Rooted in Connection & Community Conference Fall 2025
Washington's Outdoor, Environmental, and Sustainability Educators' 2025 Conference:
Rooted in Connection & Community
November 14-16, 2025 at Cispus Learning Center 2142 Cispus Rd, Randle, WA, 98377 Randle, WA. | (360) 497-7131
E3 Washington is hosting a gathering for all outdoor, environmental, and sustainability educators this fall. This will be an in-person event, with lots of space for people to stay in cabins, camp, or attend for a day. Register by November 3, 2025.
$250 for E3 Washington Members
$300 for Non-Members
*Registration includes all meals and two nights of lodging at Cispus Learning Center in addition to all conference sessions and speakers. Sleeping arrangements are in dorm-style cabins with the option of staying in a gender neutral, female or male dorm. Cabins and camping are also available by emailing buffington@cispus.org.
Learn more about Cispus Learning Center here.
$150 Saturday Only Option - meals included, no lodging
Scholarships are Available (limited number / first come, first served), please contact Courtney@e3washington.org.
Alert: On Google Maps, road NF-23 says it is closed in winter. This does not affect the road to Cispus. They are referring to the road 25 miles up into the mountains, and not the road NF-23 which is 8 miles in where you take a right toward Cispus (1200 ft elevation). We have confirmed that the path is clear and you can ignore the NF-23 road closed warning on Google Maps.
When to Arrive and Parking
Please arrive in time to check in to the conference from 1-3 p.m., choose a cabin and unpack before our welcome at 3 p.m.
Lodging
After you register you can then go to your self-selected cabin. Sleeping arrangements are in dorm-style cabins with the option of staying in a gender neutral, women's or men's dorm. Cabins and camping are also available by emailing buffington@cispus.org.
Breakout Session Schedule
We plan to have breakout session sign-ups at the conference, and will email you when the conference schedule is finalized. We plan to have dozens of sessions to choose from over the three-day conference. There is so much to learn and try. Workshop themes include curriculum & pedagogy, administration & leadership, building an inclusive & equitable culture, and more.
Weather
Come prepared for changing weather. So far the weather outlook looks decent - in the 30’s-40’s with some rain Saturday and Sunday.
What to Expect
You can expect to have renewing and connecting time at this year's conference. There will be ample time for learning, activities, conversations and community building. You'll also have time to reflect, explore on your own and take time to yourself. Quiet hours are between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Night owls can gather at the firepit or the cafeteria (which are far away from the cabins) to continue the party and socializing.
What to Bring
Please remember to bring your own linens and bathroom supplies. We'll email you a packing list once you register. Cispus has running hot water and toilet paper, the rest is the practice of preparations as they expect their young students to do when coming to camp.
Menu
We will email you a detailed menu two weeks before the conference. We will make substitutes for people who are vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and dairy free. We will have options for those who have other food preferences. You are welcome to bring food and we do have storage space as well.
Sponsor the in-person conference at Cispus Learning Center and receive these benefits:
Temperate Rainforest Level - $100
- Logo on event website and conference emails - Resource fair tabling space
Estuary Level - $250
- Everything above, and
- Logo on welcome slides
- Logo and recognition during the live conference and through social media
Prairie Level - $500
- Everything above, and
- Registration fee for one participant waived
Shrub-Steppe Level - $1,000+
- Everything above, and
- Registration fee for a second participant waived
- Verbal promotion in the plenary session
*Support the Rooted in Connection & Community Conference by becoming a sponsor today and your logo will appear here.
Enjoy browsing past conferences held by E3 Washington as you look forward to future conferences and events.
Hweqwidi Handford McCloud
of the Nisqually Indian Tribe
E3 WA was pleased to host our featured speaker for Friday night of the Growing Together Conference, Hweqwidi Hanford McCloud of the Nisqually Indian Tribe.
Hanford is an enrolled member of the Nisqually Nation located in Lacey. Handford shares that his life's work and passion is practicing and teaching the culture and tradition of the Nisqually people. He teaches basket weaving and carving which includes gathering the cedar bark from the cedar tree. He also does informational and educational presentations of the Nisqually Salish people for Yelm and Thurston County schools and professional, private groups. He ultimately loves sharing his culture and history with the public.
We are incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to hear from Hanford at the Growing Together Conference in the fall of 2024.
