27th Anniversary!
GET INTIMATE
with the
SHRUB-STEPPE
May 8-10, 2026
Ellensburg WA
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Join KEEN (Kittitas Environmental Education Network) in May and Discover the Wonders of the Shrub-Steppe!
Join the Kittitas Environmental Education Network (KEEN) for the 27th annual Get Intimate with the Shrub-Steppe (GISS)—a community event celebrating the rare and endangered shrub-steppe habitat of Central Washington.
Immerse yourself in the wild beauty of the Yakima River Canyon! From breathtaking birding field trips to live adult lamprey releases, you’ll experience the intricate connections between land, water, and wildlife. Explore the landscape with expert guides on hikes highlighting wildflowers, raptors, geology, reptiles, and river ecology, or visit educational booths featuring live animals and conservation groups from across the state.
Pre-registration is required for field trips and lectures/presentations. A $25 per person (or $40 for a family of four or more) registration fee covers all events during the weekend. Anyone can attend the hands-on science booths at YCIC on Saturday from 9am-1pm (no pre-registration required for the science booths).
Event Highlights
Friday: Field trips and indoor conservation presentations. Try forest bathing and learn about conservation projects in our region!
Friday Night: Social gathering to kick off the weekend with a presentation on Pacific Lamprey re-introduction & live lamprey with members of the Yakama Nation, or for a few lucky early birds, an evening Owl & Snake walk or Bat walk!
Saturday: Expert-led field trips on birding, snakes, geology, wildflowers, presentations & live animals, and more!
Saturday 9AM-1PM HANDS-ON SCIENCE BOOTHS AT YCIC
bones, birds, bats, fish, scat, plants and more!
(No preregistration required to come to YCIC to visit the booths)
Saturday Night: Catered keynote speaker dinner: How Do We 'Get Intimate' with Nature? by Dr. Dan Beck, featuring food by The Red Pickle (additional ticketed event).
Sunday: Mother's Day activities including wildflowers, birding by ear, and more!
Whether you’re a seasoned naturalist or just discovering the magic of the shrub-steppe,
there’s something for everyone—all ages are welcome! Spots for guided trips are limited, so sign up early!
Why Protect the Shrub-Steppe?
This unique landscape is home to incredible biodiversity, including Golden Eagles, Prairie Falcons, Bighorn Sheep, Sage Thrashers, and native pollinators. The Yakima River Canyon is an Audubon Important Bird Area, hosting some of the highest densities of raptors and songbirds in the state. Your participation helps support KEEN's environmental education and conservation efforts to protect this fragile ecosystem.
Event Overview
EVENT OVERVIEW
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LEAVE ROOM IN YOUR SCHEDULE FOR...
HANDS-ON Science BOOTHS
We have nearly 30 organizations joining us this year for our hands-on science booths. Free and open to everyone - kids activities, live reptiles, live lamprey, bird specimens, mammoth bones, and more cool stuff! No pre-registration or fee to attend the science booths.
Saturday from 9am to 1pm at Yakima Canyon Interpretive Center. Stop by any time and stay as long as you like! No preregistration necessary to attend the booths.
Keynote Dinner
HOW DO WE 'GET INTIMATE' WITH NATURE?
Dr. Dan Beck
those inseparable (and often ignored) connections that constitute our "intimacy" with the shrub steppe (and with Nature in general)
Saturday from 6:30pm-8pm at the IOOF Building in downtown in Ellensburg. This is a ticketed event.
River float Trips
When you register for float trips with Rills, we will send you their information to register. This is done separately with a separate charge paid directly to Rill Adventures.
Two opportunities on Saturday to head down the river with Rill Adventures & KEEN Naturalists. External registration required.
Important Information
Plan ahead! Some of our field trips require parking passes from state or federal entities. Umtanum & Selah need BLM Pass, Yakima Canyon Interpretive Center & Green Gates need WA Discover Pass, so be sure you are ready. Also, grab a hotel or campground reservation early - Ellensburg is very popular in the spring!
Other Activities in Kittitas County!
Springfest
Date: Saturday, May 9th
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Nelson Farm
Event Overview: Celebrate the arrival of spring at Nelson Farm with family-friendly activities, live entertainment, and outdoor fun. Guests can enjoy live music, local vendors, and hands-on activities that highlight the beauty of the season and our community’s connection to nature.
GISS Event Partners
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.