Calendar
Meetings
9:30am - 12:30pm
Bird Language Basics for Adults
Water Resources Education Center
Saturday, May 3, 2025
9:30am
- 12:30pm
4600 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver, WA 98661
Birds are among the most vocal creatures on Earth, and spring is an especially vibrant time for them. As they search for mates, establish territories, and raise their young, this season offers a remarkable opportunity for observation. By slowing down and tuning in to their vocalizations, you can uncover the rich, dramatic stories unfolding in their lives and the ecosystems they inhabit.
In this field class, you’ll discover how paying attention to the calls, postures, and behaviors of songbirds can enhance your ability to spot more wildlife, unravel fascinating stories, deepen your connection to nature and increase your awareness skills.
This workshop will introduce techniques like sound mapping and sit spots, providing a hands-on experience. Held outdoors, the class will have opportunities to both sit still and listen to the birds, as well as going on a guided bird hike to learn their calls.
This class is designed for adult learners (18 years and older).
Expect to walk 1 mile on paved and uneven, muddy trails and to sit outside and make a bird sound map for approximately 45 minutes. Binoculars will be available to use. Detailed logistics will be emailed to participants upon registration.
Advanced registration required. Sign up today to reserve your spot!
If the event becomes full, please contact the Water Center at vanwrec@cityofvancouver.us or 360-487-7111 to add your name to the waitlist.
9:30am - 11:30am
Birds and Blooms of Burnt Bridge Creek
NW Lakeshore Avenue
Saturday, May 10, 2025
9:30am
- 11:30am
NW Lakeshore Ave, Vancouver, WA 98663
Join us for a springtime walk along Burnt Bridge Creek, where nature comes alive in May. We will learn how to identify the flowering native plants along the trail while listening for the songs of migrating song birds. Learn how the health of the water plays a crucial role in supporting local ecosystems, from the flowers along the creek’s edge to the birds passing through.
Registration required. Sign up today!
This walk is suitable for adults and families with youth ages 8 and older. All minors must be accompanied by an adult. Expect to walk 2.5 miles on mostly paved and flat pathways. Stairs descend from the street parking to the trailhead.
If the event becomes full, please contact the Water Center at vanwrec@cityofvancouver.us or 360-487-7111 to add your name to the waitlist.
9:00am - 11:00am
Water Center Garden Cleanup
Water Resources Education Center
Saturday, May 17, 2025
9:00am
- 11:00am
4600 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver, WA 98661
Join Water Center staff outdoors to help keep our beautiful Backyard Habitat Certified gardens in tip-top shape. Volunteer activities will focus on weeding, trimming, and small blackberry removal projects. All necessary tools and gloves will be provided.
Registration is required. Sign up today!
Youth under 18 must provide a signed minor consent form. Youth under 13 must have an adult guardian present. Volunteer activities are suitable for adults and youth ages 6 and older.
Contact: Water Center staff at vanwrec@cityofvancouver.us or 360-487-7111
10:00am - 12:30pm
The Hidden Journey of Wastewater
Water Resources Education Center
Saturday, May 24, 2025
10:00am
- 12:30pm
4600 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver, WA 98661
Have you ever wondered what happens to the water that goes down your drain? Where does it end up? How is it cleaned? What should and should not go down your drains? During Public Works Week, we invite you to join us for a tour of the city’s Marine Park Wastewater Treatment Plant to learn about the unseen journey of our used water.
After the treatment plant tour, we will take a nature walk to the Columbia River to learn about the riparian ecosystem and see where the clean water is released.
Tour is suitable for adults and youth 8 years and older. Tour is inside and outside and will happen rain or shine. Closed toed shoes are required. Expect to walk 2.5 miles on paved pathways and up and down flights of stairs in the treatment plant.
Space is limited. Sign up to reserve your spot today!
If the event becomes full, please contact the Water Center at vanwrec@cityofvancouver.us or 360-487-7111 to add your name to the waitlist.
10:00am - 11:15am
Go with the Flow: First Thursday Wastewater Treatment Plant Tour
Marine Park Engineering
Thursday, June 5, 2025
10:00am
- 11:15am
4500 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver, WA 98661
Join us for a free tour of the City of Vancouver’s Marine Park Wastewater Treatment Facility. This 75-minute walking tour will take you behind the scenes of what happens to all the water that goes down the drains in your home, school, or business. From a flush, to laundry, to washing dishes, all the water we use goes into underground pipes and to a treatment plant to be cleaned. Learn how to care for our water and our utilities in this unique tour.
Tour is suitable for ages 8 and older. Closed-toed shoes required for all tour participants. Expect to walk 0.75 on paved surfaces. Participants will encounter several stairways during the tour. There will be a space in the RSVP form to let us know if there are any accessibility needs you have so that we can do our best to accommodate your needs.
Meet at the Marine Park Engineering building, next door to the Water Resources Education Center. Detailed logistics will be sent to registered participants.
Registration is required. Sign up today!
If the event becomes full, please contact the Water Center at vanwrec@cityofvancouver.us or 360-487-7111 to add your name to the waitlist.
9:00am - 12:00pm
BioBlitz at the Water Center
Water Resources Education Center
Saturday, June 7, 2025
9:00am
- 12:00pm
4600 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver, WA 98661
Join us for the second annual BioBlitz at the Water Resources Education Center! Help document the plants, insects, lichen, birds, and other wildlife that are present around our wetlands and forest edges.
The BioBlitz helps us monitor species year after year to understand who is here, seasonal movement patterns and flowering phenology. With the help of community scientists and nature enthusiasts like you, we will document as many species as we can.
Registration is required. Sign up today to reserve your spot!
During the BioBlitz, volunteers will sign up for a walk (descriptions below) that will be led by a local expert who will share identification tips with the group. We will use the free iNaturalist app to help us document all the species we find. No experience with the app is necessary to participate.
The Bioblitz is a family-friendly event. Guided walks are appropriate for ages 6 and older. Walks will be approximately 75 minutes long. Walks may be on paved pathways, sandy beaches, or grassy areas. Detailed logistics for your specific walk will be emailed upon registration.
Partners from Vancouver Bee Project, Columbia Springs, and City of Vancouver’s NatureSpaces will be on hand with education tables for participants, so come early to enjoy learning from our partners.
Walk Themes:
Plants, Moss and Lichen: Join City of Vancouver’s NatureSpaces staff to explore the riparian edges in search of all our stationary friends: the plants, mosses and lichen.
Invertebrates: Join a naturalist and environmental science professor from Clark College and take a deep dive into the fascinating world of insects.
Bee Walk: Join the Vancouver Bee Project team to look for all things bees in our gardens and along the trails.
Birds and Animals: Join a Water Center educator in search of birds by sight and sound. Then head down to the wetlands and beaches and track the animals living around the water.
Accessibility: Substrate and terrain are variable for each walk. In general, the insect and bee walks will be on grassy fields, and gravel pathways, along the edges of plants. The plant walk will be on mostly paved surfaces and will be 1.5 miles. The bird and animal walk will be on paved pathways, non-paved wetland trails, and sandy beaches. Detailed logistics for your walk will be sent to you upon registration.
If the event becomes full, please contact the Water Center at vanwrec@cityofvancouver.us or 360-487-7111 to add your name to the waitlist.
Events
-
Registration FullWater Resources Education Center
Bird Language Basics for Adults
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Birds are among the most vocal creatures on Earth, and spring is an especially vibrant time for them. As they search for mates, establish territories, and raise their young, this…
-
Registration RequiredWater Resources Education Center
Birds and Blooms of Burnt Bridge Creek
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Join us for a springtime walk along Burnt Bridge Creek, where nature comes alive in May. We will learn how to identify the flowering native plants along the trail while…
-
Registration RequiredWater Resources Education Center
Water Center Garden Cleanup
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Join Water Center staff outdoors to help keep our beautiful Backyard Habitat Certified gardens in tip-top shape. Volunteer activities will focus on weeding, trimming, and small blackberry removal projects. All…
-
Registration RequiredWater Resources Education Center
The Hidden Journey of Wastewater
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Have you ever wondered what happens to the water that goes down your drain? Where does it end up? How is it cleaned? What should and should not go down…
-
Registration RequiredWater Resources Education Center
Go with the Flow: First Thursday Wastewater Treatment Plant Tour
Thursday, June 5, 2025
Join us for a free tour of the City of Vancouver’s Marine Park Wastewater Treatment Facility. This 75-minute walking tour will take you behind the scenes of what happens to…
-
Registration RequiredWater Resources Education Center
BioBlitz at the Water Center
Saturday, June 7, 2025
Join us for the second annual BioBlitz at the Water Resources Education Center! Help document the plants, insects, lichen, birds, and other wildlife that are present around our wetlands and…