Upcoming events.
Learn & Volunteer
We offer classes, volunteer projects, twice-annual plant sales, and other events like ecosystem outings and plant ID walks throughout the year.
Winter Twig ID Field Class
We invite you join us and discover the appreciation and delight that learning this unusual skill brings to your winter outings!
Field-day Workshop - Hedgerow Installation
Join in this hands-on learning experience while installing a 640-ft long x 15-ft wide hedgerow in a farm field where Piece by Piece Farm grows a bounty of organic produce for our region!
Featured topics for this field-based workshop include:
Learning different hedgerow plant species and their role in the hedgerow;
Laying out a hedgerow design and practicing use of a planting plan diagram;
Hands-on view of how different plant sizes and stock types impact budget;
How this hedgerow will support various goals, including protecting water quality, supporting pollinators, and providing habitat for beneficial insects to sustain healthy organic vegetable crops.
Additionally, the Piece by Piece farmers will share their farming practices, history, and other lessons learned.
Field Day Workshop - Hedgerows Prep Day
Note: This is NOT the main installation workshop. You must sign up separately for each day. Please return to the calendar page to find and sign up for the workshop on November 10th if you would like to participate in the planting.
Hedgerows Prep Day: Help us prepare for the all-day hedgerow installation with these tasks:
Delineating the spacing for the hedgerow planting site to enable easier plant placement on Nov 10th.
Organizing 32 blocks of ~30+ potted plants/livestakes to ensure that each 20-foot hedgerow length has the correct species pre-designated; this will involve choosing the right plants from the 20 species used in the hedgerow — a great chance to learn more about hedgerow plants!
Labeling each planting block with our pre-made signs so workshop participants know which species is which.
Discover Hedgerows: Part III Webinar - “Diving into the Planting Plan”
Discover Hedgerows: Part III - Diving into the Planting Plan
Join us as we build on lessons learned in our “Discover Hedgerows” Parts I and II
Highlights from this latest webinar in the series will include:
How your hedgerow goals drive plant characteristics
Using our sortable hedgerow plant options table to narrow options
Hedgerow plant density & spacing considerations
Sourcing and affording the plants you need for your project
Overview of favorite hedgerow species for different goals
Excursion: Fall Colors: Duckabush River to Big Hump
Join us for this fall hike up the Duckabush River to enjoy the fall colors of three species of native maple trees dripping with mosses and lichens, and so much more! Of the ~120 native plant species found along this trail, many evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, perennials and ferns are all still in evidence to be enjoyed as the weather turns colder.
McLane Creek Trail Maintenance
Join us and spend a few hours maintaining McLane’s trails, while appreciating the diversity in this wonderful example of a Puget lowland forest. We mindfully trim back growth along the trail, remove leaf debris from boardwalks, and clear the paths of any large debris.
Click the title for more information and to sign up!
McLane Creek Trail Maintenance
Join us and spend a few hours maintaining McLane’s trails, while appreciating the diversity in this wonderful example of a Puget lowland forest. We mindfully trim back growth along the trail, remove leaf debris from boardwalks, and clear the paths of any large debris.
Click the title for more information and to sign up!
Excursion - Alpine Foliage & Wildflowers
Botanize with our team of eco-instructors as we discover the summer bounty of our near Cascade peaks. Timed to capture many species of native wildflowers and the early berries, we’ll geek out over ~100 species, tiny to grand. Part of the trail we’ll explore was burned in 2017, resulting in dense patches of extraordinary summer wildflowers (and special woodpeckers!). Other sections have forested patches with shade-loving specialties, and we’ll see some classic alpine meadows featuring heathers and their associates.
Click title for more information & tickets!
Plant Outing
These wanderings at McLane Creek Nature Trail are a great way to learn native plants, botanize with friends, and enjoy a beautiful afternoon outdoors! Our Outings observe the South Salish lowland forest and riparian ecosystems through the spring and summer seasons.
Click title for more information & tickets!
McLane Creek Trail Maintenance
Join us and spend a few hours maintaining McLane’s trails, while appreciating the diversity in this wonderful example of a Puget lowland forest. We mindfully trim back growth along the trail, remove leaf debris from boardwalks, and clear the paths of any large debris.
Click the title for more information and to sign up!
McLane Creek Trail Maintenance
Join us and spend a few hours maintaining McLane’s trails, while appreciating the diversity in this wonderful example of a Puget lowland forest. We mindfully trim back growth along the trail, remove leaf debris from boardwalks, and clear the paths of any large debris.
Click the title for more information and to sign up!
Plant Outing
These wanderings at McLane Creek Nature Trail are a great way to learn native plants, botanize with friends, and enjoy a beautiful afternoon outdoors! Our Outings observe the South Salish lowland forest and riparian ecosystems through the spring and summer seasons.
Click title for more information & tickets!
Excursion - Peatland Ecosystem
This is a limited-enrollment opportunity, as our hosts are offering us a special permit for access to study this unique ecosystem! We will spend a few hours exploring the unique flora (including carnivorous plants!) of a peatland in Mason County.
Click title for more information & tickets!
30-Year Celebration -- Annual Volunteer & Donor Gathering
We'll share a potluck supper, recognize our Community Partners, Volunteers, and Donors, and celebrate 30 years of action & education in our community.
Plus, we have thank-you goodies for all our friends — plants, art, hats, and the unveiling of our brand-new stickers & latest hat design!
Come for the camaraderie, stay for the all-you-can-eat Olympic Mountain gourmet ice cream, sorbet, & non-dairy ice cream buffet!
Excursion - South Salish Prairie
Explore a section of South Salish Prairie to identify the many native perennial and annual flowers, grasses, trees and shrubs (and maybe a few lichens!). Spring on our local prairies is spectacular, with an ever-changing bloom cycle, and we are timing this Excursion to capture the blooms of many special species. We will provide a detailed plant list, further reading recommendations, and laminated learning materials.
Click title for more information & tickets!
McLane Creek Trail Maintenance
Join us and spend a few hours maintaining McLane’s trails, while appreciating the diversity in this wonderful example of a Puget lowland forest. We mindfully trim back growth along the trail, remove leaf debris from boardwalks, and clear the paths of any large debris.
Click the title for more information and to sign up!
Plant Outing
These wanderings at McLane Creek Nature Trail are a great way to learn native plants, botanize with friends, and enjoy a beautiful afternoon outdoors! Our Outings observe the South Salish lowland forest and riparian ecosystems through the spring and summer seasons.
Click title for more information & tickets!
Spring Twigs - a Winter Twig Foliage Follow-up
This course at McLane Creek Nature Trail is a follow-up to our popular winter twig course in January. Focusing on the woody species we learn in their “stick” state, we’ll check in on them with all their floral and leafy clothing on.
McLane Creek Trail Maintenance
Join us and spend a few hours maintaining McLane’s trails, while appreciating the diversity in this wonderful example of a Puget lowland forest. We mindfully trim back growth along the trail, remove leaf debris from boardwalks, and clear the paths of any large debris.
Click the title for more information and to sign up!
McLane Creek Trail Maintenance
Join us and spend a few hours maintaining McLane’s trails, while appreciating the diversity in this wonderful example of a Puget lowland forest. We mindfully trim back growth along the trail, remove leaf debris from boardwalks, and clear the paths of any large debris.
Click the title for more information and to sign up!
Hedgerows Workshop
Join Thurston Conservation District, WSU Extension, and Oyster Bay Farm for another hedgerow-related learning opportunity. We’ll be planting over 1,000 plants in multiple strips, with templates created using the methods in the Hedgerow How-to Handbook.
Native Plant Salvage #4
During our salvages, volunteers save small native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants from local areas scheduled for clearing. NPS Salvages are a great way to practice plant identification and meet fellow plant nerds!
Click through for more info!
Native Plant Salvage #3
During our salvages, volunteers save small native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants from local areas scheduled for clearing. NPS Salvages are a great way to practice plant identification and meet fellow plant nerds!
Click through for more info!
Native Plant Salvage #2
During our salvages, volunteers save small native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants from local areas scheduled for clearing. NPS Salvages are a great way to practice plant identification and meet fellow plant nerds!
Click through for more info!
Native Plant Salvage #1
During our salvages, volunteers save small native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants from local areas scheduled for clearing. NPS Salvages are a great way to practice plant identification and meet fellow plant nerds!
Click through for more info!
Webinar: Discover Hedgerows!
Join us for this online overview of:
Hedgerow benefits
Design principles & plants
Site prep & maintenance
Planning for the field-day workshop on November 4th
This webinar can be enjoyed independently as a complement to our WSU Ext. Hedgerow Toolkit, or in preparation for participating in our companion learning & volunteer event on November 4th at Helsing Junction Farms.
Fall Plant Sale '23
Our annual online Fall Plant Sale will be open for purchases from September 24th - October 1st, and in-person pickups will be October 6-8th!
McLane Creek Trail Maintenance
Join us and spend a few hours maintaining McLane’s trails, while appreciating the diversity in this wonderful example of a Puget lowland forest. We mindfully trim back growth along the trail, remove leaf debris from boardwalks, and clear the paths of any large debris.
Click the title for more information and to sign up!
McLane Creek Trail Maintenance
Join us and spend a few hours maintaining McLane’s trails, while appreciating the diversity in this wonderful example of a Puget lowland forest. We mindfully trim back growth along the trail, remove leaf debris from boardwalks, and clear the paths of any large debris.
Click the title for more information and to sign up!
Excursion - Alpine Wildflowers & Berries
Botanize with our team of eco-instructors as we discover the summer bounty of our near Cascade peaks. Timed to capture many species of native wildflowers and the early berries, we’ll geek out over ~100 species, tiny to grand. Part of the trail we’ll explore was burned in 2017, resulting in dense patches of extraordinary summer wildflowers (and special woodpeckers!). Other sections have forested patches with shade-loving specialties, and we’ll see some classic alpine meadows featuring heathers and their associates.
Click title for more information & tickets!
Excursion - Outer Coastal Backshore & Saltmarsh
Join our team of eco-instructors to discover the unique plants of these outer coastal substrates, from the sandy backshore to the mucky saltmarsh. We’ll discuss the natural processes that shape these ecosystems and study the unusual plants that can withstand the rigors of life in this zone — an ever-changing beach profile with the seasons, extreme storms and tides, and water/nutrient-limited substrates.
Click title for more information & tickets!