Walking Adventures

Spring 2024 Walking Adventures – Come learn about the natural wonders and history that are right in your backyard! This series of walks will take us around Tubbs Hill and the surrounding area as we explore the flora, fauna, geology, and history of the local area. Each walk will be led by a local community member eager to share their passion and knowledge. We will meet at the lower entrance of the library (outside the Community Room) unless otherwise specified, and walk towards our destination together; each walk will be about two hours. Please dress for the weather, wear appropriate shoes for a moderate hike, and bring water.  

Medicinal Plants in Your Backyard – Wednesday, May 22 (11 am) and Wednesday, June 26 (9:15 am) 

• Have you ever wondered what medicines may live in your own backyard? Or what traditional uses and benefits a flower has beyond being just pretty to look at? Join local naturopathic medical doctor and former guide, Dr. Casey Carr on this two-part series, to learn about which local plants serve as useful and powerful medicines in our area. Kids are welcomed and encouraged to attend and join as this will be a family-friendly event.  

Osprey Walk- Wednesday, May 29 (9 am) 

• Join David Taylor from the Friends of Tubbs Hill to view some of the active Osprey nests located on Tubbs Hill.  Nest building/repair should be complete and hopefully the Osprey will be tending their recently laid eggs. Let’s see what we can find! 

Forest Health on Tubbs Hill- Saturday, June 22 (8am) 

• Learn about the health and history of Tubbs Hill with Mark Weadick, a retired forester and member of the Tubbs Hill Foundation. Nick Goodwin, Coeur d’Alene’s Urban Forester, will be joining us to talk about the City’s grant for fuel reduction on the hill and plans for future tree planting. We will be walking the Tubbs Hill main loop trail, learning about the various species of trees, how insect and disease activity on the hill affects forest health, and what measures will be taken in the future to help keep our forest healthy. We will be meeting at the East side (10th Street) parking lot and will proceed on the main loop trail. While this hike will not be too strenuous, we will be gone for around 3 hours so please dress for the weather and bring water. 

 PREVIOUS PROGRAMS:

Earth Day Morning Bird Walk- Saturday, April 20 (8:30 pm) 

• Celebrate Earth Day with a morning bird walk on Tubbs Hill and enjoy the sights and sounds of birds. George Sayler, board member of the Coeur d’Alene Audubon Society, will conduct a guided birding tour of the east side of Tubbs Hill. The tour will begin at 8:30 and start at the bird sign at the east trailhead on the south- east side of Tubbs Hill (11th Street). The tour will last approximately an hour and a half. Binoculars are recommended and please no pets or children under the age of seven.

Tubbs Hill Bird Walk- Wednesday, April 24 (9 am) 

• Spring brings a variety of bird activity and observation opportunities on Tubbs Hill.  Join Ted Smith from the local Audubon chapter on a guided walk to search for morning bird activity. We will meet at the East Tubbs Hill parking area at 9:00 am. Bring your binoculars! 

Nature Heals: Forest Bathing and its Beneficial Effects – Tuesday, April 30 (5:30 pm) 

• Join Dr. Toby Hallowitz and Nikki Peters as they present the health benefits of forest bathing/shinrin-yoku, the evolving medical science of Forest Medicine. Forest bathing is a traditional Japanese practice of immersing oneself in nature by mindfully using all five senses. Research has shown strong beneficial effects on the Immune System, Cardiovascular System, Respiratory System, Stress Reduction, Emotional Health and Mental Function. After the talk, we will go outside in nature and experience a taste of what forest bathing entails. Please call CDA Acupuncture and Holistic Healing with questions – 509-869-4206 

Springtime on Tubbs Hill – Saturday, May 4 (9 am) 

• Please welcome Spokane-based author Jack Nisbet as he leads us for a turn around the trails of Tubbs Hill. This hike will focus on wildflowers, shrubs, and trees that were present around the time of the first tribal contact with fur traders. We will also talk about how the forest has evolved since the Ice Age Floods and how it might look to future generations of walkers. 
• Bio – Spokane-based author Jack Nisbet has published several collections of essays that explore the intersection of human and natural history in the Inland Northwest, as well as award-winning biographies of fur agent David Thompson and plant collector David Douglas. The first paperback edition of David Douglas: A Naturalist at Work will appear this spring from WSU Press.