Boating on the Black River. Photo by Ann Harrie.On the beautiful morning of Saturday September 10th, sixteen boaters paddled up a pristine portion of the Black River located in southern Thurston County. Along the way Mike Leigh and Laurence Reeves pointed out the DeFelice Preserve, which was acquired by Capitol Land Trust in 1996.
The Black River runs from Black Lake near Tumwater into the Chehalis River in Grays Harbor County and is home to important riparian vegetation, wildlife, salmon, and bird populations.
Lunch break was hosted by the Center for Natural Lands Management on the Black River-Mima Prairie Glacial Heritage Preserve. Carola Tejeda and Tim Leque spoke about the efforts to restore natural lands in the area and the fight against scotch broom and other invasive plants. The volunteer supported program at Shotwell’s Landing nursery grows native plants used in restoration. Then there was a brief tour of the property and the recent controlled burn area that allows the return of native flora.
Thank you to the staff of the Center for Natural Lands Management and CLT staff members for another successful Outdoor Exploration Series event.
The Outdoor Exploration Series is made possible, in part, by: The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound and The Washington Chapter of The Wildlife Society.