Join the Friends of the Columbia Gorge (Columbia River) outdoor guide & Friends board member Jayson Moorman for an adventure through old-growth forest ablaze with spring colors.

Before you register:

• Read our Liability Waiver. You will be asked to check a box acknowledging you read the waiver during registration._

• Confirm your availability. Due to limited spots, and to be respectful of everyone's time, please only register for this event if you can commit to attending.

• Difficulty level: Moderate: 6 mile loop with ~1,200-feet elevation gain

Starting from Sherrard Point at the top of Larch Mountain, we’ll descend into the ‘crater,’ home to the sparkling headwaters of Multnomah Creek, before completing the loop trail. The hike concludes back at Sherrard Point with a breathtaking panoramic view of five major volcanic peaks.

What you can expect on this guided outing:

A peaceful slow paced hike through shaded forest trails, where you’ll explore the area’s geology and keep watch for wildflowers, fungi, frogs, and salamanders. We will stop to learn about what we see along the way.

Hazards:

• Portions of this trail are semi-rugged, with exposed roots, rocky scree, and steep sections. Hiking poles are recommended to help with both the ascent and descent.

• View the recommended 10+ Essentials List to help you pack.

What to Bring:

• Lunch, snacks, and plenty of water (1 liter for every two hours)

• 10+ Essentials in backpack

• Hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen

• Hiking poles (helpful when navigating the rocky area.)

What to Wear:

• Sturdy, closed-toe shoes, or boots.

• Durable and protective clothing for rocky terrain.

• Dress for weather: Be ready to shed layers in hot temperatures, or layer up in case of cold and rainy weather.

Schedule:

• 10:00 a.m. - Meet at the Larch Mountain trailhead parking lot.

• 2:00 p.m. - Outing concludes back at the trailhead.

Fee: A valid Northwest Forest Recreation Pass is required at Larch Mountain trailhead. You can purchase a $5 per vehicle per day use pass or Annual pass, for more information click here.

Restrooms: Nearest restroom located at Larch Mountain Trailhead.

Property: U.S. Forest Service.

A confirmation email with outing details will be sent out 2-3 days before the event.

Questions? Please contact hikes@gorgefriends.org.

Accessibility: Have accessibility questions? Reply to your registration email to confirm your requirements or request more information.

Celebrate the beauty and importance of our region’s ecosystems at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center Wildflowers & Watersheds Festival!

Enjoy guided wildflower walks, explore a hands-on stream table, and dive into interactive activities that bring watersheds to life. Investigate the world of pollinators, relax with a rejuvenating yoga session, and connect with local organizations offering engaging booths and activities for all ages.

FREE admission all day! No registration required.

SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

• 9:00 AM: Nature Yoga & Meditation at the Pond with Wild Bloom Yoga

• 11:00 AM: Festival Begins

• 11:30 AM: Botany Lesson in the Boardroom

• 1:30 PM: Botany Lesson in the Boardroom

• 2:00 PM: Gorge-Themed Tunes in the River Gallery with Trails & Tunes

• 3:00 PM: Festival Concludes

• 11:00-3:00: Hands-on activities, wildflower walks, booths, solar scopes, stream tables & more!

EVENT PARTNERS

Thank you to all of our event partners! We’re excited to share the incredible work of our local organizations.

• Angela Goldsmith (Chapbook Author)

• Columbia Gorge Stewardship Alliance

• Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC)

• David Gross (Botany Lessons)

• Friends of the Columbia Gorge

• Mario Catani (Author - Flowers of the Columbia River Gorge)

• OSU Extension Service's Oregon Naturalist Program

• Tom Myers (Author - Birds of the Pacific Northwest for Kids)

• Trailkeepers of Oregon

• Trails & Tunes

• US Forest Service

• Wild Bloom Yoga

Hannah Schrager, owner Good Year Farms, native plant nursery promises to entertain and enlighten you as we find the links between light and dark.

Join us to learn about the essential functions furnished by a formidable part of the life-cycle; death & decay. Among other topics, death eating plants and fungi, cavity nesting insects, birds, and mammals will make an appearance!

• NatureScaping classes are free for members ($25 per year; $15 for seniors), or $15 (+ tax) per class for non-members.

• Registration required at: marlene52ns@gmail.com or info@naturescaping.org or call 360.737.1160

Class Location:
CASEE Center, Building B, Room 205
11104 NE 149th Street, Brush Prairie, WA. 98606

Columbia Land Trust is hosting a volunteer stewardship event at our conserved Raistakka site in Wahkiakum County, Washington.

Raistakka is adjacent to the Grays River and the site of a potential restoration project. We will take a short walk through the lowland area, before heading to the site of an old gravel mine in the upland section of the property. 

Join CLT for a morning of land tending consisting of litter pickup and manual weed removal. We will be prioritizing the removal of Scotch broom and English holly which crowd out native vegetation and spread seed.

Sign up below! You will receive a confirmation email with event details and directions to our work site.

What to Expect: The event will begin at 9:30am with a quick orientation, followed by volunteer work from 10:00am until 12:30 pm. This activity involves manually removing litter and pulling weeds with gloves, shovels, and weed wrenches that Columbia Land Trust will provide.  

Participants are encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle, snacks, work boots, and attire suitable for physical work outdoors. Supplemental water and some light snacks will be available. Restrooms are not available on site but can be accessed nearby at the gas station in Naselle. We plan to work rain or shine!  

Restoration Context: This site connects conserved lands along the first 4.5 river miles of the north bank of the Grays River. The restoration work we envision here would connect the Devil’s Elbow area (which was tidally reconnected 20 years ago) to a rare intact Sitka Spruce swamp called Secret River, which was also conserved by Columbia Land Trust.

For more information, please contact kpierson@columbialandtrust.org.

• Click here to register!

Join the Washington Native Plant Society for a presentation by Adam Lieberg, the Natural Area Manager with Columbia Land Trust, to discuss managing forest fires in the Mt. Adams region.

At CLT, Adam primarily stewards natural areas in Klickitat and White Salmon watersheds. Adam is an expert wildlife tracker and a well-rounded field biologist and ecological forester.  Adam recently obtained his certified burn manager status with WA DNR and is passionate about restoring dry forests.

Columbia Land Trust stewards approximately 16,000 acres of conserved lands in the south Mt. Adams region.  A significant portion of these natural areas have been previously managed as industrial timberlands.  Historically, these lands were dominated by a variety of dry forest and woodland systems that experience frequent low severity fire.  Current forest conditions have departed from the historic range of variability in significant ways that pose threats to forest health, wildlife habitat, human communities and more.  In 2024-25, Columbia Land Trust’s stewardship staff compiled a variety of data from site visits, timber inventory, historic photos, WA DNR forest health models, and other data sets to prioritize forest restoration treatments over the next 10 years.

• Refreshments will be provided; please bring your water bottle for refilling to reduce waste.

• Bring a friend and your questions about fire!

• Upcoming meetings: Wednesday June 10 in Vancouver

Join the Washington Native Plant Society at the Cape Horn trail, to hike from Salmon Falls Rd Park-n-Ride lot to Nancy Russell Overlook and back.

This is a moderate to strenuous hike of 5.0 miles round trip with 700’ elevation gain and some difficult footing.

Lush woods, fantastic views and a wealth of spring wildflowers.

To register, just email Ron Klump at klumpton@gmail.com

Join the Washington Native Plant Society Suksdorfia Chapter for Upper Swale Creek Canyon hike (from Harms Road Trailhead)

Beginning from Harms Road the trail takes you into the heart of Swale Canyon, one of the most remote sections of the Klickitat Rail Trail.  Follow the banks of Swale Creek as it heads west through a wide, flat landscape to the narrower confines of Swale Canyon. Here the creek flows quietly between canyon rimrock and balsamroot-carpeted slopes to the cascading calls of canyon wrens. This beautiful trail is a wildflower paradise…camas, numerous varieties of desert-parsley, rabbitbrush, sedge, oak, elderberry and so much more.

• Moderate walking route, 5 miles roundtrip with 200’ elevation gain.  

• Meet at the Klickitat Trailhead in Lyle, WA at 8:30 a.m. and plan to caravan to the trailhead.  

• Trip is limited to 12 people.

• To sign up for the trip or for more information contact Kim Gilmer at gilmerno.1@gmail.com.

Please join us in visiting French’s farms in Lyle after the hike to check out their wonderful selection of native plants and homemade ice cream.

The Willard Springs Foot Trail is a 3.8-mile loop along the edge of the open marsh and into the pines.  Beginning at the refuge headquarters, it parallels the west shore of  Conboy Lake, with views across the lakebed and north to Mount Adams. 

The trail is mostly flat with a couple gentle grades on the return, but is not considered ADA accessible.  The different habitats along the trail provide a diverse variety of wildflower species.  In addition to the wildflowers, we may possibly see sandhill cranes, which nest in the refuge. 

• This is a joint hike with the Suksdorf Chapter of the WA Native Plant Society (WNPS) and the Portland Chapter (NPSO). 

• To sign up for the hike or for more info contact Ron Klump at klumpron@gmail.com 

From Recreation.gov: The refuge is a haven for plants and animals, supporting Washington's largest and healthiest populations of Oregon coyote-thistle, rosy owl-clover, Kellogg's rush, dwarf rush and long-bearded sego lily. A blend of oak, pine and aspen forests, wetlands, grassy prairies and streams supports a diverse and plentiful wildlife community. The rich habitat diversity sustains thriving populations of migrating waterfowl and songbirds. The rare Oregon spotted frog breeds in wetlands throughout the refuge. Elk are plentiful and frequently seen along refuge roads. And Conboy Lake supports the only breeding population of greater Sandhill cranes in Washington, around 25 pairs.

While the scenery and the plentiful, charismatic wildlife are what draw people in, visitors soon discover that Conboy Lake NWR offers hidden treats, esoteric gems that will keep them returning for years. Elk and deer may be the stars, but visitors soon learn about—and come to appreciate—Oregon spotted frogs, nesting greater Sandhill cranes and the variety of rare plants found on the refuge. A quiet place outside of hunting seasons, solitude is an easily found commodity and greatly appreciated by those coming from bustling metropolitan areas. As a national wildlife refuge, this living system will satisfy your longing for splendor and serenity, just as it did for the indigenous peoples, explorers, loggers and ranchers who were first drawn to the valley’s plentiful resources.

And history is an important part of Conboy Lake. Native Americans once depended on the area's plentiful resources; in fact, they still do, collecting plants for food and religious purposes. These same resources drew settlers to the area, arriving in the 1870s. One of the early homes, the Whitcomb-Cole Hewn Log House, still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You are invited to stroll through the house and imagine the struggles these early settlers faced.

Hosted by the Fourth Plain Five (the five neighborhoods that live and thrive on the Fourth Plain Corridor in central Vancouver, WA)

This community event celebrates culture, connection, and neighborhood pride—and many LCNN Partners will be there as a vendors sharing information. Vancouver Bee Project will share about pollinators, native plants, and how you can create habitat at home.

Volunteering at the Jane Weber Arboretum

Monthly, we have our Second Saturday Work Party from 9am to noon. We often work on bigger projects and refreshments are always served.

Generally, our volunteers work on an area that is special to them or they just see a need to spruce things up.

We have three main volunteer areas. The Arboretum which encompasses the property grounds, The Stanger House restoration and the Caboose restoration.

• Our volunteers show up rain or shine. Extreme weather can cancel plans.

• For more information, email us at weberarboretum@gmail.com

Overview: The E. Jane Weber Arboretum is devoted to preserving this treasured natural resource and historic site in honor of Dr. Vinson and E. Jane Weber, who dedicated their homestead and lovely botanical garden to being a learning experience and inspiration – a legacy for others to cherish. To fulfill their dream, an entity was set up to oversee the arboretum and subsequently a non-profit to manage, protect and enhance this revered property along the Columbia River with outreach to the community, offering education and related activities that will be a shared commitment to the vision and purpose of the E. Jane Weber Arboretum. Watch this video for more information.

Accessibility note: the trails and grounds are natural surface and not always ADA compliant.

Join Kristin Currin and Missy Rohs on a morning plant walk at Sam’s Walker Day Use Area near Skamania, WA to learn about the wide variety of non-native invasive plants and their uses for foods and medicine.

The surge of interest in foraging and wildcrafting has brought people closer to nature, but has also had a negative impact on native plant populations in the Columbia Gorge. Increasing demand has led to unsustainable extraction of some of our region’s most important native species that were once protected by their obscurity. However, many local non-native plant species introduced to North America offer wonderful alternatives and their harvesting can help control the spread of invasive plants.

• This is a WA Native Plant Society sponsored event

• Easy 1.2 mile gravel walking trail with very little elevation gain.

• Meet at the Sam’s Walker Day Use Area Parking lot at 8:45 a.m.  

• A National Forest Pass is required for parking, or pay $5/day/vehicle at the trailhead.  

• Walk is limited to 12 people.

• Registration is required: to sign up, or for more information contact Kim Gilmer at gilmerno.1@gmail.com.  

ABOUT THE TOUR:

Kristin Currin is the coauthor of The Pacific Northwest Native Plant Primer  (Timber Press, 2023) and cofounder of Humble Roots Nursery in Mosier, Oregon.  Missy Rohs is a community herbalist and educator in Portland, Oregon and owner of the Arctos School of Herbal Studies, focusing on sustainable plant medicine, pragmatic skill-building, and community care.  

HOLD THE DATE!

The USFWS Ridgefield Complex team is excited to bring together our community and partners, marking the successful completion of the Community Nature Center. We aim to showcase the center as a vibrant asset for nature connection and accessible outdoor learning, while educating attendees on current offerings and how they can contribute to future programs and facilities. The ribbon cutting will highlight a fully functional classroom and community room, and the Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge will have launched a portion of the outdoor classroom components.

• Ribbon cutting ceremony @ 1pm

• Partner showcases and engagement stations

• Self-led exploration of temporary displays in the exhibit area

• Information about upcoming additions to the outdoor classroom and interpretive displays

More details will be coming soon…..stay tuned.

ridgefieldgc

SAVE THE DATE!
Mark your calendars for May 2nd.
We'd love to see you at our Annual Plant Sale Fundraiser at
the Greely Building in downtown Ridgefield.

Good Year Farms workshop series

Join Good Year Farms nursery manager and backyard habitat builder extrordinaire Chelsea teach us all about gardening with the wet. 

Rain gardens: how to determine location and design ideas, assess soil infiltration, connect impervious surfaces, dig the thing, and of course, what to plant. 

Ponds: determine location options, shade, size, liner tips, plants to plant, FROG FUN and other animals you can expect, and a free raccoon-destruction grieving schedule.

The Backyard Habitat Breakfast Club is a time to get together and learn about stewarding habitat in our time and space. These sessions are designed to be informal and relaxed, so you can bring specific questions or just listen and learn.

Registration is required: $31/person - regardless of size or age - catered breakfast* included. It's always incredibly tasty and filling. *Dietary restrictions will be broadly considered, i.e., there will be GF and vegan options, but we are unable to cater to specific needs.

CLASS STARTS AT 9AM.

Meadow & Pollinator Hedgerow Care Workshop

Join the Vancouver Bee Project for a hands-on morning of habitat care and learning at Flat Tack Farm.

We’ll spend time working in the meadow and pollinator hedgerow while talking about what healthy spring habitats look like and how to support them. Activities will include;

• weeding,

• removing invasive blackberries,

• spreading wood chips in the hedgerow, and

• replanting select areas to strengthen pollinator habitat.

Along the way, we’ll share tips on spring meadow management and how these practices support native bees and other pollinators. No experience needed—just come ready to learn and get your hands a little dirty.

When: Saturday, May 2nd at 9:00 AM
Where: Flat Tack Farm
Registration: No sign-up needed—just show up!

Join the Camas Earth Day Society (CEDS) at Round Lake for a leisurely Spring stroll, enjoying the local treasure of blooming Camas fields!

We’ll learn how to recognize various plants by observing flowers, leaves and other key features, and discover why native plants are essential to a healthy ecosystem.

The walk is suitable for ages 8 and older.

Cost is FREE, and registration is limited to the first 25 people that sign up

To register, please click the following link: EVENT SIGN UP

Join the Washington Native Plant Society Suksdorfia Chapter (SW WA) for a road trip to view A profusion of native plants awaits at the top of Stacker Butte.  

Walk a primitive road climbing to the top of the butte ridge-crest with stunning views of Mt. Adams to the north, Mt. Hood to the south, and the eastern Columbia River Gorge. Douglas’ buckwheat and many desert parsleys, Bitterroot, Sticky Penstemon, Frasera, and more.

• Moderate walking route 4.8 miles with 1200’ of elevation gain.  

• Meet at The Dalles Mountain Ranch Trailhead at Columbia Hills State Park at 9 a.m.  

• A Washington State Discover Pass is required for parking.  

• Hike is limited to 12 people.

• To sign up for the hike or for more information contact Kim Gilmer at gilmerno.1@gmail.com.

• Please join us in visiting French’s farms in Lyle after the hike to check out their wonderful selection of native plants and homemade ice cream!

Join the Water Center for our annual community BioBlitz!

Help us document the plants, insects, lichen, birds, and other wildlife that are present in our wetlands and forest edges.

The BioBlitz helps us monitor species year after year to understand who is here, seasonal movement patterns, and flowering phenology. With the help of community scientists and nature enthusiasts like you, we will document as many species as we can.

During the BioBlitz, volunteer participants can sign up for a walk (descriptions below) that will be led by a local expert who will share identification tips with the group.  We will use the free iNaturalist app to help us document all the species we find. No experience with the app is necessary to participate.

Drop in visitors are welcome to come explore and learn from our partners, too! Vancouver Bee Project, Columbia Springs, and Vancouver Audubon will be on hand with education tables for drop in visitors and walk participants, so come early and stay late to enjoy interacting with our partners.

• The Bioblitz is a family-friendly event.

• Guided walks are appropriate for ages 6 and older, but all are welcome to attend. 

• Walks will be approximately 75 minutes long. 

• Walks may be on paved pathways, sandy beaches, or grassy areas.  Detailed logistics for your specific walk will be emailed upon registration.

• Registration is required for the walks.  Sign up today to reserve your spot on a walk!  Drop in visitors are welcome any time between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Walk Themes: 

Birds:  10:30am Join expert birders from Vancouver Audubon to identify birds by sight and sound. Sign up to reserve your spot in advance.

Plants, Moss, Lichen and Mushrooms:  11:00am Join Water Center staff to explore the riparian edges in search of our stationary plant, lichen and fungus friends.  Sign up to reserve your spot in advance.

Bee Walk: 11:30am Join the Vancouver Bee Project to look for all things bees in our gardens and along the trails. Sign up to reserve your spot in advance.

Accessibility:  Substrate and terrain are variable for each walk.  In general, the bee walk will be in grassy fields and gravel pathways, along the edges of plants. The plant walk will be on mostly paved surfaces and will be 1.5 miles.  The bird walk will be on paved pathways, non-paved wetland trails, and sandy beaches.

If the event becomes full, please contact the Water Center at vanwrec@cityofvancouver.us or 360-487-7111 to add your name to the waitlist.

Join city of Vancouver’s staff on a Wednesday morning guided nature walk where we will explore the rich ecosystems along the Columbia River and adjacent wetland.

As we wander, we’ll discover native plants, search for wildlife, and learn how these vibrant waterways support life all around us. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned nature lover, there’s always something new to see and learn on the trail.

• This program is great for families with youth ages 6 and older as well as adults who want to get out and wander!

• Be prepared to walk 2 miles on paved pathways, unpaved wetland trails, and along sandy beaches. 

• Walk will happen rain or shine.

• Registration is required.  Sign up today!

If the event becomes full, please contact the Water Center at vanwrec@cityofvancouver.us or 360-487-7111 to add your name to the waitlist.

Joins us for a workshop, led by local author, Ashley Erdely, focused on the wildflowers of the Gorge. This workshop will include recommendations of hikes for early, mid, and late season blooms

Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest for Kids

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.

Spring seems to be here early this year…..join the Suksdorfia Chapter of the WA Native Plant Society for a wildflower hike!

Moderate hike of about 4 mile loop along lakefront and through forested slopes, flowering meadows, and riparian areas. Hope to catch camas and fawn lilies in bloom in the oak balds. 

• Want to know some of the most seen flowers at Lacamas Park, check out the WNPS list HERE.

• Learn more about the trail HERE (not all of the trail is fully accessible)

• This is a joint hike with the Suksdorf Chapter (WNPS) and the Portland Chapter (NPSO).  

• Registration is required: Contact Ron Klump at klumpron@gmail.com  for more information on where to meet and to sign‐up.

Image source: Sparrowhawk Nursery

Moderate hike of about 4 mile loop along lakefront and through forested slopes, flowering meadows, and riparian areas.

Hope to catch camas and fawn lilies in bloom in the oak balds.  This is a joint hike with the Suksdorf Chapter Washington Native Plant Society and the Portland Chapter (NPSO).  

Contact Ron Klump at klumpron@gmail.com  for more information on where to meet and to sign‐up.

Camas, WA. Exact location provided with sign up.

Clark Conservation District works with local landowners, organizations, and community groups to restore riparian areas by planting native trees and shrubs, but we need your help preparing those plants for planting!

Saturdays this March and April, join us from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. to get your hands dirty for a good cause. We'll be potting up bare root plants so they can mature in our nursery before going to streamside restoration projects. 

Registration required: Volunteer with Us

Contact the CCD for more information about accessibility and details about these events: (360) 859-4780 staff@clarkcd.org 

Volunteering at the Jane Weber Arboretum

Monthly, we have our Second Saturday Work Party from 9am to noon. We often work on bigger projects and refreshments are always served.

Generally, our volunteers work on an area that is special to them or they just see a need to spruce things up.

We have three main volunteer areas. The Arboretum which encompasses the property grounds, The Stanger House restoration and the Caboose restoration.

• Our volunteers show up rain or shine. Extreme weather can cancel plans.

• For more information, email us at weberarboretum@gmail.com

Overview: The E. Jane Weber Arboretum is devoted to preserving this treasured natural resource and historic site in honor of Dr. Vinson and E. Jane Weber, who dedicated their homestead and lovely botanical garden to being a learning experience and inspiration – a legacy for others to cherish. To fulfill their dream, an entity was set up to oversee the arboretum and subsequently a non-profit to manage, protect and enhance this revered property along the Columbia River with outreach to the community, offering education and related activities that will be a shared commitment to the vision and purpose of the E. Jane Weber Arboretum. Watch this video for more information.

Accessibility note: the trails and grounds are natural surface and not always ADA compliant.

Clark Conservation District works with local landowners, organizations, and community groups to restore riparian areas by planting native trees and shrubs, but we need your help preparing those plants for planting!

Saturdays this March and April, join us from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. to get your hands dirty for a good cause. We'll be potting up bare root plants so they can mature in our nursery before going to streamside restoration projects. 

When:

• Saturday, April 11, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

• Saturday, April 18, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Registration required: Volunteer with Us

Contact the CCD for more information about accessibility and details about these events: (360) 859-4780 staff@clarkcd.org 

Sunlight and warmer temperatures are waking up the plants and stimulating growth. 

Explore the restored landscape adjacent to Burnt Bridge Creek while learning about native plants, stormwater, and the ecology of the landscape.  Expect to walk 2.5 miles on paved surfaces.  Walk is geared towards adults and youth ages 8 and older.

Advanced registration required. Sign up today!

If the event becomes full, please contact the Water Center at vanwrec@cityofvancouver.us or 360-487-7111 to add your name to the waitlist.