Violet Prairie Preserve Field Trip

A Morning at Violet Prairie Preserve near Grand Mound, WA

When: June 1, 2024, 7:30 – 10 AM

Trip Leader: Timothy Leque

Registration: Please email timleque@nullhotmail.com to register for this trip.

Maximum number of participants: 20

Description: Violet Prairie Preserve is a private nature preserve and native seed farm owned by the Center for Natural Lands Management that is typically closed to the public.  The site is located along the south side of Scatter Creek, and contains a mix of habitats including riparian woodland, oak woodland, glacial outwash prairie, and cattle pastures. The site contains a unique and diverse community of breeding songbirds for the region. Bird species that could be observed here include White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Kingbird, Lesser Goldfinch, Bullock’s Oriole, Lazuli Bunting, and Western Bluebird. The site is also excellent for viewing raptors in the surrounding area. During this field trip we will tour the property and try to observe some of the more unique bird species that can sometimes be found here.

• Distance covered will be no more than 1-2 miles.
• There are established gravel roads, but we will also spend some time walking unmaintained trails through prairie and pastures.
• The gradient will be mostly flat with some small hills and slightly uneven terrain.
• There are no rest areas or benches, but there will be some logs that folks can rest on if they need to.
• There are a few portable toilets available for use on site.
• There are a few small gravel lots that can accommodate a dozen or so vehicles.

What to bring: Waterproof shoes or boots depending on the weather. We will be walking through some grassy areas, and morning dew can quickly soak shoes and pants. Water, sunscreen, binoculars. I will bring a spotting scope, but most birds should be easily viewable with binoculars.

Directions: From I-5 southbound: Take Exit 88 and turn left onto US 12 W/Old Hwy 99 SW toward Tenino. Go approximately 2.5 miles then take a left on Gibson Road SW. Go another 0.5 miles and turn into a gated gravel road for Violet Prairie Preserve, after the sign.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/HqxrjgN3VuKsMNVM7

Photo credit: White-breasted Nuthatch, by Rachel Hudson.