Reforest Spokane Day October 27th 9:00 to 12:00

The Lands Council is sponsoring five local sites around Spokane to celebrate their second annual Reforest Spokane Day on October 27th.  The Sunflower Society is hoping to make a good showing of volunteers at the Slavin Conservation Area to help plant native trees and plants.  Please bring your own shovels and work gloves for the big kids and little kids.  The Lands Council aslo asks that we bring a few gallons of water if possible to help in the planting process.  The Slavin Conservation area is only a few miles South of Spokane off of the west side of Hwy 195.  This is a great area to hike with children because it is flat, accessible in all four seasons, and is full of wetlands with lots of great birds and wildlife to see.  If you are planning on coming please go and register HERE on the Lands Council's Webpage.  Don't forget to dress appropriately for the weather.  Late October can make the weather an important factor to consider.

Newest Infographic: The Wilderness Society

Take a look at the full infographic here.

Sept 23rd Big Rock Hike/ 9:30 AM

Thanks to Rich Landers for this awe inspiring photo of Big Rock

Fall is in the air, let's go try out the new parking lot and trail to Big Rock.  Meet at 9:30 at the terminus of Stevens Creek Road.  Bring some warm clothes and maybe a hat and gloves for the little ones.  It's not a very long hike, but there is some elevation gain so we will  be hiking at a child's pace.  Hope for clear and commanding views of the Palouse to the south.  This address might help you find the trailhead on google maps: 8999 South Stevens Creek Road, Spokane WA 99223

**Disclaimer- there won't be any rock climbing on this outing, just hiking**

Another cool infographic, this one is about the Discover Pass

More information can be found at their new website HERE.

June 10th Little Waders and Streamside Detectives hosted by FSPW

06/10/12 Sunday	E	Little Waders and Streamside Detectives	Mindy Ferrell
Little Waders: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For kids ages 5 – 8. Kids will explore the shoreline along the Clark Fork River for bugs and other critters. Each participant will need to bring a day pack, water bottle, and extra shoes or sandals that can get wet. Parents are asked to join in the fun and help supervise their little ones. Streamside Detectives: 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. For kids ages 9 – 11. This camp will explore both still and moving water and search out what makes each environment so special. Detectives will take samples and explore the water’s edge of both a slough alongside the Clark Fork River, and the more speedy waters of Pilgrim Creek. Participants are asked to bring a day pack, a water bottle, notebook and pencil, and shoes that can get wet. Contact Mindy Ferrell at mferrell_9874@yahoo.com Contact: Mindy Ferrell    mferrell_9874@yahoo.com

This looks like a great opportunity for little ones and medium sized ones to explore at the waters edge.  Please contact Mindy Ferrel if you are interested.  More information about the FPSW can be found on their website.

Infographic on Nature & Kids

Thanks to the National Environmental Education Foundation for creating and sharing this.

Catching Pictures of Wolverines (and other large forest carnivores)

This winter Chris Bachman and a number of students from his children's school adopted two remote monitoring stations in the western cabinet mountains.  This was part of a Boise Zoo grant given to the Friends of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness to track the presence of wolverines.  Chris and his volunteer helpers had to hike into the designated areas and set up the bait station that included a frozen beaver as bait and a remote monitor camera that took pictures night and day when ever there was motion in front of the camera lens.

Here is Chris with some of his crew at one of their bait stations.  Above their head is the rear section of a beaver wired to a tree as bait.

More cheerful helpers celebrating their success.  It's not every day that you get to help with field research of an endangered species.

All their hard work lead to the Friends of the Scotchman Peak Wilderness honoring Chris and his crew with their coveted volunteer of the season award.

Here is a sample of what is often found on the remote camera's memory card.

Saturday Hike to the East/West Ponds & Frog Chorus

We are meeting at 2:00 on saturday afternoon (5/5) to hike from Camp Caro up to the ponds.  Usually this time of year the ponds are alive with the songs of frogs.  Let's go investigate.  The trailhead can be found at 400 S. Sargent Road, Spokane 99212.

2012 Dishman Hills Service Project

On April 22 over 540 volunteers attended a great service project in the Dishman Hills.

Some children helped thin the ponderosa pine and reduce fire fuels.

At the same time children across the natural area had a chance to plant new additions to the forest.

There were lots of smiles.

Let's hope the TLC lasts until next April.