Fens vs. Bogs
Wetlands are very important ecosystems; they help filter water and mitigate flooding. There are four general types of wetlands in the United States; marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens. Similar to bogs, fens are a type of peatland...
Spring is Here and the Boardwalk is Open!
Thanks to our volunteers, donors, and community, SHADOW's boardwalk has been repaired! The boardwalk is once again open for the public to enjoy just in time for Spring. We hope you will come out for a visit soon to see all our beautiful native plants that...
Preservation at SHADOW
If you have ever taken a stroll to the end of SHADOW's boardwalk and looked out beyond the trees from the boardwalk deck, there is a good chance you were looking towards a parcel of land that was not owned or managed by SHADOW, until now. We are pleased to...
Native Animal of the Month: Anna’s Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird - Calypte anna Have you been lucky enough to spot a hummingbird this winter? Only one species over-winters here in the Puget Sound area, and that's the Anna's hummingbird. These birds are bronze-green above and gray below with males having an...
Native Plant of the Month: Evergreen Violet
Evergreen Violet - Viola sempervirens Striking and small, the evergreen violet often goes unnoticed. This tiny plant loves to grow very low to the ground usually only 2-3 inches high. The petals range from only 7 to 10 millimeters long; that's not even half an inch....
New Native Plant Interpretive Signs
Last August, thanks to a grant from our partners at 4Culture, SHADOW brought on Gabi Esparza to complete a heritage project. This season, her work will be immortalized in the form of 12 new signs on the Boardwalk trail. These signs highlight native plants found at...
A Little Known Invasive Species
Yellow Archangel - Lamiastrum galeobdolon Yellow archangel is a beautiful plant with vibrant yellow flowers that is unfortunately an escaped ornamental flower. Archangel spreads quickly on the forest floor and overwhelms the native vegetation. Once the native...
Boardwalk update!
The Boardwalk Trail is an essential part of SHADOW's grounds and mission as it is the only way visitors can view the bog. This trail is extremely important for SHADOW's education programs, there are over 1,000 local students scheduled to tour Shadow Lake Bog this...
A Letter from Isabelle
Hello SHADOW Community, My last day at SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve was Friday, February 15th. As I look forward to the next phase of my life, which involves a pivot away from the beautiful forests of the Pacific Northwest, I am grateful to be leaving the Nature...
Welcome Joy!
As SHADOW transitions in staff, we are delighted to announce our new Operations Manager, Joy. She has a strong passion for preservation and conservation. She developed her love for the outdoors and nature while taking ecology courses as an undergraduate student. Joy...
Native Animal of the Month: Northern Spotted Owl
Northern Spotted Owl - Strix occidentalis caurina If you are lucky enough to notice a chocolate brown, medium sized owl with dark eyes, you may have spotted this nocturnal creature. Classified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as threatened, these...
Ongoing Restoration Activities
In January of 2018, SHADOW began a large restoration project in our Uplands property. This particular plot had been logged in the early 1990's. After this logging, not much was done with the property, which meant it needed a lot of help! We are now ready to move to...
Herpetology Season Begins!
Starting soon, SHADOW's amphibian monitoring team will be conducting monitoring of SHADOW's two amphibian ponds. This team will be looking for egg masses and other evidence of amphibian breeding that will then be reported back to Woodland Park Zoo. In the past, SHADOW...
False Solomon’s Seal
False Solomon's Seal - Maianthemum racemosum Seemingly disappearing in the Fall and Winter, this native flower pops back up in the Spring. When mature, the stems zig-zag in lengths from 1 to 3 feet. The leaves extend alternately along the stem and can be up to 6...
You can’t predict the weather!
Winter seems to have kicked in a little late this year. SHADOW got over 3 inches of snow between February 3rd and 4th and at least a foot total this winter. Although the snow makes SHADOW's grounds look like a dream, we have had to change around some of our meetings...
Native Plant of the Month: Stinging Nettle
Stinging Nettle - Urtica dioica Stinging nettle is highly regarded for its health and healing benefits. It stings by releasing formic acid which is present in most bee stings. When harvested correctly, stinging nettle can be used to treat muscle pain, eczema,...
Is that a Long-tailed weasel??
Long Tailed Weasel - Mustela frenata Is SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve home to long-tailed weasels? After SHADOW volunteer, Ray Owens, captured this video on one of the Nature Preserve's trapper cameras, we deliberated amongst ourselves to ID this little critter. The...
Assisted Migration
When taking a walk around the grounds at SHADOW's office and Richter Education Center, it's easy to forget that this wooded area used to be a garbage dump. All the beautiful snowberry, Nootka Rose, and other shrubs and groundcover were planted by volunteers in...
Welcome, Alex!
We have a new member of the SHADOW staff! Alex Hardy is our new restoration and education manager. Having a passion for environmental protection, she graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a degree in Environmental Studies. Since then, she has...
Boardwalk Closure
SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve is sad to announce the closure of the boardwalk trail due to fallen trees from the most recent windstorm. This trail is an essential part of SHADOW's grounds and mission as it is the only way into the bog on the property. This trail is...
Match Campaign Results
At the end of last year SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve asked our grassroots community to help us to make the most of a matching gift opportunity and the response was overwhelming! Thank you all so much for the continued support and commitment to preservation,...
