Reflections on Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge 50th Anniversary Celebration

George Walter

Photo by Jill Severn

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
00 Brown Farm Rd NE
Olympia, WA 98516
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Earlier this month there was a significant celebration: the 50^th Anniversary of the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. People closely involved with Nisqually issues were there, but since the event did not get widespread publicity, the broader public missed an important local event.

However, if you missed the event, you can still join the celebration. A special art logo has been created for the anniversary and the Refuge gift and book shop has a good supply of commemorative gear for your consideration.

There were over 200 folks in attendance at the celebration, but I wish there had been more. This refuge provides the major habitat for migratory waterfowl and other birds and for salmon, especially juvenile salmon, as they leave freshwater and adjust to living in saltwater for the next phase of their lives.

My favorite part of the ceremony was the opening prayer, given in Lushootseed by Nisqually native speaker Chaynannah Squally. As she spoke, I closed my eyes and imagined how, 200 years ago, words of this same language were echoing around this same wonderful place.

Nisqually Nature Shop sign at the Billy Frank, Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

The Billy Frank Jr Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge provides life-sustaining habitat for both wildlife and people. It is the most visited wildlife refuge on the West Coast, hosting over 300,000 visitors in a typical year. But even more important for Thurston County residents, it provides an accessible place for us to experience nature, and to expose our children to the out-of-doors.

Each year over 10,000 schoolchildren visit the Refuge. It is easily reached by all the schools of our county –an educational resource right at our doorstep. The Refuge has an educational center available for these school visitors, and also has a cadre of volunteers who lead students on nature walks.  For more information, check the refuge website.

As I sat at the ceremony I reflected on the refuge and my son, Aaron, now 23 years old. From his first year of life Aaron has been a regular visitor at the refuge. His mom used to get post-partum exercise walking him around the refuge in his stroller. As a toddler he used the boardwalk rails as balance beams and climbed the gates, including one that we called “Aaron’s gate”).  

As he grew, we visited the refuge at least once each season, including the spring near his birthdate to take an annual photo with him and the blooming red-flowering currant bushes. We would guess how many bird species we would encounter, and then keep our eyes and ears open for the count.

Each time I visit our refuge, without fail, I see parents and children, sometimes whole groups of children. My favorite thing is to ask, “What’s the best thing you’ve seen so far?”

My favorite things, typically, are the surprises: multiple Bald Eagles in the trees lining the Nisqually River; a huge flock of geese rising all at once from their grazing area; a parade of newly emerged Chorus Frog froglets migrating through the grass, seeking a new hunting territory.

This month and next are good months to be on the lookout for other surprises. It’s fall migration time, and each year there are birds that stop by the refuge “refuel” prior to that long migration ahead. Our Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to watch for migrants, especially for shorebirds on the mudflats and other open wet areas.

This is show the cover of "Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge: A Brief History," issued in honor of the 50th anniversary of the …

Book Review – There’s good news for the folks who enjoy the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge interpretative signs but wish they could learn more. A refuge volunteer, Christi McGinley, has written and self-published a new book entitled A Brief History of the Billy Frank Jr. National Wildlife Refuge. The book can be purchased at the refuge bookstore for $16.00 and it’s well worth the price. It has many historic photographs, and its text is published in a large easy-to-read font (which older readers like me especially like).

In addition to the refuge itself, the book includes information about Nisqually Billy Frank Jr., for whom the refuge is named, and the larger Nisqually Indian community who have lived and fished along the Nisqually River and in nearby marine waters for thousands of years.  

George Walter is the environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s natural resources department; he also has a 40+ year interest in bird watching. He may be reached at george@theJOLTnews.com.