25 19:00 - 20:30
Washington State’s Endangered Tufted Puffins
Hosted by the North Cascades Institute
Instructor: Amanda Colbert
Cost: $10
To register for this event click here.
“Tufted puffins are striking birds in the auk family,” explains the UW’s Puget Sound Institute. “With their two congeners, the horned and Atlantic puffin, they are sometimes called sea parrots, or the clowns of the sea. The sea clowns, alas, have become increasingly rare of late… all up and down the West Coast. In Washington, tufted puffins were once common in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and along the outer coast, with 25,000 birds spread among 44 known breeding colonies in the early 1900s. Those numbers stayed stable for the next several decades; surveys in the 1970s and 1980s estimated more than 23,000 birds bred at 35 known colonies. Then the bottom started to fall out. By 2009 biologists estimated that fewer than 3,000 puffins bred in Washington, and the number of known colonies had fallen to just 19. Counts since then have only gotten worse.”
The Salish Sea School is on a mission to help save Washington State’s endangered Tufted Puffin population. By empowering students to help with data collection at Smith Island (one of the last breeding colonies in the Salish Sea) and promoting stewardship through experiential marine conservation programs and public presentations, the aim is to increase public awareness of this population and provide ways to help recover these imperiled seabirds.
Join us as we share the natural life history of the Tufted Puffin and discuss the state status of this iconic seabird. We’ll take you on a journey of discovery, sharing what we have seen on the water and learned through our own observations over the last two seasons. We’ll also provide ways you can help these iconic seabirds!

Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest
2022-05-19 - 2022-05-22
Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest
May 19th-22nd, 2022
Join the Wenatchee River Institute and NCW Audubon Society for the 20th annual Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest! This year marks 20 years of celebrating the connections between people, birds, and the natural world. Come celebrate with us and discover the natural beauty and wonders of North Central Washington as we welcome the return of migratory birds. Enjoy the excitement by joining in on a birding field trip, workshop, event, or activity! Bird Fest is back to fully in-person programs with some virtual and hybrid options. This is a family-friendly festival open to all experience levels. There will be beginner birding activities happening the week leading up to and during Bird Fest as well as several bilingual events.
Registration is currently open for all field trips! All current information and details can be found at: https://wenatcheeriverinstitute.org/education-programs/community-programs/bird-fest.html.

Matters of the Heart
2022-05-14 10:30 - 12:30
Hosted by the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center
Join us for Matters of the Heart on Saturday, May 14 at 10:30 AM. Students 4th grade and up will join a team of local medical professionals to conduct an exploration of hearts in this dissection lab! This is an incredible opportunity to expose students to science in a hands-on class with noted professionals.
Cost is $30 per person. Registration is required and limited.
For more information click here.

Noxious Weed ID Training
2022-05-13 10:00 - 11:00
Noxious Weed ID Training
Friday, May 13th 10-11am @ WRI
Join WRI (Wenatchee River Institute) and Jenna Medlar from Chelan County Noxious Weed Control Board to learn how to identify common noxious weeds of the area. This is a free training, but registration is required. Learn more and register here: https://wenatcheeriverinstitute.org/event-calendar.html/event/2022/05/13/noxious-weed-id-training/378367

Spring Saunter
2022-05-12 10:00 - 12:00
Spring Saunter
Thursdays and Fridays in April & May from 10am-12pm (April 14&15, 21&22, 28&29, May 5&6, 12)
Join the Wenatchee River Institute for a spring nature walk as the flower buds start to show and wildlife shake off the cold of winter. You will learn about the natural and cultural history of Leavenworth and the surrounding land with one of our knowledgeable naturalists. Registration is required beforehand.
Visit the website for more information and registration: https://wenatcheeriverinstitute.org/education-programs/community-programs/seasonal-nature-walks.html

Wilderness Alps: Conservation in the North Cascades
2022-05-11 17:30 - 19:00
Wilderness Alps: Conservation in the North Cascades – and What’s Left to Do
Hosted by the North Cascades Institute
Instructor: Phil Fenner
Class Tuition: $10
Click here to register for this event.
There was a time when commercial interests treated the forests, rivers and mountains of the North Cascades as a limitless resource bank of timber, minerals and hydropower. These industries faced little resistance until the North Cascades Conservation Council came along. Founded in 1957 by now-legendary conservationists like Polly Dyer, Patrick Goldsworthy, Phil and Laura Zalesky and David Brower, the all-volunteer organization lobbied for conservation in the North Cascades — a full decade before the environmental movement took hold across the country.
“Turning out members for hearings, going to court, deploying hiking guides and picture books, (NCCC) has helped preserve 2.21 million acres in Washington state between Stevens Pass and the Canadian border as parks, recreation areas, and wilderness areas,” explains HistoryLink.org.
An early conservation success occurred when the Forest Service designated the Glacier Peak Wilderness area in 1960. In 1961, NCCC decided to advocate for a full-fledged North Cascades National Park, and initiated a series of studies, surveys and imaginative efforts to grow public support. A long road was ahead of them but the group and their friends persevered and on October 2, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed the park into law just weeks before his term of office ended.
Phil Fenner, the current president of NCCC, and other NCCC board members will share a program that will take you inside the personal accounts of the individuals who fought this battle and others,, including the many notable women who played crucial roles and the innovative tactics they developed to sway the public. He will also touch on how this region’s tribal peoples played a role in conflicts over resources.
Aside from working to establish the North Cascades National Park Complex, NCCC was a central force in establishing the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center during the Seattle City Light Skagit Hydropower Project’s re-licensing process 30 years ago. The Institute now calls the Learning Center home and our relationship with NCCC continues.
But the story of conservation in the North Cascades doesn’t end there. Recently, a plan for an mining in the headwaters of the Skagit Valley was, thankfully, halted with NCCC’s help, but the threat may return until the area is permanently protected. Today, the impacts of climate change and wildfires have revived the idea of large-scale logging of our National Forests. The conservation effort must continue, with large swaths of unprotected land in the Cascades at risk of industrial damage.
The program will conclude with Fenner sharing how we can take inspiration from NCCC’s early efforts and determination and suggest what we can do now to help protect these lands we love.

Early Morning Birding
2022-05-11 06:00 - 10:00
Would you like to spend a weekday morning hiking, viewing wildlife, wildflowers, and snow-capped mountains, while being part of a small team collecting bird species data? Community Science Projects are collaborations between scientists and volunteers that expand opportunities for scientific data collection and help answer real-world questions. Learn more about becoming a CDLT citizen scientist volunteer by contacting Conservation Fellow, Susan Ballinger at susan@cdlandtrust.org or call 509-667-9708. Please note contact Susan by cell phone 24-hours ahead (509-669-7820) to confirm, because changing weather conditions can result in cancelling the route.
CDLT is recruiting volunteers to help with two once/month bird monitoring projects.

Mountain Home Preserve eBird Monitoring Project, prior and after forest health thinning projects designed to restore open ponderosa-pine forest and to reduce future wildfire risks. Meeting at the Safeway store in Leavenworth, or Susan will pick up carpoolers in Wenatchee at the Penny Road Park and Ride. We walk a 2.2-mile route, stopping at 5 points to conduct 10-minute counts. 2022 Dates: March 28 (7:00am-11am), April 20 (6:00am-10:00am), May 11 (6:00am-10am), June 8 (6:00am-10:00am). July-October dates To Be Determined.
Independent volunteers are invited to do the CDLT eBird monitoring project at Horse Lake Preserve, and then share data with CDLT. Contact Susan Ballinger (susan@cdlandtrust.org) to learn more. The project goal is to learn about bird use with a variety of habitats that included areas burned in 2012 and 2015 wildfires.

Twilight Criterium!
2022-05-07 15:00 - 22:00
Come watch Nascar on 2 wheels as the best bicycle racers in the PNW compete for cash and the coveted Belt Buckle! Wenatchee Valley Brewing will be pouring deliciousness! Must be 21 to attend (ID for everyone! ) Cash is preferred! We will have food trucks as well!
For more information click here.

Apple Blossom Run 2022
2022-05-07 09:15 - 11:00
Apple Blossom Run 2022
Be a part of the Apple Blossom Festival in Wenatchee, WA
Join us for this year’s Apple Blossom Run, a community event sponsored by Confluence Health and Ballard Ambulance for 30+ years to promote health and wellness in the community! The Apple Blossom Run is part of the annual Apple Blossom Festival in Wenatchee, Washington.
Registration:
Registration includes chipped timing and a fun commemorative shirt. Choose between the Kids 2K (grades 1-8), 5K Walk, or 5K/10K Runs. Commemorative shirt comes in unisex sizing (Small – XXL, & Youth Small – Large).

2K: FREE
5K Walk or 5/10K Run: $15 ($20 Race Day)

Packet Pickup:

Friday May 6, 9:00am – 6:00pm
Fuller Street drive-through near CWH Rehab entrance

Start Times:

All Races: Saturday, May 7, 9:15 am

For more information click here.

C.D.L.T. Plant Salvage
2022-05-07 08:00 - 10:00
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS – This Saturday, 8 am to 10 am, help us salvage native wildflowers prior to the construction of the new trailhead at Maiden Lane in Wenatchee. No registration is required, stop by any time between 8 am and 10 am. Thanks in advance!
For more information click here.
