Field trips
All field trips will take place on Sunday May 17, 2026.
Field trips are an additional cost to meeting registration, and will be available to select and add during the annual meeting registration process. Registration is scheduled to open in mid-November 2025.
Please click the + to see detailed information about each field trip. Minimum numbers are in effect for all field trips. Should a field trip not hit the minimum number of participants required, we will reach out directly prior to May 1st 2026.
Pricing and further details will be provided shortly and registration for all field trips is expected to open mid-November 2025.
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Kayak tour of a peaceful lake at the edge of the Selkirk mountains. Paddle to a lovely waterfall at the northern end of the lake guided by Spokane Parks and Recreation, while learning about the natural history of the area from a longtime local and Eastern Washington University MS student. Wetland and stream at the southern end of the lake may also be a stop for interested participants. ~4 hours including travel.
More information:
https://northwestwaterfalls.com/waterfalls/washington/exley-falls/
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/apr/18/canoe-or-kayak-best-way-see-waterfall/
https://wdfw.wa.gov/places-to-go/wildlife-areas/rustlers-gulch-wildlife-area-unit#recreation-access
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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. ~5 hours including travel.
For more information:
https://www.spokaneriverkeeper.org/access
https://www.nwcouncil.org/reports/columbia-river-history/spokaneriver/
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Tour a local wetland restoration site with a scientist from the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program. Learn about approaches used for wetland restoration in degraded Eastern Washington wetlands. 3-4 hours, including travel.
More information: (will vary depending on final site selected)
https://www.fws.gov/story/2023-03/leave-it-beaver-partners-collaborate-beaver-dam-analog-project-0
https://www.fws.gov/media/partnership-program-habitat-restoration-palisades-park
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Spend a day in the idyllic Selkirk Mountains exploring freshwater ecosystems with a freshwater ecology professor from Eastern Washington University. After driving north ~2 hours, we will stop at Sweet Creek Falls, then head to the Millpond Dam Removal Restoration Site on Sullivan Creek, followed by lunch at Sullivan Lake. In the afternoon we will drive to Bunchgrass meadows, a rare, patterned fen ecosystem protected as a USFS Research Natural Area, before returning to Spokane. ~10 hours (7 AM-5 PM), including ~5 hours driving.
More information:
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/nov/16/fishermen-and-biologists-smiling-at-sullivan-creek/
https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/locations/lowland-lakes/sullivan-lake
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Explore the wetlands and ponds of the Channeled Scablands at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge to view migratory waterfowl and amphibians. Trip will be led by a biology professor from Gonzaga University and an MS Student from Eastern Washington University. ~4 hours including travel.
Trip will be led by Dr. Betsy Bancroft (Gonzaga University) and Grace Barthelmess (EWU).
More information:
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/turnbull