Tacoma Nature Center

08/30/2026

Bird of the Week: Cooper’s Hawk
Less common than its red-tailed cousins, this bird of prey (raptor) is much more likely to be found in forested habitats. It is common in the Pacific Northwest as well as the rest of the US, Mexico, and southern Canada.

Juvenile Cooper’s hawks have a brown back and white front with brown spots dotted throughout the chest. Adults can be distinguished from other raptors by their blueish gray back and mix of white and rust colored feathers on the front. The tail feathers have a blueish gray top and a black and gray underside. However, they do have a close look alike: the Sharp shinned hawk. The way to tell the two species apart is the size. Sharp shinned hawks are much smaller, usually about the same size as a pigeon. Cooper’s hawks tend to be larger - about the same size as a crow. The legs are another way to tell the difference. Sharp shinned hawks have skinnier bare legs while Cooper’s hawks have thicker legs with fluffy feathers towards the top. And finally, the Cooper’s hawk has a darker “cap” at the top of its head, sharp shinned hawks do not.

Their diet mainly consists of small birds however they will also hunt small mammals and reptiles if need be.

08/29/2026

WOW! What and amazing idea. Nice work Adams County, Colorado!

The Nature Library recently opened in Thornton, Colorado, offering just as many outdoor experiences as indoor ones.

08/28/2026

We have plenty of sunny days left ahead! Here is an interesting craft idea to try with your kiddos (or for anyone young at heart who likes pretty things).

Try a turmeric sun prints - an old kitchen alchemy trick. You just mix one part turmeric to four parts isopropyl alcohol and paint it onto thick watercraft paper. Let it dry thirty minutes.

Go gather pretty foliage from the yard, lay it on the paper, and let the sun do its work for another thirty minutes. Then mix two tablespoons baking soda with a cup of water, dip the paper in, then let it dry and develop. The alkaline wash is what pulls the color to life. Enjoy!

08/27/2026

How cute are these? Available starting September 25 online or in post offices. Even if you no longer send snail mail, these might be worth having :)

08/26/2026

Beyond Washington...
Did you know that there are more trees on Earth than stars in the Milky Way? Scientists estimate around 3 trillion trees exist on our planet, while the Milky Way contains about 100-400 billion stars. That's a lot of trees!

08/25/2026

Fall and Winter dates for our popular Pier Peer programs have been announced! Get one or more of these dates marked on your calendar and check the website in a few weeks for the registration links!
https://www.parkstacoma.gov/event/pier-peer/

08/24/2026

We are all about enjoying frogs! Great tips!

Looking for frogs in Washington? Summer is a great time to explore wetlands, ponds, marshes, and other freshwater habitats to look for these amphibious friends. Here are some tips to have an enjoyable (dare we say, “hoppy”?) experience:

-If you frog-watch alone, let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be back.

-Don't wade out into ponds or marshes - you will scare the frogs, and there is the risk that you may slip and fall into the water.

-Keep a close eye on children.

-Have a change of clothes just in case you get wet.

-Watch for stinging insects. If you have an allergy to stings, be sure you have your sting kit with you.

-Use polarized sunglasses and binoculars for better viewing.

-Ask permission from the landowner before frog-watching on private land.

-Make sure dogs are leashed - better still, leave them at home.

-Handling frogs can be hazardous to their health and needs to be done carefully or not at all.

Want more frog watching tips and information? Hop on over to https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/living/frogs -frogs



📷 WDFW

08/23/2026

Bird of the week: Red Crossbill
Less commonly seen than its finch cousins, this beautiful bird is actually a somewhat common resident of the Pacific Northwest and much of Canada. It also ranges further south, even into South America.

What determines where it lives is the food sources it needs: conifers with their seed-bearing cones! Red crossbills eat seeds of spruce, pine, Douglas-fir, hemlock and larch. To obtain these seeds, they first grasp the cone with one foot then they insert the partly open bill between two of the cone’s scales, then close the bill, which widens the space between the scales, exposing the seed. They use the tongue and bill together to remove the seed.

In North America, most red crossbills breed in late summer through early autumn and even in late winter through early spring. These strange nesting times are because when most songbirds begin to nest in the Spring, many conifer seeds have not yet developed or become available, so the later timing of Red Crossbill nesting seasons coincides with periods of greatest food availability. That explains why they are so vocal right now. Have you heard any in your local forested areas? If you want to try and spot some, come on over to the Nature Center and hike up the Hillside Loop. They have been heard regularly lately from the meadow bordering the forest!

08/22/2026

With recent alarming stories in the news about bats and rabies, it is good to know the actual facts. Let's all help spread facts, not fear.
https://www.batcon.org/bats-rabies-fact-vs-fiction/?fbclid=IwY2xjawT1ryxwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMXNpT2hVUW1ZR3pYWFgxdFJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe0WY6jRJzjlwll2beMptbSxVvmVxVFY10NW_UwC-EmvOcN3QrB0l4XmYVLas_aem_AuajdBb1QXEqIh3-DgzSrg

Everything you wanted to know about bats and rabies — and maybe a few things you never thought to ask.

08/21/2026

Make your voice heard on this important topic!

Tacoma residents know reuse matters. ♻️

Help us identify new items that could be recycled or reused at the Tacoma Recycle Center by taking our quick survey.

Your feedback helps guide future waste reduction programs and services.

📱 Take the survey here: rebrand.ly/TRC-Survey26