Holiday Social & December "Conservation Canines First Tuesday" Program

Mark your calendar for our annual holiday social and December program! We will be at the Winthrop Barn again with plenty of room for everyone.

Everyone is invited to join us in celebrating community, conservation and our mutual love of the Methow Valley with our annual year-end holiday social from 6:00-7:00pm. There will be free appetizers and holiday punch. Before the 1st Tuesday program, we’ll honor community members with our annual conservation awards. It’s our time to thank you for all that you help us do – please join us!

We'll follow the social fun with a very special First Tuesday Presentation. We’re excited to welcome Julianne Ubigau and Sampson from the Conservation Canine Program at the University of Washington to the Barn! Since 1997, the Center for Conservation Biology (CCB) has developed novel, non-invasive ways to examine DNA, hormones and toxin levels in a variety of threatened and endangered animals by using rescue dogs. By rescuing and training highly energetic dogs, the Center’s unique Conservation Canines (CK9) program assists wildlife researchers in learning about a diverse range of wildlife species that include insects, amphibians, carnivores and even whales. The CK9 program and the Center for Conservation Biology are driven by the goal to understand how environmental pressures impact wildlife and human health worldwide. Julianne and Sampson have been a team for 10 years, tracking everything from the tiny Pacific pocket mouse to Jemez mountain Salamanders, and invasive plant called garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata). If you love conservation, rescue dogs, or just feel-good stories you won’t want to miss this pretty amazing story! Photo by Jaymi Heimbach. First published in November 2018