Lake Forest Park to be certified as “Community Wildlife Habitat”

Lake Forest Park, on the north end of Lake Washington near Seattle, will be certified by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) as the 21st “Community Wildlife Habitat” in the nation on April 21.

This community of 12,730 includes 165 Backyard Wildlife Sanctuaries under both the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and NWF programs. It also includes two businesses certified for providing in-kind benefits for backyard habitat, and five parks and two elementary schools certified for environmental education programs and habitat development.

Lake Forest Park has a rich network of forested hillsides, wetlands, and streams that provide vital habitat for salmon and other species of wildlife. Over the years, human settlement and urban development altered the natural landscape, impeding salmon runs, affecting water quality and eliminating many natural wildlife corridors.

In recent years, citizen groups such as the Lake Forest Park Stewardship Foundation, StreamKeepers, and the Urban Tree Task Force worked with many volunteers to restore and preserve these sensitive native habitats. Individual property owners and neighborhoods did their part, linking efforts to create greater green space and ecological interconnections.

The community celebration of this distinction will be from 12-noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 21, at Third Place Commons in the Lake Forest Park Towne Centre, 17171 Bothell Way, in conjunction with Lake Forest Park’s Dig-It Green/Earth Friendly Fair. After the certification presentation to Mayor Dave Hutchinson and the “Good Stewards Team” at 12 noon, activities will include a native plant sale, tours of several Backyard Wildlife Sanctuaries, and tours of Lake Forest Park Elementary School’s six wildlife gardens and new science resource room.

For more information contact Libby Fiene at lfpwildlife@comcast.net or 206-365-8867.