softerside ofwildthe

Take refuge in the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge

STORY & PHOTOS BY LYNETTE RAE MCADAMS

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28 • Our Coast 2016 • discoverourcoast.com

esterday I walked among ancient cedars, theirgnarled roots like the hands of so many great-

grandmothers, each holding fast to her place on thisearth. The week before found me steathfully on my

knees in a wide swath of eelgrass — a private studyof the great blue heron, master in the ways of stillness.

And last spring, I watched a sunrise over TarlattSlough that came so sweet and so slow, it looked as

though the fields themselves gave up their very breath atthe sight of it.

Jackie Ferrier, refuge manager, says, “Every little pieceof it is its own miracle of nature,” and I think I know just

what she means: My favorite place on the Willapa NationalWildlife Refuge is wherever I happen to be standing.

Signed into American law in 1937 by Franklin D. Roosevelt,and designed to safeguard migrating birds, the refuge works to

preserve, protect, and restore more than 16,000 acres on and aroundWashington’s Willapa Bay — all of it divided into separate sections. Takentogether, these units form a network of rare ecosystems — from thesaltwater marshes of Leadbetter Point, to the open grasslands at the bottomof the bay; from dense old-growth forests, to wind-swept Pacific dunes;from the swollen streams that meander the Willapa Hills, to the rich tidalmudflats that encircle the estuary — all of it combines to form a singular,globally important stop on the great Pacific Flyway.

Stretching from the Arctic Circle all the way to Patagonia, the flywayis used by birds who travel some (or all) of that distance, twice each year,relying on places like this to rest, nest, or simply refuel. Thanks to itsunique environs, the Willapa refuge is able to attract and shelter more than200 feathered species, all who, in a crowded world of ever-shrinkinghabitats, need it more and more.

Spring and fall bring an explosion of birds — literally millions — withaerial formations and rituals so intense, their presence eclipses all otheraspects of the refuge.

And while they’re certainly worthy stars of the show, they’re not theonly creatures who benefit from this wide blanket of protection.

Through the marvelous piggyback effect that rules the natural world,mammals large and small can all call the refuge home, along withamphibians, reptiles, fish, and, those astonishing spineless wonders — theinvertebrates! — whose group encompasses everything from clams,oysters, and insects, to spiders, slugs, and snails.

The same soggy wetlands that shelter the northern pintail also nourishthe skunk cabbage that flowers in early spring — a delicacy for blackbears, lumbering out of torpor. To the ponds and sloughs that beckon theAmerican widgeon and the mallards, the playful northern river otter alsoarrives — on the hunt for crawfish, mice, or, if he’s lucky, a succulent duckegg (maybe even two).

Every nook and cranny teems with life: layer after layer of water andlight and nutrients, coming together to create one grand tapestry — all onpublic lands, held in trust, and just as accessible to you and I as to thecoyote or the hummingbird.

Well, almost. >>

INTRO: Papilio oregonius: the Oregon swallowtail butterfly.

ABOVE: Ancient cedar trees are the focus of the trail at the Teal Slough unit of the

Willapa National Wildlife Refuge.

yHow I fell in love with public lands

Canada geese take refuge after their fall arrival to Willapa Bay. One goose, the

sentinel, keeps watch while the others rest.

My favorite place on the WillapaNational Wildlife Refuge is

wherever I happen to be standing.“ ”

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There’s More to DiscoverSee more Willapa National Wildlife Refuge photos.Visit www.discoverourcoast.com

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Sources: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Our Coast researchMap by : Lynette Rae McAdams and Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group

Willapa National Wildlife RefugeThe Willapa National Wildlife Refuge has no entrance fees, and visitors are welcomeevery day during daylight hours. For the safety of wildlife and the protection of delicatehabitats, dogs are not allowed on refuge lands. For more information, visitwww.fws.gov/refuge/Willapa or call 360-484-3482.

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1. Refuge HeadquartersMilepost 24 on U.S. Hwy 101, directly across from Long IslandHome to the WNWR main office, this unit offers parking, refuge maps, a public boat launch,vault toilets, and two chances to stretch your legs. The short and delightful Willapa Art Trail isa boardwalk path over ponds, streams, and saltwater marshes that uses art to educate alongthe way; the more challenging Cutthroat Loop Trail branches off to climb through dense forest.

2. Teal Slough 1.6 miles north of WNWR Headquarters on U.S. Hwy 101Walk the road behind the gate up and through the forest, and follow the arrows to someseriously big, seriously beautiful old trees. Ancient cedars twist their way to the heavensamid a temple of giant Sitka spruces. At trail’s end, there’s a peek-a-boo view of Willapa Bay.

3. Long IslandSouth end of Willapa Bay (launch from headquarters; pay closeattention to tides)Accessible only by private boat, this 5,460-acre island is comprisedof lush coastal forests surrounded by rich mudflats. Black bears,deer, and elk call the island home, as well as birds and amphibiansof every variety. Five primitive campgrounds (20 sites total) dot theperimeter, and hiking trails abound, along with public clam beds.Don’t miss the Don Bonker Cedar Grove: 274 acres of 1,000-year-oldWestern red cedar, near the island’s center.

4. Bear RiverApproximately 5 miles south of WNWR Headquarters on U.S. Hwy 101Home to Greenhead Slough, site of a major recent restoration project,this unit is accessed mainly by elk and deer hunters. Park at the gatenear the bridge, and follow the old road east and into the forest.

5. Riekkola Unit/Porter’s Point/Lewis UnitFrom Sandridge Road, turn east onto 67th Place; this longroad terminates at the refuge gate, where three unitsessentially convergeDominated by grasslands, this place is a smorgasbord formigrating birds, elk, otters, coyotes, and long-tailed weasels.Soggy fields offer an ideal environment for inter-species gamesof hide-and seek; walk the gentle road toward the bay andwatch the food chain in action.

6. Tarlatt SloughFrom Sandridge Road, turn east onto 95th Street; atthe “Y,” veer right and continue to the refuge gate.Enjoy this easy piece of water as it slips on out toWillapa Bay. Offering great views of the spring and fallbird migrations, this spot is also roaming ground forcoyotes, deer, and elk (and happens to be downrightbeautiful, year-round).

7. Leadbetter PointFrom Sandridge Road near Oysterville, follow the signs to Leadbetter State Park (end of Stackpole Road); a Discover Pass is required at this unit only.Bordering the state park (and sharing parking and restrooms), this remote tip of theLong Beach Peninsula is sacred nesting ground for the protected Western snowyplover and a playground for thousands of others. A network of trails provides access to panoramic views of Willapa Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Birders, prepare to swoon.

30 • Our Coast 2016 • discoverourcoast.com

s a human, wanderingthe refuge in perfecthappiness does requirea bit of savvy, and it’simportant to keep inmind at least thesethings: The Willapa isa world of manysplendors, but most ofthem are muddy; wildanimals are smartenough to want tokeep their distance;and mosquitoes herecan swarm so thick,I’ve seen the moststoic of outdoorsmen

beg for DEET. So hear this now, and repeat itlike a mantra: Boots, binoculars, bug spray;boots, binoculars, bug spray. (I promise you,you’ll thank me later.)

And finally, there’s this small fact: Much ofwildlife watching is actually wrapped up inwaiting, and this can bring frustration. But often,these are the moments when the refuge offers upits greatest gifts.

Like one long afternoon I remember last year,

searching a stream bank in vain for theendangered Dunn’s salamander. Defeated, Idropped to the water’s edge, only to notice forthe first time, the perfect universe that lay at myfeet. Skating across the reflective surface, waterstriders moved in a synchronized ballet, theirfragile insect bodies sending out vibrations oflight and shadow. Below them, piles of twigs anddecaying leaves dressed the welcoming bed fora soon-to-spawn salmon; from the axis of anearby fern, a Pacific tree frog sang out itsapproval.

So here you have come, on the lookout forsomething flashy, maybe hoping for a herd ofthundering elk.

But have you missed the Oregon swallowtail,feasting there on the last of the summer thistles?Can you see how it moves its soft butterfly body,over the prickly spines and to the flower’s center,probing ever deeper for another sip of nectar?

Bend in closer, she has a tale to tell, andtherein lies the secret to it all. Can you see herunfurling it from her magnificent wings, hear herwhispering it, once, before she sets off on thewind?

Listen: There is magic in the minuscule; andsometimes, the way to see clearly is to stop

looking quite so hard. How very lovely it is, to discover at last, that

we are all a part of something larger thanourselves.

Spring sunrise at the Tarlatt Slough unit of the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge.

Pseudacris regilla: the Pacific tree frog is a year-

round inhabitant of the Willapa National Wildlife

Refuge.

a How very lovely it is ...

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