“Short-billed” Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)

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April 22 is Earth Day, but for The Nature Conservancy, the day will be celebrated with nature and natural history activities and programs over the entire month.

With its Washington State office head-quartered in Seattle (the organization has offices in all 50 states, with its world-wide office in Arlington, VA), the sixty year old Nature Conservancy funds/supports conservation efforts around the globe. Its stated mission is “to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.” Along with its global agenda, The Nature Conservancy believes in acting locally by  supporting eco-actions, nature programs and conservation efforts in every state in the U.S. The Conservancy has been officially active in Washington State for over 50 years. Here in Washington State, home to the famous Olympic National Park and Forest, amongst a multitude of other parks and wildlife preserves), ‘Earth Day’ has always been a big deal–too big for just one day. Here’s a quick listing of some upcoming activities and programs for the month of April: Family Day on the Prairie, Saturday, April 10, Thurston County An invitation to young and old to volunteer to help restore the South Sound (that’s Puget Sound) prairies (Many Washington residents don’t even know we have prairies). Event includes a “special surprise” for the kids. The program lasts from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trail Building, Moses Coulee, Saturday, , April 17, Douglas County. You will help make repairs to the David Weekes Trail (built in honor of Conservancy’s past state director). The trail leads to a panoramic view of the coulee. Clues to the Past: Archeology Tour at Moses Coulee Preserve, Sunday, April 18. Archeologist Powys Gadd will instruct participants in how to read the landscape “to discover fascinating clues that tell us about the lives and livelihoods of past centuries in the coulee. ” Space is Limited. Migrating Shorebirds of Port Susan Bay,  April 24, 1-3 p.m. A fun-filled bird-watching tour at the Conservancy’s Port Susan Bay Preserve near Stanwood. The preserve is an important, migratory stop-over spot for many arctic bound species(such as dunlins and dowitchers, see photo), conducted by Tim Manns, naturalist and president of the Skagit Audubon Society, and Julie Morse, Conservancy shorebird expert. Watch this blog for more Seattle Earth Day news and events in the coming weeks. For more information about The Nature Conservancy, or to sign up for an Earth Day event (in Washington State), contact Barbara French, Volunteer Program Manager, bfrench@tnc.org or (206) 343-4345, ext. 361. photo credit: Mike Baird on Flickr.com (CC-BY)