This week we'll be sharing a 3-day series with 90 kids and faculty from the French American School of Puget Sound based on Mercer Island. Middle school teacher, Mason Donald reached out at the start of the year and asked if we could design a series that might touch on water, interactions with the environment and community that would tie in with his interdisciplinary "Ocean of Knowledge" curriculum for the school year. We've been batting around field trip ideas for the past couple months and have just settled on three distinct visits that tie into areas that we spend a lot of time in that we'll share with 3 groups of 30 students over the course of the week.

On Thursday we'll walk from the upper parking lot through the park, and down the trail behind Colman Pool. Kersti Xyla will chat about her work as an Urban Wildlife Specialist and the myriad of projects and animals she works with. We'll talk Eagles and Orcas and all things great and small. Keith and Kathryn will then talk to the kids about their daily micro trash journeys cleaning our West Seattle beaches before setting the kids loose along the cove for a beach cleanup and our eventual hike back to the top of the park.

I anticipate this series will be an energetic and joyous opportunity to share these special areas that we spend so much time working in and enjoying. What better way to ensure that the next generation picks up the mantle than by sharing our love of nature and community with them. I'm welcoming all of you to join us on these daily trips and add your own personal stories and love of where we live. It should be a very memorable week, and hopefully the start of a new offering to our work.

For those wanting to walk with the kids down to the beach and get in on Kersti’s talk, we’ll start up in the big parking lot and walk down to the beach.

Lincoln Park Beach