I love walking the Waterfront Renaissance Trail. It has a great view of the Columbia River, I can walk along a sandy beach and stick my toes in the water, and of course stop at one of my favorite waterfront restaurants for a beverage or bite to eat. What I don’t like: Litter. But, together we can SOLVE this problem!
Chances are pretty good if you are a High School student, you are already counting down the days till summer vacation! And, chances are pretty good a lot of you will be making plans to attend the Fourth of July Celebration at Fort Vancouver! So, this year, instead of just watching all the entertainment…why not be a part of the entertainment?”The Fort Vancouver National Trust announces registration is open for auditions for this year’s Sing Fourth Teen Vocal Competition.
The Washington Timbers FC are excited to be hosting the US Technical Challenge Regional Event on Sunday, June 12, 2016 on their beautiful new turf fields at Harmony Sports Complex in Vancouver. The US Technical Championship is an annual event running in its 3rd year, where players from around the country compete in different age groups for the title National Technical Champion.
On Saturday, May 7th, starting at 9 am, join other local park heroes as they will be removing English Ivy …
Vancouver will host Great Strides as part of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s largest annual fundraising event on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 9 am at Esther Short Park. Walk day is a fun, family-oriented event with a healthy 5k walk, children’s activities, food, and festivities.
Members of the Nez Perce Indian Nation will present their traditional memorial ceremony on the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site …
Parks in the City of Battle Ground offer countless opportunities for connecting with nature, activities, family, friends and neighbors. Celebrate …
Join the Ronald McDonald House Charities on Sunday, April 24, 2016 at Marine Park in Vancouver (4015 SE Columbia Way) for the Stronger Together Walk to raise funds, build awareness and engage the communities that are home to many of the families with seriously ill children staying at the Ronald McDonald Houses.
Walk MS is an annual event to raise funds, awareness and hope for a cure for Multiple Sclerosis taking place this year in Vancouver on Sunday, May 1, 2016, 10 am at Esther Short Park. This is a 100% accessible, 5k walk route with entertainment and refreshments along the way.
As the National Park Service (NPS) celebrates 100 years of protecting and preserving the nation’s parks and monuments, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is joining in the celebration! All national parks, including Fort Vancouver, will be fee free from April 16 through April 24, 2016. The week will also feature exciting, fee-free, family-friendly programs.
Jeanne Kojis, Executive Director of the Nonprofit Network Southwest Washington since 2008, has recently joined the Vancouver Watersheds Alliance Board of Directors.
A fixture in the non-profit community, Jeanne has a degree in nonprofit management and communications, with a certificate in public relations. Her work at the Nonprofit Network contributes to the vitality of Southwest Washington by providing a framework of collaboration, learning and outreach for nonprofits. Jeanne first served on a board of directors at age 16, for a group she helped found that included a drug hotline, and youth drop-in-center. In the years since she has served on boards supporting the arts, education, the environment, and human services organizations.
STASHA – the Strong Teens Against Substance Hazards and Abuse – is hosting its fifth annual Prevention is a Party event for Clark County middle- and high-school students. This drug- and alcohol-free party is also admission-free and scheduled for Friday, April 15, from 8:00 to 11:00 PM, at the Marshall Community Center, 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd.
Teens can join in activities which will include basketball, volleyball, dancing with a live DJ and video and table games, or they can even bring a bathing suit and hit the pool.
School identification or Skyward photo must be presented at the door to attend. Refreshments will be provided.
Dog lovers have an opportunity to help create a new off-leash area where dogs can run and play in east Vancouver.
The Board of County Councilors unanimously approved an agreement with Dog Owners Group for Park Access in Washington (DOGPAW) to develop a dog park on a county-owned parcel at NE 192nd Avenue and NE 9th Street. The 10.8-acre property is west of the Humane Society for Southwest Washington and south of the Harmony Sports Complex.
DOGPAW will be responsible for developing the site with fencing, a double-gated entry and other amenities, as well as providing ongoing maintenance of the site.
The fantastic spring weather (he wrote, optimistically) :) brings some terrific outside volunteer opportunities here in our community.
Some upcoming events include:
With more than 20,000 people attend the Clark Public Utilities Home and Garden Idea Fair each year, this three-day show has become one of the most popular community events in Clark County.
Now in it’s 25th year, the Home and Garden Idea Fair is a fun filled show, with activities for the entire family, and a way to see hundreds of ideas on how to make your home, yard and garden a more beautiful, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly place.
The StreamTeam will celebrate its 17th annual Earth Day event on Saturday, April 16, 2016. The largest Earth Day event in Clark County, the planting and community fair will be held at the Salmon Creek Regional Park. This event, produced in partnership with Clark County Environmental Services, features more than 50 participating organizations.
The whole community is invited to the free, family-friendly EcoFair. Enjoy live entertainment and engaging activities for all ages from local environmental organizations and businesses. This year’s fair will be open from 10:00AM to 2:00PM. Live entertainers will perform throughout the day, including a live
The 2016 Klineline Kids Fishing event is lining up the fun at Salmon Creek Park. The expanded two day event will host hundreds of special needs kids and adults on Friday, April 8, and over 2,500 kids, ages 5 to 14 on Saturday, April 9, 2016.
Over the two-day period thousand of kids and families from all over the area will gather at Salmon Creek Park/Klineline Pond to help children experience fishing, playing outside, and learning about water safety and our natural resources. Kids are encouraged to visit and experience other hands-on activities in the park including an archery range, and educational kiosks. Prizes are awarded for the largest and smallest fish caught in each fishing session. Bicycles are awarded hourly. Kids will also receive a fishing rod & reel complete with terminal gear and an event t-shirt. The event serves to create stewards for our future fisheries we need to introduce children to the benefits of fishing as an individual and family activity, and as a way to become more aware of the outdoor environment.
Easter arrives this weekend! Make your kids “hoppy” and bring them to one of the local Easter Egg Hunts around Vancouver and Clark County
Vancouver iTech Preparatory Middle School and the National Park Service at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site recently announced a partnership to highlight the park’s historical resources with digital technology. This teacher-student-ranger project began with questions posed to the 7th and 8th grade students.
Clark County’s Green Business program will host its fifth annual Green Business Showcase from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Thursday, March 24, at Fort Vancouver’s historic Artillery Barracks, 600 Hathaway Road.
A new component of this year’s showcase will be presentation of the first annual Green Business of the Year Award. This award will be given to the Clark County Green Business that has best demonstrated efforts to continually reduce its environmental impact and improve practices over time.
Fourteen businesses applied for the award, with projects ranging from:
It’s 1996 all over again – without the huge flooding. :) In March 1996, the community toasted the opening of Vancouver’s Water Center at Splash! On Tuesday, March 22, the community is invited to return to Splash! Back 20, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., at Vancouver’s Water Resources Education Center, 4600 SE Columbia Way.
Like its namesake, Splash! Back 20 will feature fine foods and beverages, available for purchase, along with live jazz in the Water Center’s community room overlooking the Columbia River. Downstairs, Splash! Back 20 will offer Water Center activities, information about Water Center programs and more.
Spring Break is right around the corner(kick). :) Are you looking for something fun and exciting for your child to do during Spring Break? Join Professional Soccer Player and Junior Academy Director, Kat Tarr – who has played for the Portland Thorns FC as well as German Bundesliga – for three days of soccer training at the Washington Timbers Spring Break Camp April 5-7, 2016 from 9 am to 11 am at the new turf field at Harmony Sports Complex.
When my kids were younger, I remember a friend telling me the best thing I could do for them (and me) was to “Avoid the Void.” You know, the… “I have nothing to do”… so they go and find something to do… and it might not always be the best option. So, when they were interested in a sport, I looked for Spring Break Camps and Summer Camps, and our local sports clubs. And they learned a lot about sports; but they learned a lot more about LIFE.
Kids and families are invited to the Water Center’s March Second Saturday to enjoy some fun, interactive activities, while learning about our oceans and estuaries. Find out all kinds of interesting information about these wet worlds. If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the animals that live in the ocean, what they do to attract food, how they protect themselves, and more, then check out all the Water Center has to offer this Second Saturday, March 12, from 1:00 to 3:00PM.
The Vancouver Watersheds Alliance recently announced its 2016 workshop series, which focuses on water quality in urban areas and nonpoint source pollutants. These events are held in partnership with the Clark Conservation District, the Department of Ecology, Clark County Environmental Services and the Vancouver Community Library.
The next workshop covers Home Gardening and Best Watering Practices, and will be held Monday, March 7, from 6:00 to 7:00PM.
