Submitted by Nisqually Land Trust
The Nisqually Land Trust is hosting a Nature Walk at its historic Van Eaton Property, along the Mashel River near Eatonville on Saturday, July 13th, from 1 – 3 p.m.
The one-mile, moderate walk will be led by Land Trust staff through scenic Douglas fir forest to the former Van Eaton homestead on the banks of the Mashel, now the site of important salmon-recovery efforts led by the Land Trust and the Nisqually Indian Tribe.
The Mashel is the largest salmon-producing tributary to the Nisqually River and was once one of the major steelhead-trout rivers in the Pacific Northwest. Even today, longtime Eatonville residents talk of steelhead runs so dense “you couldn’t see the river bottom.”
But runs of both steelhead and Chinook salmon have declined dramatically over the past forty years, and both are now listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Participants will learn more about restoration of the Mashel and the importance of the Van Eaton property for the future of our threatened salmon.
Space is limited and registration is free but required. Contact the Nisqually Land Trust at 360-489-3400 or sjackson@nisquallylandtrust.org for more information and to register.
