fourthplainforward

Art & Nature in the Park is BACK for 2026! 🎨🌿

Fourth Plain Forward can't wait to bring free art and nature activities to Vancouver Flex Academy and Downs Neighborhood Park this summer. A huge thank you to our amazing partners Wellpoint, Molina, City of Vancouver NatureSpace, and all of our community partners for making these special moments possible. Come join us for a summer full of fun, creativity, and connection! 🌸☀️

👉🏽 Saturdays 11am–2pm | July & August
📅 July 11 at Flex Academy Park
📅 July 25 at Flex Academy Park
📅 August 8 at Downs Neighborhood Park
📅 August 22 at Downs Neighborhood Park

¡Arte y Naturaleza en el Parque está DE VUELTA en 2026! 🎨🌿 No podemos esperar para traer actividades gratuitas de arte y naturaleza a Vancouver Flex Academy y Downs Neighborhood Park este verano. Un enorme agradecimiento a nuestros increíbles socios Wellpoint, Molina, City of Vancouver NatureSpace, y todos nuestros socios comunitarios por hacer posibles estos momentos tan especiales. ¡Ven a disfrutar de un verano lleno de diversión, creatividad y conexión! 🌸☀️

👉🏽 Sábados 11am–2pm | Julio y Agosto
📅 11 de julio en Flex Academy Park
📅 25 de julio en Flex Academy Park
📅 8 de agosto en Downs Neighborhood Park
📅 22 de agosto en Downs Neighborhood Park

zen_mnm

🌲FREE Forest Bathing and Poetry (Shinrin-Yoku and Haiku) at Forest Park.

Join Zen_MNM for a restful, slow walk through the forest where we’ll awaken the senses and re-connect with the more-than-human world. Beginner friendly, no experience required. 🤗

Step into the slow rhythm of summer with this creative wellness experience that blends shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) with haiku writing. As we move mindfully through nature, you’ll be guided to awaken your senses, reflect on seasonal themes, and craft simple poems rooted in presence. No writing or hiking experience needed. Bring a notebook, pen, curiosity, and a willingness to pause.

We will meet at the Germantown and Leif Erikson trailhead. Parking is limited and we encourage carpool if possible.

Register for free at zenmnm.com

vancouver.audubon & cameraderie.pnw

Young photographers are invited to join @cameraderie.pnw as they explore one of our favorite birding hotspots in Southwest Washington: Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

This Field Trip is for youth Ages 10-18 with an interest in nature and wildlife photography. Look for Cameraderie outings on weekends and holidays when school is out! Accompanied by parents and led by seasoned photographer guides, we will head out into nature to hone our skills behind the camera and in wildlife identification. Don't have a camera? Ask about equipment available for loan when registering!

Registration is required so follow the link in our bio and tap "Young Birders & Cameraderie" or go directly to: forms.gle/SA9mEdBHaZHZa9AU7
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Photos: American Bittern, Yellow-breasted Chat, Brown-headed Cowbird, and Marsh Wren by Ken Pitts/Vancouver Audubon

Botanical Drawing with Crystal Shin with Colored Pencils hosted by the Washington Native Plant Society

Have you ever wanted to draw beautiful wildflowers? They are a true wonder of nature and learning to draw them can be a very satisfying experience. Wildflowers can be challenging to document in the field, but working from photos is a good alternative to removing from their natural habitat. Enjoy the beautiful flowers of summer, and develop your skills in drawing. 

For this class, we will draw from photographs used in a poster of the “Alpine Wildflowers of Washington by Burke Museum”, graciously provided by Photographer Donovan Tracy, or draw similar species from your own wildflower photographs. This is a great way to spend evenings while reviewing your species photographs. This class is a repeat however, it will include new flowers from the prior classes, so it is okay to repeat this course and receive new content. 

We will work on one flower drawing per session which can be completed at home. You can follow along with my demonstration or choose a different flower of your preference. At the end of the course, you will have completed 4 wildflower drawings!

You will learn how to accurately translate a photo into a drawing by observing form, highlights, subtle changes of tone, shade and color to create dimensionality.

With the use of colored pencil techniques, you will learn and practice how to blend colors smoothly while learning to see the intricacies of beautiful wildflowers.

• Date & Time: June 25, 2026, July 2, 9 & 16, 2026   (Every Thursday evening 6:30-8:30 pm, for 4 weeks)

• This drawing class is presented virtually via Zoom, where you can participate from your drawing table. 

• Join Crystal Shin for the workshop series in Botanical Illustration with colored pencil.  Find the course supply list here.

The Alpine Wildflower Poster is available in our online store for purchase if you are interested:  Alpine Wildflowers of Washington - Poster (wnps.org)

Speaker: Crystal Shin, Botanical Artist and Scientific Illustrator

Crystal studied botanical illustration at Gage Academy of Art and the Center for Urban Horticulture, and earned Scientific Illustration Certificate from University of Washington. She worked as a primary illustrator on the second edition of “Flora of the Pacific Northwest” at the University of Washington Herbarium from 2015 to 2018, generating 882 new illustrations. She also illustrated new species for botanists at the herbarium for their research publications. Crystal is a Natural Science illustrator as well. She illustrates fossil drawings for a paleontologist at the Burke Museum. She is passionate about serving science as an artist. She loves working on any nature subjects found in flora and fauna. She works in graphite, pen and ink, color pencils, and watercolor. View her online portfolio at https://www.crystalshinart.com.

Botanical Drawing with Crystal Shin with Colored Pencils hosted by the Washington Native Plant Society

Have you ever wanted to draw beautiful wildflowers? They are a true wonder of nature and learning to draw them can be a very satisfying experience. Wildflowers can be challenging to document in the field, but working from photos is a good alternative to removing from their natural habitat. Enjoy the beautiful flowers of summer, and develop your skills in drawing. 

For this class, we will draw from photographs used in a poster of the “Alpine Wildflowers of Washington by Burke Museum”, graciously provided by Photographer Donovan Tracy, or draw similar species from your own wildflower photographs. This is a great way to spend evenings while reviewing your species photographs. This class is a repeat however, it will include new flowers from the prior classes, so it is okay to repeat this course and receive new content. 

We will work on one flower drawing per session which can be completed at home. You can follow along with my demonstration or choose a different flower of your preference. At the end of the course, you will have completed 4 wildflower drawings!

You will learn how to accurately translate a photo into a drawing by observing form, highlights, subtle changes of tone, shade and color to create dimensionality.

With the use of colored pencil techniques, you will learn and practice how to blend colors smoothly while learning to see the intricacies of beautiful wildflowers.

• Date & Time: June 25, 2026, July 2, 9 & 16, 2026   (Every Thursday evening 6:30-8:30 pm, for 4 weeks)

• This drawing class is presented virtually via Zoom, where you can participate from your drawing table. 

• Join Crystal Shin for the workshop series in Botanical Illustration with colored pencil.  Find the course supply list here.

The Alpine Wildflower Poster is available in our online store for purchase if you are interested:  Alpine Wildflowers of Washington - Poster (wnps.org)

Speaker: Crystal Shin, Botanical Artist and Scientific Illustrator

Crystal studied botanical illustration at Gage Academy of Art and the Center for Urban Horticulture, and earned Scientific Illustration Certificate from University of Washington. She worked as a primary illustrator on the second edition of “Flora of the Pacific Northwest” at the University of Washington Herbarium from 2015 to 2018, generating 882 new illustrations. She also illustrated new species for botanists at the herbarium for their research publications. Crystal is a Natural Science illustrator as well. She illustrates fossil drawings for a paleontologist at the Burke Museum. She is passionate about serving science as an artist. She loves working on any nature subjects found in flora and fauna. She works in graphite, pen and ink, color pencils, and watercolor. View her online portfolio at https://www.crystalshinart.com.

Perhaps more than any other branch of wildlife photography, macro / closeup photography offers the highest number of photo subjects in any given area. Armed with a macro lens and a little curiosity, you could spend days photographing the tiny ecosystems present in just your yard! But getting sharp, aesthetically pleasing images of all these subjects can be a bit tricky.

In this Bird Alliance of Oregon program, wildlife photographer Brian Magnier will discuss the gear, camera settings, framing, and animal behavior associated with getting high-quality closeup photos of small subjects – including the difference between a true “macro” photo and other close-up photography.

A macro photography portrait of a Katydid, photo by Tara Lemezis

Learn how to shoot macro photography!

In this program, wildlife photographer Brian Magnier will discuss the gear, camera settings, framing, and animal behavior associated with getting high-quality closeup photos of small subjects - including the difference between a true “macro” photo and other close-up photography.

Register!

Online Class Details

• Class: July 2, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

• Class fee: $20 members / $30 non-members

• Note: Class recordings will be sent out automatically to everyone who registered post-class. Thank you!

Meet the Instructor: Brian Magnier

My name is Brian Magnier, and I live in La Grande, Oregon. I studied ecology and evolutionary biology at Cornell University and got a Master of Professional Science degree in Exploration Science at the University of Miami. As was the case for so many people, birds were the gateway to my passion for wildlife. I have been an avid birder since elementary school and a nature photographer for almost as long.
I have been fortunate to be able to travel the world both for pleasure and for academic research. I have done fieldwork on mammals and insects in Alaska and New York and on birds in Borneo and Papua New Guinea. I have journeyed to Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Sweden, and Iceland, photographing wildlife in dense jungles and rugged deserts. I have led hiking and kayaking tours in Alaska and snorkel tours in Belize and Indonesia. I aim to inspire people to get outside, talk a walk, flip over some logs, and take a closer look at the world around them. I now live in La Grande, Oregon, where I can often be found wandering through deserts and forests, camera in hand, to find everything from birds to fungi to fossils.

View More Classes

Botanical Drawing with Crystal Shin with Colored Pencils hosted by the Washington Native Plant Society

Have you ever wanted to draw beautiful wildflowers? They are a true wonder of nature and learning to draw them can be a very satisfying experience. Wildflowers can be challenging to document in the field, but working from photos is a good alternative to removing from their natural habitat. Enjoy the beautiful flowers of summer, and develop your skills in drawing. 

For this class, we will draw from photographs used in a poster of the “Alpine Wildflowers of Washington by Burke Museum”, graciously provided by Photographer Donovan Tracy, or draw similar species from your own wildflower photographs. This is a great way to spend evenings while reviewing your species photographs. This class is a repeat however, it will include new flowers from the prior classes, so it is okay to repeat this course and receive new content. 

We will work on one flower drawing per session which can be completed at home. You can follow along with my demonstration or choose a different flower of your preference. At the end of the course, you will have completed 4 wildflower drawings!

You will learn how to accurately translate a photo into a drawing by observing form, highlights, subtle changes of tone, shade and color to create dimensionality.

With the use of colored pencil techniques, you will learn and practice how to blend colors smoothly while learning to see the intricacies of beautiful wildflowers.

• Date & Time: June 25, 2026, July 2, 9 & 16, 2026   (Every Thursday evening 6:30-8:30 pm, for 4 weeks)

• This drawing class is presented virtually via Zoom, where you can participate from your drawing table. 

• Join Crystal Shin for the workshop series in Botanical Illustration with colored pencil.  Find the course supply list here.

The Alpine Wildflower Poster is available in our online store for purchase if you are interested:  Alpine Wildflowers of Washington - Poster (wnps.org)

Speaker: Crystal Shin, Botanical Artist and Scientific Illustrator

Crystal studied botanical illustration at Gage Academy of Art and the Center for Urban Horticulture, and earned Scientific Illustration Certificate from University of Washington. She worked as a primary illustrator on the second edition of “Flora of the Pacific Northwest” at the University of Washington Herbarium from 2015 to 2018, generating 882 new illustrations. She also illustrated new species for botanists at the herbarium for their research publications. Crystal is a Natural Science illustrator as well. She illustrates fossil drawings for a paleontologist at the Burke Museum. She is passionate about serving science as an artist. She loves working on any nature subjects found in flora and fauna. She works in graphite, pen and ink, color pencils, and watercolor. View her online portfolio at https://www.crystalshinart.com.

Youth Nature Photography Awards with the Vancouver Audubon Society: Nature Photography both Urban and Wild: AWARD CEREMONY

Vancouver Audubon Society (VAS) and HD Aluminum Prints are teaming up to sponsor the 2026 Youth Nature Photo Contest. In this photo contest’s 11 year history, this will be the first time photographs of nature will not be limited to Steigerwald Lake NWR, except in the Steigerwald category. VAS wishes to expand the boundaries where contest photos can be taken and invite a wider diversity of participants. Three of the four categories can be of nature found within the three counties VAS serves (Clark, Klickitat & Skamania).

Youth, ages 8-18 years of age, are invited to submit up to five photos of nature to be judged and be eligible for up to three cash prizes, 12″ by 18″ prints of their photos, and a free family membership to Vancouver Audubon Society (VAS). Photos must have been shot during the time period from June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026 and within the boundaries of Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat Counties.

Division Categories and Prizes:

• Honorable Mention in the SmartPhone Category by Ammon Caine “Licking Up Nectar”

• Participants can enter a total of 5 JPEG formatted images to any of the following 4 categories:

Steigerwald Lake NWR Nature – This category is for nature photos taken on trails at Steigerwald Lake NWR. Photos can include wildlife, beautiful landscapes, or people enjoying nature.

Wildlife, Plants, & Nature – This category showcases native wildlife (birds, mammals, fish, insects, or spiders for example), plants, fungi, and other life found in Clark, Klickitat, and Skamania Counties. Photos can be taken in backyards, parks, or wild areas like Ridgefield NWR, Salmon Creek, or Burnt Bridge Creek Greenways.

People in Nature – This category highlights how people interact with nature. It’s not about portraits of people posing, but capturing candid moments of people enjoying and engaging with the natural world in positive ways. Photos can be taken anywhere people appreciate nature in Clark, Klickitat, and Skamania Counties.

Smartphone Nature – This category is for photos taken with smartphones or tablets of any nature in Clark, Klickitat, and Skamania Counties. It includes photos suitable for all the other categories. If the photo was taken at Steigerwald, then the rules of Steigerwald Lake NWR Nature category apply here too.

Audiobook listeners need not walk alone!

Bring your audiobook of choice and meet the Camas Library each month at a new outdoor location for a community walk. We’ll walk for 60 minutes and wrap up with an optional 30 minutes of social time to chat with other book lovers and audio fans.

Walkers of all paces and experience levels are welcome — whether you’re a power walker, stroller pusher, or leisurely listener, there’s space for you here.

Walks are weather-dependent, so please check our social media channels or this event page for updates or cancellations.

Accommodations: The library strives to ensure our events are accessible to everyone. If you require special accommodations to join us, please call 360.834.4692 or email library@cityofcamas.us at least two weeks before the event.

Location Details:

Lacamas Creek Trail, NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607

See map: Google Maps

Contact Info

Name: Stacy Yakouba

Email: library@cityofcamas.us

Phone Number: (360) 834-4692

This just in—on NW 71st Ave/NW Lancaster Road, Plas Newdd Farm is planning the first annual Flora & Fauna Solstice Celebration. Picture a costumed bike ride with a host of your favorite creature and plant friends, followed by a community barbecue potluck, with cider for all! It's going to be amazing!

A handful of talented local artists will lead two costume-building workshops in May. More details to come, but if you'd like to participate:

• First though, we'll need all hands on deck for the big barn clean-out on May 9! The barn has been used to store farm equipment and tools for the past several decades, and it's long been a dream to tidy it up for events and more. There will be both light and heavy lifting jobs available. Click here to pick a shift!

• Want some guidance in your costume construction? Save Sundays May 17th and 24th in your calendar!

• And if you just want to join us for the ride (followed by the picnic on the lawn) mark out June 21st! This will be a great way to celebrate the fathers in your life, and the turning of the season!

To honor the planting of the Northwest's oldest apple tree and the launch of the region's fruit industry, Fort volunteer Richard Wing and talented artist Pamela Gunn have teamed up to publish a lovely illustrated book about the story of the "Old Apple Tree" planted in 1826.

The book recounts the tree's contributions through saplings that grew into orchards that contributed to Washington known as the "Apple State." The community's ongoing efforts at Vancouver help preserve the tree's legacy through - festivals, educational programs and the propagation of her cuttings. Join us to hear this wonderful story of a fruitful legacy that endures today.

Fees: This event is free to attend.

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

Register: https://www.friendsfortvancouver.site/

About the Book

For nearly 200 years, PiP grew from a seedling into a celebrated legend, her branches offering shade, sustenance, and a symbol of resilience for generations of families. Her saplings, contributed to the birth of Washington’s now-famous apple industry. The story highlights the community’s ongoing efforts to preserve PiP’s legacy—through festivals, educational programs, and the propagation of her cuttings—ensuring that her story continues to inspire. Today, PiP’s descendants still bear fruit, reminding visitors to Apple Tree Park that heritage and hope can flourish even when transplanted far from home. PiP’s tale stands as a testament to hope, endurance, and the lasting bonds between people and the natural world.

About the Author

He is a volunteer certified interpretive guide at Fort Vancouver National Historic Reserve who shares stories about the history, events, and peoples of the site. Look at things from different points of view and perspectives he visits the reserve on sunny days or in rain or snow.

Contact Information: Friends of Fort Vancouver, 360-816-6230

thimbleberrycollaborativefarm

Come catch the end of spring migration with nature artist, amateur bird watcher, native-plant enthusiast, and Thimbleberry Ambassador Board member Bryan Quintanilla at Whitaker Ponds.(https://ebird.org/hotspot/L1413967)This is the first of a series of late spring/ early summer Thimbleberry events that will take place all around the Portland metro area.

This event is FREE! Learn about the incredible natural ecosystem right in our own backyard that regenerative farms like ours aim to protect through responsible land and water management.

Portland Public Park’s Whitaker Ponds is known for its incredible transformation from junkyard to a thriving and diverse wetlands. Unique birds you may find include black phoebes, blue-winged teals, wood ducks, great egrets, great blue herons and more!

Bring your own binoculars though we’ll have a few extra for sharing.

Sign up HERE

Dive into the layers of meaning on the landscape!

In this workshop, participants will spend the day at select locations on Plas Newydd Farm with poet Christopher Luna and PN Farm Arts Initiator Abby Braithwaite exploring the poetics of place. We’ll dive into the layered ways the land holds metaphor, and the ways those layers come together in a collage of words, images and meaning. We’ll read selected poems on the theme, write to prompts, and have a chance to share our writing within the group. Participants will learn about Plas Newydd Farm’s past, present and future, and will leave the day with a handful of completed poems.

We’ll be getting out on the landscape for this one, so come prepared for some all-weather tromping!  

Coffee, tea, water and light snacks will be provided.

About our teacher: Christopher Luna is a poet, editor, teacher, writing coach, and artist who served as the Inaugural Poet Laureate of Clark County, WA from 2013-2017. Luna has an MFA from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. He is the co-founder, with Toni Lumbrazo Luna, of Printed Matter Vancouver, an editing service and small press for Northwest writers. He and Morgan Paige co-host the LGBTQ+ friendly, all-ages and uncensored Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic in Vancouver, WA, founded by Christopher in 2004.

Christopher Luna’s books include Voracity (Lightship Press, 2022), Exchanging Wisdom: A Guide for Parents of the Autonomous (The Poetry Box, 2021 with Angelo Luna), Message from the Vessel in a Dream (Flowstone Press, 2018), Brutal Glints of Moonlight, and The Flame Is Ours: The Letters of Stan Brakhage and Michael McClure 1961-1978 (Big Bridge). In 2025 Luna received an award from Humanities Washington for his contributions to poetry and literature.

Accessibility Note: This workshop takes place in an historic farmhouse that is not currently wheelchair accessible, as well as out on the land on rugged terrain. We will work to accommodate access however we can, but please email arts@pnfarm.com to confirm that the space will work for you before you commit to the workshop!

Join Marcus & Miranda for Zen Walk: Forest Bathing & Poetry!

This guided nature experience at Hoyt Arboretum will blend forest bathing, poetry, and mindful reflection. Participants will move slowly through the forest with simple invitations to breathe, observe, journal, and reconnect with nature. This experience honors the long tradition of rest, reflection, and healing in nature as essential forms of collective care. Light refreshments and connection in community will follow.

Body + Soul is an annual Black Wellness Weekend hosted and facilitated in Portland OR, by Yin Yoga Space LLC.  Their mission is to support the local Black community by creating fitness and wellness experiences that are accessible, and foster safety in trying new activities. We believe that gathering, connecting and healing in community is a part of our liberation.

Registration required HERE.

Join the Fort Vancouver’s National Park Service team and the Friends in welcoming search and rescue hound Ellie May and her handler JW Jones in the launch of their first book "Ellie May and the Midnight Search, A True Search and Rescue Story."

Meet the authors and learn about the efforts of a real search and rescue team, highlighted by the personal experiences of a hound dog and her handler.

Designed for children of all ages and beautifully illustrated, Ellie May relates the true story of the search for a missing child:

“It’s the middle of the night.

 A little girl is missing.

 Her family is waiting… hoping… praying someone will find her.

 And out in the darkness, there’s only one thing to follow— a trail no one else can see.

That’s when Ellie May is called.

 A quiet, determined hound, working side by side with her handler, trusting her nose to guide the way. Step by step, she moves through the night… through the trees… through the unknown… never giving up.

Because somewhere ahead, someone is still waiting to be found.

And back at home, a family is holding onto hope.

Ellie May and the Midnight Search is a story about courage, love, and the bond between those who search… and those who wait to come home.”

Meet the authors and help support your National Park!

Date & Time

Sat, May 30

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM PDT

Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge hosts many species of birds we don't get to see on the west side of the Cascades, including White-headed Woodpeckers, Black-backed Woodpeckers, Pygmy Nuthatches, Western Kingbirds, Grey, Dusky, and Hammond's Flycatchers, Gray Catbirds, Calliope Hummingbirds and Cassin's Finches.

Bring plenty of water snacks and a lunch to eat when we complete the three-mile loop trail. It's a fairly easy grade trail, but it is dirt, rocks, gravel and has tree roots and small obstacles in it.

Cameraderie (10-18 yrs): Learn how to take compelling photos of nature using the expertise of adult wildlife photographers and guides. Youth winners of the annual Youth Photo Contest are peer mentors for those wanting to take their photography skills to the next level. Photos taken during outings are then shared in an option Zoom meeting, a week or so later, so feedback can be given and youth can improve in editing skills. Any camera type can be used, from smartphones to DSLRs to Mirrorless with long lenses.

The Vancouver Audubon Society will meet at Steigerwald Lake NWR parking lot at 7:00am to travel together to Conboy Lake NWR, which is north and east of White Salmon, WA.

Please check back to this page for updates. Sign up to receive updates by email  with updated information as the time nears. If you have already signed up for Cameraderie, you do not need to sign up again.

Join the Cascade Forest Conservancy at the historic Kiggins theatre
in downtown Vancouver for a night featuring stories of adventure, conservation and our connection to the natural world.

Thursday MAY 28
6:30 pm doors at 5:30 pm

Save with Early bird tickets before may 15

Featuring:

The Grand Salmon: Following three women on a 78-day paddling expedition, The Grand Salmon explores the effects of four dams on the Lower Snake River and their impact throughout the watershed on rapidly dwindling wild salmon populations. For over 1,000 miles, these women navigate the same waterways wild salmon have for generations, connecting the source of the Salmon River to the Pacific Ocean. From high water to extreme temperatures, this team not only faces the same natural challenges the fish do each year, but brings viewers along to experience what the construction of these dams has done to our ecosystems and wildlife.

Speaking Eep!: Speaking Eep! follows a team of women scientists working to conserve one of North America’s most climate-sensitive species: the American pika. Using a combination of cutting-edge AI technology and traditional research techniques, population biologist Dr. Chris Ray and PhD student Rachel Billings hope to decode the iconic “eeps” of pika language and determine how communication between subspecies might help separate populations of pikas come together to adapt in the face of a warming climate. 

The Lost Fish: In the heavily dammed Columbia River Basin, millions have been spent on life support systems for Pacific Salmon. Yet, the little-known Pacific Lamprey has slipped through the cracks of conservation efforts and is now lost from most of its historic range in the Columbia Basin. Desperately, members of the Nez Perce, Umatilla, Yakama and Warm Springs Tribes have taken the management of Pacific lamprey into their own hands and are now fighting to bring political attention and social will to the struggle of a lost fish.

Living Legacies: Washington state’s Department of Natural Resources harvests and sells timber to fund Washington counties, junior tax districts, schools, penitentiaries, and government. But when their harvest plans catch the attention of local communities whose lives would be affected, a statewide movement is born to protect a special new classification of forests – Legacy Forests.

Oak Gall Inkmaking Workshop

White Salmon Wildflower Festival Art Workshop

Oak Gall Inkmaking WorkshopMolly Holmlund
Cost: $50
Ages: 12+
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Columbia Land Trust will be hosting local artist Molly Holmlund again for an Oak Gall Ink Making Workshop. Our staff will share local hiking opportunities in oak landscapes, information about oak understory and wildflowers, while Molly offers a hands on demonstration making ink from oak galls and other local natural ingredients. Participants will glean knowledge on natural ink making, and get to paint multiple gall ink creations!

Guests will begin with the ink-making process, then during the 20 minutes time it takes for their oak galls to soak, Columbia Land Trust staff will give a presentation on local oak ecosystems including discussions of the wonderful wildflowers and forbs that make up the oak understory.

Leave with cards that you make as well as a bottle of ink!

All attendees will receive native wildflower seed packets.

Drawing Part 2 Beginner Art Class given by Pamela Gunn

Drawing Part 2 Beginner Art Class, led by Pamela Gunn, focuses on fundamental techniques and creative exercises to accurately draw a still life freehand and then show the value with graphite. Ages 10+, all talents are welcome!

Registration is required. Fee $20.00

Exploring the intersection of cosmology, ecology, and spirituality

We hope you’ll join us for this first-of-its-kind retreat. Portland poet Jeff Howard has become a Soup & Words regular over the past few months, and he is offering up a day that is unlike anything we have done out here. We’re pretty excited!

Register HERE

From Jeff:

The science of the past century provides startling insights into how the Earth and its intricate life systems—including our own minds—have arisen through the physical processes of the universe.

Learning to dwell in the realization that we have been “knitted from the void” and are profoundly home in one of the Milky Way’s vast spiral arms means learning to see our world, our lives, our very consciousness in Deep Time. This six-hour retreat will use science, poetry, and guided meditation to explore the path from the Big Bang to the world we know today. We will consider how this perspective can inform our understanding of the mounting ecological crisis, our major social challenges, and Plas Newydd Farm itself.

We’re hoping to get out on the landscape for this one, so come prepared for some all-weather tromping! A $20 materials fee is included in the ticket price. 

Coffee, tea, water and light snacks will be provided. Please bring sack lunch and any special snacks you need (you will have access to fridge, stove and microwave if needed).

This is a free event, but we welcome a donation if you are able. Ticket options below, or you can donate on the day with cash, check or card. Thanks for your support!

Accessibility Note: This workshop takes place in an historic farmhouse that is not currently wheelchair accessible. We will work to accommodate access however we can, but please email arts@pnfarm.com to confirm that the space will work for you before you commit to the workshop!

About our teacher

Jeff Howard is an interdisciplinary social scientist whose career has focused on environmental policy and technology policy. He’s also a poet and photographer whose work has been published in literary and environmental journals. Prayers of the New Earth, a collection of framed photos and poems, has been displayed in Portland, Snohomish, and Pittsburgh. As a Buddhist and activist, his creative and intellectual fascination now focuses on humanity coming to recognize its position in deep time, that is, recognize itself—body, mind, soul—as a creature of the cosmos, a creature of ecosystems, a creature of Earth. He lives in Portland.

You can find his work around the web. Here are links to several recent poems:

• “Gathering Day” and “Ritual of the curvature,” Unearthed 

• “Come Back,” The Fourth River

• “Steady State,” Amethyst Review

• “Portents,” Consilience

Join us for an interactive writing workshop with local author, Ashley Erdely, where kids will learn all about the mighty powers of pollinators and create pro-pollinator poetry in the form of a haiku.

Accommodations

Library events and programs are open to the public and provided at no cost. Special accommodations may be requested using our Disability Accommodation Request Form no later than 15 days prior to the event.

Los eventos y programas de la biblioteca están abiertos al público y se brindan sin costo. Se pueden solicitar adaptaciones especiales utilizando nuestro formulario de solicitud de adaptaciones para personas con discapacidades (en inglés) hasta 15 días antes del evento.

Особые условия могут быть запрошены с помощью нашей формы запроса на предоставление условий для людей с инвалидностью не позднее чем за 15 дней до мероприятия.

Free watercolor class with Claire Giordano!

Pictured above! This upcoming class will focus on techniques for painting dynamic mountain shapes, trees, and vibrant alpine meadows. 

A few times each year Claire hosts free classes focusing on a specific technique or fun landscape. They are a small way to give back to her online community, and she loves sharing the joy and fun of watercolor with so many folks. 

​Signing up with the form on this page will register you for any upcoming classes AND I will send you the the recording from the prior free lesson :) Recorded for anyone who can't attend the livestream

REGISTER FOR THE CLASS HERE

Sign up for the Mountain & Meadow class, and get the recording from the Mt. Baker lesson!

Join the Bird Alliance of Oregon for this fun and unique online art workshop.

Unlike other owls, the Burrowing Owl is a ground dweller. They are small with long legs and are active during the day. The slightly rufous brown with white spots and yellow eyes will be a great challenge to paint with watercolor, but Ronna has some tricks up her sleeve to paint these patterns with ease. Add this class to your list to learn about this unusual owl through watercolor.

The birds will be painted from a photo which will be sent to you before the class. Students will be painting alongside Ronna online, a step-by-step process she has mastered in painting birds.

Ronna strives to build an atmosphere of learning by encouraging students to take risks, showing support and encouragement, and working alongside the class to assist in the understanding of watercolor painting.

 Learn to paint watercolor birds! Paint a Burrowing Owl with us!

Register!

Online Class Details

• Date and time: May 14, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. 

• Fee: $25 members / $35 non-members

• Where: This is an online zoom class. Recordings will be sent after the class and are available for you to watch for up to two weeks. 

• Click here to download the Supply List

Meet the Instructor

Ronna Fujisawa

Ronna Fujisawa, MFA in Applied Craft and Design, from OCAC and PNCA/ BFA Miami University, Oxford, Ohio Artist, art educator, and outdoor enthusiast. Ronna’s creative practice focuses on painting, mixed media, fiber art, and growing indigo for natural dye and paint. She has been living in Portland for seven years. She has found a strong connection to nature and birds through plein air (painting outdoors), watercolor painting, hiking, and kayaking. Her teaching practice includes painting classes at Catlin Gabel School Community Program for adults, Portland Fine Arts Guild, online, and plein air (painting outdoors) watercolor classes for all ages. She has taught Bird Art to elementary school children in Portland Public Schools for six years before the pandemic. Over the last two years, her educational practice has shifted to adult classes, both in-person and zoom. Ronna has been passionately studying and painting birds and landscapes in watercolor for over a decade. Her classes cater to beginner and intermediate students.

For more examples of her work, please visit Ronna’s website: https://saltywaterart.com.

Register!

columbiasprings

Two new dates added for the Resin Jewelry Studio with Bri Graw!

Join artist and educator, Bri Graw, in this fun, hands-on class exploring UV resin techniques, experimenting with pigments and polymer clay, and embedding natural elements to design unique pendants, earrings, or keychains. Everyone will leave with three finished pieces of jewelry that celebrate creativity and nature.

Dates:

• Sunday, April 19, 10am - 12pm

• Saturday, May 2, 10am - 12pm.

Each two-hour studio will be held at Columbia Springs and include a short nature walk to inspire creativity!

The cost is $30 per person (+ tax). Each person will leave with three pieces of finished jewelry!)

Spots are limited! Register here: https://www.columbiasprings.org/events/community-experiences/

Learn more about Bri: https://www.old-growth-studio.com/about

If you want to combine fresh air with art and community, come out for the Washougal Studio Artists’ Tour on May 2nd and 3rd from 10–4. Take a drive to the Washougal River Valley and visit the Treehouse Art Studio. Local artists will gather for nature inspired art!

Learn more at https://www.washougalstudioartists.org

Simply going outside: Nature regulates our systems. It helps us reset. When we step out for a walk or spend time near the water or in the mountains, we can feel more grounded and clear. And we remember—we are nature. If you’ve been feeling stretched or overloaded, this is your nudge to get outside this week. Even a short walk can make a difference, or simply sitting outside and stopping to notice what’s around you.

Learn more about this event and other offerings at the Tree House Art Studio HERE.

Audiobook listeners need not walk alone!

Bring your audiobook of choice and meet the Camas Library each month at a new outdoor location for a community walk. We’ll walk for 60 minutes and wrap up with an optional 30 minutes of social time to chat with other book lovers and audio fans.

Walkers of all paces and experience levels are welcome — whether you’re a power walker, stroller pusher, or leisurely listener, there’s space for you here.

Walks are weather-dependent, so please check our social media channels or this event page for updates or cancellations.

Accommodations: The library strives to ensure our events are accessible to everyone. If you require special accommodations to join us, please call 360.834.4692 or email library@cityofcamas.us at least two weeks before the event.

Location Details:

Washougal River Greenway Trail, NE Yale Street and 2nd Avenue, Camas, WA 98607

See map: Google Maps

Contact Info

Name: Stacy Yakouba

Email: library@cityofcamas.us

Phone Number: (360) 834-4692

Join Rose Carlson and the Clark College Foundation for a hands-on photography workshop for beginners using digital camera or phone! Capture amazing photos of any subject anytime like a pro!

Step into the breathtaking beauty of ancient cherry trees and unlock the secrets to taking stunning photos—no matter your subject! In this hands-on outdoor photography class, you’ll learn how to elevate your pictures of people, landscapes, and even business promotions.

Whether you’re shooting with a digital camera or your Phone, I’ll guide you through essential techniques that capture every shot:

• Angles & Composition: Learn how perspective transforms ordinary shots into captivating images.

• Focus & Depth: Master the art of drawing attention to your subject.

• Background & Lighting: Make every photo clean, clear, and professional-looking.

• Aperture & Camera Settings: Understand the tools that create mood and clarity.

This class is perfect for beginners and hobbyists alike— if you want one-on-one guidance on your specific camera, I can provide personalized training tailored to your device.

Come for the cherry trees, leave with the skills to take stunning photos anytime, anywhere. Bring your phone or camera and start capturing life like a pro!

Register HERE; Refunds up to 7 days before event

Location: Clark College Foundation, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 98663