Nisqually Reach Nature Center

10/07/2026

The first Purple Martins arrived in early April and our last Purple Martin fledged around September 22nd! They have all now headed south for the winter!

Special thanks to Kelly McAllister for volunteering his time to support Purple Martins and help us with the gourds/nest inspections! He even donated a new pulley rope for our rack system and helped us rig it up!

There were many seemingly successful fledglings, a few unsuccessful ones, and no vacancies in the gourds this summer! We saw lots of dragonflies delivered as food for young chicks. In the nests we saw clam shells, seaweed, and even a small crab! Purple Martins typically line their nests with green leaves before they lay eggs, so naturally we saw a lot of that too!

We did some borescope nest inspections a couple times throughout the summer, you can see one of the nest pictures at the end!

We can’t wait to have them back again next year!

09/28/2026

It truly takes a village to keep this place going!
When something needs fixing or repair - the staff, the board, and volunteers jump in to help! Everyone’s diverse backgrounds and skill sets are so valuable in helping this place run smoothly. We couldn’t do it without them.

If you are interested in making a meaningful impact and being an integral part of supporting our mission to promote the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of the Nisqually Estuary, consider reaching out to learn more about joining our Board of Directors. Your background and skillset would be an asset to the team! You can email our board president at [email protected] to learn more.

If you are interested in volunteering with us - visit the link in our bio to fill out an interest form.

09/20/2026

Some cute sleepy seal photos taken by volunteers this summer during Seal Surveys!

Cascadia Research Collective

09/19/2026

We are so excited to have Alexander on the team! Field trips start up again this month! To book with us, check out our website for more information ✨

The good news keeps on coming! 🙌

MVAS alum and former Bischoff scholarship recipient Alexander Allison has taken a postion with Nisqually Reach Nature Center as Education and Outreach Coordinator! 🎉

From the website:
"While gaining training as a scientist, Alexander also developed his skills as an educator, teaching introductory and upper-level biology labs to undergraduate students. Most recently, he has worked at a nature-based preschool and afterschool program for elementary schoolers, and brings a love of teaching folks of all ages to NRNC." 💚

Congratulations, Alex! 👏

09/03/2026

Science Adventure Camp is back! This past month, the Nature Center team and volunteers took 10 high schoolers to beautiful Mount Rainier National Park. For four days, the group camped, hiked, and completed a tour of the Nisqually River Watershed, from the origin of the river at the Nisqually Glacier to where it meets the Salish Sea near the Nature Center. Camp staff and volunteers shared their knowledge about the geology, flora, and fauna of the area with campers, and we think there may be some educators and scientists in the making...

A big thank you to the Nisqually Watershed Small Grant program, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund, and A Hero's Promise for funding the trip, and to the Washington Trails Association for providing gear. We hope to continue this program next year, so keep an eye out in the spring for announcements!

08/25/2026

We will be closed this coming weekend for our annual fundraiser, Feast at the Reach!

The nature center and the lower parking lot will be unavailable and closed on Saturday, and the nature center will be closed for clean up on Sunday.

We will be back to normal hours the following weekend! See you then!

08/19/2026

Last week was our final Beach Camp of the summer! Where has the time gone? We had a magical few days of wildlife sightings with our campers with seals, sea lions, and orcas all visiting the Nisqually Estuary.