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Nature Takes Center Stage
Flocks of migratory birds and other creatures put on a show at western Washington’s Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.
Story by Allen Cox
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A crowd of photographers gathered on the trail, all pointing their lenses in the same direction. I approached and peered down their line of sight, curious about what was drawing so much attention. Illuminated by a spotlight of spring sun on an otherwise cloudy morning, a line of tall, gangly birds, seven in all, picked their way across the grasslands. A man in the gathering crowd lowered his binoculars and announced, “White-faced ibises. Very rare. The last time one was spotted here was four years ago.” News of the ibises traveled fast. Within a short time, it seemed that every bird enthusiast and photographer in the vicinity was rushing to the scene.
The “scene” is Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, which lies just off I–5 between Tacoma and Olympia, Washington. About 140,000 visitors pass through its gate every year. Once the site of a dairy farm protected from invading waters by a ring of dikes, the refuge is now one of the largest estuary eco-systems in Washington.
No where else within a two-hour hike have I caught sight of bald eagles soaring overhead, a mink dashing across my path, a pair of river otters surfacing and scurrying up a bank, and a flock of rarely seen white-faced ibises playing follow-the-leader.
According to Sheila McCartan, an outdoor recreation planner at the wildlife refuge, Nisqually was established to protect habitats for migratory birds, primarily geese and
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FYI
Bring comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, water, binoculars, and a field guide about birds of western Washington (field guides are available for purchase at the Visitor Center). There is a $3 entrance fee per family. The refuge is open during daylight hours, yearround. The Visitor Center is open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays, 12:30 to 4 p.m. The refuge is a wildlife-friendly zone. Activities and sports that disturb wildlife—such as jogging, pets, bicycling, kite flying, fires, camping, fireworks, and hunting—are prohibited.
Check in advance for trail closures. A portion of Brown Farm Dike
Trail is closed seasonally. Contact Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (360-753-9467; www.fws.gov/nisqually).
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waterfowl in the winter and songbirds in the spring.
“Spring and summer are our busiest seasons,” explains McCartan, “and bird watching is best in the spring.”
McCartan notes that many excellent birders frequent the refuge and track the birds, mammals, and reptiles they spot. This tracking allows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to keep tabs on the animals that reside in and migrate through the refuge, information that allows the agency to gauge the effectiveness of habitat restoration programs as well as make plans for the future.
Land Rescue
The inception of the refuge is a
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conservation success story. In the 1960s and 1970s, grassroots conservation advocates successfully rescued the land from the drawing board of developers that were drafting plans to dredge the site and construct a port. The land ended up in the hands of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge was born.
Thriving Habitat
Both fresh and salt water border
the refuge on three sides: the Nisqually River, Puget Sound, and McAllister Creek. It is a crucial and thriving habitat for waterfowl, birds of prey, songbirds, shorebirds, and a variety of mammals and amphibians. Future plans are designed to protect and expand habitats, and make
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A man in the gathering crowd lowered his binoculars and announced, “White-faced
ibises. Very rare. The last time one was spotted here was four years ago.” |
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them as productive as possible. The Fish and Wildlife Service will achieve this by acquiring bordering properties as they become available, potentially doubling the refuge’s area.
People and Nature Converge
The refuge is designed as a place for people and nature to converge. The Visitor Center greets guests with a first-rate exhibit of the Nisqually River watershed’s natural history. Those want-ing a nature fix without indulging in a hike need go no farther than the Visitor Center’s viewing deck, which overlooks a forest-bordered marsh that is home to a variety of birds. The center has a gift and book concession operated by Friends of Nisqually, a nonprofit group that funds many of the refuge’s education programs. The Environmental Education Center hosts programs for students and educators.
“People come to the refuge for wild-life-oriented recreation,” says McCartan. “Bird watching, hiking, and just being out in nature are the main attractions. Photography, fishing, boating, kayaking, and canoeing are the next most popular activities. Occasionally, groups of landscape painters come to set up their easels all over the refuge.”
Outdoor Activities
The refuge also offers scheduled activities: guided nature walks and a summer evening lecture series focused on environmental topics.
Visitors get around the refuge on 7 miles of trails, which are flat and in excellent condition, making it a perfect outdoor destination for nature-lovers of all ages and physical abilities.
- The longest trail (5-1/2 miles), the Brown Farm Dike Trail, encircles the refuge atop the dike. It exposes visitors to every habitat the refuge has to offer: saltwater estuary, freshwater wetlands, open mudflats, grasslands, and riparian and woodland forests.
- The Twin Barns Loop Trail is a shorter alternative—1 mile of wide, railed boardwalk that is wheelchair accessible—offering a pleasant trip through forested wetlands rich with wildlife. This trail is named for two great barns, still standing, once part of a farm that occupied the property in the early 1930s.
- Two lookout platforms, one adjacent to the twin barns and another above the tidal marshes just off the Brown Farm Dike Trail, allow expansive vistas of wetlands, estuaries, Puget Sound with its forested islands beyond, and the distant peaks of the Olympic Mountains. Mount Rainier, the Nisqually River’s source, peeks over the hills from many of the refuge’s vantage points.
Historical Impact
Like the wildlife watchers, history buffs will find something of interest at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. McAllister Creek (renamed from the original Medicine Creek) was the site of the signing of the 1854 Medicine Creek Treaty between the United States and local American Indian tribes. So significant was this treaty that as many as 600 American Indians attended the signing event, historians believe.
The lopsided treaty yielded more than 2 million acres—much of the Puget Sound basin and the Olympic Peninsula—to the United States and relocated the native tribes to reservations far from traditional fishing and hunting lands. This arrangement escalated into the Puget Sound Indian War of 1855–1856, ending in defeat for the Americans Indians .
Natural Wonders
Each season at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge presents its own unique show of colors, textures, scents, weather, and wildlife. Whatever the time of year, it is a place to marvel at nature on its own terms, to witness environmental conservation in action, to pause and breathe in the salty breeze sweeping across the marsh, and simply to rejuvenate. Regardless of the season or the reason for my visit, there, I always find nature occupying center stage. |
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