Columbia Basin Chapter - Washington Native Plant Society

Please Note: This is a listing of plant walks that may be of interest to our members and may include events that are not sponsored by the Washington Native Plant Society. Times and locations are subject to change without notice. Please confirm before attending. Unless otherwise noted, all events are open to the public.

Tri-Cities Plant Walks

This year we’ve adopted the theme “Hiking through Spring”. Our plan is to hike some local venues every month, looking to see what’s new and watching the amazing spring transformation in action! Each month we will also take a “road trip” and hike some of the amazing desert venues outside of the Tri-Cities area. Mark your calendars now so you can join us!

Saturday, April 28th 7:15 a.m. Wildhorse Wind Farm Led by Ernie Crediford (460-9057). A wide range of wildflowers grow on the rocky slopes under the wind turbines. The outing will include a 9:00 a.m. presentation at the wind farm on “Shrub Steppe Ecology and Ethnobotany”. The wind farm is between Ellensburg and Vantage. Meet at Federal Building parking lot (corner of Swift and Jadwin; one block west of George Washington Way) in Richland to carpool. Bring a lunch and be prepared for cool, windy weather. We will return mid-afternoon.

Saturday, May 5th 9:00 a.m. McBee Grade (Horse Heaven Hills) Led by Ernie Crediford (460-9057). A diversity of wildflowers and grasses grow on the slopes of the Horse Heaven Hills. Meet at the Park & Ride at Benton City exit on Interstate 82. Hike time approximately 2 hours.

Saturday, May 12th 9:00 a.m. - 2 p.m. Wallula Gap (WA side) Walk through wildflowers and native grasses while enjoying vistas created by the Ice Age Floods. Led by Bob Fortman (509-948-3999). The hike will be close to the Columbia so we will see the mouth of the Walla Walla River, Port Alice, and the grain terminal. Bring a lunch. Hike time approximately 3 hours plus extra time for lunch and exploration. Directions: From Kennewick, drive south on State Route 397 (Chemical Drive), exit onto Piert Road between mile posts 10 and 11; continue south on Piert Road for about 1/2 mile and turn left onto Meals Road. Continue on Meals Road south for about 3 miles, turn left on Ayers Road. Park at the area where the road drops in elevation and is turning left near a fence. Click on "Directions" for a map.

Saturday, May 12, 2012, Hikes start every 10-minutes between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Amon Basin. The Tapteal Greenway Association and Friends of Amon are leading a guided hike through the wetlands and desert shrub-steppe of Amon Basin Community Preserve. Meet at Claybell Park in South Richland (off Broadmoor Street). Learn about the treasures of this urban wilderness. The walk will last 2+ hours and cover a 1½ mile circuit; along the way there will be 7 stations where experts will give short presentations on plants, birds, geology, and wildlife. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Kids are welcome, but remember this is a HIKE. Bring your own water, snacks, sunscreen, and camera. Please leave your dogs at home. Portajons will be available. For more information, call Kathy Dechter at 627-0950.

Saturday, May 19, 2012, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00p.m. Wildhorse Wind Farm. Another trip to the wind farm to hopefully see the hedgehog cactus blooming. The wind farm is located between Ellensburg and Vantage. Meet at Federal Building parking lot (corner of Swift and Jadwin; one block west of George Washington Way) in Richland to carpool. Bring a lunch. We will return by early-afternoon.

June hikes will be to Badger (6/2), Batemen Island (6/9), and BFI Seeds (June 16) in Moses Lake.

For other hike locations see Wildflower Trails in the Tri-Cities Area.

Walla Walla Plant Walks

Email Laura Maier at maierjj@whitman.edu or phone at 509 525-1079 for more information concerning these hikes.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 9 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. CTUIR Nursery and Tribal Lands. This will be an all day outing, bring a lunch and water. Meet at 9 am at North Hall to carpool. Gail Redberg has recently taken over the CTUIR nursery. She will give us a tour of the nursery situated along the Umatilla River. After visiting the nursery, she'll show us the new plantings and reconstruction of Meacham Creek. We may be able to visit Bruce Barnes in Pendleton and tour his garden at the end of the day. Bruce has been active in Oregon Flora for many years. This is a special Celebrating Wildflowers Week Event.

Other Field Trip locations near Walla Walla.

Harris Park. Expect to see early spring flowers blooming above the river and some clinging to the rock cliffs as well as those along the trail You may see blooming serviceberry, fields of blooming Dutchmans Breeches, the yellow Pioneer Violet, wildginger and a special plant growing beside the racing snowmelt of the river, the Petasites frigidus, the Arctic butterbur or Arctic sweet coltsfoot, an edible plant found in Alaska and every Canadian Province.

Tiger Canyon, lower road. The road should be cleared of rocks to the first hairpin turn, or Tiger Creek, where parking is easy. Along the rough trail beside Tiger Creek you are likely to see gingerroot (Asarum caudatum), fawn lily, yellow violets and many other plants of the deep shade.

Telephone House Hill. In April you may see hundreds of yellow bells in bloom and many phlox, larkspur and lomatium, Directions: From the Tri-Cities take US 12 south from Pasco to Wallula Junction; turn left at Wallula Junction, staying on US 12. Go 1 mile, and watch for a turn-out on the right. The turn-out leads to a locked gate beside an open dirt track. Looking south from the parking area you can see a yellow brick building part way up the slope, this is the old telephone switching station. Unfasten the barbed wire gate to the east of the building. Fasten the gate and take the fork to the right, uphill and under the transmission lines. Round trip distance is about 1.5 miles. From Walla Walla, take US 12 west toward Wallula Junction; about a mile from the Junction with SR730 look for a turn-out to your left - see above directions.

See what other WNPS chapters across the state are doing! The WNPS web site now includes pages for Local Chapter Programs, Local Chapter Field Trips, and Local Chapter Plant Sales.

Washington Native Plant Society, Columbia Basin Chapter Serving the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla

Home About Us Activities Plant Walks In Flower Newsletter Contacts Books Photos Membership Links	Plant Walks... Please Note: This is a listing of plant walks that may be of interest to our members and may include events that are not sponsored by the Washington Native Plant Society. Times and locations are subject to change without notice. Please confirm before attending. Unless otherwise noted, all events are open to the public. Tri-Cities Plant Walks This year we’ve adopted the theme “Hiking through Spring”. Our plan is to hike some local venues every month, looking to see what’s new and watching the amazing spring transformation in action! Each month we will also take a “road trip” and hike some of the amazing desert venues outside of the Tri-Cities area. Mark your calendars now so you can join us! Saturday, April 28th 7:15 a.m. Wildhorse Wind Farm Led by Ernie Crediford (460-9057). A wide range of wildflowers grow on the rocky slopes under the wind turbines. The outing will include a 9:00 a.m. presentation at the wind farm on “Shrub Steppe Ecology and Ethnobotany”. The wind farm is between Ellensburg and Vantage. Meet at Federal Building parking lot (corner of Swift and Jadwin; one block west of George Washington Way) in Richland to carpool. Bring a lunch and be prepared for cool, windy weather. We will return mid-afternoon. Saturday, May 5th 9:00 a.m. McBee Grade (Horse Heaven Hills) Led by Ernie Crediford (460-9057). A diversity of wildflowers and grasses grow on the slopes of the Horse Heaven Hills. Meet at the Park & Ride at Benton City exit on Interstate 82. Hike time approximately 2 hours. Saturday, May 12th 9:00 a.m. - 2 p.m. Wallula Gap (WA side) Walk through wildflowers and native grasses while enjoying vistas created by the Ice Age Floods. Led by Bob Fortman (509-948-3999). The hike will be close to the Columbia so we will see the mouth of the Walla Walla River, Port Alice, and the grain terminal. Bring a lunch. Hike time approximately 3 hours plus extra time for lunch and exploration. Directions: From Kennewick, drive south on State Route 397 (Chemical Drive), exit onto Piert Road between mile posts 10 and 11; continue south on Piert Road for about 1/2 mile and turn left onto Meals Road. Continue on Meals Road south for about 3 miles, turn left on Ayers Road. Park at the area where the road drops in elevation and is turning left near a fence. Click on "Directions" for a map. Saturday, May 12, 2012, Hikes start every 10-minutes between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Amon Basin. The Tapteal Greenway Association and Friends of Amon are leading a guided hike through the wetlands and desert shrub-steppe of Amon Basin Community Preserve. Meet at Claybell Park in South Richland (off Broadmoor Street). Learn about the treasures of this urban wilderness. The walk will last 2+ hours and cover a 1½ mile circuit; along the way there will be 7 stations where experts will give short presentations on plants, birds, geology, and wildlife. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. Kids are welcome, but remember this is a HIKE. Bring your own water, snacks, sunscreen, and camera. Please leave your dogs at home. Portajons will be available. For more information, call Kathy Dechter at 627-0950. Saturday, May 19, 2012, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00p.m. Wildhorse Wind Farm. Another trip to the wind farm to hopefully see the hedgehog cactus blooming. The wind farm is located between Ellensburg and Vantage. Meet at Federal Building parking lot (corner of Swift and Jadwin; one block west of George Washington Way) in Richland to carpool. Bring a lunch. We will return by early-afternoon. June hikes will be to Badger (6/2), Batemen Island (6/9), and BFI Seeds (June 16) in Moses Lake. For other hike locations see Wildflower Trails in the Tri-Cities Area. Walla Walla Plant Walks Email Laura Maier at maierjj@whitman.edu or phone at 509 525-1079 for more information concerning these hikes. Wednesday, May 16, 2012 9 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. CTUIR Nursery and Tribal Lands. This will be an all day outing, bring a lunch and water. Meet at 9 am at North Hall to carpool. Gail Redberg has recently taken over the CTUIR nursery. She will give us a tour of the nursery situated along the Umatilla River. After visiting the nursery, she'll show us the new plantings and reconstruction of Meacham Creek. We may be able to visit Bruce Barnes in Pendleton and tour his garden at the end of the day. Bruce has been active in Oregon Flora for many years. This is a special Celebrating Wildflowers Week Event. Other Field Trip locations near Walla Walla. Harris Park. Expect to see early spring flowers blooming above the river and some clinging to the rock cliffs as well as those along the trail You may see blooming serviceberry, fields of blooming Dutchmans Breeches, the yellow Pioneer Violet, wildginger and a special plant growing beside the racing snowmelt of the river, the Petasites frigidus, the Arctic butterbur or Arctic sweet coltsfoot, an edible plant found in Alaska and every Canadian Province. Tiger Canyon, lower road. The road should be cleared of rocks to the first hairpin turn, or Tiger Creek, where parking is easy. Along the rough trail beside Tiger Creek you are likely to see gingerroot (Asarum caudatum), fawn lily, yellow violets and many other plants of the deep shade. Telephone House Hill. In April you may see hundreds of yellow bells in bloom and many phlox, larkspur and lomatium, Directions: From the Tri-Cities take US 12 south from Pasco to Wallula Junction; turn left at Wallula Junction, staying on US 12. Go 1 mile, and watch for a turn-out on the right. The turn-out leads to a locked gate beside an open dirt track. Looking south from the parking area you can see a yellow brick building part way up the slope, this is the old telephone switching station. Unfasten the barbed wire gate to the east of the building. Fasten the gate and take the fork to the right, uphill and under the transmission lines. Round trip distance is about 1.5 miles. From Walla Walla, take US 12 west toward Wallula Junction; about a mile from the Junction with SR730 look for a turn-out to your left - see above directions. See what other WNPS chapters across the state are doing! The WNPS web site now includes pages for Local Chapter Programs, Local Chapter Field Trips, and Local Chapter Plant Sales.