Trueda and I visited the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge today. It is so much different than the last time we were there many years ago. Here’s a few pics we took.

The Nisqually River Delta, a biologically rich and diverse area at the southern end of Puget Sound, supports a variety of habitats.  Here, the freshwater of the Nisqually River combines with the saltwater of Puget Sound to form an estuary rich in nutrients and detritus.  These nutrients support a web of sea life – the benefits of which extend throughout Puget Sound and beyond. (from the Refuge website)

While most major estuaries in the state have been filled, dredged, or developed, Nisqually River’s has been set aside for wildlife.  In 1974, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect the delta and its diversity of fish and wildlife habitats.  The Nisqually estuary was restored in 2009 by removing dikes and reconnecting 762 acres with the tides of Puget Sound.  This is the largest estuary restoration project in the Pacific Northwest and an important step in the recovery of Puget Sound.(from the Refuge website)

“Any meeting of a river and a sea is a place of change …  It will be proof of our ability to survive … if we learn to respect wild places like the Nisqually Delta, to trust them for their naturalness, and to love them for their power to move us.”  – Victor B. Scheffer, Scholar and Author.(from the Refuge website)