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.
KEEN connects people of all ages with the landscapes, ecosystems, and communities of Central Washington through hands-on outdoor education, habitat restoration, and meaningful experiences in nature. Our programs inspire curiosity, build confidence, foster environmental stewardship, and strengthen connections between people and the natural world.
Our flagship project is the Yakima Canyon Interpretive Center (YCIC) at Helen McCabe Park, just south of Ellensburg, Washington. KEEN has managed and cared for this 64-acre site since 2004, transforming a former gravel extraction area into a place for habitat restoration, outdoor learning, and recreation. Today, we restore native shrub-steppe and wetland habitats, manage invasive species, develop nature trails, and provide opportunities for students, families, and visitors to explore and learn about the unique ecosystems of the Yakima River Canyon.
Through K–12 outdoor education, nature-based programs, community events, volunteer opportunities, and educational resources, KEEN creates opportunities for lifelong learning and community connection. We envision a community that understands, values, and actively cares for the natural environment—one where outdoor experiences nurture stewardship, resilience, and well-being.
Celebrating 26 years of connecting people with nature in 2026!
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We cultivate awareness and understanding of endangered shrub-steppe, provide nature-based education, and strengthen environmental stewardship.
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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.