Explore the Wonders of Padilla Bay
by Neighborhood-Kids.com4/4/2008 10:14:00 AM
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Despite all the hype and anticipation that leads up to Spring Break, after only two or three days off from school, kids will inevitably declare the two words that make all parents cringe: “We’re bored!” If you’re already counting down the minutes until school is back in session, organize a family field trip to the Padilla Bay in Skagit Valley.
It’s about a forty minute drive from Bellingham to Padilla Bay, which is just north of Bay View State Park. The Breazeale Interpretive Center is open to the public Wednesday through Sundays (closed for state holidays) from 10 AM to 5 PM. The facility includes exhibits, fish tanks, and a library to help you learn a little more about this area and its history.
Padilla Bay was selected for inclusion in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System in 1980. This network protects coastal areas for further research, education, and stewardship of our shores. An estuary is where the mouth of a river meets the sea’s tide; in this case, where the Skagit River meets the Puget Sound. One of the reasons Padilla Bay was chosen study was its unique and unusually large eelgrass meadows, which creates a habitat for a variety of sea life that sustains other animals, as well as humans, along the coast.
“We use Padilla Bay as a classroom and laboratory,” explained educator coordinator, Glen ‘Alex’ Alexander. “We want people to take away the fact that the estuary and all of Puget Sound is valuable. It’s aesthetically beautiful, it’s a place to have fun and explore. It also has monetary value; millions of dollars go in and out of the Puget Sound through shipping and fishing. We want people to see how their lives are connected to the water so they’ll want to take care of it.”
From the Breazeale Interpretive Center, you can take a wheelchair accessible tunnel under the road to an observation deck. You can also take a staircase down to the beach from here. There are several trails that you can take; one leads to the shore, where you can learn how dikes and tide gates work, and another trail takes you to the fields and woods of the old Breazeale family dairy farm. You can check out binoculars and bird identification guides at the Center’s front desk (with a driver’s license), and you can also borrow trail guides that will highlight different features of the area, including plant life and activities for children.
Along with their study and stewardship of the bay, the employees and volunteers at the center also facilitate free educational programs. Their Mini Explorers (ages 3 to 5) and Junior Ecologists (ages 6 to 9) classes occur monthly and let kids get up close and personal with the animal and plant life along the mudflats during low tide. They also offer classes for adults and guided kayaking trips (minimum age 12) throughout the year.
“My favorite thing about teaching Padilla Bay classes is that our subject material is intrinsically interesting for kids and adults. We take them out to the beach and they squeal with delight,” Alex said. “It makes my job as an educator easy.”
If you and your kids have a good time, you can also organize school field trips for groups of between 10 and 60. These programs, which can be oriented towards a variety of ages and groups, are free, but donations are gladly accepted.
To learn more about visiting Padilla Bay and opportunities for exploration, call (360)428-1558 or go to their website, Padilla Bay. You can also check out their Kids Page for online learning and fun.