Outdoorsy Events
- National Public Lands Day (NPLD) falls on September 23rd this year. It’s a fee-free day for both National Parks and Washington state lands. Discover Pass fees will additionally be waived on October 10th for World Mental Health Day.
- Spokane County Library District will be hosting a mushroom foraging for beginners class on September 20 from 6-8 p.m. in the North Spokane meeting room. Attend to learn about some of the edible mushrooms found in our region!
- Join the Methow Conservancy for a series of free events, both in person and online, during September and October. Highlights include an in-person presentation on lynx and wildfire, a field trip through the newly acquired Sunny M. Ranch property with a focus on the forest, and a Zoom presentation on bats from WDFW. (Methowconservancy.org)
- Free guided hike destinations with Inland Northwest Land Conservancy during September include Waikiki Springs, Palisades Park, and Saltese Uplands. (Inlandnwland.org)
- The Dishman Hills Conservancy’s annual dinner and auction fundraiser will be held on October 16 at CenterPlace Regional Event Center. (Dishmanhills.org)
Let Your Voice Be Heard!
The Blue Mountains region, consisting of the Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman, and Malheur National Forests, is currently undergoing a revision of its existing Forest Plan. A series of public meetings is planned throughout September and October, including an online Zoom meeting option on October 10. Join any of these and then consider providing formal comments to help guide the process. For more information, contact Sm.fs.bluesforests@usda.gov.
Conservation & Stewardship Opportunities
- The annual Spokane River Cleanup with be held on September 16. Sign up with The Lands Council for this self-guided event, with designated trash collection sites in multiple locations along the Spokane River. (Landscouncil.org)
- Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness have several trailwork events planned through the month of September, including a NPLD project at Regal/Morris Creek on September 23. They will wrap up the trailwork season on September 30 with a project at Goat Mountain. (Scotchmanpeaks.org)
- Spokane Nordic will have several weekend days of volunteer trail maintenance in September and October in preparation for the upcoming Nordic ski season. (Spokanenordic.org)
- Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance will be offering a fall weekend’s worth of work parties in the Methow from September 29-October 1, with camping available at Upper Beaver Creek Campground and the work happening on nearby Blue Buck and Lightening Creek Trails. Food included, but advance registration required. (Evergreenmtb.org)
- Okanogan Highlands Alliance will be partnering with Pacific Northwest Trail Association on September 9 for a day of heavy restoration work on Beaver Lake Trail. PNTA will be hosting a variety of additional projects throughout September and into early October, working on the Kettle Crest and near Sullivan Lake. (Okanoganhighlands.org and pnt.org)
- Idaho Trails Association (ITA) and Washington Trails Association will be partnering on the Jackson Creek Trail in North Idaho near the Salmo-Priest Wilderness the first weekend after Labor Day. Join either crew as they work to meet in the middle at the WA/ID boundary! ITA will additionally be hosting a National Public Lands Day project at Chimney Rock in the Idaho Selkirks, while WTA will be celebrating the organization’s 30th anniversary of the trail maintenance program with a return to Iller Creek Conservation Area in Spokane Valley for annual maintenance on September 18, as well as a project at Fishtrap Recreation Area near Cheney, Wash. (Idahotrailsassociation.org and wta.org) //
