Kennedy Creek preserve opens
By John Dodge | The Olympian
OYSTER BAY – The Kennedy Creek estuary is small in size, but it’s a high-value habitat when it comes to shorebirds, chum salmon, raptors and salt marsh.
On Tuesday, this little-known ecosystem near the Thurston-Mason County line became more accessible to birders, tourists, school educators and the public, thanks to the christening of an interpretive site at the state Department of Natural Resources’ Kennedy Creek Natural Area Preserve.
About 20 people celebrated completion of a $100,000 project that provides people with a new place to commune with nature and learn about the natural and human history associated with lower Totten Inlet.
“In most natural area preserves we try to keep people away because they are so sensitive,” state Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland said. “This preserve is a place for people to come and enjoy, observe and have a quiet moment.”
It’s something state Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Joe Buchanan has been doing regularly for more than 30 years
monitoring bird populations and use of the estuary.
“It’s a great place to see shorebirds up close in their spring migration plumage,” he said.
And it’s not unusual in late fall and winter to see merlins and peregrine falcons diving out of the sky to prey on shorebirds, he added.
“I’m always amazed there aren’t more people out here,” he said. “It’s not really on the radar screen of birdwatchers.”
The interpretive site is designed for low-impact use, a small looped trail on a bluff overlooking the mudflats. It features seven interpretive signs detailing how shorebirds, chum salmon, American Indians and white settlers have inhabited the landscape for thousands of years.
Take away the steady hum of traffic from nearby U.S. Highway 101 midway between Olympia and Shelton, and the Kennedy Creek estuary becomes close to timeless.
“It’s hard to believe a place like this is as close to the South Sound urban centers as it is,” Sutherland said.
Directions: To reach the interpretive site for the Kennedy Creek Natural Area Preserve, travel north from Olympia on U.S. Highway 101 past the Thurston-Mason County line. Turn right onto Old Olympic Highway near milepost 356. The interpretive site is one-quarter mile on the right.
What to do: From November through March, the Kennedy Creek preserve is a great place to watch merlins and peregrine falcons hunting shorebirds. On weekends in November be sure to include a visit to the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail to watch spawning chum salmon about one-half mile upstream of the Kennedy Creek estuary.
More information: Go to the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group’s Web site at spsseg.org.
State preserves
The state Department of Natural Resources manages 77 natural area preserves and natural resource conservation areas totalling 115,000 acres.
Natural area preserves provide the highest level of protection within DNR’s land base, preserving native ecosystems and rare plant and animal habitats. They have limited public access and are used for teaching and scientific research.
