Madrona Marsh, a true oasis

even though our camp fire group is taking a break for most of the summer, i couldnt help scheduling a nature walk through madrona marsh, a locally saved wetlands reserve. i have walked through it a few times, but taking a guided tour really makes a big difference. its like going to a museum and wandering around on your own versus having someone tell you cool facts about each painting as you go, there is just no comparison.


we headed out with our guide and learned about different kinds of wetlands, native plants, animals that live here and how this particular wetlands changes with the seasons.









this little frog was sitting in the drinking fountain. i have posted before that growing up, frogs and toads were my most favorite critters and i knew when to find them (during our rainiest season)... i havent seen a frog in the wild where i live in decades. even at my parents house, there are no more frogs. it seems a symbolic creature to me, something lost that my own kids are not going to experience the way i did, something that i never knew as a child would someday be gone.



this area is full of jumping frogs, they hop like popcorn from the grass, a real joy to witness


madrona marsh has a dry, grassy outer circle with a lush wet center full of swampy frog and fish filled ponds and large trees. this area was almost developed into an apartment complex, stores and apartments surround it on all sides. why is it so hard to get people on board to save places like this?




bones are always fascinating


raccoon tracks



i am happy to say, this place is a success story, it was saved. i watched my kids and their friends pick flowers, catch frogs, hunt for bones and track wild animals right in the middle of a bustling crowded city. i cant wait for the day they can walk down the street to a wetlands preserve full of fish, birds and wildlife, just down the street and close to home.