![]() ![]() Many generations of Seattle children have forged their first connection with nature there-seeing a garter snake slip into the tall grass, building a temporary fort of driftwood, or wrinkling small noses at the pungent smell of skunk cabbage. It is a balm for the soul and a joy for Seattle residents. ![]() The park smells cool and green it is quiet save for the birds and the wind. Harbor seals haul out on the beach orca whales break the surface just offshore. At low tide, a mermaid’s garden of tide pool creatures appears, including sea stars, nudibranch, and anemones. It has been (and is?) home to coyotes and even the occasional lost cougar or bear. “Birders” have counted more than 270 species of birds, including raptors, owls, shorebirds and seabirds. From its highest vantage points, one can take in an unobstructed view of both local mountain ranges-the Cascades and the Olympics. Although it is by no means a “pristine” wilderness, Discovery Park is dominated by undeveloped, natural space and contains several distinct ecosystem types representative of the region, from rocky tide pools to sandy beaches to moss-draped forest, to boggy wetlands, to wildflower-spangled meadow. There is no realistic prospect of ever adding a space of similar size inside the city should this one be whittled away by development. Discovery Park represents the largest city park and largest open space in a large, booming city becoming more dense by the week. ![]()
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