Name: Sandhill Crane Festival
Start: 2026-03-20T06:30:00-07:00
End: 2026-03-22T21:00:00-07:00
Location: Othello, WA

December 2025
Foster Creek and Foster Coulee: Insights on Ice Age Floods, Glaciers, and Lakes on the Waterville Plateau, WA

December 9, 2025 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm PST

Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center 127 S. Mission, Wenatchee, WA, United States

The Wenatchee Valley Erratics Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute will meet Tuesday, December 9 at 7:00 PM, at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, 127 S. Mission, Wenatchee. Or via Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81855547958 Meeting ID: 818 5554 7958 Karl Lillquist will give our final live, and Zoom, presentation for 2025. Karl is a physical geographer, who taught at Central Washington University until his retirement in summer of 2024. He will talk about “Foster Creek and Foster Coulee: Insights on Ice Age Floods, Glaciers, and Lakes on the Waterville Plateau, WA.” Please note! The Wenatchee Valley Erratics now has its own website: https://wverratics.org/ !

Free
Mystery of the Channeled Scablands and the Two Detectives who Solved it.

December 10, 2025 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm PST

Pomeroy Senior Center 695 Main St., Pomeroy, WA, United States

The unique landscape of the Channeled Scablands was a mystery that baffled the first geologists who visited them over 100 years ago. Finding clues, they unraveled the mystery that was unbelievable to their colleagues. After more than two decades of discovering more clues, the theory that enormous floods had carved the scabland was finally accepted by most of the scientific community. Lloyd Stoess, President of the Palouse Falls Chapter, will take you on a journey following these two early detectives and the clues they found as well as what today's detectives and the modern tools they are using to better understand our incredible landscape.

Free
January 2026
Puget Lobe Lecture: The Bonneville flood- the other flood!

January 5 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm PST

Bellevue College Building T Room 117 3000 Landerholm Cir SE, Bellevue, WA, United States

The Bonneville Flood was one of the largest floods on Earth. First discovered by G.K. Gilbert in the 1870s during his inspection of the outlet at Red Rock Pass, Idaho, it was rediscovered in the 1950s by Harold Malde and coworkers, leading to mapping and assessment of spectacular flood features along Marsh Creek, Portneuf River, and Snake River for over 1100 kilometers between the outlet and Lewiston, Idaho. The cataclysmic flood - from the rapid 115-meter drop of pluvial Lake Bonneville from the Bonneville level to the Provo level - was nearly 200 meters deep in places and flowed at a maximum rate of about 1 million cubic meters per second — about 100 times greater than any historical Snake River flood. Along its route the Bonneville Flood carved canyons and cataract complexes and built massive boulder bars. These flood features have been a rich source for understanding megaflood processes. Yet it still offers much more with new and developing techniques for hydrodynamic modeling and landscape analysis.
An Introduction to the Missoula Floods

January 6 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm PST

Zoom Meeting

Dr. Gary Ford, president of the Ice Age Floods Institute, will provide an introductory presentation of the Missoula Floods and reveal ho repeated, cataclysmic floods during the last Ice Age carved a dramatic landscape through much of the Pacific Northwest. Event: IAFI Lake Lewis January Member Meeting and Guest Lecture “An Introduction to the Missoula Floods” By Gary Ford Date: January 6, 2026 Time: Members Meeting: 6:30PM-7:00PM, Lecture: 7:00PM - 8:00PM (PST) Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87852702318?pwd=Ye0a71u5MbQUtry9qp6u2qSw79dqIa.1 Meeting ID: 878 5270 2318 Passcode: 634508
February 2026
Bill Burgel – Geology in the Growth of the Railroad Industry

February 10 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm PST

Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center 127 S. Mission, Wenatchee, WA, United States

Bill Burgel will give a presentation on the Synergy between the development of the science of Geology with the growth of the railroad industry with a short description of how it impacted BNSF’s Cascade Tunnel’s ventilation system. The advent of the Industrial Revolution accelerated the development of the science of geology, and the growth of the railroad industry closely followed. A quick look at both of these disciplines over the past 200 years reveals a fascinating back and forth which resulted in amazing advances for both. For instance, geologists found the coal and then the railroads transported this coal to locations where people worked and lived. And coal mines virtually dictated where the rail line should be built. Comparisons between the two efforts continue to the present day and Bill will outline some of the current challenges. In 1995, Bill was heavily involved in the installation of a new ventilation system for BNSF’s Cascade Tunnel. Ventilation of the tunnel has been an issue since the first Cascade Tunnel opened in 1900. Bill will describe how BNSF ensures safe operations in the current (second) Cascade Tunnel, the longest railroad tunnel in the United States. Bill Burgel is a Professional Geologist Registered in Oregon and Idaho. He retired in 2015 after a successful 45-year career in the railroad industry. He worked for several railroads nationwide in both the engineering and operating departments. While working for the railroad, his interest and training in geology was often called upon to resolve landslide issues and rerouting studies, implement early earthquake warning strategies, and conduct numerous long railroad tunnel analyses. Bill has given numerous presentations on rail issues as well as earthquake preparedness and topics pertaining to regional geology to local audiences throughout the Pacific Northwest and on cruise ships.
Cabin Fever Lecture! Glacial Ice History in Mission Valley and Vicinity

February 20 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm PST

Montana Natural History Center 120 Hickory Street, Missoula, MT

Skye Cooley It’s that time of the year! Time to contemplate ice-ages and glacial lakes. Time for the Glacial Lake Missoula Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute’s Cabin Fever Lecture! Warm up your curiosity about glacial ice history in the Mission Valley with geologist Skye Cooley. About the Instructor: Skye Cooley is a Montana-based field geologist and geomorphologist specializing in quaternary geology, paleosols (ancient soils), and GIS mapping, currently focused on the Mission Valley. Based in Ronan, MT, he has a diverse background including contract mapping for the Idaho Geological Survey, teaching at Boise State, and serving as a soil scientist. Date: Friday, February 20 Time: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Location: Montana Natural History Center Cost: Free, but please register. Donations accepted to cover the time of the MNHC personnel and meeting room. REGISTER HERE!

Free - Donations appreciated to cover the time of the MNHC personnel and meeting room.
March 2026
The Missoula Floods and the SVRP Aquifer

March 3 @ 6:45 pm - 8:00 pm PST

Zoom Meeting

The Lake Lewis chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute will host a free Zoom lecture on March 3rd exploring the dramatic creation of the Spokane Valley - Rathdrum Prairie (SVRP) Aquifer!
Free STEAM Workshops for K–12 Educators – The Dalles, OR

March 14 @ 9:00 am - 4:00 pm PDT

Columbia Gorge Discovery Center 5000 Discovery Dr., The Dalles, OR, United States

Every student in the Northwest should experience the incredible science story of the megafloods that shaped our landscape and history. To help bring this story to life, the Ice Age Floods Institute, Engaging Every Student, and our partners are excited to invite K–12 educators to free special training events. Thanks to support from the Avista Foundation, we are offering free hybrid workshops where you will gain access to valuable resources designed to inspire students to investigate their local environment. New Curriculum Resources Participants will explore a new Ice Age Floods Detectives phenomena-based curriculum with supporting presentations targeted to 4th grade, as well as hands-on investigations from the National Park Service's Investigating Ice Age Floods curriculum. Both explore the megafloods that shaped the Northwest and are adaptable for grades K–12 Free STEAM Workshops for K–12 Educators Details (In-person with options to join us via Zoom): Location: The Dalles, OR: Sat., Mar. 14, 2026 (register here: tinyurl.com/yxw9haet) Featuring: Engaging classroom and field-based activities, including exciting ways to model Floods phenomena Stories of the megafloods that transformed the Northwest 18,000–12,000 years ago at the end of the Last Glacial Period Up to 7 Washington STEM Clock Hours and/or PDUs for license renewal in Oregon and other states Schedule: All workshops 9:00 am–4:00 pm (or half day) 9:00–12:00 | Interactive workshop featuring new Ice Age Floods Discovery curriculum: targeted to grade 4 and adaptable for K–12 12–12:30 | Working lunch (provided) 12:30–3:30 | Interactive workshop featuring Investigating Ice Age Floods curriculum adaptable for grades K–12 3:00 or 3:30–4:00 | Nearby interpretive field studies with experts Cost: Free Ice Age Floods Institute mini-Grants available To cover materials, transportation, STEM clock hour fee, etc. Learn more: iafi.org/k-12grants. Help Spread the Word: We encourage you to share this informative Ice Age Floods Workshops flyer with other educators to let them know about this opportunity! For questions, comments, or ideas on where we might offer additional training, please contact Rick Reynolds, M.S.Ed., at rick@engagingeverystudent.com. Thanks for your interest and all you do to inspire our students to investigate our environment!
Combined Chapter Hike – Escure Ranch / Towell Falls

March 14 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm PDT

Escure Ranch Washington

The Palouse Falls and Cheney-Spokane Chapters of the IAFI invite you to a hike at Escure Ranch on the BLM Rock Creek Recreation Site on Saturday, March 14. The hike will start at 10:00 a.m. It will be led by Don Chadbourne, geologist and board member of the Cheney-Spokane Chapter, and Lloyd Stoess, president of the Palouse Falls Chapter. You will meet the leaders at the trailhead. Description of the Escure Ranch Hike The hike will begin and end at the Escure Ranch parking area, of the Bureau of Land Management, Rock Creek Recreation site. The hike will follow an old ranch road to Towell Falls and return on the same route. The out and back hike will be about 6.5 miles. The trail is mostly double track over dirt and rock, with an elevation gain and loss of about 160 feet. The hike is a pleasant trek through a remote scabland canyon. Features will include rock benches and basins, flood bars, Mima mounds, mesas and waterfalls. This hike is included in the book, On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods – Northern Reaches, by Bjornstad & Kiver. Directions to the trailhead will be provided to hikers after registration. Click on the Register button to sign up for the hike. The hike will be limited to 30 hikers. Items to bring with you: appropriate shoes, day pack, water, snacks, appropriate clothing for changes in the weather, sun protection, emergency items, camera and binoculars. Walking poles will be helpful. The hike is free; however, donations for support of Chapter activities will be accepted. For additional questions, contact Don at 509-891-5875, or Lloyd at 509-954-3927. Map available for download: 11 x 17 LIDAR map of Escure Ranch Area showing our hiking route to Towell Falls (downloadable PDF)
Sandhill Crane Festival

March 20 @ 6:30 am - March 22 @ 9:00 pm PDT

Othello, WA WA, United States

At the Sandhill Crane Festival, March 20-22, 2026 in the beautiful Columbia Basin, Othello, WA, you’ll have the chance to explore the Ice Age Floods story through presentations and field trips, and see thousands of Sandhill Cranes, ducks, and geese as they gather against the stunning backdrop of the Saddle Mountains and sprawling cornfields. There is a fantastic lineup of geology and wildlife viewing opportunities, along with engaging talks, fun tours, hikes, and workshops for everyone to enjoy. Registration is now open with a registration deadline of March 15 at noon (No refunds after this date). All Events are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are filled in the order received. Please note, Lectures, tours and hike participants must purchase a General Admission Ticket for $10.00.

$10 – $165

December 2025

January 2026

February 2026

March 2026