APRIL ENEWS

Lupine at Snow Mountain Ranch. Image by David Hagen

Greetings!

Spring is springing! Now's the time to get outside, get involved, and make your voice heard. Join us for guided walks, support our upcoming fundraiser, and help shape Cowiche Canyon Conservancy's future through our community survey.

Last Chance to Tell Us What You Think!

We want to hear what you think and feel about our lands, trails, and programs. Your feedback will help shape our organization’s long-term strategic plan to protect shrub-steppe habitat, manage multi-use trails, and engage our community with educational programs.

Please complete this 10-15 minute survey by clicking here, or scan the QR code above. This survey is available in English and Spanish.

If you complete the survey, you’ll automatically be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a $30 gift card to the local business of your choice!

Thank you for your engagement and help. We value your feedback!

*This survey will close on Wednesday, April 15th.

Join Us

for Cowiche Canyon Rocks!

Join us on Sunday, May 3, from 2–5 pm at the beautiful Yakima Area Arboretum to celebrate and support Cowiche Canyon Conservancy. Tickets are still available! This lively afternoon brings together community, conservation, and celebration in support of the places we love.

Join fellow supporters for an inspiring event that fuels Cowiche Canyon Conservancy’s conservation, education, and recreation programs—from protecting shrub-steppe habitat to connecting people of all ages to the land through trails and outdoor learning. Expect a fun, relaxed atmosphere with opportunities to gather, give back, and support our local lands.

Tickets are $125 per person, a table of 8 is $1000. For more info about the event, go here.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for those looking to deepen their impact and show support for conservation in our community.

Contact celisa@cowichecanyon.org for more information.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Earth Day in Cowiche Canyon

a friendly Gopher snake at Earth Day in 2024.

What: Earth Day in Cowiche Canyon

When: Saturday, April 25, 10am to 12:30pm

Where: Cowiche Canyon Trail West/Weikel trailhead

*No sign up is needed for this event.

Earth Day in Cowiche Canyon has become a Yakima tradition! Join us for a family-friendly day of learning about life on our special place on earth. Stroll the canyon at your own pace and check out learning stations on observable scientific phenomena. There's something for everyone -- from rocks to plants to birds to bugs to snakes to lamprey!

This year we'll be joined by an amazing group of local science educators and experts:

Dan Beck & students (Central Washington University) - on the reptile life of our shrub-steppe, with live snakes for show and tell.
Keyna Bugner (Washington Native Plant Society) - on native plants: who they are, why they're beautiful and amazing!
David James (Washington State University & Washington Butterfly Association) - on butterflies and insect life, likely with live butterflies for show and tell.
Caleb Lankford (Washington State Department of Agriculture) - on native bees of our state. A display with magnifying glasses will allow visitors to look at bees up close.
Dave Lumley (Yakama Nation Pacific Lamprey Project) - on the life cycle, ecological importance, and cultural significance of an amazing and ancient creature, the Pacific Lamprey, with the Yakama Nation Pacific Lamprey Project.
Jerred Seveyka & students (Yakima Valley College) - on the amazing birdlife of Cowiche Canyon. With the help of YVC students, look through scopes and binoculars for raptors, wrens, swallows and more.
Suki Smaglik (Heritage University) - on the volcanic episodes that shaped Cowiche Canyon and our valley. Plus just learn about rocks!
Sean Tait (Leaf on the Wind) - on the amazing intelligence and sentience of trees.

Get to Know a Trail: Konnowac Pass

Ridgelines and volcanoes, viewed from Konnowac Pass

What: Get to Know a Trail: a Konnowac Pass Loop

When: Friday, May 8, 5:00 pm to 6:30pm

Where: Konnowac Pass Trailhead

Invite a colleague or friend after work and Join Cowiche Canyon Conservancy staff for an informal tour of a loop at Konnowac Pass.

Distance: About 2.5 to 3 miles

Difficulty: Uneven ground, about 400 feet of elevation gain

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO

Welcome Adam!

Adam Beh, CCC's new Conservation & Recreation Manager

Cowiche Canyon Conservancy is thrilled to welcome our new Conservation & Recreation Manager, Adam Beh. Adam brings over 25 years of professional experience to CCC’s conservation and recreation programs. He has helped numerous nonprofit organizations and local governments realize complex community-conservation goals in multiple countries and in diverse natural areas. In his spare time, Adam is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys long-distance backpacking, mountain biking, and backcountry splitboarding. Adam also appreciates mindful travel to new places and welcomes the opportunity to work with new partners and collaborators in Yakima’s shrub-steppe landscape.

Supporting Bees!

A bumble bee on bitterroot. Image by David Hagen.

Next time you’re wandering Cowiche Canyon or Snow Mountain Ranch, think about this: There are at least 100 species of native bees who call these lands home! And there are many more species in our wider shrub-steppe ecosystem.

We know this thanks to the dedicated and eye-straining work of staff and volunteers with Washington Bee Atlas (WABA), a program of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, who have been hard at work surveying, cataloging, and identifying bee species.

WABA has existed for just two full years, and they have collected and identified records of nearly 30 new or rare bee species known in the state. Twelve species had not been recorded for at least 50 years, including the wild-eyed and adorable Ochraceous chimney bee (Diadasia ochracea, pictured below), found on CCC lands, which was last recorded in 1903. For more info, and why this matters, check out the full news release.

*Also, a shout out to our former Jesuit Volunteer Corps volunteer, Bran Romero, who helped WABA and CCC with surveying work and in creating educational opportunities for our community to get involved with this volunteer-powered project. We're continuing these opportunities with a Bee Walk on May 23rd with WABA"s Caleb Lankford.

image by Washington Bee Atlas

CONSIDER THIS

What to Look For on Trail

Showy phlox and Carey's balsamroot at Snow Mountain Ranch

A big wave of wildflowers is here! Look for Carey's balsamroot (Balsamorhiza careyana ), Hooker’s balsamroot (Balsamorhiza hookeri ), lupines, and phloxes!
Western serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) is peppering hillsides in clusters of white flowers.
In the bird world, more neotropical migrants -- from Mexico, Central, and even South America -- are arriving every day! Look and listen for warblers, grosbeaks, and tanagers. Swallows are also swooping into Yakima. According to local birder Andy Stepniewski, Northern Rough-winged swallows (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) and Cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) tend to be the first to arrive. Watch for groups of cliff swallows circling in and out of nests made of mud and attached to overhung canyon walls.
Woodpeckers have been extremely active. We've spotted Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) and Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) at Snow Mountain Ranch.