Get Out This Weekend, August 21 & 22

Image via Flickr user Robert S. DonovanIt's cooling off this weekend, but there are still plenty of ways to enjoy nature on the agenda. This weekend's outdoor and nature events include a community campout, nature photography, traditional stories for kids, kayaking and Bicycle Sunday. And don't forgot there are even more events on the main calendar!

Next week I'll be announcing the first Seattle Natural Selection giveaway; head back here to find out what prize will be given away to one lucky reader!

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Events marked with an asterisk are kid/family-friendly.

Saturday, August 21

• 10am-5pm: FREE! Sustainability Fair – Planet:Home. "Join us for Sustainable NE Seattle's PLANET:HOME a community festival about living sustainably on August 21st from 10 to 5. The Festival will feature dozens of interactive, fun exhibits including solar cooker demonstrations, bicycle-powered appliances, rainwater catchment systems, and 'Mad Science' for kids. Come and meet new neighbors who, like you, want to learn how to live more sustainably in fun, practical ways. Designed for the whole family to enjoy, the Festival will include guest experts speaking on a variety of topics, hands-on demonstrations, live music, local food and activities for the kids. This FREE Festival takes place on August 21 from 10 am TO 5 pm, at the Hunter Tree Farm in Wedgwood on 35th NE and NE 80th.
• *10am-4:30pm: Skagit Bay Kayak Tour. "Ages: 10 Yrs. to 99 Yrs. Fees: - Class Fee - $85.00 - Resident Discount - $80.00 Aqua Trek guides are friendly, knowledgeable, and patient as they instruct paddle skills. Each outing begins with a thorough equipment and safety orientation. No previous sea kayaking experience is necessary and anyone in reasonable physical condition should have no problem. Northern Skagit Bay is one of our favorite accessible rocky island areas with good bird watching and other wildlife viewing. We usually land for lunch on Hope Island and explore the forest trail. After lunch we'll paddle around Skagit Island to look for eagles and see Deception Pass Bridge in the distance."
• 11:30am-1pm: FREE! Japanese Maples. " Japanese maples may look fragile and exotic, but they come from a climate very similar to ours and they thrive here with a little basic care. Let maple enthusiast and tree care expert Keith Dekker tell you all about choosing, planting, pruning and caring for your Japanese maple."
• *1pm: Nooksack Stories at Heather Meadows Visitor Center. "Heather Meadows Visitor Center located on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest at milepost 56 on Mt. Baker Highway (State Route 542). Programs are free, but a recreation pass is required. For more information call the Glacier Public Service Center at 360-599-2714, open daily from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Aug. 21 Nooksack Stories Join Nooksack elder Tammy Cooper-Woodrich for traditional stories about the animals, plants, and people of the Nooksack River drainage."
• 1-3pm: Plant Photography Workshop at Kruckeberg Botanic Garden. "Learn tricks and techniques for artfully photographing plants and flowers. Bring your own camera. We’ll show you how to use it best to achieve the results you want. Instructors are professional photographers. Contact the garden for registration information at 206-546-1281."
• *1pm: Savanna Safari: Sticking Your Neck Out at Woodland Park Zoo. "Go inside and experience the zoo in a different way! Eye-to-Eye gives you the rare opportunity to see what's behind the scenes in our award-winning exhibits and meet the staff who care for the animals. Adults and children 8 years and older (individual attendees must be over 18). Members - $45 per person, Nonmembers - $55 per person. Discover how to house a hippo. Stand eye-to-knee with a giraffe. Warning: you will be so close to the giraffes, you may get a neck cramp as you experience the zoo from the keeper’s side!"
• 3pm (Overnight): Bellevue Community Campout at Tolt MacDonald Park. "All Ages Fees: - Individual R $15.00 - Individual NR $20.00 - 5 and under FREE $0.00 Bellevue's Community Campout is back! Bring your friends, family and tent down to the riverside at Tolt MacDonald Park in Carnation. Participants will enjoy hiking, fishing, stargazing and other activities with food and acoustic bluegrass music provided! Limited gear available for use."

Sunday, August 22

• 10am-6pm: FREE! 2010 Bicycle Sundays. "For 19 weekend days this spring and summer, the City will devote a stretch of Lake Washington Boulevard exclusively to bicycles."
• 12:15pm: Gold Creek Pond Interpretive Walk at Snoqualmie Pass Visitors Center. "Meet at the Snoqualmie Pass Visitors Center. $10 suggested donation. You will also need a NW Forest Pass or day pass. 1-mile ADA path. Call ahead for reservations. 425 434 6111."
• *1pm: Pushing Up the Sky. "A program of audience participation plays for children based on Snohomish tribal legend and folktales from around the world, followed by a naturalist guided nature walk, will be presented by Friends of Yesler Swamp, UW Botanic Gardens and the Museum of History and Industry. The afternoon program will begin with a brief slide presentation and talk about Yesler Swamp and the work being done by Friends of Yesler Swamp to preserve and protect this unique piece of nature in the heart of Seattle. Following the presentation, children in the audience will be invited to help the actors bring three classic folk tales to life on the stage…After the plays, children and adults will be invited on a nature walk led by a naturalist guide. They will learn about the importance of restoration, which enhances native plants and wildlife habitat. The program is recommended for ages 3 and up. Suggested donation $10 per family. Proceeds go to the restoration and preservation of Yesler Swamp, a unique piece of nature in the heart of Seattle."