Kittitas Environmental Education Network
KEEN's mission is to foster an understanding of climate change impacts on the endangered shrub-steppe and promote environmental stewardship through culturally relevant, nature-based education.
Our educational programming connects youth directly with the landscapes, ecosystems, and communities of Central Washington through hands-on outdoor learning experiences that inspire curiosity, confidence, stewardship, and belonging.
Our main project is the Yakima Canyon Interpretive Center (YCIC) at Helen McCabe Park near Ellensburg, Washington, managed since 2004 under a lease. At YCIC, KEEN restores native plant communities, controls invasive weeds, builds trails, runs outdoor education and nature school programs, and enhances recreational and educational opportunities for the community.
KEEN hosts annual events, engages lifelong learners, offers K–12 outdoor adventures, provides First Aid training, and develops educational materials that deepen connections between people and place. KEEN envisions a community connected to nature, fostering stewardship, education, resilience, and well-being through immersive outdoor experiences. KEEN celebrates 26 years in 2026!
keenetwork
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We cultivate awareness and understanding of endangered shrub-steppe, provide nature-based education, and strengthen environmental stewardship.
![Roof framing is going up at our YCIC Outdoor Learning Campus!
This past week we met with the fire marshal and Kittitas Valley Fire & Rescue to ensure we are in compliance with their access requirements. Unfortunately dirtwork is pricey and we need to raise over $100K to complete the road and finishing touches on the decks [email redacted]ds.yurts.
This will be the heart of camp where kids learn about being in nature and the Yakima Canyon, make art projects, and seek refuge in inclement weather. For over a decade, KEEN has taught thousands of students at Yakima Canyon Interpretive Center through school programs and summer camps. Our goal is to extend our seasonal offerings throughout the year.
Any contribution you can make, no matter the size, will help @keenetwork support more kids. Every dollar counts —thanks for supporting youth programs in Kittitas County and across Washington State ⛰️ help us spread the word, please share this post and donate today here: https://gofund.me/4a5845a13
Thanks to @mapd.co for their design work and construction management, and to @skylerlocati and Locati Construction and team for working in the hot, smoky weather. Y’all are a great crew!](https://scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/769222599_1996517247956336_2026254102199103670_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=-_cK5T1YPPgQ7kNvwFbKu8B&_nc_oc=Adoz7OmoSexmk3uii5Kq5uuB1uTGmrTuQXQvBS_T_FwwuOIuGqHcCN7XtVxLYr9QOws&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-den2-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=MQCWZr0xGZrjtwX5-61QBg&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQLLiAn0ulid5raPd73Axm810VH1Vxg9dMy5b8n4jX42eEloDX8VJncIP85bhgJRk5vHH_9eefpL&oh=00_AQE8V05sC7VcemSyERvo3FkkHyyvIbxG3jh5x79-Jw6g5w&oe=6A83DFD9)
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What We Do
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Yakima Canyon Interpretive Center
This project represents an unparalleled opportunity to engage visitors and community members of all ages in outdoor education, draw tourists to Central Washington, undertake environmental stewardship and habitat restoration, and accomplish protection of the endangered shrub-steppe biome.
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Special Events
KEEN believes in lifelong-learning and provides informal environmental educational opportunities for kids, adults and seniors. KEEN hosts annual events including Get Intimate with the Shrub-Steppe and many others. We collaborate with subject-area experts for field trip leaders, speakers, and provide learning opportunities and connections to affinity groups at all our events.
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Habitat Restoration
Since 2004, KEEN has worked to re-establish native plant communities, build trails, teach outdoor classes, and expand the use and stewardship of Helen McCabe Park. Our goal is to share and build the strong sense of place that KEEN recognizes in Kittitas County, particularly the endangered shrub-steppe habitat.
Join our habitat team and you can help out with future projects!
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Shop & Support
All donations support KEEN's work to bring nature-based learning to our community and visitors to our area. 40% of all unrestricted donations support our operations, 40% support the Yakima Canyon Interpretive Center, and 20% support our endowment fund.
Legacy giving opportunities include naming elements of the Yakima Canyon Interpretive Center project.
Our Vision
KEEN envisions a community deeply connected to nature, where environmental stewardship, educational achievement, and personal well-being are fostered through immersive, hands-on outdoor experiences. By leveraging the natural landscapes of the Yakima River Canyon and beyond, KEEN aims to cultivate informed, inspired, and active individuals who are committed to sustaining and enriching their environments for future generations.
Land Acknowledgement
The future home of the Yakima Canyon Interpretive Center rests on the ancestral lands of the Pshwánapam people (fourteen Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation). The people of the Yakama Nation inhabited more than 12 million acres across Adams, Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Yakima Counties. We honor those peoples who are tied to the land through history, legends, and culture. We acknowledge their descendants who live in the world today. We thank the caretakers of this land, who have lived here and continue to live here since time immemorial.
An acknowledgment is a simple, powerful way to show respect, and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture. It also honors the truth.