Education

One of the keys to successful local land conservation is in understanding the natural world around us – and our place in it. The Land Trust offers a variety of opportunities to learn more about the land we help conserve and why it’s worth protecting.

Together with partner organizations, we offer family programs, educational hikes & outings, environmental films and more. Join us for one of the free outings, workshops or events and learn more about how you can be part of your local Land Trust. It’s your backyard!

Kids & Nature Connections

Childhood should be all about playing outside, getting dirty and learning about what makes our world tick!

In the spring of 2015, we launched our Kids & Nature Connections program, a new initiative to get kids outside with their families. 

Recent studies have shown that kids spend an incredible amount of time engaging with screens and less and less time outside in natural settings, which is taking a toll on their physical and emotional health as well as their academic performance. In addition, parents often don’t have the tools to encourage their children to spend time outside, engaging with the natural world.

Our goal is to make it easy for kids of all backgrounds (and their parents) to explore, engage and learn about the natural world. Activities will primarily take place on lands protected by the Land Trust. Check out our events calendar for upcoming family-friendly activities!

Looking for ways to help your kids connect with nature, but can't make it to a scheduled event? Get some fun, cheap and easy ways to help your kids learn more about nature by checking out these articles, written by CDLT staff in the Wenatchee World. Read past articles here. 

 

Kids can get learn about nature throughout Chelan and Douglas counties thanks to our new program.
Instilling a love of nature in children is essential to building the next generation of conservationists!
We give kids the tools they need to grow up to care for the world around them.
We give kids the tools they need to grow up to care for the world around them.
Through our programs, families are able to connect with each other and with the natural world.
There are plenty of easy ways to connect kids to nature.

 

Hikes & Outings

Land Trust members enjoy the view from Sam Hill on our 2015 Wildflower Hike.
Land Trust members enjoy the view
from Sam Hill on our 2015 Wildflower Hike.

Many of the properties we’ve protected over the years have unique qualities that aren’t obvious to everyone who visits them. Come along on one of our hikes and outings to dive deeper into geology, birds, plants, history and more. Spring and fall are prime times for getting out on our lands. Check out our events calendar for upcoming opportunities!

Environmental Film Series

Popcorn and thought-provoking cinema, anyone? Every year, the Land Trust sponsors the Environmental Film Series at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Film topics range from getting kids outside in nature, to climate change, to the idiosyncracies of birding culture, to films about adventure running and other outdoor sports and more. 

The films are shown in late fall to early spring, and they offer a great way to learn something new, meet new like-minded people and get to know the organizations that are doing important work in the world of conservation. The calendar of films is usually updated in September. Check our events calendar to find out more information!

Wenatchee Naturalist Course

Listen for the song of an American dipper while standing under a four-hundred-year-old cedar tree. Feel the fur of beavers and the soft grey feathers of a great blue heron. Share lunch with a new friend in the breezy shade of a ponderosa pine. Learn from local experts, and find new places close to home to return to time and again. 

These are just a few of the experiences Wenatchee Naturalists have during this 12-week course. This class is designed to inspire a deeper connection to the wonders of our valley and to bring new sources of joy to your everyday life. 

Learn more about the Wenatchee Naturalist Course.

Post-fire Recovery in the Foothills

Visitors are invited to print plant species lists for these CDLT properties:

Balsamroot Trail, North Wenatchee Foothills

Cashmere Canyons Preserve

Castle Rock and 1-2 Divide

Horse Lake Reserve

Jacobson Preserve

Mountain Home Preserve

Saddle Rock Natural Area 

Stormy Creek Preserve: 

Wenatchee Foothills

Other Resources

Interested in learning more about this place? Check out the list of resources below.

Resources for Parents & Teachers