N: North Shields Ponds Natural Area

Some of you may remember me mentioning that our Natural Areas program is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. As part of the fun, the city has drawn up a natural areas passport to encourage interested citizens to get out and visit 20 of our great natural areas before November. I'm trying to make it to a few every month. North Shields Ponds is the only one that begins with N, so I thought it would be a nice idea to take my sons there for a visit when they had a day off from school on Friday.

This area has a little history for me. Before it was an official Natural Area, back when it was just ponds by a road, my sister and I would ride our bikes there to throw rocks and pick cattails. I've driven by many times since those days, but I rarely--like every ten years--stop. So it was fun to take my sons there and watch them do the kinds of things my sister and I did there more than 30 years ago.

As a bonus N for today: not far from the pond is a large raptor nest on a utility pole. I'm not sure what kind of birds they are, but they're fascinating.  

Have a great 'N' day!