Page 10
The INDEPENDENT, March 5, 2009
Oregon Zoo offers educational HomeSchool Safari on March 10
With an informal environ-
ment designed to make learn-
ing fun, the Oregon Zoo is invit-
ing home-school students and
their families to an educational
“safari” Tuesday, March 10,
from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Admission is $7 per person and
includes a $2 food coupon that
can be used anywhere inside
the zoo.
“Our ‘safari’ is a great way
for home-school students and
their families to learn about
wildlife together,” said Oregon
Zoo Director Tony Vecchio. “We
are providing experiences that
complement and enhance
home-school activities. Kids
have the opportunity to see ex-
traordinary animals and learn
about the importance of con-
servation while having a great
time.”
Home-schoolers can stop by
the zoo’s Kalahari Room (adja-
cent to the concert lawn),
where a number of hands-on
discovery stations give children
and their families the chance to
learn more about “animals in
motion.” Activities showcase
the ways animals walk, run,
hop, swim and slither. Migration
also will be demonstrated
through games and activities.
Stations will feature live ani-
mals such as snakes, mam-
mals and birds. Safari-goers
also can examine bones, fur
and feathers while learning
about how and why animals
move the way they do.
Each station offers activities
and questions geared toward
children 8 to 10 years old, but
parents with older or younger
children can easily adapt the
activities and questions for their
individual students. Oregon
Zoo staff will be on hand to fa-
cilitate the learning process
and answer in-depth questions.
After visiting the discovery
stations, safari-goers receive
an activity guide for some self-
directed exploration of the zoo.
Families can visit animals
around the zoo and see first-
hand how they move.
“Education is our No. 1 prior-
ity at the Oregon Zoo,” said
Vecchio. “By facilitating family
learning, we can help spread
the word about the importance
of environmental stewardship
and conservation to people of
all ages.”
HomeSchool Safari tickets
must be purchased on-line in
advance, and space is limited.
To order, visit http://oregonzoo-
cascadeoutfitters.stores.ya-
hoo.net/hosa.html.
Color photo on page 24
Rider adds Flex-Route to Rainier
CCSWA annual Tree Sale on March 14
Columbia County Rider now
operates a Flex-Route be-
tween St. Helens and Rainier.
The decision to start this new
intercity service was based on
updated Community-wide Tran-
sit planning, rider requests and
increasing demands by riders
to get from North County to
medical appointments, state
services and fixed route serv-
ice in St. Helens.
The Flex-Route bus oper-
ates on a 90-minute schedule,
beginning at 8:30 a.m. and
stopping at the Rainier Transit
center, Rainier Senior Center,
Lindberg Store, Prescott, Gob-
le Marina, Deer Island Store,
Columbia City Mini-Mart, Co-
lumbia City Hall, Columbia
Commons – St. Helens.
This FlexRoute connects at
Columbia Commons with the
South County FlexRoute,
which serves 14 stops in the
Columbia County Small
Woodlands Association (CC-
SWA) has scheduled its Annual
Tree Sale for Saturday, March
14, at the Lawrence Oil Com-
pany parking lot on Hwy. 30 just
north of St. Helens. The sale
begins at 8:00 a.m. and ends at
2:00 p.m. Eighteen species of
seedlings are available, includ-
ing Sugar maple, Dawn red-
wood, Witch hazel, Coastal
redwood, Sourwood, Magnolia
siebold, Giant sequoia, Incense
cedar, Red Japanese maple,
Noble fir, European beech, Pur-
ple smoke tree, Ponderosa
pine, Holly oak, Sweet gum,
Western red cedar, European
larch, and “Elite” Douglas fir.
Prices range from $1.00 to
$5.50 per selection. Best selec-
tions are available early in the
morning hours. Buyers of larger
quantities may find limits on
some species of Douglas fir,
noble fir, and western red
cedar.
Members may purchase bag
quantities at significantly lower
Scappoose and St. Helens ar-
eas. Transfers between the two
routes are free. FlexRoutes
have a little extra time built into
their schedules, allowing short
trip deviations to better serve
elderly and disabled passen-
gers who may have difficulty
getting to FlexRoute bus stops.
The new service also offers
connections to Fixed Route
buses from St. Helens to Port-
land and PCC Rock Creek/Wil-
low Creek, as well as the West-
port to Longview/Kelso route,
which offers connections to the
Oregon Coast via Sunset Em-
pire Transportation.
The cost for FlexRoute bus-
es is $1.50 per boarding. For
more information, go to www.
columbiacountyrider.com or
call the Columbia County Rider
dispatch center at 503-366-
0159.
Pet of the Month
Columbia Humane Society in St. Helens has a variety of wonderful pets
available for adoption. Find the pet that’s right for you in the shelter
at 2084 Oregon Street. Phone 503-397-4353
Open Mon - Fri 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 am. to 5 pm.
Wolfie (8 months old) was brought in with two other cats in the
middle of February, victims of the hard times many of us face.
The family that had these cats couldn't afford to feed them, so
they brought them to us. They are all
Wolfie
playful, love hide-n-seek and like to
sleep cuddled up together. They get
along with other cats as well as each
other and are friendly to visitors. It's
not a problem if you only have room for
one (or two, he gets along very well
with CP). Stop in and find the furry
friend that’s been waiting for you
The Columbia Humane Society is a No-Kill non-profit shelter
dedicated to helping friends find each other since 1985.
This Adopt a Pet is Sponsored by:
Senator Betsy Johnson
prices. Applications are avail-
able for those who wish to join
at the sale.
CCSWA is a non-profit or-
ganization with a membership
of nearly 180 forestland fami-
lies who are dedicated to the
highest standards of forest sus-
tainability and stewardship.
A strong program aimed at
increasing the forestland own-
ers’ knowledge of best man-
agement practices is offered
through workshops, tours, an-
nual meetings, and panels fea-
turing professional and experi-
enced foresters and speakers.
The Association, with help
from Teevin Bros. and Oregon
Forest Resources Institute,
provides a free field trip to the
World Forestry Center in Port-
land for all fifth graders in Co-
lumbia County. In addition, in a
pilot program started last fall,
the Association will fund field
trips to the Tillamook Forest
Center for sixth grade classes
in two schools in the county. If
successful, this program will be
offered to all of the county’s
sixth graders, beginning with
the new school year this fall.
Well over a million seedlings
have been planted through the
Association’s seedling sales
and Annual Tree Sale. Of
course, the continued support
for these sales contributes to
the greening of Columbia
County.
Vernonia 9th at first equestrian meet
The Oregon High School
Equestrian Team’s first North-
west District meet was held
Valentine’s weekend in McMin-
nville. Athletes from all five Co-
lumbia County high schools
competed.
Individual High Point riders
from their schools were
Clatskanie’s Ashlie Valentine,
Rainier’s Sarina Cook and
Nicole Coleman – tied, Scap-
poose’s Taylor Engstrom; St
Helens’ Jarod Williams; and
Vernonia’s Brianna Carr. At the
end of the first meet of the sea-
son, Vernonia’s team placed
ninth overall, with 18 schools
competing.
Students involved in eques-
trian competitions are consid-
ered “team members”, and are
able to letter in the activity.
Their horses are the students’
partners in all events, and the
students are responsible year
round for training and daily care
of their team partner.
Twenty-five events were
held between Thursday and
Sunday, February 12-15, start-
ing daily at about 8:00 a.m. and
ending close to 8:00 p.m. Eng-
lish Dressage events were held
all day Thursday and into Fri-
day morning. Cow and Ranch
events were held Friday after-
noon. Western Riding events
and Drill were on Saturday, with
Individual Timed
Gaming
events on Sunday.
The second Northwest Dis-
trict meet will be March 12
through March 15, in McMin-
nville at the Yamhill County
Fairgrounds. There is no admit-
tance charge so feel free to at-
tend and cheer on these high
school equestrian teams.