May 14 offers a rare opportunity to visit one of the most unique places in Washington State.

Once each year, the Friends of Puget Sound Prairies celebrates Prairie Appreciation Days by opening Thurston County’s Glacier Heritage Preserve, one of the largest remaining remnants of Western Washington’s endangered prairie ecosystem. Only 2.6% of the original prairieland remains.

Springtime at the prairie presents the chance to glimpse native wildflowers like Camas, Golden Indian Paintbrush and other flowers that blanket the undulating grasslands. It’s also a great opportunity to see the birds of the prairies.

A visit to the Glacier Heritage Preserve is like a visit to the past. Walk the same ancient Puget Prairie ecosystem that pioneers from the 1800s found when they began settling the area.

Prairie Appreciation Day activities includes an Activity Trail that offers a number of information stations providing displays, experts to answer your questions and activities for kids. You can make seed balls for the birds, write with ink made from oak galls, and learn how to garden with native prairie plants. A longer 4-mile loop offers the chance to truly enjoy the peace and beauty of the prairie.

Past events offered a hayride for those not able to walk the trails, but the hayride is not available this year.

In addition to the main events at Glacier Heritage Preserve, this year the nearby Violet Prairie Native Seed Farm welcomes visitors for an open house and tours. These thirteen acres of native wildflowers produce over 1000 pounds of seed annually to rebuild the prairies of Western Washington.

MORE INFORMATION

• This free event takes place on Saturday, May 14 from 10am to 3pm
• No food or water is available at the event. Bring drinks, snacks or a picnic to enjoy on the prairie
• Leave your pets at home. Dogs and other pets are not allowed on the prairie.
• This event is free, but consider bringing a donation of canned goods for the Thurston County Food Bank.
• Black Hill Audubon is offering a bird walk at the Glacier Heritage Preserve at 7:30am, before the main activities begin. For more information, visit Prairie Appreciation Day Bird Walk – Black Hills Audubon Society (blackhills-audubon.org)
• Directions to Glacier Heritage Preserve can be found here: Directions :: Prairie Appreciation Day
• More information about Prairie Appreciation Days can be found at Prairie Appreciation Day