Seattle's Pritchard Island Beach is a little gem of a park on Lake Washington in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. It boasts a diversity of habitat types, from lacustrine wetlands to upland forest and beach. (Scroll down to the end for some species pictures.)
Squad helped the Green Seattle Partnerships's Forest Stewards pull heaps of bind weed and buttercup away from the native plantings of sword fern, lupine, sedge and more. The site's restoration was spearheaded by the Starflower Foundation. Prior to the lowering of Lake Washington, due to the construction of the locks, the Eastern portion of the park was indeed an island, with homes built on it.
After working, the swimming was very fun! The shoreline has both stone steps and sandy spots, with lifeguards, nice bathrooms and a floating dock. The shallow area warmed up nicely. We look forward to returning to plant more sedge in the fall.