Happy Prairie Appreciation Day!

It's Washington DNR's 14th annual Prairie Appreciation Day today. And it's definitely needed. Prairies are perhaps our least appreciated and least protected ecosystem in Washington. Many of our Puget Sound prairies, if they haven't been developed, have been taken over by invasive species. The Olympia Mountaineers will be assisting the Nature Conservancy and Thurston County Parks today at the Glacier Heritage Preserve on the Black River. Learn about these important ecosystems by taking a hike at Mima Mounds (it's in my Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula book) and contacting the Washington Nature Conservancy. There are still good remnant prairies left in our state-but they need to be protected-and fast. Stop overlooking these unsung important parts of our natural heritage and help save and revive them.

(photo-a prairie in Saskatchewan-half the province consists of these gorgeous and ecologically viable regions)