Mother’s Day at Cathlapotle Plankhouse
Take mom for a walk, a talk, and wildlife watching at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge this Mother’s Day! At 2pm in the Cathlapotle Plankhouse Pat Courtney Gold, member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and accomplished weaver and artist, will speak about the perspective that Native Women had of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. There will also be activities for families to connect with the culture and wildlife at the plankhouse, hiking trails, in addition to ample wildlife watching opportunities on the River ‘S’ Unit Auto Tour Driving Route.
Check the Friends website ridgefieldfriends.org for maps of Refuge trails, or contact Plankhouse Director Sarah Hill at sarah_hill@fws.gov, or call (360) 887-4106.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Cathlapotle Plankhouse, and the house will now be open weekends from12pm-4pm. Every second Sunday of the month the Plankhouse will host a special event with speakers, guided hikes, and children’s activities. For more information on the upcoming events, visit www.ridgefieldfriends.org/plankhouse/programs .
Funding for these programs has been generously provided by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, the Community Foundation for SW Washington, and Umpqua Bank.
The Cathlapotle Plankhouse is a modern Chinookan Plankhouse built to interpret the Chinookan village of Cathlapotle that once existed on what is today Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge property. At the time Lewis and Clark visited Cathlapotle, it had 14 large plankhouses and a population of over 900 people. The modern Cathlapotle Plankhouse is used to provide educational programs to youth and the general public through our Lifeways, Landscapes, and Wildlife Interpretive Program. To learn more about the Plankhouse visit www.ridgefieldfriends.org or contact Sarah Hill at Sarah_Hill@fws.gov or (360) 887-4106. For wheelchair access to this event, please contact Sarah prior to the event date.
