LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL EVENTS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES!!! |

RECURRING EVENTS

3^rd Monday of each month: Birds and Beer (Olympia), 4:30 pm. For more information, go to http://blackhills-audubon.org/fieldtrips-events.htm

Tuesdays: South Sound Prairie work party, 9 am – 3 pm
Help in restoration efforts on the prairies-for more information see http://www.southsoundprairies.org/volunteer/

Olympia City Council, 7 pm (Olympia City Council Chambers: 601 4^th Ave E)

http://olympia.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

Tumwater City Council, 7 pm on the 1^st & 3^rd Tuesday (Tumwater City Hall: 555 Israel Rd. SW) www.ci.tumwater.wa.us/ccagendasTOC.htm

Wednesdays: Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Bird Walk, 8-11 am – Meet at Visitor Center Overlook at 8 am.

Nisqually Land Trust Work Party, 9 am – noon

Last Wednesday of each month: Birds and Beer (Shelton), 5:00 pm. For more information, go to http://blackhills-audubon.org/fieldtrips-events.htm

Thursdays: Lacey City Council, 7 pm on the 2^nd & 4^th Thursday (Lacey City Hall: 420 College Street) Go to www.ci.lacey.wa.us/city-government/city-council/city-council-2/city-council-meetings/council-meetings for more info.

3^rd Thursday of each month: Birding at Eagle’s Pride Golf Course at JBLM. For more info, go to http://blackhills-audubon.org/fieldtrips-events.htm

Fridays: South Sound Prairie work party, 9 am – 3 pm
Help with rare, native prairies plant propagation – for more information see http://www.southsoundprairies.org/volunteer/

Saturdays: Olympia Farmers’ Market, 10 am – 3 pm (700 N Capitol Way; Olympia 98501) http://olympiafarmersmarket.com.

South Sound Estuarium, 11 am – 4 pm (309 State Ave NE; Olympia 98501) http://sseacenter.wordpress.com/south-sound-estuarium

First Saturday of each month: First Saturday Birding and Breakfast. For more information, go to http://blackhills-audubon.org/fieldtrips-events.htm.

Sundays: South Sound Estuarium, 11 am – 4 pm (309 State Ave NE; Olympia 98501) http://sseacenter.wordpress.com/south-sound-estuarium

Purple Martin Monitoring Field Training

Stream Team needs volunteers to monitor the nest boxes at East Bay in downtown Olympia from April to September. Training will cover data collection and bird identification. No experience necessary! Trainings will be held from 5-6 PM on Thu, Apr 16 and Mon, Apr 20. To register for one of the dates, go to http://www.streamteam.info/getinvolved/calendar and click on the event. For more information, contact Michelle Stevie at mstevie@ci.olympia.wa.us or 360-753-8336.

Other lists of volunteer events in Washington

Department of Fish and Wildlife: http://wdfw.wa.gov/about/volunteer/events

Washington Department of Natural Resources: http://www.dnr.wa.gov

Washington Department of Parks: http://www.parks.wa.gov/262/Volunteer-Program

Help out at Nisqually Land Trust’s Conservation Dinner on Saturday March 21^st

It’s time again for Nisqually Land Trust’s annual dinner and auction fundraiser and we need YOUR help to make it a success! This year we are celebrating 25 years of habitat protection in the Nisqually River Watershed. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work to do leading up to the big event and through the end of the day. We will be at the Worthington Conference Center at St. Martin’s University in Lacey from 9:30am to 9:30pm—stay for just 1 hour or the whole day—any help will be greatly appreciated! To check out the volunteer opportunities available and sign up, go to https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ean3imnyc7ed40ff&c=75ff1ff0-b6ca-11e3-ba37-d4ae52725666&ch=76020620-b6ca-11e3-ba3b-d4ae52725666. If you have any questions about being a dinner and auction volunteer, contact Nikki Dizon at staff@nisquallylandtrust.org or at 360-489-3400.

7 March, Saturday

10 am – 4 pm — Robotics for Kids Day

(LOTT Wet Science Center: 500 Adams Street NE; Olympia) Come experience the amazing world of robots! This is a fantastic introduction to robotics and engineering, and great preparation for participating in local robotics clubs and classes. Between 12 and 4 p.m., staff from the Museum of Flight and student representatives from local robotics clubs will be onsite leading activities. At 2 p.m., attend the Museum of Flight’s “Robot Garage” workshop. No experience necessary. You’ll learn about the history of robotics along with the cutting edge robots currently being developed around the world. You’ll also design your own robot to complete a challenge. For more information, contact Amber Smith at (360) 528-5742 or ambersmith@lottcleanwater.org.

2 – 4pm — Olympia Food Co-op Class: Delicious & Nutritious: Inexpensive and Healthy Foods for Families with Young Children

(Why include a cooking class on a list of environmental events? What better way to become connected with the food we eat and the land in which our food is grown? And this class is cheap!) If you provide food for youngsters,toddlers to teenagers, this is a cooking class dream come true. Join Erin and get set for success with the picky eaters, eternal snackers, and vegi-phobics you feed on a daily basis. You will leave with recipes for fast and easy healthful snacks and meals that will be gobbled up by the kids without gobbling up your pocketbook. For more information and to register, go to http://www.olympiafood.coop/classes.

evening — Black Hills Audubon Society’s 28^th Annual Dinner and Silent Auction

(South Puget Sound Community College Student Union) The dinner is our major social activity of the year, giving members and friends of BHAS a chance to come together to celebrate the chapter’s achievements of the past year. For more details, go to http://blackhills-audubon.org/AnnualDinner.htm.

Sunday, March 8

9am – Noon — Monarch Sculpture Park needs your help!

(Monarch Sculpture Park: 8431 Waldrick Road SE, Tenino) Join us for a work party. There is lots of maintenance to be done: we have a tree down right next to the trail—it’s a big one, so we need some chainsaws to cut the tree up and move it out of the way. And the butterfly sculpture was blown down in a windstorm and we need to put it back into a flying position and restore it’s glory! The Woodland Trail Greenway Association has all the basic tools and will have some snacks for you. Please bring gloves (we have some if you don’t) and dress in layers—and if you have a favorite tool, bring it.

9:30 am – 3:30 pm – Last scheduled salvage with Native Plant Salvage for this season!

Join us at a new salvaging site that’s beautifully wooded, with great plant diversity! We’ve seen many different plants such as sword ferns, oceanspray, snowberry, hazel, bald-hip rose, salmonberry, thimbleberry, huckleberries, and some big-leaf maples, ashes, and serviceberry! We will meet at the site at 9:30 am, salvage until about noon, break for a hot vegetarian lunch, and then move to our nursery in West Olympia to pot up the plants plants we salvaged from about 1 to 3:30 pm. Salvaged plants go to habitat restoration projects, Native Plant Salvage Foundation-sponsored educational projects, and to volunteers who help at the event. Volunteers are welcome for any and all parts of the day (we love it when folks pop in for the afternoon of camaraderie around the potting table!). Give us a shout by phone or email to sign up for a salvage and receive all the details: (360) 867-2167 or nativeplantsalvage@gmail.com.

Tuesday, March 10

9 am – 3 pm – South Sound Prairie work party

(South Thurston County) We will be continuing our work to improve oak habitat at Tenalquot Preserve by pulling Scot’s broom. We have plenty of patchy broom to remove as well as keeping an eye out for the first signs of spring. There are more and more plants blooming on the prairie each week as our warm weather ushers in an early spring. Directions to Tenalquot Prairie: From I-5: Take exit 99 and head east on 93rd Street; when 93rd dead-ends onto Old Hwy 99, turn right and head south; turn left at Waldrick Road and continue until it ends at Military Road; turn left and continue until Military Rd meets Rainier Road (at the blinking red light); turn left onto Rainier Road and continue for about half a mile; look for the “Tenalquot Prairie Work Day” sign, and turn left off of Rainier Road and follow the gravel road to the gate and park. From Hwy 507: Head north on Rainier Road; after you pass through the blinking yellow lights at Military Road, look for the “Tenalquot Prairie Work Day” sign and turn left off of Rainier Road; follow the gravel road to the gate and park. For more information, contact ssvolunteers@cnlm.org. Sponsored by the Center for Natural Lands Management.

Wednesday 11 March

9:00AM-12:00PM – Nisqually Land Trust Work Party – Yelm Shoreline

We’ll be installing burlap mulch around tree seedlings. Contact Cris to RSVP and for more information, at Volunteer@NisquallyLandTrust.org.

7-9 pm — Revising Flora of the Pacific Northwest

(Tacoma Nature Center: 1919 South Tyler Street; Tacoma) In 1973, Leo Hitchcock and Arthur Cronquist published Flora of the Pacific Northwest, with illustrations by Jeanne Janish. Advances in both taxonomy and knowledge of Northwest floristics require a revision of this outstanding work for it to remain the standard against which other regional floras are measured. Ben Legler, Collections Manager at the University of Washington Herbarium since 2002, will present background information regarding publication of the original Flora, why a new one is needed and an overview for how the current revision project is being conducted.

Friday, March 13

9 am – 3 pm – South Sound Prairie work party

(South Thurston County) Angela needs help at Shotwell’s Landing Nursery, clearing out some old beds of weeds and doing some old bed renovations. Please come on down to help her out! Dress for the weather, and bring along a box lunch, gloves and plenty of water. Directions to Shotwell’s Landing Nursery (14447 Littlerock Road SW; Rochester 98579): take I-5 to exit 95 (Littlerock exit), ~10 miles south of Olympia; go west on Maytown Rd SW to the only stop sign in Littlerock (by the elementary school); continue straight for ~100 feet, and turn left onto Littlerock Road; go 1.7 miles south on Littlerock Road—Shotwell’s Nursery will be on your right. For more information, contact ssvolunteers@cnlm.org. Sponsored by the Center for Natural Lands Management.

Saturday, March 14

9:00am-12:00pm — Nisqually Land Trust work party – Yelm Shoreline

We’ll be installing burlap mulch around tree seedlings. Contact Cris to RSVP and for more information by emailing Volunteer@NisquallyLandTrust.org.

9 am – 3 pm – South Sound Prairie work party

(South Thurston County) Glacial Heritage still has plenty of Scot’s broom to pull and wildflowers to see. With all of the volunteer help, we have been reducing our broom patches at a rapid rate. Let’s continue our restoration momentum and keep up our hard work (with breaks to see all of the newly arriving birds, and emerging plant and animal life). We look forward to seeing you out there! Please come on down to help her out! Dress for the weather, and bring along a box lunch, gloves and plenty of water. Directions to Glacial Heritage: take I-5 to exit 95 (the Littlerock exit), ~10 miles south of Olympia; go west into Littlerock; continue going straight through Littlerock—do not take any turns, and follow the road (128^th Ave) until it ends at Mima Road/Waddell Creek Road; turn south (left) on Mima Road and go 2.7 miles. Shortly after you see a small tractor sign, you will see a brown sign marking Glacial Heritage preserve and a gravel road to the left—turn onto the gravel road and obey the 15 mph speed limit, as there are often dogs and small children active nearby. Follow the road through the gate, and then take the first right and follow the road, staying to the left until you get to the house. Park in the small lot by the volunteer office. Because we usually are only at the house at 9:00 am and at lunch time—and it can be difficult to find us once we are out in the field—volunteers should plan to arrive before 9 am or around lunch time. For more information, contact ssvolunteers@cnlm.org. Sponsored by the Center for Natural Lands Management.

10 am – 2:30 pm — Beyond Landscaping Part 2: Landscape Plans

(Thurston County Courthouse, Room 152) This optional Part 2 of the class held Feb 26^th will allow a limited number of participants to meet with experts to review and discuss their personal revegetation plans. Following the plan review, the class will travel to a field site for a hands-on session on slope-planting techniques. Part 2 will include how to plant fascines and live stakes on a steep slope-site, as well as other practices to minimize impact and maximize stability. Please register separately for this class. To register for one or both parts of this workshop, or for additional information, visit www.streamteam.info and click on “Register.”

10am-1pm — Priest Point Park work party

Spring is just around the corner! Help get the rose garden ready and come out to Priest Point Park to weed this beautiful area. Meet in kitchen shelter #1. Priest Point Park is located at 2600 East Bay Drive NE. For more information, contact Sylvana Niehuser (Park Ranger | Park Stewardship Program, Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation) at 360.753.8365.

1 – 3pm — Scythe Class, Part 1

Want to mow tall grass and weeds with ease? This elegant peasant tool is an alternative to heavy, loud, polluting machinery so often used to work land. No fuel, no noise, no pollution! Ideal for small-scale farmers and homesteaders, this talk is an introduction to scything. Part 2, with a hands-on workshop, comes with later this year with the warm weather (and tall grass). Bring your questions, everyone welcome. For more information and to register, go to http://www.olympiafood.coop/classes.

2 pm — Septic System Care & Maintenance

(LOTT Wet Science Center: 500 Adams Street NE; Olympia) Happy Groundwater Awareness Week! Did you know Thurston County has about 70,000 households served by on-site septic systems? These systems treat sewage and wastewater from rural and city households that aren’t connected to the central sewer system. To work properly, septic systems need regular care and maintenance to protect your family’s health, our community’s drinking water, and our lakes, rivers, streams, and Puget Sound. This class is great for people who live in homes served by a septic system. Learn simple, inexpensive things to keep your system working well now and in the future. For more information, contact Amber Smith at (360) 528-5742 or ambersmith@lottcleanwater.org.

15 March, Sunday

1 – 3pm — Olympia Food Co-op Class: Make Your Own Deodorant

Learn how conventional deodorant is made and how to pick the best one for your health. Then, learn how to make your own inexpensive, natural, and effective deodorant. For more information and to register, go to http://www.olympiafood.coop/classes.

Mon, Mar. 16

8:30 a.m – 12:30 p.m. — Forage Fish Surveys

(TESC Beach) Come out to another forage fish survey opportunity! Trained and untrained volunteers are welcome. To register, go to http://www.streamteam.info/getinvolved/calendar and click on the event. For more information contact Michelle Stevie at mstevie@ci.olympia.wa.us.

Tuesday, March 17

9 am – 3 pm – South Sound Prairie work party

(South Thurston County) Stay tuned for details. For more information, contact ssvolunteers@cnlm.org. Sponsored by the Center for Natural Lands Management.

Wednesday 18 March

9:00am-12:00pm — Nisqually Land Trust work party – Yelm Shoreline

We’ll be installing burlap mulch around tree seedlings. Contact Cris to RSVP and for more information by emailing Volunteer@NisquallyLandTrust.org.

9:30am-12pm — West Bay Park work party

Join us at West Bay Park and help get this waterfront park ready for spring! We will focus on weeding and mulching with a series of work parties. Meet near the covered bike shelter. West Bay Park is located at 700 West Bay Drive NW. For more information, contact Sylvana Niehuser (Park Ranger | Park Stewardship Program, Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation) at 360.753.8365.

March 19

3 – 6 PM — Restoration Day at Randall Preserve

(Olympia Westside) Join the effort to finish the work at Capitol Land Trust’s Randall Preserve on Mud Bay. This past Martin Luther King, Jr Day, volunteers planted several hundred plants. Now we nee to install plant protectors and put mulch down around the plants. Please join us and help out! Bring a water bottle, work clothes (long pants, boots, etc), sun or rain protection and a favorite pair of gloves if you have them. We will provide extra water, snacks, gloves and tools. Please let us know you are coming by going to http://www.capitollandtrust.org/pages/events.html and registering. If you have any questions, contact Daron Williams at 360.943.3012 or daron@capitollandtrust.org.

7:00 – 8:30 pm — Discovery Speaker Series: Shorebirds of Puget Sound

(LOTT Wet Science Center: 500 Adams Street NE; Olympia) South Sound Estuary Association’s Discovery Speaker Series presents Joe Evenson from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to teach about shorebird populations in Puget Sound—the science used to count shorebirds, the changing trends, and the relationship with forage fish populations. Free and open to the public.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact Amber Smith at (360) 528-5742 or ambersmith@lottcleanwater.org.

Friday, March 20

9 am – 3 pm – South Sound Prairie work party

(South Thurston County) Stay tuned for details. Dress for the weather, and bring along a box lunch, gloves and plenty of water. For more information, contact ssvolunteers@cnlm.org. Sponsored by the Center for Natural Lands Management.

Saturday, March 21

9am-3pm — FrogWatch USA Volunteer Training at Northwest Trek

Do you have an interest in learning about local frogs and toads? Are you willing to commitment to learn and identify their distinct calls? Do you have the ability to make several evening visits to a local wetland? Would you like to help contribute to a real conservation project? If you answered yes to these questions, you should attend FrogWatch USA training at Northwest Trek! FrogWatch USA is a national citizen science program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that provides individuals, groups, and families with an opportunity to learn about wetlands in their communities and report data on the calls of local frogs and toads. FrogWatch USA volunteers learn to identify local frog and toad species by their calls during the breeding season and how to report their findings accurately. Volunteers collect data during evenings from February through August. Data are readily available for ongoing analyses to help develop practical strategies for the conservation of these important species. Please contact Rachael Mueller at Rachael.Mueller@nwtrek.org to learn more or register for training.

10am-12 noon — Percival Creek Project

Get outside and help Stream Team remove invasive weeds, mostly Himalayan blackberry, from the native plantings along the banks of Percival Creek. Tools, glove and light refreshments provided. To register, go to http://www.streamteam.info/getinvolved/calendar and click on the event. For more information contact Debbie Smith at dmsmith@ci.tumwater.wa.us or 360-754-4148.

10am-1pm — West Bay Park work party

11am – 1pm — Olympia Food Co-op Class: Miso 101

(Why include a cooking class on a list of environmental events? What better way to become connected with the food we eat and the land in which our food is grown? And this class is cheap!) Miso is a delicious healing food that is easy to make when you have access to the right starter culture. Join Meghan in this action-packed hands-on miso-making demo and lecture explaining the health benefits of miso fermentation. Miso samples will be provided. You will leave with recipes for making soy miso, other bean misos and recipes for cooking with miso as well. For more information and to register, go to http://www.olympiafood.coop/classes.

1 pm — Wastewater Treatment Plant Tour

(LOTT Wet Science Center: 500 Adams Street NE; Olympia) The Budd Inlet Treatment Plant has been cleaning up our urban wastewater since the early 1950s. Come and learn how we do it, including the extra steps we’ve added along the way to protect Puget Sound. A slideshow followed by a treatment plant tour will begin at 1 p.m. Tour participants must be ten years or older; please dress for the weather, and wear closed-toe, closed-heel shoes. For more information, contact Amber Smith at (360) 528-5742 or ambersmith@lottcleanwater.org.

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Black Hills Audubon Society Birding class: Shorebirds Class

(downtown Olympia) Join Vanessa Loverti, Regional Shorebird Biologist from USFWS Division of Migratory Birds, for a presentation about shorebirds just in time for spring. She will discuss shorebird identification, current monitoring projects, and the status of shorebirds within the Pacific Flyway. The cost of the class is $15, and pre-registration is required: contact: Mary Russell at (360) 357-6863 or greenbird321@msn.com.

2 – 4pm — Olympia Food Co-op Class: Edible Weeds

(Why include a cooking class on a list of environmental events? What better way to become connected with the food we eat and the land in which our food is grown? And this class is cheap!) Join Kate in exploring the edible weeds growing in our region. Learn to identify, collect, and prepare these pesky plants that ‘get in the way’ of what we choose to grow. Handouts will be provided, including recipes. Weeds grow abundantly in the spring, and samples will be presented as available. For more information and to register, go to http://www.olympiafood.coop/classes.

4:30 – 9:00 pm — Nisqually Land Trust 2015 Conservation Dinner & Auction

(St. Martin’s University Worthington Conference Center; Lacey) Tickets are $75 per person and include a three-course dinner. Please RSVP by March 14^th, by calling 360.489.3400, e-mailing staff@nisquallylandtrust.org, or going to http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07eaibt0ps647db3c3&llr=jzh7gggab&showPage=true.

Sunday, March 22

9am-1pm — Twin Rivers Ranch Plant Protection Party

(near Shelton) Help us protect 600+ newly installed plantings at Twin Rivers Ranch from munching rodents and deer. No, we do not need you to act as a human scarecrow—we need your help putting plant protectors around the plants! And once we get that done, we need to spread mulch around the plants to help retain moisture. Please let us know you are coming by going to http://www.capitollandtrust.org/pages/events.html and registering. If you have any questions, contact Mike Leigh at 360.943.3012 or mike@capitollandtrust.org.

1 – 3pm — Olympia Food Co-op Class: Superfood Fruit & Nut Snack Bites

(Why include a cooking class on a list of environmental events? What better way to become connected with the food we eat and the land in which our food is grown? And this class is cheap!) Learn how to make your own delicious energizing snack bites out of raw nuts, dried fruits and other superfoods with a food processor. You will try some tasty treats, see how these morsels are created, learn about their nutrition content and receive some creative recipes, as well as a basic formula to create your own personalized snack bars. Great for on-the-go! Kids love them! For more information and to register, go to http://www.olympiafood.coop/classes.

Tuesday, March 24

9 am – 3 pm – South Sound Prairie work party

(South Thurston County) Stay tuned for details. For more information, contact ssvolunteers@cnlm.org. Sponsored by the Center for Natural Lands Management.

Wednesday 25 March

9:00am-12:00pm — Nisqually Land Trust work party – Wilcox Flats

(near Yelm) We’ll be installing burlap mulch around tree seedlings. Contact Cris to RSVP and for more information by emailing Volunteer@NisquallyLandTrust.org

26 March, Thursday

6 – 8pm — Book Discussion: Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer

Jonathan Safran Foer spent much of his teenage and college years oscillating between carnivore and vegetarian. He kept returning to two questions: Why do we eat animals? And would we eat them if we knew how they got on our dinner plates? Eating Animals explores the many fictions we use to justify our eating habits-from folklore to pop culture to family traditions and national myth. Marked by Foer’s profound moral ferocity and unvarying generosity, as well as the vibrant style and creativity that made his previous books, Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, huge bestsellers, Eating Animals is a celebration and a reckoning. For more information and to register, go to http://www.olympiafood.coop/classes.

Friday, March 27

9 am – 3 pm – South Sound Prairie work party

Saturday, March 28

7:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m — BHAS Field trip to Theler Wetland, Belfair State Park, and Mountain Quail sites

This trip will visit several sites at the far southeast end of Hood Canal in Mason County, including Theler Wetlands Nature Preserve and Belfair State Park. Both locations should be good for a mix of water birds, songbirds, and perhaps lingering shorebirds. We’ll also be searching for Mountain Quail in the same vicinity. Pre-registration is required: call Gary at 360-943-8786 to reserve your spot. For more information, go to http://blackhills-audubon.org/fieldtrips-events.htm.

9 am – noon — NatureMapping at Powell Pasture

NatureMapping provides an opportunity for citizen scientists to observe, monitor and inventory their local habitats and use the information gathered to effect real change. The data collected can be used by scientists on state and local levels to help make decisions that determine a healthy future for fish and wildlife. NatureMapping Field Trips are free for participants, and you do not need prior NatureMapping experience. Participants should come dressed for the weather and for walking in a wet environment on uneven surfaces. For more information, go to https://www.nwtrek.org/classes-fieldwork and fill out the form at the bottom of the page.

10am-1pm — Arbor Day Restoration Events at Priest Point Park & Grass Lake Nature Park

Olympia’s Parks, Water Resources & Urban Forestry Departments are teaming up to host an Arbor Day Celebration of epic proportions! The focus will be on habitat restoration with invasive removal and native vegetation plantings at both Priest Point Park and Grass Lake Nature Park. Visit http://www.streamteam.info/getinvolved/calendar to register for one of the locations. Follow up the restoration work with a party downtown at the Artesian Commons! For more info, contact Tamara Lindner at tlindner@ci.olympia.wa.us.

12 – 2pm — Hugelbed Workshop

Hugelbeds (pronounced hoo-gull-beds) are no-dig raised beds with that hold moisture, build fertility, maximize surface volume. They are fantastic for growing fruit, vegetables and herbs in relatively small spaces. Come ready to work and learn by doing in this truly hands-on workshop. Bring your work boots, work gloves, and we will provide copious snacks and beverages. We will install a hugelbed, start to finish. You will gain knowledge and experience, just in time to build your own! For more information and to register, go to http://www.olympiafood.coop/classes.

2 pm — Sea Changes: Ocean Acidification Lab

(LOTT Wet Science Center: 500 Adams Street NE; Olympia) Carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air helps insulate our planet and keep it warm, but there can be too much of a good thing. Our oceans are absorbing a very large amount of CO2 every day and this is changing their chemistry. It’s making them more acidic, a process called ocean acidification. This hands-on chemistry lab gives an introduction to pH, the effects of CO2 on water, and the effects on local shellfish populations. Workshop is appropriate for 5th grade and older, great opportunity for parents and kids to explore science together. For more information, contact Amber Smith at (360) 528-5742 or ambersmith@lottcleanwater.org.

29 March, Sunday

2 – 4pm — Olympia Food Co-op Class: Super-Easy Super Salads

(Why include a cooking class on a list of environmental events? What better way to become connected with the food we eat and the land in which our food is grown? And this class is cheap!) Want to learn to make a few easy and fabulous salads for healthy eating and entertaining? Come join Erin and learn 5 simple and delicious salad recipes. We will focus on using seasonal produce and will also cover basic vinaigrette preparation and variations. For more information and to register, go to http://www.olympiafood.coop/classes.

March 31

9:00am-12:00pm or 1:00-4:00pm — “Eye On Nature” Volunteer Training

(Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Education Building: 100 Brown Farm Road; Olympia 98516) Do you love the outdoors? Sharing the “awe of nature” with children? If so, our spring 2015 “Eye on Nature” program for working with grades 4-10 needs you! Please attend this volunteer training to learn improve your skills guiding students in their nature observations! Topics: History of NNWR and Estuary Restoration; “Eye on Nature” Field Investigations Overview; Bird, iNaturalist Introduction; What to Consider When Taking Children Outdoors; Sound Mapping & Scientific Illustrations; eBird, iNaturalist Trail Walk. For more information or to pre-register, please contact Sheila Wilson, Nisqually River Education Project, 360-438-8687 ext.2153 or via email: sheila@nisquallyriver.org.

Wednesday 1 April

9:00am-12:00pm — Nisqually Land Trust work party – Wilcox Flats

(near Yelm) We’ll be installing burlap mulch around tree seedlings. Contact Cris to RSVP and for more information by emailing Volunteer@NisquallyLandTrust.org.

Saturday 4 April

9:00am-12:00pm — Nisqually Land Trust work party – Wilcox Flats

(near Yelm) We’ll be cleaning up flood debris. Contact Cris to RSVP and for more information by emailing Volunteer@NisquallyLandTrust.org.

9 am – noon — NatureMapping at Ohop Creek

Wednesday, April 8

9:00am-12:00pm — Nisqually Land Trust work party – Thurston Ridge

(near Yelm) We’ll be pulling Scotch Broom. Contact Cris to RSVP and for more information by emailing Volunteer@NisquallyLandTrust.org.

7-9 pm –Early Detection of Invasive Species

(Tacoma Nature Center: 1919 South Tyler Street; Tacoma) The first line of defense against an invasive species is preventing its introduction into the environment in the first place. However, should an invasive species appear on the landscape, early detection and rapid response (EDRR) efforts increase the likelihood that it will be removed before it becomes widespread. Dr. Julie Combs of the Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Council (PNW-IPC) will discuss the PNW-IPC Citizen Science Program and the incredible difference EDRR volunteers are making to document and control invasive plants on public lands. Join the Washington Native Plant Society for this interesting talk.

Monday, April 13

7-9 pm –Photographing Wildflowers in Mount Rainier National Park

(Capitol Museum Coach House: 211 21st Avenue SW; Olympia) Virtually in our backyard, Mount Rainier National Park has long been considered one of the best places on earth to view and photograph wildflowers. Photographer Donovan Tracy has developed his skills through hundreds of days in the field and will share what he’s learned photographing at Mt. Rainier Park. Techniques covered in his presentation are suited both for novice photographers to serious amateur photographers who desire to more thoroughly study and photograph plants in their natural environment. Donovan will also review a wildflower hike featured on www.flowersofrainier.com/Index%20Enter/index.htm. Join the Washington Native Plant Society for this interesting talk.

Wednesday 15 April

9:00am-12:00pm — Nisqually Land Trust work party – Mashel River

(near Eatonville) We’ll be pulling invasive weeds. Contact Cris to RSVP and for more information by emailing Volunteer@NisquallyLandTrust.org.

Apr. 17 (Fri.)

6:30 – 8:30 p.m. — Black Hills Book Discussion Group

The discussion of the first book (The Sixth Extinction) went so well, we are continuing to read and discuss books of note to our members. In April, we will discuss The Human Age by Diane Ackerman. Read it by April 17th so you can come discuss it with us. We will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Deb Nickerson’s house. Contact her at debranick@gmail.com if you have questions.

Saturday 18 April

9:00am-12:00pm — Nisqually Land Trust work party – Ohop Valley

(near Eatonville) We’ll be pulling Scotch Broom. Contact Cris to RSVP and for more information by emailing Volunteer@NisquallyLandTrust.org.

Sunday, April 19

10am-2pm — Celebrate Earth Day at Twin Rivers Ranch Preserve!

(near Shelton) Join Capitol Land Trust for an early celebration of Earth Day as we do critical maintenance of our many riparian buffer plantings. RSVP for more information and directions (and so we know how many people are coming) by contacting Mike Leigh at mike@capitollandtrust.org or at 360.943.3012.

Wednesday 22 April

9:00am-12:00pm — Nisqually Land Trust work party – Mt. Rainier Gateway

(near Ashford, WA) We hope you will join to celebrate Earth Day! We’ll be pulling Scotch Broom. Contact Cris to RSVP and for more information by emailing Volunteer@NisquallyLandTrust.org.

Thurs., April 23.

6:00-9:00pm — Rain Garden Design Workshop

Join Native Plant Salvage for a free, hands-on workshop to learn how to add one of these lovely “stormwater” features to your yard. We’ll give you all the details needed to design and install a beautiful rain garden! To register, go to http://www.streamteam.info/getinvolved/calendar and click on the event, or email nativeplantsalvage@gmail.com.

April 25

9 am – noon — Parks Appreciation Day at Northwest Trek

Join Northwest Trek staff for a morning of native planting, trail work or other stewardship activities to help maintain the park’s native beauty. For more information, go to https://www.nwtrek.org/classes-fieldwork and fill out the form at the bottom of the page.

Wednesday 29 April

9:00am-12:00pm — Nisqually Land Trust work party – Yelm Shoreline

We’ll be pulling Scotch Broom. Contact Cris to RSVP and for more information by emailing Volunteer@NisquallyLandTrust.org.

May 2

9 am – noon — NatureMapping at Wilcox Flats

Sun., May 3

Noon – 4 p.m. — Juvenile Chinook Salmon Event

(Tumwater Falls Park: 110 Deschutes Way SW, Tumwater) Family-friendly salmon-themed activities, including the chance to release juvenile Chinook salmon into the Deschutes River. For more info., contact Debbie Smith at dmsmith@ ci.tumwater.wa.us or 360-754-4148. Register online for a volunteer time slot in the Stream Team booth at http://www.streamteam.info/getinvolved/calendar.

Wednesday, May 13

7-9 pm –The Alpine Trail in Switzerland

(Tacoma Nature Center: 1919 South Tyler Street; Tacoma) The Alpine pass route crosses Switzerland from Sargans near Liechtenstein to Monteux bordering Lac Leman. The distance is nearly 350 kilometers and takes twenty days to cross by foot over fourteen alpine passes. The route passes the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains, and affords stays in idyllic towns throughout the journey. Kevin Head, photographer extraordinaire, did this trip with his wife (Julia Brayshaw) last summer and will present slides of the route and of wildflowers of Switzerland. Join the Washington Native Plant Society for this interesting talk.

Saturday, May 16

9 a.m. – Noon — Wolf Haven Prairie Field Class

(Wolf Haven International: 3111 Offut Lake Road SE; Tenino) Wolf Haven International is known as a wolf sanctuary, but it is also a land steward of 36 acres of rare, native, mounded prairie, surrounded by Garry oak woodland. Join Stream Team and Wolf Haven International on an exclusive tour of the Wolf Haven prairie with prairie expert Sanders Freed, Thurston County Program Manager at the Center for Natural Lands Management. The prairie tour will be followed by a free tour of Wolf Haven’s sanctuary. To register for this field class, visit www.streamteam.info and click on “register”. For further information, contact Michelle Stevie at mstevie@ci.olympia.wa.us A van pool from the Thurston County Courthouse complex will be available.

9 am – noon — NatureMapping at Railway Road

May 30

10:00am-5:00pm — Naturescaping for Water and Wildlife Field Class

Learn about sustainable landscaping techniques that will save you time and money while also attracting birds and butterflies to your garden and protecting water resources. A classroom session will be followed by a field trip to local private gardens; bus transportation will be provided. Landscape designer Linda Andrews and Erica Guttman of WSU’s Native Plant Salvage Project will lead the class. Topics include how to make a landscaping plan; design ideas for outdoor living spaces; managing drainage, slopes and other trouble spots; how to reduce unnecessary lawn; how to create habitat for birds and butterflies; and selecting water-wise plants for all four seasons. To register, go to http://www.streamteam.info/getinvolved/calendar and click on the event, or email nativeplantsalvage@gmail.com.

June 13

9 am – noon — NatureMapping at Braget Marsh

Sat., June 20.

10:00am-4:00pm — Meet the Trees of Washington

In this fun field class, participants will be introduced to the magnificence of our native trees as well as four South Sound ecosystems. Following a morning in the classroom, we’ll travel by bus for a field trip to a local nature trail to learn to identify native trees, shrubs, ferns, and perennials. For more information and registration instructions, go to http://www.nativeplantsalvage.org/calendar.

July 11

9 am – noon — NatureMapping at Ohop Creek

August 1

9 am – noon — Habitat restoration & invasive species removal at Northwest Trek

August 15

9 am – noon — NatureMapping at Van Eaton

September 5

9 am – noon — NatureMapping at Red Salmon Creek

September 19

9 am – noon — NatureMapping at Powell Creek

October 10

9 am – noon — NatureMapping at Ohop Creek

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