About us

We are Friends of the Waterlife Discovery Center Inc.

In 2025 a group of Master Naturalists saw a critical need to help preserve and improve the Waterlife Discovery Center facility.

  • With Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) approval, a board of directors came together and an Idaho nonprofit corporation was formed.
  •  The Name of the nonprofit corporation is “Friends of the Waterlife Discovery Center Inc.”
  • Friends of Waterlife Discovery Center is an IRS recognized 501c3 charitable organization. Your donations are Tax deductable.
We need your help

Why do we need your help? There are many projects that need funding to help the WDC.  The cabin needs painting and the windows leak.  There are safety hazards that need addressed. The grounds require maintenance. Displays need to be improved and enhanced.  The board is making priorities in conjunction with Idaho Fish and Game.  IDFG does not receive tax-payer funds and exists on a very tight budget. Your donation to the Waterlife Discovery Center will make a difference so that it can be here for future generations!  Please Donate and thank you!

What is the Waterlife Discovery Center?

The Waterlife Discovery Center (WDC) is an Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) facility that dates to 1908. It is located on ten acres along the beautiful Pend Oreille River in Bonner County. Originally used as a fish hatchery, it now serves as a fish transfer station and the outdoor runs are used by IDFG for staging trout to stock nearby lakes.

The main use of the facility today is to serve the community as an educational center for all to learn about the beautiful nature that surrounds us in North Idaho.  

Who are The Pend Oreille Chapter of Idaho Master Naturalists?

The Pend Oreille Chapter of Idaho Master Naturalists was formed in 2011 to be “a corps of well-informed volunteers to actively work toward stewardship of Idaho’s natural environment”. The chapter serves as caretakers for the Waterlife Discovery Center, by managing the facility and grounds and working as Naturalists on Duty greeting visitors to the WDC in the summer months.