The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce (GVCC) has expanded their red coat Ambassador team to include Erik Morton, a dedicated family man who has made Vancouver his home after living all over the United States. Morton will help the GVCC by representing the business community at groundbreakings, ribbon cuttings, networking events, and workshops. This high-profile responsibility is shared with 22 other member business owners and representatives, across a variety of industries that make up the GVCC’s 1,100 business membership base. To learn more about the chamber, visit www.vancouverusa.com.

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site has received one of three 2017 Valerie Sivinski Awards for Outstanding Historic Building Rehabilitation for its work on the rehabilitation of Vancouver Barracks Building 987. This award is given annually by the Washington State Historic Preservation Office as a recognition of achievement in historic preservation through outstanding rehabilitations of historic buildings and structures. In 2016, the National Park Service successfully rehabilitated the hundred-year-old double infantry barracks building. Before the rehabilitation, Building 987 had asbestos and lead paint issues, as well as an array of maintenance and structural problems. The $11 million project revitalized the building with new tin ceiling tiles, newly painted interior and exterior, stripped and repainted porch columns, and resurfaced and sanded original wood floors.

NatureScaping is offering trees, shrubs, and perennials at its annual plant sale Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30. Prices start at only $10, $5, and $1 respectively. There will also be Mason Bee cocoons and garden photos available for purchase.

This is the organization’s largest fundraiser, held in cooperation with students from the adjacent CASEE Center who will be selling native landscaping plants. Quantities of the most popular varieties will be limited, but members of NatureScaping get the best selection early on April 29, at 9 a.m. Membership is only $20 and can be purchased on site.

The sale runs from 10 a.m to 3 p.m., both days at the Wildlife Botanical Gardens located at 11000 NE 149th St., Brush Prairie. NatureScaping will also have people on hand during the sale to answer any questions and to assist in loading plants. For more information, including a list of plants available at the sale, visit www.naturescaping.org.

A community-wide fundraising campaign has been launched with the goal of raising $100,000 to keep DOGPAW sustainable. As part of the campaign and to raise awareness, DOGPAW and their business sponsors have created a community “treasure hunt” with eight K9 Memorial Coasters that honor our fallen local K9s and our local police. Dogpaw is a nonprofit dedicated to creating and maintaining off leash dog parks in Clark County.

Mill Creek Pub, Riverview Bank, All Natural Pet store, Orchards Feed store, Columbia River Veterinary Services, PNW Visiting Vet, Greenhaven Landscapes and Natural Pet NW all have a sponsored K9 coaster and are distributing them now through June 6 in events and locations all around the community.

A Reward Party is scheduled for June 6. DOGPAW will put the names of those who have collected all eight coasters into a raffle to collect prizes. Details about the K9 coaster challenge, the events, the fundraiser and the Reward Party can be found at savedogpawoffleashpark.org or on the Save DOGPAW off-leash Facebook page, here.