Field trips

Field Trip Time: 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. depart from and return to Spokane Convention Center

Cost: USD $120 per person. Includes all necessary gear (i.e. lifejackets, wetsuits, splashtops), certified guide in each raft, post trip trip drinks, and shuttle bus transport return from Spokane Convention Center.

Field Trip Description
Guided raft trip on the scenic Spokane River, through lava-formed terrain sculpted by ice age mega-floods. There will be plenty of opportunities for wildlife viewing. The 2-3 hour raft trip goes through Pitcher and Bowl and Devil’s Toenail, both class III rapids at Riverside State Park, along with numerous smaller rapids. The trip will be lead by Dr. Paul Spruell, Fisheries Biologist at Eastern Washington University, and Carolyn Connelly, a specialist on macroinvertebrates of the Spokane River.

What to Bring
Attendees should bring their own lunch, snacks, and water. We recommend bringing sun protection and dressing for a water based activity where you will likely get wet.

Field Trip Time: 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. depart from and return to Spokane Convention Center

Cost: USD $49 per person. Includes facilitated tour with a guide, shuttle bus transport return from Spokane Convention Center.

Field Trip Description
Come visit a multi-year effort to reduce phosphorus inputs to Newman Lake through implementation of Beaver Dam Analogs and other Low Tech - Process Based Restoration techniques on Thompson Creek. Newman Lake has long had issues with phosphorus loading from the surrounding watershed and failing septic systems. This site will explore several installations of Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs), Post Assisted Log Structures (PALS), and other installations that capture phosphorus laden sediment before it reaches Newman Lake. In addition, beneficial structural and morphological changes to Thompson Creek can be seen in the erosive patterns caused by the installations. This tour is lead by Brian Walker, the Private Lands Biologist from Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge and Kat Hall, the Restoration Programs Director at The Lands Council.

What to Bring
We recommend bringing water, snacks, sun protection, and dress for the weather. Bring a change of shoes as shoes may get wet depending on site conditions.

Field Trip Time: 6:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., depart from and return to Spokane Convention Center

Cost: USD $49 per person. Includes facilitated day with a guides and full day transport return from Spokane Convention Center.

Field Trip Description
Spend a day in the idyllic Selkirk Mountains exploring freshwater ecosystems with ecologists from Eastern Washington University and the Washington Natural Heritage Program. After driving north ~2 hours, we will tour the Millpond Dam Removal Restoration Site on Sullivan Creek, followed by a brief stop at Sullivan Lake. Then, snow level conditions permitting, we will drive to Bunchgrass Meadows, a rare, patterned fen ecosystem at 5000' elevation, protected as a USFS Research Natural Area, before returning to Spokane. If snow persists on the road to Bunchgrass Meadows, we will visit nearby Halliday Fen as an alternative. Total driving time will be 5 hours out of the 10 hour field trip. This trip will be co-led by Dr. Rebecca Brown, riparian ecologist and Dr. Camille McNeely, stream ecologist, both from Eastern Washington University, and Joe Rocchio, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program.

What to Bring
Attendees should bring their own lunch, snacks, and water for a full day, and should dress for potentially cooler weather at the elevation of Bunchgrass meadows (~5000 ft). Extra water and some snacks will be provided. The group will eat our brown bag lunches at Sullivan Lake.

Field Trip Time: 6:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., depart from and return to Spokane Convention Center

Cost: USD $45 per person. Includes facilitated tour with a guide and shuttle bus transport return from Spokane Convention Center.

Field Trip Description
Explore the wetlands and ponds of the Channeled Scablands at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge - among the best birding in the Inland NW US - during breeding season. Tour will provide an opportunity to see wetland amphibians and a diversity of breeding birds including migratory waterfowl. This tour is led by Grace Barthelmess, an MS in wildlife biology student from Eastern Washington University, and Dr. Betsy Bancroft, Professor of Biology at Gonzaga University.

What to Bring
We recommend bringing binoculars, water, snacks, and sun protection. Dress for the weather. Some binoculars are available to borrow upon request.