Category: natural area
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Eagle Eyes: 3 Tips for Better Birding
On a sunny, crisp morning at Marymoor Park, a dozen bird enthusiasts gathered for a workshop offered by Eastside Audubon and South Sound Nature School. The group made their way around the Birdloop Trail, which winds its way through over 300 acres of protected conservation area that offers views of wooded brush and marshy wetland…
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Shape the future of your local and regional parks!
Help direct $100 million in funding Join our King County Parks Levy Grants Advisory Committees Community members may be eligible for a stipend for serving on a Parks Advisory Committee. Want to be a committee member? Submit an Interest Form by September 1, 2022.
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Two Taylor Mountain trail bridges checked off the ‘To Do’ list
Last week, King County Parks wrapped up construction on the project to install two new trail bridges at Taylor Mountain Forest. Part of our effort to improve trail sustainability and protect the forest and salmon habitat, this work replaced old, undersized culverts along gravel maintenance roads that make up part of the park’s trail system.…
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How are we doing?
King County Parks is updating our King County Open Space Plan: Parks, Trails, and Natural Areas, which provides the policy framework for King County’s acquisition, development, stewardship, management, and funding of our 32,000-acre open space system. It’s a functional plan of the King County Comprehensive Plan and must be updated every six years. As part…
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Walkin’ & Rollin’ on Vashon
Once upon a time about a month ago, a quiet little ceremony celebrated the official opening of a new half-mile loop trail on the north end of Vashon Island. This trail warrants a special shout-out due to the fact it is King County Parks’ only backcountry trail specifically designed for people who use wheelchairs and…
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Notes from the field: Day of Caring Wrap-up
Today’s guest plogger is Charlie Wakenshaw from our Volunteer Program Last Friday, Sept 13, was United Way Day of Caring, a day we look forward to all year because it brings members of our community together to lend support for the public lands we all share. In partnership with the United Way of King County,…
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The Forest Next Door
Mike and Donna Brathovde are uniquely situated to experience King County Parks’ forest stewardship activities. Since 1976, they’ve lived next to what is now known as Ravensdale Retreat Natural Area, a 145-acre forested park near Maple Valley and Black Diamond in south King County. But we’ll get to Mike and Donna in a moment. Ravensdale…
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Your Big Backyard is Getting Bigger
King County Parks had a busy year making good on the levy promise to bring 2,700 acres into the King County system by 2020. By the time 2019 rolls around, Parks will be on the lookout for a mere 500 more acres to reach the goal. As an added bonus, scooping up lands happens to…
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Happy #OptOutside
#OptOutside While #optoutside started as a way to change behaviors on Black Friday, it’s bigger than one single day. It’s a choice you make every day. You’ve heard it before: being outside is good for you. Good for your health. Good for your attitude. Spend some time taking care of yourself . . . instead…
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Forest Stewardship 101
While your own yard might benefit from a simple raking, King County’s forests require a little bit more attention. Why not let nature take its course? Many of the 26,000 acres of forestland owned by King County Parks used to be timber plantations and weren’t managed to be forest habitat. These forests tend to be…
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Ring around Ring Hill Forest
Sweater weather. Wool sweater weather. I pulled on my woolliest sweater and headed for the woods psyched because I’m a newbie at King County Parks and knew there’d be something among the trees about which to Plog. The week before, I met the field crew who takes care of the parks in northeastern area of…
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Natural Area Appreciation Post: Lower Bear Creek
With 14,000 acres of natural and working resource lands owned by King County, there is a lot to appreciate. The Lower Bear Creek Natural Area is just 11.68 acres in size but it’s packed with both upland forest and areas of wetland. About half of the property is located within the 100-year floodplain of Bear…