Friends of Badger Mountain

Trailwork Party - March 14th
2026-03-14 08:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Time: 8 to noon

Meeting Place: The route to the meeting place crosses private property so the Trailmaster will provide a map you sign up.

The Work: The work will be to clean up the rough trail to get it ready for adding gravel. This will involve mostly moving dirt with McLeods and shovels and then packing it (walking on it). The weather forecast is looking windy but don’t worry, this area is well protected from the wind.

There will be work parties scheduled every week on Thursdays to Sunday, 8 to noon until April 12th. If you cannot make it to this week’s work, there are plenty of chances to help later. Pick a day, maybe even find a friend to bring along and let me know.

The Trailmaster will provide all the tools and even some homemade cookies at the break. Volunteers need to bring work gloves, water, and snacks with a small pack to carry them, and dress for the weather forecast. There isn’t any work for preteens – it is hard to keep them motivated for 4 hours. Those 13 to 15 will have to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. You will need to sign-up so the Trailmaster can plan the work, bake enough cookies and let you know if plans change. Please let the Trailmaster know that you are coming by sending an email to trailmaster@friendsofbadger.org

Trailwork Party - March 15th
2026-03-15 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Trailwork Party - March 19th
2026-03-19 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Trailwork Party - March 20th
2026-03-20 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Trailwork Party - March 21st
2026-03-21 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

2026 Annual Friends of Badger Celebration
2026-03-21 16:00 - 18:00 | Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Drive, Richland, WA, 99354, United States
Save the date. Our annual celebration will be on Saturday, Match 15th, from 4-6 PM at the Richland Community Center.

Hors d’oeuvres, wine, friendship, appreciations, elections, exciting news and … honoring special guests.

Please RSVP – space is limited. Email sharon@friendsofbadger.org

Trailwork Party - March 22nd
2026-03-22 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Trailwork Party - March 26th
2026-03-26 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

2026 Badger Mountain Challenge (Sign-Up Required)
2026-03-27 00:00 - 2026-03-28 23:59 | WA
The Badger Mountain Challenge offers 5 distances; the popular 15k, 55k, 50-miles, the new 100-Kilometer, and the ultimate challenge: 100-miles. The 15k and 50-mile races now also have a ruck option.

The Badger Mountain Challenge has a small-town feel but with all the support of a big race. Even if you’re not competitive you can hike the course while enjoying the people, local ridges and open spaces.

Proceeds from the BMC will go to the following great organizations: Friends of Badger Mountain, Washington Trails Association (WTA), and Girls on the Run.

Visit their website for more information

Trailwork Party - March 27th
2026-03-27 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Trailwork Party - March 28th
2026-03-28 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Trailwork Party - March 29th
2026-03-29 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Trailwork Party - April 2nd
2026-04-02 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Trailwork Party - April 3rd
2026-04-03 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Trailwork Party - April 4th
2026-04-04 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Bioblitz Kick Off Event
2026-04-04 12:00 - 14:00 | Westgate Parking Lot, 5305 East 210 PR NE, Richland, WA, 99352, United States
Join CBWNPS and Friends of Badger Mountain to kick off native plant appreciation month and our second annual BioBlitz to engage in community science and collect data on living organisms within the preserve.

We will provide a brief introduction to iNaturalist at the event, and guided walks will be given to collect data for flora, birds, insects, and whatever other cool things you find!

See https://www.cbwnps.org/calendar/2026/4/4/badger-mountain-preserve-bioblitz-kick-off-event for more information

Trailwork Party - April 5th
2026-04-05 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Trailwork Party - April 9th
2026-04-09 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Trailwork Party - April 10th
2026-04-10 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Trailwork Party - April 11th
2026-04-11 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Trailwork Party - April 12th
2026-04-12 08:00 - 12:00 | WA

Noxious Weeds Training
2026-05-15 09:00 | Benton County Noxious Weed Control Board, 1841 Terminal Dr, Richland, Washington, 99354, United States
Training will be provided by the Benton County Noxious Weed Control Board, Native Plant Society, and Friends of Badger Mountain. We expect the session to last for up to two hours, including an optional “field trip” at the end to observe noxious weeds growing among native plants in the wild. The Field Trip depends on finding a close-by area with several species, which are at a large enough growth stage to be able to distinguish varieties. The goal is education about invasive weeds, especially the particularly harmful ones classified as Noxious Weeds. We will focus on the several species that are infesting our local communities, including the ridgeline preserves of Badger and Candy Mountains. In addition, we will discuss how to distinguish native plants from noxious weeds and talk about control measures that preserve native plants.

Community members wanting to learn more about noxious weeds in the area are urged to attend – we all see them every day on vacant lots, roadsides, etc. Do you want to help restore and beautify our iconic ridgeline shrub steppe preserves? Friends of Badger Mountain has been deploying volunteer weeding crews to manually remove the noxious weeds from our wonderful mountain preserves and trails for the past nine years. Significant reductions have been achieved, but like our gardens, weeds continue to return. We are tentatively planning to start this year’s volunteer weeding crews sometime around the middle of May. We especially invite those of you for this training who might be interested in volunteering to help us continue cleaning up the remaining Badger and Candy Mountain noxious weeds. Expect some tasty treats to keep your blood sugar levels up at the training.Please RSVP to me if you are thinking of attending the training session, it helps immensely with the planning! Invite others you think would be interested.

Hike Through Time on Candy Mountain
2026-05-16 09:00 - 11:00 | Candy Mountain Preserve Trailhead, 71004 E 669 PR NE, Richland, WA, 99352, United States
Join Manhattan Project National Historical Park rangers and REACH Museum educators on a free guided, 3.6-mile (5.8 km) round-trip moderate hike to the top of Candy Mountain on Saturday, May 16 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am Pacific time. There will be several stops along the trail up to the summit where rangers will share short histories about the events and people that shaped the mid-Columbia region. Hikers will move forward in time as the stops progress from the Ice Age Floods to the Manhattan Project and its legacies. Topics will include the Native Peoples who have lived here since time immemorial, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the arrival of Christian missionaries, and the selection of Hanford for plutonium production during World War II. Hikers will gain 555 feet (170 m) of elevation as they hike to the top of Candy Mountain. Participants should be prepared to hike uphill, bring water and food, and plan for a variety of weather. Meet in the Candy Mountain trailhead parking lot by 8:45am for a 9:00am departure.

Weeding Crew - May 20
2026-05-20 07:00 - 10:00 | Candy Mountain Preserve Trailhead, 71004 E 669 PR NE, Richland, WA, 99352, United States
Where: Meet at Candy Mountain Trailhead parking lot. Address is 71004 E. 669 PR N.E. Directions – turn off of Dallas Rd. onto PR669 Rd. NE. Drive uphill to the parking lot on the right. Don’t leave anything in your car that may appear valuable since some car break-ins have occurred.

Duties: Locating and hand pulling or clipping Cereal Rye plants. Plants range in size from shorter (2 ft), plants to larger (4 ft+). They may occur as single plants, small groupings, or in small to large patches. We are still experimenting with removal methods, but for now, will bag and remove most of the plant material.

Tools and Clothing: Bring good strong gloves — leather or heavier rubberized garden gloves! Dress for the weather forecast. Long sleeved shirts and long pants are recommended for scratch and sun protection. Don’t forget a hat. A small set of pruning clippers is often useful. Generally, just pulling and bagging the plants has proven to be the most practical method of removal. Since we are constantly moving, a fanny pack or small backpack is useful to carry your “stuff” — gloves, clothes, phone, water, snacks, tools, sun protection, etc. Bring heavier plastic bags for the weeds if you have them – like feed bags or potting soil bags, etc. I will have bags, too.

Terrain: We are working off-trail where the ground is sloped and uneven with plenty of dry Cheatgrass, rocky in some areas — sturdy boots with good tread, arch support, and ankle protection is recommended. I suggest using boot gaiters to keep the Cheatgrass out of your socks and boots. The Cheatgrass is again plentiful this year!

Weeding Crew - May 31st
2026-05-31 07:00 - 10:00 | Candy Mountain Preserve Trailhead, 71004 E 669 PR NE, Richland, WA, 99352, United States
We will be weeding (treating):

Rush skeletonweed

Yellow starthistle

Diffuse and potentially other knapweeds

Puncturevine (also known as tackweed or goathead)

Kochia.

Tools and Clothing: Bring good strong gloves — leather or heavier rubberized garden gloves! Dress for the weather forecast. Long-sleeved shirts and long pants are recommended for scratch and sun protection. Don’t forget a hat. A small set of pruning clippers is often useful. Generally, just pulling and bagging the plants has proven to be the most practical method of removal. Since we are constantly moving, a fanny pack or small backpack is useful to carry your “stuff” — gloves, clothes, phone, water, snacks, tools, sun protection, etc. Bring heavier plastic bags for the weeds if you have them – like feed bags or potting soil bags, etc. Weedmaster will have bags, too.

Terrain: We are working off-trail where the ground is sloped and uneven with plenty of dry Cheatgrass, rocky in some areas — sturdy boots with good tread, arch support, and ankle protection is recommended. We suggest using boot gaiters to keep the Cheatgrass out of your socks and boots. The Cheatgrass is again plentiful this year!

Don’t leave anything in your car that may appear valuable since some car break-ins have occurred at these parking lots.

Contact Weedmaster Pietro Matinelli at pietromartinelli97@yahoo.com or (925) 207-6293 to:

Make alternative work arrangements

Confirm start time

Confirm meeting arrangements

Sign up for e-mail updates.

Weeding Crew - June 3rd
2026-06-03 07:00 - 10:00 | Candy Mountain Preserve Trailhead, 71004 E 669 PR NE, Richland, WA, 99352, United States
We will be weeding (treating):

Rush skeletonweed

Yellow starthistle

Diffuse and potentially other knapweeds

Puncturevine (also known as tackweed or goathead)

Kochia.

Tools and Clothing: Bring good strong gloves — leather or heavier rubberized garden gloves! Dress for the weather forecast. Long-sleeved shirts and long pants are recommended for scratch and sun protection. Don’t forget a hat. A small set of pruning clippers is often useful. Generally, just pulling and bagging the plants has proven to be the most practical method of removal. Since we are constantly moving, a fanny pack or small backpack is useful to carry your “stuff” — gloves, clothes, phone, water, snacks, tools, sun protection, etc. Bring heavier plastic bags for the weeds if you have them – like feed bags or potting soil bags, etc. Weedmaster will have bags, too.

Terrain: We are working off-trail where the ground is sloped and uneven with plenty of dry Cheatgrass, rocky in some areas — sturdy boots with good tread, arch support, and ankle protection is recommended. We suggest using boot gaiters to keep the Cheatgrass out of your socks and boots. The Cheatgrass is again plentiful this year!

Don’t leave anything in your car that may appear valuable since some car break-ins have occurred at these parking lots.

Contact Weedmaster Pietro Matinelli at pietromartinelli97@yahoo.com or (925) 207-6293 to:

Sign up for e-mail updates.

Make alternative work arrangements

Confirm start time

Confirm meeting arrangements

Weeding Crew - June 5th
2026-06-05 07:00 - 10:00 | Trailhead Park, 525 Queensgate Dr, Richland, WA, 99352, United States

Weeding Crew - June 7th
2026-06-07 07:00 - 10:00 | Trailhead Park, 525 Queensgate Dr, Richland, WA, 99352, United States

Weeding Crew - June 10th
2026-06-10 07:00 - 10:00 | Candy Mountain Preserve Trailhead, 71004 E 669 PR NE, Richland, WA, 99352, United States

Weeding Crew - June 12th
2026-06-12 07:00 - 10:00 | Candy Mountain Preserve Trailhead, 71004 E 669 PR NE, Richland, WA, 99352, United States
We will be weeding (treating):

Rush skeletonweed

Yellow starthistle

Diffuse and potentially other knapweeds

Puncturevine (also known as tackweed or goathead)

Kochia.

Tools and Clothing: Bring good strong gloves — leather or heavier rubberized garden gloves! Dress for the weather forecast. Long-sleeved shirts and long pants are recommended for scratch and sun protection. Don’t forget a hat. A small set of pruning clippers is often useful. Generally, just pulling and bagging the plants has proven to be the most practical method of removal. Since we are constantly moving, a fanny pack or small backpack is useful to carry your “stuff” — gloves, clothes, phone, water, snacks, tools, sun protection, etc. Bring heavier plastic bags for the weeds if you have them – like feed bags or potting soil bags, etc. Weedmaster will have bags, too.

Terrain: We are working off-trail where the ground is sloped and uneven with plenty of dry Cheatgrass, rocky in some areas — sturdy boots with good tread, arch support, and ankle protection is recommended. We suggest using boot gaiters to keep the Cheatgrass out of your socks and boots. The Cheatgrass is again plentiful this year!

Don’t leave anything in your car that may appear valuable since some car break-ins have occurred at these parking lots.

Contact Weedmaster Pietro Matinelli at pietromartinelli97@yahoo.com or (925) 207-6293 to:

Sign up for e-mail updates

Make alternative work arrangements

Confirm start time

Confirm meeting arrangements
