Trails are open but due to COVID-19, events are canceled.
Please stay tuned for updates as soon as we can schedule events again.
Please stay tuned for updates as soon as we can schedule events again.
Events
Native Plant Month 2021
Friends Of Mid-Columbia River Wildlife Refuges events
Sunday April 11th 10:00am Ernie Crediford will lead a wildflower hike on Saddle Mountain. We will meet at 10:00am at the Park and Ride on the corner of Van Giesen and the Bypass highway 240. Here we can car pool where possible. We can drive up to the top but the road is rough and 4-wheel drive is recommended. The trip will take approx. 3.5-5 hours, bring lunch or snacks and water. There should be lots of shooting stars in bloom. Please contact Ernie at ernest_crediford@live.com so he can manage the size of the group and drivers. We are supposed to have 15 persons per group at this time.
Thursday April 15th 6:00pm the Friends are hosting a Zoom evening with two presentations;
Heather Wendt, from the Benton County Conservation District and Ernie Crediford from the Native Plant Society and the Friends of the Mid-Columbia River Wildlife Refuges, will give a talk on our local native plants and how to incorporate them into our own landscapes.
Gretchen Graber, an environmental scientist, will give a presentation on her latest project, YEER (see attachment). Gretchen is responsible for thousands of native plants being grown and re-introduced into the landscape.
A Zoom meeting link will be added here closer the date.
April 22nd, 6pm, Thursday
Lisa Hill will lead a wildflower watercolor demonstration. Follow along as two wildflower favorites in the Mid-Columbia region come to life as a watercolor painting. The brilliant yellow of Balsamroot and rich violet of Lupine are natural complements that create an eye-catching color combination – whether as art or in the shrub steppe. Lisa will demonstrate the techniques used to paint a pleasing blend of realistic flowers and a soft-focus, abstract background. She is a horticulturist, Master Gardener and avid bird-watcher who has been painting with watercolor since 2007.
A Zoom meeting link will be posted here closer the date.
Sunday April 11th 10:00am Ernie Crediford will lead a wildflower hike on Saddle Mountain. We will meet at 10:00am at the Park and Ride on the corner of Van Giesen and the Bypass highway 240. Here we can car pool where possible. We can drive up to the top but the road is rough and 4-wheel drive is recommended. The trip will take approx. 3.5-5 hours, bring lunch or snacks and water. There should be lots of shooting stars in bloom. Please contact Ernie at ernest_crediford@live.com so he can manage the size of the group and drivers. We are supposed to have 15 persons per group at this time.
Thursday April 15th 6:00pm the Friends are hosting a Zoom evening with two presentations;
Heather Wendt, from the Benton County Conservation District and Ernie Crediford from the Native Plant Society and the Friends of the Mid-Columbia River Wildlife Refuges, will give a talk on our local native plants and how to incorporate them into our own landscapes.
Gretchen Graber, an environmental scientist, will give a presentation on her latest project, YEER (see attachment). Gretchen is responsible for thousands of native plants being grown and re-introduced into the landscape.
A Zoom meeting link will be added here closer the date.
April 22nd, 6pm, Thursday
Lisa Hill will lead a wildflower watercolor demonstration. Follow along as two wildflower favorites in the Mid-Columbia region come to life as a watercolor painting. The brilliant yellow of Balsamroot and rich violet of Lupine are natural complements that create an eye-catching color combination – whether as art or in the shrub steppe. Lisa will demonstrate the techniques used to paint a pleasing blend of realistic flowers and a soft-focus, abstract background. She is a horticulturist, Master Gardener and avid bird-watcher who has been painting with watercolor since 2007.
A Zoom meeting link will be posted here closer the date.
The Columbia Chapter of the Native Plant Society has invited us to attend some of there events rather than duplicating events between us.
Date/Time |
Wildflower Walks |
Description |
April 3 at 10:00 A.M. |
Badger Mt./Skyline Trail |
Meet at the Skyline Trail Parking lot off Dallas Road to join Steve Link for a walk through early wildflowers in big sagebrush/bunchgrass communities up to the ridgetop. Sign up by emailing stevenlink@me.com |
April 10 at 10:00 A.M. |
Candy Mt. Trail |
Meet at the Trailhead Parking lot (71004 E 669 PR NE, Richland, WA 99352) to walk through the wildflowers with Cheryl Smith. Sign up by emailing cysmith1970@gmail.com |
April 17 at 10:00 A.M. |
Horn Rapids Park/Plant ID workshop and wildflower walk |
Meet at Horn Rapids Park on Hiway 225. Turn to the left after entering the park and proceed to the first parking area/restrooms on the right. Janelle Downs will lead the walk up the stabilized dunes to see wildflowers and shrubs blooming. Handouts and hands on instruction on common plant identification will be included. Sign up by emailing sagejld@aol.com |
April 24 at 9:30 A.M. |
Saddle Mountains Wildflower Drive/Hike |
Meet at the Park and Ride on Van Giesen off of Hiway 240 to drive to see wildflowers and beautiful views of the Columbia River from the ridgeline of the Saddle Mountains above Mattawa. Trip duration is likely 3.5 to 5 hours including driving time. Bring lunch/water/snacks. Sign up by emailing sagejld@aol.com |
May 1 at 10:00 A.M. |
Badger Mt./Skyline Trail |
Meet at the Skyline Trail Parking lot off Dallas Road to join Steve Link for a walk to see the later blooming wildflowers in big sagebrush/bunchgrass communities up to the ridgetop. Sign up by emailing stevenlink@me.com |
May 5 at 5:30 P.M. |
Columbia Basin Chapter Field Meeting at McBee Trailhead-- Horse Heaven Hills Plant ID and 2019 Planting Survival |
Come to the May meeting for the Columbia Basin Chapter of Washington Native Plant Society and see how our 2019 restoration planting at the trailhead fared. We will have multiple stations at the trailhead elevation to see wildflowers, learn identification skills, and learn about the biological soil crust. Attendees can take a guided drive up McBee Road to the Horse Heaven Hills ridgeline spotting wildflowers along the way and taking a short hike along the ridgeline to see the rosy balsamroot, thyme buckwheat, and other wildflowers. Bring snacks/water or a picnic supper to reconnect (safely and socially distant) with the chapter members. Sign up by emailing sagejld@aol.com so we can get a head count. We will have multiple leaders and follow Washington’s outdoor recreation guidance. |
May 8 at 10:00 A.M. |
WDFW Rattlesnake Slope Sagebrush Planting Survival and Occasional Wildflowers |
Meet at the WDFW parking lot along Hiway 225 between Horn Rapids Park and Benton City to join Mickie Chamness and Janelle Downs and hike up the trail 1 mile to our fall 2020 restoration site on the Rattlesnake Slope. We will check planted sagebrush survival and any wildflowers encountered will be identified! Participants may hike further up the hill to encounter additional wildflower species if time and energy allow. Minimum hiking distance will be 2 miles roundtrip. Sign up by emailing sagejld@aol.com Discover Pass required for parking. |
Winter Birds 2021
Winter Birds February 18th presentations
Winter Birds of the McNary NWR, Columbia river and Yakima River Presentation by Bill and Nancy LaFramboise
Broad Winged Hawks, Buteos of the Columbia Basin Presentation by Mike Denny
Winter Birds partner presentation February 20th
Water Birds of Washington with a presentation of Wintering Wildlife by WDFW
The link to the recording of this event is at Facebook and at YouTube
Winter Birds February 25th
Blue Mountain Wildlife presentation by Lynn Tompkins
Owling and Photographing Eastern Washington presented by Izzy Edwards
Winter Birds of the McNary NWR, Columbia river and Yakima River Presentation by Bill and Nancy LaFramboise
Broad Winged Hawks, Buteos of the Columbia Basin Presentation by Mike Denny
Winter Birds partner presentation February 20th
Water Birds of Washington with a presentation of Wintering Wildlife by WDFW
The link to the recording of this event is at Facebook and at YouTube
Winter Birds February 25th
Blue Mountain Wildlife presentation by Lynn Tompkins
Owling and Photographing Eastern Washington presented by Izzy Edwards
Winter Birds 2021 Presentations
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Winter Birds of the McNary NWR, Columbia river and Yakima River
Presentation by Bill and Nancy LaFramboise Note: Slides were slow in posting in Zoom so delayed at times to the voice. |
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Broad Winged Hawks, Buteos of the Columbia Basin
Presentation by Mike Denny |
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ANNUAL MEETING / FRIENDSRAISER DECEMBER 2020
The 2020 Annual Meeting was held by way of Zoom to fit within COVID-19 guidelines. Below are several of the presentions we recorded during the meeting.
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Presentation of Friends activities during the year by Shannon Hayes-Truex
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Presentation by Trina Staloch from US Fish and Wildlife
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Clicking the double arrow in the video will expand to full page
Annual Meeting 2019
WINTER BIRDS FEBRUARY 2020
Winter Birds 2019
NATIVE PLANT APPRECIATION DAY APRIL 2019
CELEBRATE INVERTEBRATES JUNE 2019
Moth Night July 2019
DUCK CONSERVATION DAY SEPTEMBER 2019 (WITH MEMBER OF DUCKS UNLIMITED)
December 2018 Fundraiser
Pictures by Jan James, Jenny Rieke, Denise Mcinturff, Jaynee Levy, Shannon Hays-Truex, Adam Steele
