Submitted by The Nisqually Land Trust
The Nisqually Land Trust is hosting back-to-back Nature Walks at its historic Van Eaton Property, along the Mashel River near Eatonville, on Saturday, June 6, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.
The one-mile, moderate walk will be the first of nine Land Trust outings offered this summer.
Land Trust Board Member Martin McCallum and Executive Director Joe Kane will lead the trip, which passes 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.
“This walk is a staff favorite,” said Kane. “The property itself is historic and beautiful, and the setting on the Mashel River is spectacular.” 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.
Seven additional Nature Walks are scheduled throughout the Nisqually Watershed this summer. The next event will be along the Nisqually River Shoreline, near Yelm, on Saturday, June 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Space is limited and registration is free but required for all walks. Contact the Nisqually Land Trust at 360-489-3400 x 110 or staff@nisquallylandtrust.org for more information and to register.
The Nisqually Land Trust acquires and manages critical lands to permanently benefit the water, wildlife, and people of the Nisqually River Watershed. The Land Trust, in collaboration with watershed communities and key partners, has protected over 5,000 acres between Mount Rainier National Park and the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. For more information, contact us at 360.489.3400 or visit www.nisquallylandtrust.org.
