Outings & Events

What’s going on!

There are many ways to experience Shrub-Steppe.

Cowiche Canyon Conservancy holds a variety of events and activities to increase opportunities for kids and adults to learn about the unique natural environment of the shrub-steppe and connect people to these lands. We work with a variety of partners including other non-profit organizations, schools, and local, state, and federal agencies to engage the community with our work and build support for our conservation work.

COMMUNITY EVENTS: VIRTUAL AND LIVE

Community events – live and virtual – aim to help our community engage with our shrub-steppe in healthy, educational, and inspiring ways.

IMAGES OF THE SHRUB-STEPPE

Each summer, CCC hosts an art exhibit with Boxx Gallery to celebrate our local ecosystem, the shrub-steppe. The exhibit is currently open for submissions until July 9.

Submissions are accepted in all kinds of mediums. Painting, photography, sculpture, and jewelry are all encouraged. The works must be originals, and they must be inspired in some way by the shrub-steppe. The exhibit will be juried by local artist Carolyn Nelson.

For more submission details, you can find the exhibit Prospectus here.

UPCOMING COMMUNITY WALKS

Community Walks are family-friendly and educational ways to explore and learn about the phenomena and life in our shrub-steppe. Our schedule of Community Walks is below. Please note that you need to pre-register for these events and wear a mask during walks. Thank you!

COWICHE CANYON UPLANDS WILDFLOWER WALKS

Enjoy a guided wildflower tour of the 250 acres that Cowiche Canyon Conservancy and our community recently added to the Cowiche Canyon Uplands. Explore trails that wind through a variety of shrub-steppe habitat, from mima mounds to lithosol, and learn about some of the colorful plant and animal life along the way!

*PLEASE NOTE: You need to pre-register for these walks. Spaces will be to 20 pre-registered participants. We are asking that ALL participants wear masks, even if you are vaccinated, to minimize all risk of Covid-19 exposure and to help everyone feel safe and comfortable.

Cowiche Canyon Uplands Wildflower Walk #1 – Saturday, May 15, 10am – 12pm THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT.
Cowiche Canyon Uplands Wildflower Walk #2 – Saturday, May 29, 10am – 12pm – THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT

WINTER TALK SERIES

HOLISTIC HABITAT RESTORATION IN THE YAKIMA BASIN WITH JOHN MARVIN

Recorded talk on Tuesday, April 13

John Marvin, Fisheries Habitat Biologist with Yakama Nation, illuminates the tragic history of fish and people in the Yakima basin. He describes how long-standing and culturally essential fish populations have been decimated by a combination of agricultural development, poor water and habitat management, and climate change. Showing how forest and water habitat are intimately connected, Marvin describes some of the innovative and promising restoration projects happening around the area to bring back some healthy complexity and chaos to riparian habitats.

‘LICHENS: HUBS OF LIFE AND CREATORS OF WORLDS’ WITH JESSICA ALLEN

Recorded talk on Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Join Eastern Washington University’s Dr. Jessica Allen for a tour through the many hidden worlds of lichens. Learn about the roles lichens play in creating and sustaining biodiversity, with a special focus on local lichens here in the shrub-steppe and The Palouse. Jessica will also describe some of her recent genetics research into beautiful and mysterious wolf lichens. How is lichen genomics changing our understanding of the history and future of lichens?

‘MOUNTAIN LIONS: PHYSIOLOGY, ECOLOGY, & SAFETY’ WITH MICHELLE BLAKE

Recorded talk on February 9, 2021

Michelle Blake, with the Mountain Lion Foundation, dispels some of the many myths surrounding mountain lions (aka pumas or cougars) in the Northwest. How many are there in the Northwest? What should we do if we encounter one?

‘TAHOMA’S BIGGEST STORIES: A NATURAL HISTORY OF MOUNT RAINIER’ WITH JEFF ANTONELIS-LAPP

Recorded talk on January 12, 2021

Jeff Antonelis-Lapp presents an image-rich talk that draws from the book Tahoma and Its People, a natural history of Mount Rainier National Park. The book was recently selected as a finalist in the Banff Mountain Book Competition.