Wenatchee River Institute

A beautiful stroll along the river with provided art supplies for some pensive self expression.

Meet at the gazebo at 1:30pm. Paint and Stroll will last ~1hour

Get inspired by the amazing artists at the outdoor market, then join us for a short walk down to the river and take some creative time for yourself. Join the Wenatchee River Institute for this free program suitable for children and adults!

What’s provided?
-Guided nature walk to the Wenatchee River, 0.3 miles from the Front St Gazebo
-Simple supplies for drawing or watercolor painting
-Tips for beginners
-Time to create your own work of art!

Join Wenatchee River Institute, in partnership with Leavenworth Outdoor Center, on a relaxing evening paddle down the Wenatchee River. This is a guided trip that will introduce you to the plants (flora) and animals (fauna) of our diverse river area (riparian zone). You will learn how to be a better observer of nature and be introduced to river safety and navigation. This is a great way to build your nature skills and confidence on the river.

Limit – 10 participants – registration required
Included – Kayak or paddle board, Life vest (PFD), transportation from WRI
Difficulty level – Beginner to intermediate, recommended you have basic swimming ability.
Ages – 8 and older, an adult must accompany anyone 15 and younger.
Accessibility – Tandem kayaks are available.

A guided educational float down the Wenatchee River.

Join Wenatchee River Institute, in partnership with Leavenworth Outdoor Center, on a relaxing evening paddle down the Wenatchee River. This is a guided trip that will introduce you to the plants (flora) and animals (fauna) of our diverse river area (riparian zone). You will learn how to be a better observer of nature and be introduced to river safety and navigation. This is a great way to build your nature skills and confidence on the river.

Limit – 10 participants – registration required
Included – Kayak or paddle board, Life vest (PFD), transportation from WRI
Difficulty level – Beginner to intermediate, recommended you have basic swimming ability.
Ages – 8 and older, an adult must accompany anyone 15 and younger.
Accessibility – Tandem kayaks are available.

A guided, educational float down the Wenatchee River.

Join Wenatchee River Institute, in partnership with Leavenworth Outdoor Center, on a relaxing evening paddle down the Wenatchee River. This is a guided trip that will introduce you to the plants (flora) and animals (fauna) of our diverse river area (riparian zone). You will learn how to be a better observer of nature and be introduced to river safety and navigation. This is a great way to build your nature skills and confidence on the river.

Limit – 10 participants – registration required
Included – Kayak or paddle board, Life vest (PFD), transportation from WRI
Difficulty level – Beginner to intermediate, recommended you have basic swimming ability.
Ages – 8 and older, an adult must accompany anyone 15 and younger.
Accessibility – Tandem kayaks are available.

This is a partnered event with a Book for all Seasons and the Wenatchee River Institute.

Doors open at 6:30pm for a community social with beer and wine available for purchase. The presentation will start at 7:00pm.

Join author and journalist Lynda V. Mapes for a discussion about changing our relationship with forests. Long regarded as commodities primarily for growing wood products, today we know forests are essential to community wellbeing, climate stability, wildlife, and clean water and air. We need to shift our relationship with forests to emphasize caretaking, respect, and reciprocity. Lynda will share examples of sustainable forestry practices underway in our region and beyond that take care of people, forests, and wildlife, drawing from her new book, The Trees Are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forests.

Join Wenatchee River Institute and local artist and instructor Teara Dillon of Artisus for a Red Barn Paint and Sip.

Art supplies, instruction, and one beverage are included in registration, and you will take home your masterpiece at the end of the night!

Join the Wenatchee Valley Astronomy Club on a family-friendly journey through space. Using a variety of telescopes, we’ll gaze up into the Milky Way and learn about some of the best night sky objects to view. From the stunning rings of Saturn and planetary nebulas to large cataclysmic supernova remnants we’ll journey through our own galaxy and even take a look at neighboring ones.

Age Limit: 8+ years old
Ages 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
Registration for this event is required. Limit 25 participants.

Cost is Pay What You Can

Join Wenatchee River Institute and Puget Sound Mycological Society for our Fall Fungi Field Trip!

The day will begin at the Wenatchee River Institute with a meeting to set the scene and provide a safety briefing. PSMS guides will take groups of people out to different locations for fungi foraging and collection. There is no guarantee you’ll find good edible mushrooms, but you will learn the basics of foraging and get an idea of habitats to explore in the future. The guided trips will be out foraging for about 3-4 hours. Groups will return to WRI to have their mushrooms identified. We’ll close the day out with a group potluck!

Note that the forage may include walking on uneven ground.
Limit: 30 WRI participants

By registering through WRI you will have a spot on a field trip with a PSMS guide.
*If you are already a member of Puget Sound Mycological Society, you do NOT need to register.

Join us for an evening filled with creativity and learning. Local Indigenous artist and owner of Mystic North Jewelry, Amanda Keewatinawin, will be leading a workshop on the Indigenous art form of beading and how to create your own beaded lanyard.

Registration includes your own curated kit and instructions to be used during class.
Limit: 15 participants
Ages: 12 and up. Ages 12-17 need to attend with an adult.

Improve your photography skills and see the world in a new way. This outdoor photo field trip will train your eye and spark your creativity. Learn how to observe your environment like a photographer, compose dynamic shots using natural light, and create a mini nature photo story.

Step outside and into the natural world—ready to see, frame, and capture!

This event features new film “Ridge to River” created by Cashmere resident and Emmy-award winning videographer Steven Gnam. After the film, Friends of Mission Ridge (FOMR), a Wenatchee-based, grassroots non-profit, will host a Q&A session with the audience.

A developer proposes a 7,812-bed luxury resort near the top of Mission Ridge, adjacent to the Mission Ridge Ski Area. Orchardists, skiers, hunters, birders, and Tribes are concerned about the impacts that this development would have on the ecology and culture of the region.

Have you ever wondered what really makes transit systems work—not just locally, but across the country? With her nearly two decades of experience shaping transit networks nationwide, Cristina will take you behind the curtain to explore what drives great service.

Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest is part retirement home, part rescue, part educational facility. Learn how this unique organization cares for chimpanzees who have been used in the pet, entertainment, and biomedical industries and how the sanctuary has grown over the last seventeen years.

Doors open at 6:30pm for a community social with beer and wine available for purchase. The presentation will start at 7:00pm.

No registration required, but RSVP to receive email reminders and updates about this event!

Join the Lake Chelan Research Institute to hear geological, environmental, and human stories from the Lake Chelan Watershed, while learning about potential threats to the lake’s ecology and opportunities to restore and steward the lake into the future.

With aerial and underwater photography from Cashmere’s Steven Gnam (National Geographic, Crown of the Continent), and contributions from the Lake Chelan Research Institute’s Anna Galipeau and Phil Long, this presentation is sure to provide new perspectives on the ever-changing ecological treasure that is Lake Chelan.