Go to http://www.mountaineers.org/source/aTrips/TripRegister.cfm?Event=32914 for more information and to register.

This crossover class wills how you how to take your digital photos into PhotoShop to create products such as tiles, jewelry charms, greeting cards and more.

Course Sign-Up

This is NOT a Mountaineers sponsored class…just another resource being passed along to our members.

http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/nws/photography.php

Waterworks Gardens is a public park next to King County’s South Treatment Plant in Renton, Washington.

This is a place where art, technology and nature join in a unique way.

Along with trails, public art, native plants and wildlife, the ponds and marshes of Waterworks Gardens filter and clean stormwater from the treatment plant’s 50 acres of roads, parking lots and hard surfaces.

Waterworks Gardens is designed as a series of garden “rooms.” The Knoll is the entry to Waterworks. The path then passes through a series of leaf-shaped ponds, an inlaid mosaic Grotto and wetlands.

Waterworks Gardens opened in 1996. The gardens are open between dawn and dusk year-round.

Location:

1200 Monster Road S.W.
Renton WA 98057

Instead of turning into the plant main entrance, continue on Monster Road S.W., go around the corner and up the hill. As you come down the incline, Waterworks will be on the right, just before you get to “T” intersection at Oakdale Avenue S.W.

We are offering a fun, hands-on workshop that will help you understand and de-mystify the use and features of your camera. We will show you how to transfer your images to a computer and cover some common basic editing techniques.

We will cover Digital SLR and Digital Point & Shoot cameras.
• Date: Saturday, January 21st, 2012 at 9:00 am
• Location: Mountaineers Program Center at Magnuson Park, Seattle
• Cost: Mountaineers Members $20.00; Non members $30.00
• Contact Rick Good at r_good_jr@yahoo.com or 206-542-5085
• Register online at www.mountaineers.org
• Register by phone – 206-521-6001

Semiahmoo Park and Museum

Habitat: 1.5 mile-long sand spit; tidelands, sandy beaches, mud flats and saltwater.

Wildlife:

• Year-round: Harbor seals, clams, crabs, barnacles, sea stars, juvenile salmon and bald eagles
• Fall-spring: Observe Pacific, common and red-throated loons; red-necked, western and horned grebes; oystercatchers, Wilson’s snipe and dunlins.

Viewing: Follow boardwalks from parking area to viewpoints along either side of sand spit. Visit during low tide to look for intertidal species.

Access: Whatcome County park, I-5 exit 270. West to Birch Bay/Linden Rd., 3 miles. North onto Blaine Rd., 1.9 miles. West onto Drayton Harbor Rd., 3.3 miles. Right at “Y.” North onto Semiahmoo Pkwy., .4 mile to parking lot and trail access.

 Birch Bay State Park

Habitat: Gravel beach, saltwater/freshwater estuary and wetlands on 194 acres with views of the Canadian Gulf Islands and Cascade Mountains.

Wildlife: In tidelands find clams, crabs, oysters, sculpins and sea stars year-round. See deer, elk, rabbits, skunks, squirrels and migrating shorebirds in the spring/fall. Coho salmon run in fall.

Viewing: Enjoy .5 mile self-guided trail through forest and marsh environments while looking for songbirds and waterfowl. Explore 1.5 miles of saltwater shoreline for intertidal species and shorebirds.

Access: State Park lands, I-5 exit 266. West onto Grandview Rd., 7 miles. North onto Jackson Rd., .8 mile, west onto Helweg Rd., .6 mile to park.

Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve

Habitat: Forest, beach, tidelands and bluff overlooking the Strait of Georgia.

Wildlife: Look for orca whales and harbor seals throughout summer, or spot bald eagles feasting on salmon in fall. Also, look for migrating birds in spring and fall.

Viewing: Enjoy spectacular views while walking on the .75-mile interpretive trail. From bluff, walk forest path to the cobble beach and explore the tidelands.

Access: Whatcom County Park. I-5 exit 266. West onto Grandview Rd., 8.5 miles. Continue as road curves and becomes Koehn Rd., .5 mile to parking area on left.

Watcom Wildlife Area: Lake Terrell Unit

Habitat: A shallow lake with peat bog, marsh, forest, grassland and agriculture areas covering 1,500 acres.

Wildlife:

• Year-round: Black-tailed deer.
• Fall-spring: river otters, beaver, painted turtles, northwest salamanders and rough-skinned newts.
• Winter: trumpeter and tundra swans, bald eagles.

Viewing: Twenty-four hunting blinds allow opportunities to view waterfowl and other wetlands wildlife during non-hunting seasons. Closed to wildlife viewing from September-March, however viewing is available from the fishing pier year-round.

Access: WDFW Lands. I-5 exit 262. Southwest onto W. Axton Rd., 1.5 miles. Continue on Mountain View Rd., 3.4 miles. North onto Lake Terrell Rd. to Wildlife Area Headquarters.

Tennant Lake Interpretive Center and Fragrance Garden

Habitat: Lake is in the Nooksack River floodplain with shallow peat bog, wetlands, river front and agriculture.

Wildlife: Butterflies, beaver, river otters, long-tailed weasels, coyotes, black-tailed deer and over 150 bird species. Also look for Pacific chorus frongs and northwestern salamanders in spring.

Viewing: View wildlife along .5 mile boardwalk winding through wetlands and climb the 50-foot viewing tower. Boardwalk is closed from October-January due to hunting. Best viewing from mid-May to mid-August.

Access: WDFW Wildlife and Watcom County Park. I-5 exit 262. Southwest onto Main St./Axton, .6 mile. Sharp souteast turn after RR tracks onto Hovander Rd., .1 mile. South onto Nielsen Ave., .8 mile to Tennant Lake parking area.

Sehome Hill Arboretum

Habitat: 180 acres of forested area supporting a wide variety of native plants and trees

Wildlife: Year-round: black-tail deer, coyotes, raccoons, black-headed grosbeaks, northern flicker, red-breasted sapsuckers and pileated woodpeckers.

Viewing: Walk 5.5 miles of gravel trails through wooded terrain. At the hill’s summit is an 80-foot observation tower. Trail map available at parking lot.

Access: Bellingham city park. I-5 exit 252. Northeast onto Samish Way. .2 mile, Northwest onto S. Samish Way, .2 mile. Southwest onto Bill McDonald Pkwy., .9 mile, north onto 25 St. to parking and trailheads.

Larrabee State Park

Habitat: Froest, lakes, streams, saltwater coves, rocky tide pools and mountain views.

Wildlife: Douglas squirrels, black-tailed deer, coyotes, foxes, rabbits, skunks, porcupines, and Townsend’s big-eared bats in forested area. Beaver and river otters by lakes and sea stars, octopus, Dungeness crabs and sea cucumbers in rocky tide pools.

Viewing: Hike up to 15 miles of trails; then explore the shoreline for intertidal species. Scan waters for orca whales year-round.

Access: State Park lands. I-5 exit 231. Northwest onto Chuckanut Dr., 14.4 miles to park entrance.

Padilla Bay Shore Trail and Breazeale Interpretive Center

Habitat: The 8-mile long and 3-mile wide bay includes 11,600 acres of marshes, beaches, tide flats, uplands and estuaries.

Wildlife:

• Year-round: river otter, harbor seal, coyote, salmon, shore crabs, bent-nosed clams, littleneck clams, great blue heron.
• Fall-spring: Pacific chorus frog, Dungeness crab, violet-green swallow, purple martin.
• Summer-winger: black-tailed deer.
• Fall-winter: bald eagle, northern pintail, American widgeon, peregrine falcon, rough-legged hawk.

Viewing: Hike .25-mile downhill from the interpretive center on a paved accessible path to a platform with a viewpoint of the beach; beach access via spiral staircase (closed in winter). 2.25-mile Shore Trail is three miles south of the Interpretive Center. Endless opportunities to look for birds in the tidal slough and open mud flats.

Access: Department of Ecology

• Interpretive Center: I-5 exit 231 onto Chuckanut Dr., .1 mile. West onto Josh Wilson Rd., 5.5 miles. Continue on Josh Wilson Dr., 6 miles. North onto Bayview-Edison Rd.. Center on right.
• Shore Trail: From Interpretive center, go south onto Bayview-Edison Rd., 1.2 miles. North onto 2nd St. to signed parking. Walking back to Bayview-Edison Rd. and walk south to trailhead.

Skagit Wildlife Area: Johnson-Debay’s Swan Reserve

Habitat: Seasonal ponds, sloughs, wetlands and agricultural fields.

Wildlife:

• Year-round: beaver and river otter.
• Winter-spring: tundra and trumpeter swans.
• Fall-spring: black-tailed deer, northern pintails, American widgeon, Swanson’s thrushes, Bullock’s orioles and wood ducks.

Viewing: Swans feed in the fields during the day and roost in sloughs at dusk. The great number of waterfowl on this site during winter attracts bald eagles and other raptors.

Access: WDFW lands. I-5 exit 227. East onto E. College Way, 1.2 miles. North onto N. Laventure Rd., .7 mile. Road turns slightly right and becomes Francis Rd., 1.8 miles. North to stay on Francis Rd., 2.4 miles. At 90 degree corner by sign, northwest ontl DeBay Isle Rd. If gage is close park on Francis Rd. and walk in.

Hurn Field

Habitat: Woodlands, sloughs, wetlands and agricultural fields.

Wildlife: This site provides food and shelter for elk, primarily during the late fall-early spring. Beaver, songbirds and waterfowl are also present.

Viewing: From winter-spring, it is common to view more than 60 elk on the property. Cows and calves can occasionally be seen during other seasons.

Access: Skagit Land Trust. I-5 exit 232. East onto Cook Rd., 4.3 miles. Northwest onto SR 20. Drive 20.6 miles to pull out on right.

Skagit Wildlife Area: Fir Island Farm-Hayton Snow Goose Reserve

Habitat: Agricultural land with fields of winter wheat grown for snow geese.

Wildlife:

• Winter-spring: dunlin.
• Spring-summer: yellowlegs.
• Fall-spring: snow geese, widgeons, gadwall, mallards, green-winged teal, and pintails.
• Year-round: bald eagles.

Viewing: Thousands of snow geese begin arriving in October. Walk along the dike to scan for waterfowl and shorebirds, as well as views of the Skagit Bay Estuary.

Access: WDFW Lands. I-5 exit 221. West onto Pioneer Hwy., .2 mile. Northwest onto Fir Island Rd., 3.2 miles. South at WDFW sign to parking.

Landly-Whidbey Island Shoreline

Habitat: Public access sandy beach shoreline

Wildlife:

• Spring: gray whales.
• Year-round: bald eagles, herons, birds, harbor seals, sea stars and sea otters.

Viewing: Gray whales begin arriving as early as March. The whale bell will ring when a whale is sighted to alert visitors to take a look. Walk along the Langley Shoreline and scan for whale blows. Gray whale viewing March-June and August-October. Orca whale viewing June-September.

Access: I-5 exit 189. West onto SR 526, 4.8 miles. West onto 84th St. SW. Go .5 miles north to SR 525 to ferry. North onto Langley Rd., 2.6 miles. Continue on Camano Ave., .7 mile. North onto Cascade Ave., .3 mile. Sharp east onto Wharf St. to Langley Marina.

Bob Heirman Wildlife Preserve

Habitat: This preserve has 425 acres of meadows, lakes, wetlands, river and riparian areas.

Wildlife:  Winter attracts trumpeter swans, ringnecked ducks, green-winged teal, and ruby- and golden-crowned kinglets. Raptors include bald eagles, American kestrels, red-tailed hawks and northern harriers; also hairy woodpeckers in woods, great blue herons along shore, belted kingfishers by river.

Viewing: Follow old road to the lake at the bottom of the hill and continue to the river. Dawn and dusk best
for shorebird and waterfowl viewing.

Access: Snohomish County lands. I-5 Exit 186. East onto 128th St SE, 3.2 miles. Northeast onto Seattle Hill Rd, continue east on Hwy 96. At 1.8 miles becomes Broadway Ave. Continue .8 mile. Southeast onto Connelly Rd, .7 mile to preserve.

Richmond Beach Park

Habitat: Rocky shoreline and bluffs with madrona, pine, alder and willow trees.

Wildlife: Year-round: encounter clams, oysters, mussels, crabs, intertidal fish, harbor seals, bald eagles,
great blue herons.

Viewing: Viewing trails can be accessed from the upper parking lot, or continue down to terrace parking.
Check the wooded area next to the RR tracks for songbirds, then follow path to the beach.

Access: City of Shoreline lands. I-5 Exit 176. West onto NE 175 St. Go .8 mile. North onto Aurora Ave, .5 mile. West onto N 185th St, .2 mile. Continue on N. Richmond Beach Rd, 1.7 miles. South onto 20th Ave
NW, .3 to parking.

Carkeek Park

Habitat: Deciduous forest, meadows, wetland, creek and rocky beach.

Wildlife: Sea stars and moon snails find the sand flats ideal. Acorn barnacles, jingle shells, long-armed brittle
stars and orange sea cucumbers live under smaller boulders; littleneck and macoma clams dominate the
beach. Chum salmon arrive in late fall.

Viewing: An extensive network of trails provides many opportunities to view wildlife. A walkway leads to a
sand beach teeming with tidal species.

Access: Seattle city park. I-5 Exit 173. West onto N Northgate Way, .5 mile. Road turns slightly right and becomes N 105th St, .8 mile. Turn north onto Greenwood Ave N, .3 mile. West onto N 110th St .4 mile.  Continue on NW Carkeek Park Rd, .5 mile to park entrance.

Discovery Park

Habitat: Mixed woodlands, streams, meadows, rocky and sandy beaches.

Wildlife: Year-round: observe harbor seals, orca whales, bent-nose manila clams, and tidepool sculpin. River otters, mountain beaver, song birds and owls are seen fall-spring. Winter brings shorebirds.

Viewing:Explore 8 miles of hiking trails and 8 miles of beaches for intertidal species. Scan the water for marine animals. Bald eagles and hawks hunt within the park. The Kiwanis Ravine hosts a great blue heron rookery. The herons nest there from February-August.

Access: Seattle city park. I-5 Exit 167. North onto Fairview Ave N and keep left. West onto Valley St .1 mile. Northwest onto Westlake Ave N 1.7 miles. Continue on Nickerson St 1.2 miles. Slight left at W Nickerson St. At .2 mile turn left toward W Emerson St. Go .5 mile. West onto W Emerson St .5 mile. Northwest onto Gilman Ave West .5 mile. Continue on W Government Way .2 mile. Slight left to stay on W Government Way into park.

Seward Park

Habitat: The peninsula supports a prairie community of Garry oak and old growth forest.

Wildlife: Year-round: river otters, beaver, muskrats, bald eagles, barred owls, northern flickers, pileated
woodpeckers, Anna’s hummingbirds and rainbow trout; summer-fall: Big brown bats.

Viewing: Visit the Environmental & Audubon Center for trail maps and wildlife lists. Walk the paved Loop
Trail to view aquatic wildlife. A bald eagle nest can be seen from the Amphitheater

Access: Seattle city park. I-5 Exit 161. Northwest onto Swift Ave S, .1 mile. East onto S Graham St, 2.1 miles. South onto Wilson Ave S, .1 mile. Sharp northeast onto Seward Park Ave S for .4 mile. East onto S Juneau St, .1 mile. Continue onto Seward Park Rd.

West Hylebos Wetland Park

Habitat: 120 acres of wetland, forest and riparian streams.

Wildlife: Spring-fall: red-legged frogs, northwest salamanders, painted turtles, banana slugs, northwest
alligator lizards, muskrats, minks, weasels, beaver, Douglas squirrels, Townsend’s moles, little brown bats,
spring-fall. Year-round: various bird species.

Viewing: Follow interpretive trail into the forest for redlegged frogs in the peat sinkholes, pileated woodpeckers and great blue herons resting in the treetops.

Access: Federal Way city park. 1-5 Exit 142-B. Merge on SR 18 W. Go .5 mile. Continue west on S 348th St. Go .7 mile. South onto 4th Ave S into park.

Point Defiance Park

Habitat: This park includes old-growth forest, saltwater beaches, open fields, formal, floral and native gardens and Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.

Wildlife: Look for black-tailed deer, Douglas squirrels, fox, pileated woodpeckers and nesting bald eagles in
spring–fall. Seabirds, migratory and resident songbirds and orca whales in winter. Humpback and gray whales, California sea lions and harbor seals can be seen in the spring.

Viewing: Hike trails to various viewpoints. River otters can be seen at the south end of Vashon Island, sightings of harbor seal are common.

Access: Metro Park Tacoma. I-5 Exit 132, Hwy 16 W. Take Exit 3, continue straight .3 miles. North onto N Pearl St, 3 miles to park entrance.

Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

Habitat: 3,000 acres of salt and freshwater marsh, mixed forest, estuary, mudflats, riparian, woodland and brush habitats.

Wildlife: Scores of raptors and songbirds utilize this habitat year-round; thousands of ducks and geese are
present from October through March. Black-tailed deer, mink and coyotes are at the forest edge. River otters, harbor seals and chinook salmon are in the Nisqually River during summer. Find Pacific tree frogs and shorebirds in spring-fall.

Viewing: One-mile trail provides access to many habitats and numerous observation decks. Bird migrations from mid- March through mid-May and September-December can be extraordinary.

Access: National Wildlife Refuge lands. I-5 Exit 114. Follow signs to Refuge, .6 mile to parking area.

Woodard Bay Natural Resource Conservation Area

Habitat: Two small bays on Henderson Inlet with mature forests, wetlands and natural shorelines.

Wildlife: Douglas squirrels, Townsend’s chipmunks, river otters, harbor seals, big brown and Yuma myotis
bats, nesting bald eagles and ospreys year-round. Many wintering shorebirds.

Viewing: 1-mile forested loop trail with boardwalks leads to overlook at Chapman Bay and platform with views of wetland. The pier hosts a colony of bats; harbor seals rest on old log booms.

Access: Department of Natural Resources. I-5 Exit 108 onto Sleater-Kinney Rd SE, 4.5 miles. Slight left, continue on 56th Ave NE, .4 mile. North onto Shinke Rd NE, .6 mile. Northwest onto Woodard Bay Rd NE,
.3 mile. North to stay on Woodard Bay Rd NE, .3 mile across bridge then north into parking area.

McLane Creek Nature Trail

Habitat: Mixed woodlands, freshwater wetlands, ponds, and marshes.

Wildlife: Chum salmon migrate up stream in fall. Springfall: rough-skinned newts, dragonflies, coyotes, beaver, wood ducks, common and hooded mergansers, downy, hairy, and pileated woodpeckers.

Viewing: Follow .6-mile ADA path or 1.1-mile forested trail to look for signs of beaver in ponds year-round.
Rough-skinned newts easiest to spot Apr–Oct. Spawning chum late Oct-Dec.

Access: Department of Natural Resources. I-5 Exit 104. Merge onto US 101 W, 3.3 miles. Exit for Mud Bay Rd, .3 mile. Keep right at fork; west onto Mud Bay Rd W, .2 mile. Southwest onto Delphi Rd SW, 3.3 miles. Southwest at trail sign to parking.

Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve

Habitat: Mounded grassland prairie bordered by forest.

Wildlife: Abundant black-tailed deer, coyotes, garter snakes, meadow voles, western meadowlarks, western
bluebirds, northern harriers and kestrels. Spring–fall: butterflies include great spangled fritillaries, anise.

Viewing: Trailhead kiosk shows paths and provides background on the area. Begin on paved .5-mile nature
trail looping onto the prairie. From here, another 2-mile unpaved loop continues. By mid-May, the camas and other blooming wildflowers attract butterflies.

Access: Department of Natural Resources. I-5 Exit 95, .2 mile. West onto Maytown Rd SW, 3.1 miles. Continue on 128th Ave SW, .8 mile. Northwest at “T” onto Waddell Creek Rd SW, .9 mile. At preserve sign, turn left, go .3 mile to parking.

Millersylvania State Park

Habitat: Old-growth Douglas fir forest on freshwater lake.

Wildlife: Year-round: look for black-tailed deer, Douglas squirrels, red foxes, Pacific chorus frogs, rough-skinned newts, northern alligator lizards, pileated woodpeckers, purple finch, American goldfinch, bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, ospreys, great-horned and barn owls.

Viewing: Scan the edges of the lake for waterfowl. Access 8.6 miles of forest trails. Naturalists lead walks on the interpretive trail in summer.

Access: State Park lands. I-5 Exit 95. East onto Maytown Rd SW, 2.4 miles. North onto Tilley Rd S, .9 mile. Park is on left.

Lewis and Clark State Park

Habitat: Old-growth forest of Douglas fir and western red cedar, streams, wetlands and wet prairie comprise this environment.

Wildlife: Spring-fall: bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, barn owl, black bear, coyotes, blacktail deer, Douglas squirrels and salamanders.

Viewing: Walk the .5-mile interpretive trail to learn about old growth trees in the park, then branch out onto 8 more miles of trail. Scan the forest floor and up to the canopy for varied species of birds. Open Apr 15-Oct 1

Access: State Park lands. I-5 Exit 68. East onto US-12. Go 2.5 miles. South onto Jackson Hwy. Go 2 miles to
park entrance.

Mount Saint Helens Visitor Center

Habitat: Forest and wetlands set beside Silver Lake. State Parks.

Wildlife: Spring-fall: beaver, chipmunks, blacktailed deer, porcupines, coyotes, elk, big brown bats, garter snakes, rough-skinned newts.

Viewing: Find a beaver den and migrating waterfowl along the .8-mile boardwalk. Enjoy views across Silver
Lake to Mount St. Helens.

Access: State Park lands. I-5 Exit 49. Northeast onto Hwy 504, 5.6 miles. South into visitor center parking.

Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Habitat: Columbia River floodplain with marshes, grasslands and woodlands.

Wildlife: Year-round: see waterfowl, raptors, coyotes, river otter and herons. Winter brings thousands of
waterfowl to the refuge including tundra swans, Canada geese, cackling geese and many duck species. Each season brings new things to enjoy including painted turtles, bald eagles, hawks, sandhill cranes, great egrets, shorebirds and songbirds.

Viewing: Take the Auto Tour Route of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge from November-March to
enjoy the spectacle of waterfowl that call the refuge their winter haven. The 4.2-mile tour is open daylight
hours.

Access: National Wildlife Refuge lands. I-5 Exit 14. West onto NW 269th St, 2.7 miles. South onto S 9th
Ave, .6 miles. West at Refuge sign for the Auto Tour Route.

LaCenter Bottoms

Habitat: East Fork of Lewis River, surrounded by forest, wetlands and riparian area.

Wildlife: Beaver, red-tailed hawks, great blue herons, garter snakes, coho salmon, salamanders, damselflies,
coyotes, otters, and migratory waterfowl.

Viewing: Walk along the .7-mile trail that runs along the Lewis River. Stop along the way to read the
interpretive signs and sit in either of two wildlife blinds to look for beaver and waterfowl.

Access: Clark County park. I-5 Exit 16. East onto NW LaCenter Rd, 1.9 miles. Northeast onto East 3rd St.
South onto Aspen Ave and continue to parking.

Vancouver Lake Unit: Shillapoo Wildlife Area

Habitat: Restored wetland habitat around Vancouver Lake.

Wildlife: River otters, painted turtles, western tanagers, common yellowthroats, belted kingfishers,
sandhill cranes, great egrets, American kestrels, roughlegged hawks, Canada geese and other waterfowl.

Viewing: Wildlife can be viewed from La Frambois Rd along the lakeshore and by walking down the gated
road adjacent to the lake. Also visit the north and south units off Lower River Rd.

Access: WDFW lands. I-5 Exit 1D. West onto Fourth Plain Blvd, 1.5 miles. North onto Fruit Valley Rd, .5
miles. Northwest onto La Frambois Rd. Road dead ends at lake.