The Seattle Naturalists
Welcome to the Seattle Naturalists web page! 

Snowy Owl
The Seattle Naturalists offer opportunities to learn about the plants, animals, marine life, and geology of the Pacific Northwest.  We also encourage participants to volunteer as instructors, trip leaders, and native plant stewards as their knowledge and skills develop.

We offer year-round field trips, lectures, and courses to Mountaineer members and the general public.  We are taking part in education out-reach programs led by Mountaineer staff members.

The Naturalists are also sponsoring and creating the Magnuson Park Native Plant Garden, adjacent to the Mountaineer Program Center.


 

News  For May 2013
  • Sign up ends Friday, May 10th for the 2013 "An Introduction to the Natural World" course . Sign up now ! 
     
  • Trip - Umtanum Ridge on Saturday, May 4th. Located in eastern Washington along the Yakima River south of Ellensburg this trail is part of the Lt. Murray Wildlife Area developed by Fish and Wildlife.  It is open for hiking May 1st and Discover Pass is required. Wonderful Spring hike for canyon and upland desert flora and fauna. Follow the creek for a short while and take a left following an old road to the top of the ridge. Travel along the ridge to a deserted cabin which is a good turnaround point.  More information and Signup.
  • Weekend Trip - Stein River Canyon (British Columbia) on May 4th & 5th. The Stein River canyon offers scenic hiking in rain-shadow valley rich with spring wildflowers, abundant lichens, fungi, many birds and butterflies, mammals and other wildlife.  More information & signup.
  • Workshop - Nature Recording Workshop on May 10-12, 2013 at Urban Horticultural Center at UW.   This year,  NatureSound.Org and the University of Washington will be teaching state-of-the-art techniques for recording the sounds of wildlife.  Participants will learn through daily field recording sessions and lecture/discussions.  Workshop fee: $89.  Nature Recording Workshop Information 
  • Workshop - Eastern Washington Songbird Workshop at the Mountaineers at 7:00 PM.   Review key identifying features of the common families of songbirds. An associated field trip will held the following weekend.   Workshop Information and Signup  Field Trip Information and Signup
  • Trip - Iron Bear on Sunday, June 2nd.  This hike is called Teanaway Ridge in "Day Hiking Snoqualmie Region".   Hike at a moderately brisk pace but will pause frequently to enjoy spring flowers.  More information and Signup
  • Trip Leaders! If you are currently on our leader list, we encourage you to consider signing up to lead at least one trip in 2013.  We will be more than happy to provide you with any assistance you feel you need in the way of assistant leaders, mentors or aspiring leaders.
  • Join the Seattle Naturalists Study Group. Reminder: all new graduates of our course have automatic permission to sign up. Sign Up is open all year.  Benefits include special events, trips, and free admission to the Study Group Lectures.   Join the Study Group

  • Upcoming lectures in the Seattle Naturalists Study Group Lecture Series  All lectures are on Thursdays, at 7 PM at the Mountaineer Program Center at Magnuson Park, Seattle.  $5 donation requested at the door to help defray lecture costs.
    November 2013 The 2013-2014 lecture series is being put together at this time.

  • Bird Photos  were  kindly provided by Doug Schurman.  Each photo is a link to the original, full-size photograph.  Visit his website to enjoy a wide variety of Naturalist photographs.

Activity Listings
There are many activities available for Mountaineer members and the general public.  We host talks on Natural world topics,  go out on flower identification trips, explore the beaches of Puget Sound, search for mammal tracks in the winter snow, spend 3 day weekends in Canada, Oregon, and all over the Northwest White-Winged Scoter.
  Check back often - trips are regularly added to the calendar.

Course: Introduction to The Natural World
Every May, we offer  "An Introduction to the Natural World", a course that explores the plants, animals, geology, and ecology  of the Cascades and Olympics. The course consists of 4 Tuesday evening presentations and 4 field trips, running through the end of July.   This is a beginners course.   You may register on the Mountaineer Website  starting in March.  If you already have some knowledge, the Study Group may be more appropriate for you.

The Study Group
 Those with some knowledge of the Natural World, and Graduates of our Intro course, are invited to join The Study Group.   Study Group activities include special presentations by local plant and wildlife experts, opportunities for advanced courses, an invitation to sit in on the yearly Intro course, and special day/weekend Naturalists outings.  A one-time fee gives you a lifetime membership in the Study Group.
 

Local Naturalist Groups
There are a number of other groups that complement the Mountaineers Naturalists.  Groups such as the:
        • Burke Museum,   • Eastside Audubon,   • Puget Sound Mycological Society,   • Washington Native Plant Society
offer lectures and field trips that tend to concentrate in a particular area of study. Consider becoming a member of one or more of these groups, and take advantage of their specialized knowledge.
 

Avocets

About the Naturalists
Learn more about the Seattle Naturalists, and  consider volunteering to support the programs.

Updated 24-Apr-2013