Imagine arriving by canoe 200 years ago and climbing from the beach up the bank to see a wide open prairie awash with flowers, yellow, blue, white, pink and purple framed by old growth fir trees where elk and wolves roamed free. Scan the prairie here. A bit of a stretch for the imagination perhaps, but if you’d like just a taste of that experience, take a walk at Pacific Rim Institute where prairie restoration goes on today. Fortunately for me, I get to take walks here during my lunch break almost daily. I’ve walked here in the snow and rain, and on many windy days. But this is a very special time of year at PRI when the native wildflowers are in full bloom. I was there this week and caught Mosa weeding the mound where they’ve grown many prairie flowers to display. She pointed out a dozen varieties, most of them in bloom and others we look forward to seeing flower later in the summer. If you call ahead you can take a tour with Mosa in person with appropriate distancing. Or get a video tour here. I got a quick tour of the mound and then left Mosa to continue weeding while I walked out to see the fields of flowers beyond the row of sheds. My walk between the sheds always reminds me of the old out buildings on my grandparent’s farm. This used to be the “old pheasant farm” and the sheds were coops for the fancy feathered birds. These days the pheasants are gone but there are always different things piled up between or inside the sheds. Walking straight out from the row of sheds I pass a primitive chair and keep going across the field following a faint track. At the far side of the field I come to a fence and have to decide, right or left. I wander to the right into a field of yellow and white flowers. Then swing back to the left along the old farm road where a sign reads, Walk to Prairie. At the end of the fence is another sign saying Prairie Remnant. I pass around it and follow the trail by blue camas, pink sea thrift and an assortment of yellow flowers. I come upon a row of white chickweed like stars in the Milky Way on a green night sky. And then the endangered golden paintbrush. I try to stay on the trail so as not to crush any new growth. A little further on are some very large old growth trees creating shade on a warm sunny landscape. Turning back now, with the buildings just out of sight, I get the feeling of walking in a prairie as it might have been a hundred years ago. The crew at Pacific Rim Institute have been propagating these plants and restoring this native prairie. They’ve built raised beds and collected seeds, even used controlled burns to stimulate growth. Parts of the prairie are fenced to restrict deer. But birds fly freely between the many bird houses, trees and brambles. I see swallows and sparrows, hawks and eagles, crows and ravens. Occasionally, I’ve heard there are mountain bluebird sightings here. If I have time I turn north toward the old barn at the edge of the woods passing native Garry oaks. Turning at the barn I circle back to the buildings passing the fenced raised beds where volunteers are watering. Volunteers are active here and they welcome more. Call 360-678-5586 to arrange a visit. And be sure to wander out to the fields of flowers while they’re in full bloom. Directions: Take Highway 20 from Coupeville south for 3 miles and turn left on Morris Road. Turn left again on Parker Road and in a half mile Pacific Rim Institute will be on the right. Park near the house and find the wildflower display mound on the left just before entering the row of sheds.
Take the Route 1 bus Monday-Friday to the Morris Road stop and cross the field to the east to Parker Road. Walk a half mile north to Pacific Rim Institute. The bus does not go here on the weekend. Bring a Bike -2-3 bikes fit on a bus bike rack. Please don't bike through the fields. Mobility: The old farm roads are mostly level and easy to walk, but a bit rough for a wheelchair.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Authors
Maribeth Crandell has been a hiking guide in the Pacific NW for over 20 years. She's lived on Whidbey and Fidalgo Island for decades. As a frequent bus rider she easily makes connections between trails and transit. Archives by date
April 2024
Categories
All
|