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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

The Octopus Tree

Some of the trees here at SHADOW are hundreds of years old. Standing tall, sharing nutrients, weathering storms. These beings were growing tall while the original inhabitants of the wetland harvested Bog Tea, settlers changed the landscape, and when the land received...