What Wine Goes With Invasive Species? Columbia Springs Asks Local Chefs To Find Out. Second Annual Invasive Species Cookout Returns Aug. 22 As Part Of Columbia Springs’ Hooked On Nature Event. (Photo) - 08/14/26
VANCOUVER, Wash. — For 25 years, Columbia Springs has been finding unexpected ways to get people curious about the natural world. This August, that means putting invasive species back on the menu.
For the second time, the Vancouver nonprofit is inviting local chefs to turn invasive species into dinner, pairing serious ecological questions with a chef competition designed to be memorable, surprising and educational.
The cookout will take place August 22 as part of Columbia Springs’ annual Hooked on Nature event.
“We knew we didn’t want to throw another gala dinner,” said Columbia Springs Executive Director Katherine Cory. “We wanted to do something that felt more like us, something curious, a little unexpected, and built around learning. So instead of asking people to sit through a program, we asked chefs to cook invasive species. It’s weird enough to get people talking, fun enough to remember, and somewhere in the middle of all that, people actually learn something.”
Columbia Springs has recruited a formidable local kitchen crew for the challenge: the Ondus team of Chef Tanner Genck, Food and Beverage Director for AC Hotel and Ondus; Executive Sous Chef James Sullivan; and Lead Line Cook Hunter Gill; along with Chef Earl Frederickson of the McClaskey Culinary Institute and Chef Chris Townsend, Sous Chef at Kismet.
Their assignment: turn invasive species into something guests actually want seconds of.
Rather than simply explaining how invasive species affect Northwest ecosystems, Columbia Springs is inviting guests to experience the subject through food, conversation and a little friendly competition.
Hooked on Nature is Columbia Springs’ annual summer gathering and fundraiser.
Before dinner, guests will be able to explore parts of the Columbia Springs site that many Vancouver residents have never seen, including areas connected to the historic Vancouver Trout Hatchery, which shares the site with Columbia Springs, as well as spaces used for the organization’s education programs.
Columbia Springs has built its programs around the idea that environmental education works best when people can see it, touch it, question it and occasionally be surprised by it.
Sometimes that looks like a child turning over a rock in a stream.
Sometimes it looks like raising salmon in a classroom.
And sometimes it looks like asking a chef what wine goes with an invasive species.
Hooked on Nature takes place Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Columbia Springs in Vancouver, Washington.
About Columbia Springs
Columbia Springs’ mission is to offer a unique setting and educational experiences that foster a greater awareness of the natural world and inspire stewardship. Located within a 100-acre urban natural area in Vancouver, Washington, Columbia Springs connects children and community members with nature through field trips, salmon education, community programs and hands-on learning.
