Inspiring Kids Preserve

Inspiring Kids Preserve is a 113-acre property owned, protected, and managed by Capitol Land Trust on the eastern shore of Henderson Inlet in Thurston County, Washington. The preserve is home to nearly every native species of tree in western Washington and protects a mile of Puget Sound shoreline!

The Inspiring Kids Preserve project was motivated by a need to have a local preserve focused on the kid-experience in nature.

Our goal is that Inspiring Kids Preserve becomes a place rich in educational opportunity for outdoor Science, Technology, Engineering, the Art, and Science (STEAM) learning, as well as for nature play and rejuvenation. 

Our vision is to supplement the natural features of the land with walking trails, benches, nature play spaces, and more so that our community can visit and find refuge from the stresses of daily life and feel the benefits of being outdoors. Simply put, spending time in nature is good for us! We can help visitors foster their sense of place by creating this nature preserve in a way that is safe, fun, and inspiring to all.

Before you love something, you have to get to know it. What better way to get to know the local environment than spending time in it? Visitors will be encouraged to stop, look, and listen and be present in the moment. After spending time here, guests will leave feeling refreshed with a sense of connection and respect for natural landscapes.

By inviting people to experience our conserved lands, conservation will remain a core value in our community.

Connecting to the Land Campaign

Happening Now at Inspiring Kids Preserve! The Connecting to the Land Campaign is about creating welcoming, accessible places where people can experience nature, learn from it, and build lasting relationships with the lands and waters that sustain our region for years to come. Learn more here.

Check out this inside look at Inspiring Kids Preserve with Communications Manager, Mary Kniestedt.

A special thank you to our project partners that helped us protect this special place:

• ADESA
• Becky & Jeff Sobel
• Harmony Glover
• Puget Sound Partnership
• Squaxin Island Tribe
• Taylor Shellfish Farms
• Thurston County
• The Conservation Fund
• The Trust for Public Land
• Washington State Department of Ecology
• Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
• US Fish & Wildlife Service