The Kittitas Environmental Education Network will host the third of its four Windy City Weekend this Sunday at Irene Riverfront Park in Ellensburg.
This free nature immersion program features STEM activities for the whole family from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Participants will learn about urban natural spaces while they observe and explore our environment.
On the next to last day of the “Dog Days of Summer” three outdoor enthusiasts hiked from Chinook Pass to Sheep Lake, on through Sourdough Gap and just beyond to an overlook of Mt. Rainier and Crystal Lake. They noted a pretty good mix of birds as they hiked along with northern shoveler, rufous hummingbird, bald eagle, red-tailed hawk, olive-sided flycatcher, Canada jay, Steller's jay, common raven, mountain chickadee, violet-green swallow, red-breasted nuthatch, cedar waxwing, Cassin's finch, pine siskin, chipping sparrow, dark-eyed junco, orange-crowned warbler, yellow-rumped warbler and Townsend's warbler.
A small group of birders enjoyed a partly cloudy, cool 75º day while searching for birds along the National Forest Development Road 8040 south of Mt. Adams. They also tallied 24 species that included common nighthawk, turkey vulture, red-tailed hawk, Lewis's woodpecker, black-backed woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, northern flicker, olive-sided flycatcher, western wood-pewee, warbling vireo, Steller's jay, Clark's nutcracker, mountain chickadee, violet-green swallow, house wren, mountain bluebird that was feeding young, American robin, Cassin's finch, dark-eyed junco, white-crowned sparrow, Nashville warbler, yellow-rumped warbler, western tanager and black-headed grosbeak.
Email bird sightings to kdturley@embarqmail.com and be sure to like The Yakima Valley Audubon Society on its Facebook page or visit yakimaaudubon.org.
SATURDAY: The Hard Core Runners Club will host its weekend fun run of three to six miles with all paces and abilities welcome. Meet at 8 a.m. in the Yakima Greenway’s Gleed parking lot, at the Northwest corner of Highway 12 and Old Naches Highway.
WEDNESDAY: The Hard Core Runners Club will meet for its weekly fun run at 6 p.m. at Franklin Park, where they run either on the track or on the street.
WEDNESDAY: All riders are welcome for a weekly community group mountain bike ride at 6:30 p.m. at the Rocky Top trails on Rocky Top Road in Yakima. The rides will continue as long as daylight and weather permit. All riders must have a helmet, bike and tire repair kit. For more information, contact yakimavalleymtbteam@gmail.com.
THURSDAY: The Cascadian Pathfinders will hike five to six miles along the Pacific Crest Trail with 960 feet of elevation gain to Deer and Sand Lakes. Call Alison at 509-961-5432 or Lynne at 509-952-5059 for meeting time and place.
SUNDAY: The Cascadians will host a hike of seven miles with 1,237 feet of elevation gain to Bear Creek Mountain near White Pass, Green Trails map 303. A moderate hike with a steep stretch at the end to the high point of 7,337 feet includes meadows, a Bear Creek crossing and views of Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainier and the Goat Rocks. Call Betsy at 509-949-3985 for more information.
Reach Luke Thompson at luthompson@yakimaherald.com.
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