Discovery Day
About this Event
From the scent of fresh herbs to the “ah-ha!” moments of new connections and the laughter of families sharing time outdoors together, Oxbow Discovery Days (formerly known as Pilot Programs) invite you into a living, evolving learning experience.
Across farm fields and forest trails, moments of curiosity unfold into skills through lessons like plant identification, seed saving, flower bouquet-making, and more.
These hands-on investigations and experiences are designed for learners of all ages. You can drop in for one or stay all day. Mix and match from eight unique workshops, each 30–45 minutes.
Join in. Give back.
Come try something new. We’ll ask for your thoughts after, and your input helps shape what’s next. Here’s what to expect:
- Hands-on Learning: You won’t just hear about nature, you’ll touch, taste, smell, and engage with it. From exploring Oxbow Island to pressing flower journals, each session offers memorable sensory experiences and tangible skills you can use at home.
- Community Feedback: Share your voice and help shape what’s next. Your insights helps shape future programming, ensuring it reflects what our community values.
- Welcoming Environment: Whether you’re a seasoned nature lover or a total beginner, these sessions are welcoming, low-commitment, and completely free.
- Topic Variety: Move between sessions that spark your curiosity, from ecological gardening and microscopic investigations to nature play and outdoor education tools.
GRANT-SUPPORTED PRICING
Oxbow's Discovery Days are supported, in part, by 4Culture.We’re deeply grateful for their partnership, which allows us to offer accessible ticket pricing and connect more people with outdoor learning experiences.
Please register in advance—spaces are limited, and your RSVP helps us prepare materials thoughtfully to minimize waste.
Agenda
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Drying Herbs for Cooking & Tea
Info: Explore simple ways to harvest, dry, and preserve herbs and flowers for cooking, tea, and everyday enjoyment. Along the way, you'll experiment with creating your own herbal blends to take a little piece of the garden home.
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Math in Nature
Info: Who says math belongs in a classroom? Math is everywhere, especially outdoors. Join us as we uncover the beautiful patterns, shapes, and relationships woven throughout the natural world, while discovering how farmers and scientists use math every day. Then, grab a measuring tool, head into the garden on a scavenger hunt, and share your own math-inspired discoveries in our clubhouse gallery.
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Plant ID Tools for the Aspiring Plant Nerd
Info: Sharpen your observation skills and build confidence identifying plants and their relationships with one another. Together, we’ll explore a range of field guides and identification tools, learn which features to focus on, and practice our new skills through scavenger hunts, alliterations, and maybe even a song or two.
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Tomato Seed Saving
Info: Get your hands messy by smashing tomatoes and exploring the simple art of seed saving. You'll learn how to choose the best fruits, practice beginner-friendly techniques, and take home your own jar of fresh tomato seeds to plant in seasons to come.
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
Drying Herbs for Cooking & Tea
Info: Explore simple ways to harvest, dry, and preserve herbs and flowers for cooking, tea, and everyday enjoyment. Along the way, you'll experiment with creating your own herbal blends to take a little piece of the garden home.
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Worm Lab
Info: Investigate the hidden world beneath your feet as you meet one of the farm’s hardest workers—the worm! Dig in to soil life up close and discover how these small creatures help grow healthy food and thriving ecosystems.
🕑: 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Volunteer Restoration Planting
Info: Drop in and get your hands in the soil and help support habitat by planting native trees and shrubs along the Snoqualmie River.
🕑: 01:00 PM - 01:30 PM
Tomato Seed Saving
Info: Get your hands messy by smashing tomatoes and exploring the simple art of seed saving. You'll learn how to choose the best fruits, practice beginner-friendly techniques, and take home your own jar of fresh tomato seeds to plant in seasons to come.
🕑: 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Oxbow Island Expedition
Info: Unleash your inner naturalist on a guided expedition through Oxbow’s hidden trails. Equipped with paper, pencil, and keen observation, you’ll help document key landscape features, native plants, wildlife habitat, and more. Together, we’ll create a shared living map that evolves from season to season.
🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:30 PM
Flower Bouquets & Garlands
Info: Embrace whimsy and get creative as we wander the Kids' Farm, harvesting fresh flowers for bouquets or crafting dried flower garlands to take home. Along the way, we'll spot pollinators at work, taste edible plants, and soak in the summer season.
🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Tomato Seed Saving
Info: Get your hands messy by smashing tomatoes and exploring the simple art of seed saving. You'll learn how to choose the best fruits, practice beginner-friendly techniques, and take home your own jar of fresh tomato seeds to plant in seasons to come.
🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Worm Lab
Info: Investigate the hidden world beneath your feet as you meet one of the farm’s hardest workers—the worm! Dig in to soil life up close and discover how these small creatures help grow healthy food and thriving ecosystems.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
