Careful students of Out & About (is there such a thing? don't answer that) might have noticed that natural history really gets me going. There's an alternate universe in which I pursued that biology degree and spent the rest of my life happily mucking about in a wetland, taking water samples and rocking the wellies like nobody's business.
For those of you with similar interests who aren't shy about dragging your children along on your outdoor outings, or those of you who have that kid who could spend all day watching critters with a magnifying glass, or those of you who love watching birds, or hiking, or spending all of a sparkling fall day in the fresh air, or are just proud of the fact that Bellevue is home to one of the most beautiful and interesting in-city wetlands anywhere...there's something big going on this weekend.
Mercer Slough's Environmental Education Center, long in development, is finally opening on Saturday with great fanfare and excitement, and tons of natural history-oriented activities for families. Head over for workshops, walks, kid-sized science, and a chance to explore the EEC's new "green" buildings and surrounding grounds. I assume there will be crowds, and on-site parking is limited, but don't despair -- there's parking and a free shuttle to the festivities at Newport High School, 4333 Factoria Blvd. S.E., Bellevue.
I wrote about Mercer Slough EEC for the October issue, and here's the calendar listing if you want to go.