Welcome to Week 7 of our 10-week challenge, designed to encourage new naturalist discoveries as we continue to practice social distancing and wait for the coming vaccinations! March brings us the first signs of spring, while our mountains are still shining with snow. Try to get outside early when the mud is firm under foot!

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Each week, select one of the 60 total activities designed to delight your senses, stimulate your curiosity, and remind you of the joy that springs up just by being outside in nature. When you’ve completed 10 activities, send an email to Susan (skylinebal@gmail.com) so she can add your name to the list of Coronavirus 2021 life-long learners on the Wenatchee Naturalist website. 

Below are six options for Week 7 – which one is intriguing to you?

Read

The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust and North Central Washington Libraries have partnered to bring you resources to find nature-based books for kids. Stop to look at the office display window at 18 N. Wenatchee Ave. to see a selection of seasonal books in the sidewalk display case. Visit the Jacobson Preserve StoryWalk to enjoy a reading walk, before the next book is posted in early April.

Listen

Winter is the time for duck courtship, and behaviors that make noises. Spend time along the Columbia River where a variety of duck species are pairing up. This link will help you identify a male mallard’s appealing “grunt whistle.”

Watch

Explore the list of exciting online talks hosted by the Washington Native Plant Society. Sarah Gage’s talk on March 11, 2021 features Pacific NW Plants transplanted to England, Scotland, and Wales. Check out archived talks including the 5/27/20 Biological Soil or the 10/7/2020 Wenatchee Mountain Flora talks, hosted by our local chapter.

Journal

Challenge yourself to make time in your week for nature journaling on two or more days. Try to use at least two drawing exercises. Spend 10 minutes writing using this five-senses exercise. At home, add a little bit of color to your sketches. Pull out the booklet provided by Heather Murphy, filled with ideas to try.

Visit

Spend time exploring both the North and South units of 492-acre Lake Wenatchee State Park. Snowshoes might be fun! Use the link above to learn about winter access. The heated bathrooms are a nice amenity!

Advocate

Write a Letter to the Editor to the newspaper of your choice about a natural resource or conservation topic you care about. This link is to the Wenatchee World LTE submission page.

Just Announced-

Wolverines at Mt. Rainier March 9, 6:30-7:30pm Live Streamed by Wenatchee River Institute. Free!

Since 2008, Cascades Carnivore Project has been studying the natural recolonization of wolverines in Washington. Over the past decade, they have detected 9 individual wolverines from Mount Rainier National Park through the US Forest Service Wilderness areas south to Mount Adams. Wolverines are extremely rare in the U.S. and there may be fewer than 50 individuals in Washington. Join Jocelyn Akins, founder of Cascades Carnivore Project, for a chat about the project’s recent successes at Mount Rainier, their ongoing work throughout the South Cascades, and how you can join their efforts.

One Earth Film Festival- Wed. March 10, 4:30-6:30-pm

Since the film tour was cut short last year, the film-makers have decided to allow Dammed to Extinction to be shown at a few select virtual film festivals, the first will be the One Earth Film Festival.  Writer Steven Hawley and Director Michael Peterson will be participating in a Q&A session after the film. Register for a ticket, offered free, or by suggested donation.

Native Planting 101 Workshop – Mondays in March at 7:00 pm. (virtually via Zoom – one hour session each week)RSVP here.

• March 8: Native Plants for a Firewise Home with Al Murphy
• March 15: Noxious Weed Control with Julia Sanderson
• March 22: Native Plant Selection and Care with Mel Asher
• March 29: Q&A and Panel Discussion with the experts  

Questions? Contact KirkB@cascadiacd.org or (509) 436-1601