After a two-year hiatus due to Covid restrictions, we are ready to put on our warrior faces and get out there planting willows along the banks of Hangman Creek again!  In spite of the recent frigid temperatures, I believe that spring is just waiting in the wings, and this means that it’s time to start planning for the 2023 Willow Warrior Weekend!!!  The planned dates for this year are Friday, April 28th, and Saturday, April 29th.  This is also Arbor Day weekend! What better way to celebrate Arbor Day than planting some native willows!  We would love to put together a group of very committed volunteers, representing a mix of organizations (i.e. Trout Unlimited, The Lands Council, Spokane Community College, and any other conservation-minded organizations).

This year we will focus on some specifically identified project reaches that the Spokane Conservation District (SCD) has been working on extensively to stabilize and restore Riparian Habitat over the past few years.  We will have more than 2,500 mixed species of native willows to plant during the two-day event.  Every year it is so exciting to get out there and see what’s getting established from the previous years.  There are numerous willow plantings that have become well-established since we first began our quest more than fourteen years ago!!!

Warning!!! Space for this event is limited by the number of canoes we have on hand and can haul to the put-ins.  Currently, with the number of canoes we have available, we are only able to accommodate a maximum of 12-16 people per day (max of 6-8 canoes). If an individual or organization has access to additional canoes/kayaks, we would welcome those to the event, but please contact the event coordinator to arrange this.  In the interest of being fair, please be informed that we will be operating the event on a first-come-first-served basis.  The goal here is to also have an evenly dispersed number of folks from various organizations in order to create a networking atmosphere during the event.

Please contact the Event Coordinator, Dan Ross, directly (Contact info below) via email or phone to request the proposed agenda, an organization sign-up sheet, and the Adult/Minor Liability Waiver forms that must be completed for each volunteer to participate in the event.  Also, please emphasize to your volunteers the importance of keeping their commitment to attending on the days that they sign up for.  This really helps in determining the number of canoes and equipment that are necessary for each day.  It is imperative that each organization representative submit your sign-up sheets with the required information for each individual (Name, personal/emergency contact #s, birth-date, and attendance date) to me by April 21^st (A week prior to the event).  This will allow me the necessary time to organize the equipment and process the volunteer waiver forms for each organization.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP!