Low-Impact Rec and Research and Introduction to Invasives
2026-01-31 10:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Shadow Lake Nature Preserve, 21656 184th Ave SE, Renton, WA, 98058, United States
SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve is helping our community become responsible stewards and ecologists! SHADOW’s Ecology Squad Classes will provide attendees with valuable training for land stewardship and ecological data collection and management.
To kick off our Ecology Squad series, we will be hosting a Low-Impact Recreation and Research and Introduction to Invasive Management class on Saturday, January 31st from 10am-1pm. Participants will learn best practices for hiking, basic noninvasive wildlife field methods, helpful tricks and tools, and some valuable information on invasive identification and management.
We will begin in the classroom and then venture outside for some hands-on identification.
Participants should come prepared with clothing appropriate for the weather and close-toed shoes, as well as water.
Please arrive at 21656 184th Ave SE, Renton WA by 9:45 to ensure a timely start to our class at 10:00am.
Volunteers or participants under the age of 18 years old must arrive to the site with the following Youth Liability Release form signed by their parent or guardian:
📝 Youth Waiver Form KC Parks Volunteer Program
We hope to see you there! Register here:
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Community Stewardship Day
2026-02-21 10:00 - 13:00 | Shadow Lake Nature Preserve, 21656 184th Ave SE, Renton, WA, 98058, United States
Join SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve’s restoration team for Community Stewardship Day!
We are looking for help to help us perform trail maintenance, invasive removal, grounds enhancement, and supporting native plants!
Please come prepared with weather appropriate clothing and close-toed shoes and water.
If you have gardening gloves, we encourage participants to bring their own, otherwise SHADOW will provide.
Please register with the form attached and arrive at the Richter Education Center at 10am.
We will begin our trip and safety debriefing promptly at 10am. At 10:15am we will shuttle over to our work location, hand out tools, assigning roles, and will begin our stewardship objective. We will take breaks as needed and will be completed and back at the arrival site no later than 1pm.
Participants under the age of 18 must come prepared with a youth liability form filled out by a parent or guardian. Translation QR – Youth Waiver Form_KC Parks Volunteer Program FINAL 5-5-2020 (1) (2)

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Mammal Tracking: Camera Traps, Footprints, Scat, and All That!
2026-02-28 10:00 - 13:00
Join us for this month’s community class on Mammal Tracking!
Learn about the ecology of PNW mammals, different tracking and research techniques including footprint identification, scat matching, camera traps, and more!
Participants will learn about prominent mammal ecology in SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve, their habits and evidence of presence, and get hands-on experience setting up and maintaining camera traps. Gain valuable ecology skills and experience while exploring unique habitats and biodiversity.
Come prepared with weather appropriate clothing, water and snacks, and something to take notes with; this lesson will be a combination of classroom and field learning.
We will meet inside the Richter Education Center at 21656 184th Ave SE, Renton WA 98058 with a 10am start time.

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Community Stewardship Day
2026-03-06 00:00, 2026-04-18 10:00 - 13:00
Join SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve’s restoration team for Community Stewardship Day!
We are looking for help to help us perform trail maintenance, invasive removal, grounds enhancement, and supporting native plants!
Please come prepared with weather appropriate clothing and close-toed shoes and water.
If you have gardening gloves, we encourage participants to bring their own, otherwise SHADOW will provide.
Please register with the form attached and arrive at the Richter Education Center at 10am.
We will begin our trip and safety debriefing promptly at 10am. At 10:15am we will shuttle over to our work location, hand out tools, assigning roles, and will begin our stewardship objective. We will take breaks as needed and will be completed and back at the arrival site no later than 1pm.
Participants under the age of 18 years old must come with a Youth Liability Release form signed by their guardians Translation QR – Youth Waiver Form_KC Parks Volunteer Program FINAL 5-5-2020 (1) (2)
We hope to see you there! Register here

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Community Stewardship Day
2026-03-21 10:00 - 13:00 | Shadow Lake Nature Preserve, 21656 184th Ave SE, Renton, WA, 98058, United States
Join SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve’s restoration team for Community Stewardship Day!
We are looking for help to help us perform trail maintenance, invasive removal, grounds enhancement, and supporting native plants!
Please come prepared with weather appropriate clothing and close-toed shoes and water.
If you have gardening gloves, we encourage participants to bring their own, otherwise SHADOW will provide.
Please register with the form attached and arrive at the Richter Education Center at 10am.
We will begin our trip and safety debriefing promptly at 10am. At 10:15am we will shuttle over to our work location, hand out tools, assigning roles, and will begin our stewardship objective. We will take breaks as needed and will be completed and back at the arrival site no later than 1pm.
Participants under the age of 18 years old must come with a Youth Liability Release form signed by their guardians Translation QR – Youth Waiver Form_KC Parks Volunteer Program FINAL 5-5-2020 (1) (2)
We hope to see you there! Register here

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The number of registrants for this work party has reached its limit.

Amphibians! Salamanders, frogs, and more!
2026-03-28 10:00 - 13:00
Join us for Amphibian class this month! Learn about the prominent amphibian species at SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve and how to study them! Get hands-on learning experience on how to perform amphibian surveys, how to identify different species and their egg masses, and proper research etiquette!
SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve is home to rich wetland ecosystems that offer habitat to diverse amphibian populations, and amphibian monitoring teams help us to track the success of environmental restoration projects and identify potential restoration needs.
Participants will gain valuable skills and experience and be eligible to participate in SHADOW’s Amphibian Monitoring Squad.
We will meet inside the Richter Education Center at 21656 184th Ave SE, Renton WA 98058 for a 10am start time. This will be a hybrid of classroom and field learning, so please come prepared with weather appropriate clothing, close-toed shoes, water and snacks, and something to take notes.
I am asking that participants do NOT use bug spray or sunscreen in anticipation for this class. We will be working in important wetland ecosystems, and these substances can be harmful to amphibian health.
Participants under the age of 18 need to come prepared with a signed Youth Liability Form Translation QR – Youth Waiver Form_KC Parks Volunteer Program FINAL 5-5-2020 (1) (2)
Registration is now closed due to capacity being reached. Please check out our other community classes on our calendar.

Bird Nerds: Avian Ecology and Monitoring
2026-04-25 10:00 - 13:00
Join us to nerd about birds and get an introduction to Ornithology at our free Community Class!
Birds are a great way to get started in ecology, with observation being accessible no matter your setting.
Learn about birds, tips of identifications, bird songs, and surveying techniques.
Participants will get hands on surveying experience, tips for birdwatching, and a review of some of SHADOW’s most iconic birds!
Class will meet at the Richter Education Center at 21656 184th Ave SE, Renton WA 98058. Please come prepared with weather appropriate clothing, water, close-toed shoes, and a notebook to record notes.
This class will take place in both the classroom and the field, so please prepare accordingly.
Register below!
Participants under the age of 18, please come prepared with a Youth Waiver formed signed by parents/guardians.
Translation QR – Youth Waiver Form_KC Parks Volunteer Program FINAL 5-5-2020 (1) (2)

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Community Stewardship Day - Adopt-A-Road
2026-05-16 10:00 - 13:00
Join SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve’s restoration team for Adopt-A-Road Community Stewardship Day!
We are looking for help to help us clean litter off of our roadways ditches that lead into SHADOW Lake Nature Preserve and the surrounding community. This stewardship is 18+ only and will earn 5 volunteer hours to account for the individual’s training.
Please see the link below for safety information and expectations.
https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/local-services/transit-transportation-roads/roads-and-bridges/projects-and-programs/adopt-a-road#toc-Safety-training-video
Please come prepared with weather appropriate clothing and close-toed shoes and water.
If you have gardening gloves, we encourage participants to bring their own, otherwise SHADOW will provide.
Please register with the form attached and arrive at the Richter Education Center at 10am.
We will begin our trip and safety debriefing promptly at 10am. At 10:15am we will shuttle over to our work location, hand out tools, assigning roles, and will begin our stewardship objective. We will take breaks as needed and will be completed and back at the arrival site no later than 1pm.

Please fill out the following form and submit it to cecilia@shadowhabitat.org to register for this event.
Adopt-ARoad Individual Participant Release Form

Native Plants! Ecology, Gardening, and Landscaping!
2026-05-30 10:00
Join us to learn the basics and benefits of gardening with native plants at our free Community Class! Led by expert Lynn Putnam, learn to identify, incorporate, and care for native plants.
Ecological Gardening
What is ecological gardening and why do it? Bring your curiosity and interest in gardening to a talk and video that explain how you can work with nature to create a beautiful garden that is healthier for you and the environment. We will cover some basic ecological principles and best practices for building soil, watering, weeding, and pest management. You will learn lots of tips and how-to’s for getting started.
Guided by expert Lynn Putnam, you will learn the benefits of gardening with native species through a nature plant garden walk-and-talk. You will become familiar with identifying common native plant species, which will help guide you in determining plant selection for your space, and best practices for placement.
Afterwards, SHADOW Land and Facilities Manager Cecilia Monahan will lead a hands-on identification hike through the uplands Native Plant Garden.
Class will meet at the Richter Education Center at 21656 184th Ave SE, Renton WA 98058. Please come prepared with weather appropriate clothing, water, close-toed shoes, and a notebook to record notes.
This class will take place in both the classroom and the field, so please prepare accordingly.
Register below!
Participants under the age of 18, please come prepared with a Youth Waiver formed signed by parents/guardians.
Translation QR – Youth Waiver Form_KC Parks Volunteer Program FINAL 5-5-2020 (1) (2)

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Field Journaling
2026-06-27 10:00 - 13:00
Field Journaling is the practice of taking hand-written and hand-drawn detailed observations of the living things in your environment.
From birds, to frogs, to plants, creating effective notes and drawings helps you to intake and learn new information, while also acting as a guide for your future observations.
In this class, you will learn how to take effective notes, draw relevant figures, and what information is most helpful for field identifications, led by environmental artist and scientist, Cecilia Monahan.

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