In the interest of bringing up-to-date research to this blog (OK, I confess, I succumbed to spring fever), I recently visited the new Mercer Slough Environmental Center, which opened last fall. I enjoyed exploring their attractive, green-built facilities and walking their well-maintained, calf-stretching trails. An additional tenth of a mile would have taken me to a larger trail system leading into the slough, which I have hiked on other occasions. I spotted a rufous-sided towhee, and also saw a pair of red-tail hawks circling overhead.
The environmental center offers a number of free or low-cost programs for all ages. Some recent topics have included green remodeling, bird basics, and “bugs and slugs.” To learn more, check out their web site at www.bellevuewa.gov/mseec.htm
