SHADOW

Guided Nature Walk: Edible Plants
2021-09-24 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Shadow Lake Nature Preserve, 21656 184th Ave SE, Renton, WA, 98058, United States
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Explore the Nature Preserve with a guide and learn about some of the edible plants that nature has to offer and how these plants are used by humans.
Guided Nature Walks are outdoor explorations that take place rain or shine, designed for people of all ages. Come with weather appropriate clothes and shoes for moderate levels of walking – inclines or uneven ground may be encountered on this walk.

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Guided Nature Walk: Changing of Seasons and Fall Foliage
2021-10-15 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Fall is a great time to explore SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve with a guide! Come enjoy this peaceful walk and experience native Pacific Northwest foliage at its best!
Guided Nature Walks are outdoor explorations that take place rain or shine, designed for people of all ages. Come with weather-appropriate
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clothes and shoes for moderate levels of walking – inclines or uneven ground may be encountered on this walk.

Guided Nature Walk: Mushroom Madness
2021-11-19 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Explore the beauty of our trails with a guide at SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve and join us in a search for mushrooms of all shapes, sizes, and colors! We will attempt to find and identify as many mushroom species as we can and discuss the role fungus plays in the ecosystem here at SHADOW.
Guided Nature Walks are outdoor explorations that take place rain or shine, designed for people of all ages. Come with weather-appropriate clothes and shoes for moderate levels of walking – inclines or uneven ground may be encountered on this walk.
Guided Nature Walk on November 19, 2021, is now at full capacity.

Guided Nature Walk: Winter Wonderland Walk
2021-12-10 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Explore the beauty of our trails with a guide at SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve and welcome the winter season as we discuss ways in which the ecosystem around us is changing and preparing for colder temperatures and shorter days.
Guided Nature Walks are outdoor explorations that take place rain or shine, designed for people of all ages. Come with weather-appropriate clothes and shoes for moderate levels of walking – inclines or uneven ground may be encountered on this walk.

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Guided Nature Walk: Earth Day
2022-04-22 14:00 - 15:00 UTC
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Celebrate Earth Day with a guided walk through our upland nature trails! Get to know some of our region’s native trees, plants, and critters as we explore the various habitats along the trails. If you are interested, download iNaturalist on your phone and we will help you learn how to use it. Visit iNaturalist.org to see how the app can help you learn about the nature around you while helping scientists at the same time. If you are hooked, participate in our region’s 2022 City Nature Challenge! (www.zoo.org/conservation/naturechallenge)
Guided Nature Walks are outdoor explorations that take place rain or shine, designed for people of all ages. Come with weather-appropriate clothes and shoes for moderate levels of walking – inclines or uneven ground may be encountered on this walk.

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Guided Nature Walk: Uplands Wildlife Walk
2022-10-01 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Venture on a forest walk through SHADOW’s trails with SHADOW board member Christine Anne! Discover the many types of wildlife that call SHADOW home and why habitat preservation is so important. Learn how to make plaster casts of animal tracks and how biologists track wildlife using trail cameras. Walks are outdoor explorations that take place rain or shine, designed for people of all ages. Come with weather appropriate clothes and shoes for moderate levels of walking – inclines or uneven ground may be encountered on this walk.
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Guided Nature Walk - A Hidden Forest
2023-02-11 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Explore the beauty of our Preserve with volunteer Ryan Balkcom as he delves into the marvelous minutia of lichens and mosses! Much of the biodiversity in our bog belongs to these secretive organisms, both members of the group called cryptogams (meaning hidden reproduction due to their lack of seeds). Maybe you know a bit already about some of the native species such as the colorfully named bloody-heart lichen, crabseye lichen, or fairy barf. Maybe you’ve never stopped to get down on your hands and knees to get to know our rough goose-necked or red-stemmed feather mosses. Either way, join us, rain or shine, as we learn from an enthusiastic expert. We think you’ll take a lichen to the subject!

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Guided Nature Walk: unique plant adaptations to life in the bog
2023-03-18 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Registration Required
Explore the beauty of our Preserve with Education and Restoration Intern Shelley Pasco as she presents the myriad ways that plants adapt to life in a peat bog! This tour will take place on the boardwalk trail through the bog, and the focus will be on native plants and how they survive in a nutrient poor, acidic, saturated environment. Join us, rain or shine!
This event is free, but please consider giving a $5 donation to support the preservation of the unique and fragile habitat protected by SHADOW.

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Forest Bathing at SHADOW with Cascadia Forest Therapy
2023-07-22 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The art of forest bathing is the art of connecting with nature through our senses. All we have to do is accept the invitation. Engage mindfully with the world around you on one of SHADOW’s beautiful upland trails on a two hour guided Forest Therapy Nature Walk experience with our new partner Cascadia Forest Therapy! Your sensory-focused time in the natural world will culminate in a lovely tea ceremony.
This event is fee based on a sliding scale with a per person cost of $50.00.
To pay for the class in advance please go to this link and pay what you can for the event. Payment will be accepted the day of the event by SHADOW staff via check or online payment at the preserve.
No one will be turned away for inability to pay the full fee, however we do need a minimum of 7 full-price paying participants to have this Forest Therapy experience. A maximum of 15 participants will be allowed per session. If there are not enough participants prior to class 72 hours prior to the experience, the class will be cancelled and participants can either get a full refund for pre-payments or they can apply it to a future session.

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Full! Guided Nature Walk: Mushroom Saunter
2023-11-17 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Registration Full!
Thank you for your interest in this guided nature walk. Though registration is full, please email education@shadowhabitat.org to be put on a waitlist, and check back often for future events!
Join Naturalist and Fungi Fanatic Cecilia on an saunter through the SHADOW uplands. As we wander down the trail and chat about local mushrooms we will attempt to find and identify as many mushroom species as we can! This is one of the more prolific fungal years in recent history so don’t miss your chance to get involved in the growing community of mushroom enthusiasts.
Guided Nature Walks are outdoor explorations that take place rain or shine, designed for people of all ages. Come with weather-appropriate clothes and shoes for moderate levels of walking – inclines or uneven ground may be encountered on this walk.
This is a free event but please consider a small donation to help support environmental education and restoration efforts at SHADOW!

Guided Nature Walk: Tree, Shrub, and Mushroom Identification
2023-12-01 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Winter is an underrated time of year to begin or improve your plant identification skills because many plants are dormant: making them easier to differentiate. Join Shadow Naturalist Cecilia to learn identification tips and tricks for these plants and any mushrooms we may find along the way. You will find yourself marveling at the nuances you can observe in the nature that surrounds you!
Guided nature walks happen rain or shine, so please dress to keep yourself warm and dry. We will walk slowly to allow time for observation, but the path is uneven or uphill in some places. This is a free event, but please consider making a donation to help support our education and restoration efforts!
To register please send an email to education@shadowhabitat.org with the number of people in your party as well as the ages of those under 18.

Guided Nature Walk: Winter Plant Identification
2024-01-19 14:45 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Learning the names of plants gives you a completely different lens while walking in the woods. It is almost a mindfulness practice in how it can take your mind off every day worries. Winter is an underrated time of year to begin or improve your plant identification skills because there are actually fewer to seem and you will find that the tress leafing out in spring becomes that much more exciting with a knowledge of their names. Join Shadow Naturalist Cecilia to learn identification tips and tricks for these plants, I guarantee that you will find yourself marveling at the nuances you never noticed before!
Guided nature walks happen rain or shine, so please dress to keep yourself warm and dry. We will walk slowly to allow time for observation, but the path is uneven or uphill in some places.
This is a free event, but please consider making a donation to help support our education and restoration efforts!

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Guided Nature Walk: Great Backyard Bird Count
2024-02-16 14:50 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Birds are one wildlife sighting we often take for granted, but birders have long known the excitement of discovery and the beauty of common species we don’t often stop to observe. Join the naturalists on a guided walk in the mossy woods of Shadow to learn about some of the birds that call our forests home! We have recently begun a community science project to catalog birds present, through which we hope to learn seasonal patterns and even practices to increase habitat for birds in decline. This ties into the annual global event happening this weekend: the Great Backyard Bird Count. Participants spend time in their favorite places observing and counting as many birds as they can find and report their findings. This helps scientists better understand global bird populations.
Guided nature walks happen rain or shine, so please dress to keep yourself warm and dry. We will walk slowly to allow time for observation, but the path is uneven or uphill in some places.
This is a free event, but please consider making a donation to help support our education and restoration efforts!

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Guided Nature Walk: Owl Prowl!
2024-03-09 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
The much anticipated Owl Prowl is back! Join local birder Joe Miles to learn about the owls that call Western Washington home, their biology, and how to make an owl call. Then set off on the grounds at SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve after hours to practice your owl calls and see if we can entice an owl to respond! Youth are encouraged to join with parental supervision, though the content will be targeted towards ages 12+.
The suggested donation for this is $10 per participant.

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Guided Nature Walk: Unique Plant Adaptations for Bog Living
2024-03-30 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Let’s explore the fascinating world of bog plants during a guided nature walk through the only sphagnum-hemlock peat bog under protection in our region. Peat bogs are a rare and extreme ecosystem that host a variety of plants you often don’t see elsewhere, like the Rhododendron-related Bog Labrador Tea (pictured above). As we traverse the boardwalk trail through the bog, we’ll delve into the unique adaptations that allow plants to thrive in this challenging environment.
Guided Nature Walks happen rain or shine, so make sure you dress for the weather. While the event is free, consider making a donation to support the preservation of this delicate habitat.

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Guided Forest Meditation
2024-04-13 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Connect with yourself and nature in this science-backed practice that encourages you to slow down, unplug, and reconnect with the natural world. Highly trained forest bathing guide will lead you through moments of stillness, their cues help you stay present, notice details, and truly immerse yourself in nature. It’s about being present, breathing in the fresh forest air, and rejuvenating your mind and body. Meet like-minded individuals who appreciate the beauty of nature. Share stories, laughs, and a cup of herbal tea (often collected day of!).
This event is fee based on a sliding scale with a per person cost of $35-50.00.
We are excited to bring you this mindful forest experience with our partners at Cascadia Forest Therapy!
We need a minimum of 7 full-price paying participants to host this experience. If there are not enough participants 48 hours prior to the experience, the session will be cancelled and participants will be fully refunded or can opt to apply it to a future session.

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Guided Nature Walk: Bug Walk!
2024-04-26 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Did you know that one chickadee family brings between 390-570 caterpillars to their hatchlings per day? While most of us don’t get as excited to see a caterpillar as we might to spot an owl or eagle, these invaluable animals are responsible for supporting the wide web of animals that can be found in the PNW. Because of this, we can use the number of insects found in an area to hint at how healthy the ecosystem is overall. On this guided nature walk we will wander in the woods while we talk about the important role bugs play in our ecosystem, and even get some hands-on practice with surveying caterpillars!
Guided nature walks happen rain or shine, so please dress to keep yourself warm and dry. We will walk slowly to allow time for observation, but the path is uneven or uphill in some places.
This is a free event, but please consider making a donation to help support our education and restoration efforts!

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Guided Nature Walk: Amphibians
2024-05-11 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Join us for a guided nature walk in Shadow’s wetlands. Learn about the tips and tricks to find and identify some of the awesome amphibians at Shadow Lake Nature preserve while we Celebrate National Amphibian Week!
Guided nature walks happen rain or shine, so please dress to keep yourself warm and dry. We will walk slowly to allow time for observation, but the path is uneven or uphill in some places.
This is a free event, but please consider making a donation to help support our education and restoration efforts!

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Felting Bog Mushrooms with PNW Biology
2024-06-29 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Are you captivated by the hidden world of fungi? Do you yearn to explore bog habitats and create whimsical mushroom masterpieces? Look no further!
Begin your day with a guided tour of our unique 10,000-year-old peat bog. Our skilled naturalists will immerse you in the science behind bogs—discover how these enchanting wetland ecosystems support diverse life forms, including fascinating fungi.
After exploring the bog habitat, you’ll be brimming with inspiration! Join our felting workshop, led by specialist Dr. Alison Webb, a Shadow board member and founder of Pacific Northwest Biology. Dr. Webb will provide step-by-step instructions on needle felting techniques, allowing you to sculpt your very own Amanita mushroom. Whether you’re a beginner or have experience in needle felting, this workshop promises a delightful blend of art, science, and nature. All supplies are included. This workshop is best for teens and adults.
Spaces are limited, so reserve your spot now! This workshop is intended for teens and adults. Explore more pictures of felted mushroom creations and find information about PNW Biology programs at www.pnwbiology.com.

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Guided Forest Meditation
2024-08-24 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Come forest bathe with our partners at Cascadia Forest Therapy on August 24th from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Based on the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, this practice is similar to meditation, but instead of sitting quietly, you will use all of your senses to explore your environment. Observing the nature preserve by breathing in the fresh air, feeling the dirt beneath you, or having a fern frond brush against you can have lasting effects on your stress level and ability to stay in the moment. Previous participants were surprised at how impactful they found this experience even as a first-timer. You will be guided through a series of “invitations” or elements in nature to focus on which will allow your mind to relax and stay more in the moment. Each session ends with sharing tea with the other participants; a chance to share what you experience in a welcoming environment. Learn more about forest bathing HERE.

Admission is priced at either $35 or $50 to ensure accessibility, while also fairly compensating our partners; pay what feels right for you. Please note that we need at least 7 participants to host this event. We will send an email the week before to confirm.

What Previous Participants Say

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“I felt connected to this place and my tree.”

-10th grade student after participating with her class

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“The leader was very respectful of everyone and allowed everyone to choose how to participate in the mindfulness… gave space to individuals to make their own path.”

– Mountaineer after participating in a mindful restoration project at SHADOW

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“I left feeling refreshed…”

– Mountaineer after participating in mindful restoration at SHADOW

Guided Nature Walk: All Things Bog
2024-09-27 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
This is one of our favorite times of year to walk the Bog Trail. Mosses expand after months of dehydration, mushrooms abound, and the leaves are starting to turn. On this guided nature walk we will talk about all things bog; how they form, their unique plants, and the role of bogs in protecting environmental health. Bring your bog questions and general curiosity! This program will be most interesting for adults and older kids (aged 14+), and will take place rain or shine, so come prepared for the weather.
This is a free event, but please consider making a donation to help support our education and restoration work!

Guided Nature Walk: Fall Forest Fungi
2024-10-18 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
A beautiful rainy fall is a mushroom enthusiast’s dream! Join fungi enthusiast Cecilia for an exploration of mushrooms visible from our trails. Understanding how to identify and differentiate mushrooms is an important part of staying safe while foraging. This guided nature walk will be fun for beginners and mycophiles interested in sharing their knowledge with a group.
Guided nature walks happen rain or shine, so please dress to keep yourself warm and dry. We will walk slowly to allow time for observation, but the path is uneven or uphill in some places.
Although this is a free event, we always welcome donations to help support our education and restoration efforts.
At Shadow we ask that you leave organic materials where you find them. Our wildlife needs all the resources that the forest provides!

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Guided Nature Walk: Halloween Haunted Bog Tour
2024-10-25 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
In pop culture, bogs are a misunderstood and often feared ecosystem. Low hanging fog, mysterious lights, and even undead-looking bodies have led to a long history of creepy stories about these wetland ecosystems. There will be no jump scares on this haunted bog tour, just the fun and spooky facts about bogs across the world. This tour will be good for kids and adults, costumes are welcome!
Guided nature walks happen rain or shine, so please dress to keep yourself warm and dry. We will walk slowly to allow time for observation, but the path is uneven in some places.
Although this is a free event, we always welcome donations to help support our education and restoration efforts.
At Shadow we ask that you leave organic materials where you find them: including leaves, moss, and fungi . Our wildlife needs all the resources that the forest provides!

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Guided Nature Walk: Extremophile Plants
2024-11-08 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Did you know that Bog Labrador Tea, (one of the staff favorite bog plants visible from the Shadow boardwalk) is a plant often found in the arctic tundra? Why is it that you find so-called bog plants on the tops of mountains and in the far reaches of the arctic tundra? We will talk about the similarities between these ecosystems, and what makes them such extreme places to be a plant.
Guided nature walks happen rain or shine, so please dress to keep yourself warm and dry. We will walk slowly to allow time for observation, but the path is uneven in some places.
Although this is a free event, we always welcome donations to help support our education and restoration efforts.
At SHADOW we ask that you leave organic materials where you find them: including leaves, moss, and fungi. Our wildlife needs all the resources that the forest provides!

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“Uplands Guided Nature Walk” Bursting into Bloom!
2025-04-12 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Enjoy a 60-minute guided nature walk within the beautiful upland trails of SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve with resident biologist Olivia Cavalluzzi. Investigate the native plants in different forest successional stages and see what wildlife we can find along the way!

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