Outdoor & Nature Connection programming for adults….let’s get out there!

As you read a few blog posts ago, the Lower Columbia Nature Network partners are really excited about connecting youth of all ages to the outdoors, with safe, welcoming and fun activities. But we know that us adults love to get outside, too!

There is a LOT of research about all of the various benefits of getting outside and connecting with nature:

• Mental Health and Cognitive Benefits such as reduced stress and anxiety: Nature lowers stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline), reduces rumination, and helps alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression; Improved cognitive function: Time outdoors restores focus, enhances memory, and sparks creativity by breaking the cycle of overstimulation from urban environments; Increased well-being: Exposure to nature increases feelings of happiness, joy, and calm, contributing to a greater sense of meaning in life. Source: American Psychological Association

• Numerous Physical Health Benefits: Cardiovascular health: Regular time in nature lowers heart rate and blood pressure; Immune system support: Phytoncides (airborne compounds from plants) can boost immune function; Improved sleep: Natural light exposure, especially in the morning, aligns the circadian rhythm, resulting in better sleep quality; Weight Management: Access to green spaces increases opportunities for walking and physical activity. Source: UCLA Health 

• Social Benefits: Community connections: Parks &natural spaces encourage social interaction, decreasing feelings of loneliness as well as on-going learning and stewardship; Healthy Aging: Studies show elders who spend time in nature experience improved mood and cognitive abilities; Sense of awe: Experiencing natural landscapes can foster a sense of awe, which improves perspective and prosocial behaviors.

As well as all of the research, being outside is connecting with our “inner youth,” sense of adventure and wanting to have fun! In our corner of the state, we are about 1 hour to the ocean and 1 hour to the mountains, with lots of great adventures in between. At our recent LCNN Partners meeting in April, we wanted to understand and update our list of programs, activities and events focused on adults. Besides our local/regional partners, there are also regional and statewide organizations that occasionally hosts activities in southwest Washington. Check them all out!

Here is what we found (what are we missing?…..let us know via email at hello@lowercolumbianaturenetwork.org!):

• STEWARDSHIP

  Several partners host regularly scheduled events for giving back and helping out. including:

  • Camas Earth Day Society hosts a variety of events including working at Prune Hill Elementary Outdoor Learning Garden, Camas Library Native Plant garden and other special workshops / events

  • Camp Hope in Battle Ground connects people of all ages to nature in the forest south of Lewis River. Volunteer work days help the site get ready for visitors, including trails, grounds and cabin maintenance

  • Camp Wa-Ri-Ki needs volunteers to maintain trails, outdoor learning spaces, cabins and more to provide safe and welcoming camps for kids

  • Clark Conservation District Join events to pot up native plants, planting activities for restoration projects, and more

  • Clark County Public Works volunteer for Adopt-A-Road, Adopt-A-Park, Adopt-A-Drain, volunteer park hosts, litter pick-ups and other stewardship activities

  • Clark Public Utilities StreamTeam plantings thousand of plants for habitat and hosts a variety of work parties to prep and plant

  • Columbia Springs Stewardship Saturdays work parties

  • Friends of Trees hosts volunteer tree planting events including truck drivers, crew leaders, planters, lunch providers and more

  • The Jane Weber Arboretum hosts monthly volunteer work parties to maintain the grounds, including trails, plants and house

  • Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership join a large scale habitat restoration site for plantings, invasive species removal and special projects

  • Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group provides programs for schools on ecosystem learning, habitat restoration projects and native plantings

  • Lower Columbia School Gardens With a school garden at every Longview and Kelso elementary and middle school, there is ALWAYS a need for help in the gardens, check their webpage for schedules

  • SOLVE connects people to making our corner of the planet better with individual or group litter clean up events

  • Vancouver Bee Project join a weeding or planting workshop at locations around Vancouver. Volunteers also needed to support the Pollinator Festival in June

  • Vancouver’s Naturespaces Program join a volunteer planting, mulching or weeding event

  • Vancouver Urban Forestry Program a wide of stewardship events throughout the year for tree prunings, plantings and care

  • WA Department of Natural Resources hosts a variety of stewardship work parties in SW WA and across the state

  • Washington Trails Association The SW WA regional office hosts a variety of stewardship events including trail maintenance, tool maintenance workshops, and more. WTA also needs Trail Ambassadors to help table at events to share the message about WTA opportunities & information. WTA also needs hikers to file Trip Reports to provide up-to-date information about trail conditions

• OUTDOORS WORKSHOPS / LEARNING

  We never stop learning and our partners have lots of ways for you to keep learning, whether for your own property or about community spaces. Here are some of our opportunities:

  • Clark Conservation District - Improve your property with workshops about livestock management, habitat restoration, stormwater management, forest health, and soil health. They also host Watershed Stewards training and host an annual plant sale

  • Columbia Springs has a number of learning opportunities including hatchery tours, workshops and more

  • Confluence Project hosts a variety of workshops to support indigenous learning

  • ESD112 & Partners hosts Take Learning Outside professional development for educators and teachers with a school year long series of topics to help you teach your students….outside

  • Fort Vancouver National Historic Site has the visitor center, Fort tours and other special events throughout the year

  • Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries partners host a wide variety of workshops at the libraries for outdoor activities, especially with Master Gardeners. They also have seed libraries and gear libraries to help with outdoor projects. Sort events by “Nature & Discovery” on the side panel

  • Fourth Plain Forward hosts a variety of events and workshops to connect with partners, like Art in the Park, and workshops to navigate climate related needs

  • Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge hosts a variety of volunteer needs including support Refuge programs, naturalist events, staffing the welcome booth at the auto-tour loop, event and more

  • Good Year Farm hosts a variety of workshops to learn about plants, ecosystems and build community in their barn

  • The Intertwine Alliance hosts a variety of workshops, stewardship and learning with Portland-Vancouver based organizations to bring partners together for conservation, trails, urban forestry and more

  • Naturescaping Wildlife Botanical Gardens hosts tours of the gardens, monthly workshops at the CASEE center, annual plant sale and special events

  • Nature’s Haven hosts workshops to learn about native plants, mason bees and ecosystems

  • Plas Newdd Farm as well as canopy walks, the Arts Initiative on the farm hosts a variety of workshops for art & writing at the farm, including poetry, block printing, painting, nature journaling, and more

  • The Treehouse Art Studio hosts a variety of workshops for nature art, nature connections and bigger adventures

  • VA Farms - Whole Health program at the Veterans Administration campus garden has workshops for virtual and in-the-garden learning for our region’s veterans

  • Vancouver Audubon Society hosts informational monthly sessions with regional experts on a wide range of bird topics

  • Vancouver Bee Project hosts workshops throughout the year, including preparing for Mason Bee season in the spring, cleaning mason bee cocoons in the fall, as well as informational workshops about native plants, habitat and pollinators. They also host an annual Pollinator Festival.

  • Vancouver’s Water Resources Education Center hosts a variety of nature walks, educational series and workshops in the nearby wetlands and native habitat gardens, as well as an annual BioBlitz with iNaturalist

  • Vancouver Urban Forestry there are wide variety of workshops throughout the year to learn about tree pruning, invasive tree control, bike tours of trees in town, pop-up arboretums and more

  • WA Department of Fish & Wildlife hosts a variety of workshops to learn about our local species throughout the region and state

  • Washington Native Plant Society hosts a variety of in-person and on-line workshops including nature drawing, botany and native plant talks

  • Waste Connections & Clark County Composts hosts a series of workshops and trainings on composting and care in your garden

  • WSU Extension Master Gardeners there are lots of opportunities to get involved, including becoming a Master Gardener, attending a focused workshop, volunteering at the Heritage Farm and presenting (if you are a MG)

• COMMUNITY EVENTS

  Larger events related to outdoor activities are part of our community and something to look forward to every year. Here are a few of the more popular events to get you outside:

  • Cedar Grist Mill Days throughout the year to celebrate the mill and community cooking outdoors

  • Clark County Parks & Nature hosts a variety of community events including new Park openings, public engagement events and more

  • Clark Public Utilities Home & Garden Idea Fair the last weekend in April helps get you ready to be outside in your nearby nature

  • Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife RefugeBirdfest & Bluegrass Festival is the first Saturday in October every year in Ridgefield, WA

  • Get Outdoors Month is our regions celebration of all fun adventures outdoors, hosted throughout the month of June. Visit our event calendar for all of the fun!

  • Old Apple Tree Festival celebrating the oldest apple tree in the Pacific Northwest. Volunteer and/or join the day long festival

  • Seasonal Plant Sales - many of our partners support annual plant sales including, Clark Conservation District, Clark College Native Plant Center, Vancouver Public School high school greenhouses, WSU Extension Master Gardeners, etc.

  • Vancouver Bee Project’s Pollinator Festival every June in central Vancouver

• PASSIVE RECREATION

  You don’t have to buy a lot of gear to get outside and enjoy nature. Partners have low stress activities and events to help you have a fun and adventurous outing. Here are a few ideas:

  • Birdhers - a welcoming community for women-identifying bird watching group with hikes around the metropolitan region

  • Clark County Newcomers Club Monday Hikes are for folks new to the region and want to join a group hike

  • Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is a great location for walks, biking and wildlife watching. Follow the trails around the Fort and connect to the Land Bridge and wander the Fort garden all year round.

  • Hike-It-Baby Vancouver is a great way to still get outside for nature fun while bringing the babies and toddlers along

  • HOPE Walks provides downloadable guides for families and caregivers for people with Dementia to go on walks in nature, they also coordinate group walks on occasion

  • Little Feet Hiking web page, articles and books help adults with littles (e.g. parents, grandparents, aunties, bestest uncles, and besties) get out and enjoy nature in our local and regional trails

  • Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership Join a unique adventure in the big orange canoes at a number of local waterways including Vancouver Lake, Lake River and the Columbia River

  • Plas Newydd Farm hosts monthly Canopy Walks around the farm property and along the Lewis River

  • Ridgefield Complex National Wildlife Refuge has trails at Ridgefield and Steigerwald lake for walking and wildlife viewing.

  • Washington Native Plant Society Suksdorfia Chapter (SW WA) hosts native plant walks throughout the region

  • Vancouver Audubon Society VAS hosts outings for various levels of hikers and birding experience levels

• ACTIVE RECREATION / ADVENTURE SPORT

  Ready to get out there and really connect? Community partners have lots of ways for you to get on the water, riding through the forest and connecting with nature. Visit each partner for more details:

  • Adventures Without Limits community trips are open to the public and are designed to be inclusive and accessible, specializing in creating a welcoming space for people of all ability levels to enjoy the benefits of time spent outdoors, including kayaking, white water rafting, camping and more

  • Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe in Ridgefield, WA hosts a variety of classes and tours for kayaking, canoeing and stand-up-paddleboards at Lake River and Camas Lake

  • Clark Skamania Flyfishers hosts a variety of workshops and outings around the regional waterways.

  • Dragon Boat Racing Ridgefield hosts summer Friday night paddles and events for all skills levels at the Ridgefield Waterfront Park

  • Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance hosts a wide variety of classes, workshops, and rides throughout the year

  • Girls on the Run needs coaches and volunteers to support practices and events to connect girls to the love of running outside

  • The Mazamas is a regional hiking group founded on Mt. Hood, the group hosts a wide variety of hikes throughout Washington and Oregon for all skills levels

  • Mt. St. Helen’s Institute hosts a wide range of hikes throughout the summer, including Summit climbs, Hummocks trail hikes, family campouts and more

  • Outdoor Afro hosts a wide array of outdoor activities for camping, hiking, fishing and snowshoeing

  • Outdoor Asian Washington connect with others for fishing, hiking and winter sports throughout WA and our region

  • People of Color Outdoors brings community together for welcoming adventures in paddling, hiking and more

  • PNW Happy Hikers hosts welcoming outings throughout WA / OR region for hikes and other adventures

  • The Rusty Iron Outrigger Canoe Club hosts a variety of events including at Frenchman’s Bar regional park every spring

  • Vancouver’s Forever Young Hikers coordinate travel and guides for hikes throughout the WA/OR region out of the Marshall Center