Monthly Newsletter: August 2026

Happy August!

We hope that August is relaxing and great for all! As the summer is ending, we’re excited to share some exciting updates and upcoming events with all of you! We can’t wait for you to see what is coming up!

Salmon Watchers Upcoming Opportunity

Dr. Jeff Jensen is partnering with Trout Unlimited to have volunteer Salmon Watchers to conduct a survey of local streams and collecting samples to learn and help monitor the three native kokanee populations that reside in Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington. To learn more about Salmon Watchers and what it all entails as well as how to join look here.

Yard by Yard Update

We are so excited that Yard by Yard has continued to expand to reach new limits! Were so happy to be a part of the Yard by Yard community, if you haven’t already check out this article that talks more about the amazing work that Yard by Yard is doing!

Amazon Wishlist

We’ve launched an Amazon Wish List featuring tools, supplies, and materials that directly support our restoration work, educational programs, and adaptive children’s library. If you’d like to contribute, your support helps sustain hands-on learning and stewardship at the park.

Please ship to: 17927 113th Ave NE, Box 358522, Bothell WA 98011

Catch Up with Our Recent Blogs

Internships bolster restoration at Lake Sammamish State Park

Students’ work strengthens community bonds with educational events and site mapping. Read the Restoration blog.

City of Kenmore interns build skills in GIS and beyond

UW Bothell interns with the City of Kenmore gained hands-on GIS experience while building technical, communication and problem-solving skills that extend well beyond mapping projects. Read the GIS blog.

Recap & August Highlights

Native Plant Garden Art Event

We hosted an event celebrating the garden’s pollinator section and its history. What began as a grassy, weedy area has blossomed into a purposeful flowering garden, thanks in part to the hard work of eight CoSEE interns. Together, they painted bricks to add to the garden, celebrating its growth while building community and helping shape the garden’s future!

August Nature Walk

On this special day over fifteen people attended and one of our Invasive Species Intern, Savannah Greenwalt co-led the walk with Isa from State Parks! They talked about the overall connections to the world around us, with wildfires and their impact on animals, air quality, and foraging. Thank you to everyone who came, and we look forward to seeing you next month on September 19th from 10am-12pm!

Examining Evidence: Wildlife in Your Neighborhood

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for Wildlife in Your Neighborhood! We learned from our Native Plant Intern, Ash Putzke, how to identify animal tracks and discover what makes each footprint unique. After putting our tracking skills to the test, we got creative by making our own animal prints and explored the trails around Saint Edward State Park.

Outdoor Storytime Event

We recently had our Outdoor Storytime event at Saint Edward State Park! We welcomed 16 attendees who enjoyed getting creative with friendship bracelets and button-making while exploring our adaptive library resources and listening to an intern-led read-aloud of one of our adaptive books. We were also excited to connect with a local teacher who checked out three adaptive library books, highlighting the growing interest in accessible resources for educators.

Volunteer Work Party at Saint Edward State Park

We had a total of 8 volunteers including our invasives team and state parks representative Isa. We removed all the Holly that was hand pulled in the tagged area, we had a total of 165 holly plants removed. Thank you to everyone who showed up, and we look forward to seeing you next month on September 13th from 10am-1pm!

All Intern Meeting

All of our interns gather for our last in-person meeting of the Summer cohort. We are sad to think about them leaving but getting excited for our end of summer party to share about all the work they have been doing!

Internship Opportunities

CoSEE Full Academic Year or Fall & Winter Term Interns

Get ahead and start looking at our full term or fall and winter term internship pathways! We want to allow interns to work with us over the academic year for more fantastic research and community opportunities!

Upcoming Events in September (& Beyond!)

Engineering with Nature: Boat Building

📅 Date & Time: August 28,2026 | 5:30pm (TONIGHT!)
📍 Location: Meet at EERC Classroom in Saint Edward State Park (14445 Juanita Dr Kenmore)

Join us for an enjoyable hands-on engineering adventure inspired by the book Iggy Peck, Architect! Young engineers and their families will design and build boats using natural and recycled materials, then test their creations to see how well they float. All ages 5+ are welcome; no experience required. All materials will be provided! Register for boat building here.

Volunteer Work Party at Saint Edward State Park

📅 Date & Time: September 13, 2026 | 10:00am
📍 Location: EERC Classroom, 14445 Juanita Dr NE Kenmore, WA 98028 – Volunteers can use free parking passes for the duration of their service.

Join us for a day of stewardship and discovery at Saint Edwards State Park, we will be exploring a new restoration spot in the park. All ages 8+ are welcome; no experience needed. Please dress for the weather we work rain or shine! Register for the free work party event here!

What to bring (required):

• Rain Jacket
• Closed toe shoes
• Water
• Hand pruners or loppers (we have some but could always use more)
• Gardening Gloves (we will provide extra if you do not have your own)

End of Summer Party

📅 Date & Time: September 15, 2026 | 12:00pm
📍 Location: Meet at EERC Classroom in Saint Edward State Park (14445 Juanita Dr Kenmore)

Join us for our End of Summer Party where we will get to celebrate all of the work that the Summer 2026 Intern cohort has accomplished and learn more about their projects. Enjoy food, connection, and help us close out the summer together. Register for the party and learn more about all the exciting aspects here!

Summer Nature Walk Series September Event

📅 Date & Time: September 19, 2026 | 10:00am
📍 Location: Meet at EERC Classroom in Saint Edward State Park (14445 Juanita Dr Kenmore)

Join us for our last nature walk of the series! These walks are open to everyone (including leashed pets) and are co-led by Washington State Parks and CoSEE staff. It’s a great opportunity to learn about the park, ongoing restoration and research, and the many plants and animals that call the forest home. Register for the last nature walk of the summer series for free here!

Other Community Events

Are you participating in the Finn Hill Trails Challenge for your chance to win a grand prize of a $500 gift certificate to REI, The Lodge at St. Edward, or McMenamins Anderson School Hotel and restaurants? If so, attend one of the events at CoSEE, or check out a Naturalist Backpack from them, in order to get your Guided Challenge stamp to get a valid Bingo entry. Eligible entries will be through August 31, learn more about the challenge here!

Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park is putting on their monthly restoration event on September 19! Feel like getting your hands dirty and helping the community, register for the restoration event here!

Reserve the EERC Classroom

The Environmental Education and Research Center (EERC) Classroom at Saint Edward State Park (Equipped with flexible seating, whiteboards, projector, Wi-Fi, and a kitchenette) is now available for reservation through the UW Bothell 25Live system.

Hours & Location:

• Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
• 14445 Juanita Drive NE, Kenmore, WA 98028

Reservation Options:

• Half-Day: 9:00am – 1:00pm or 1:00pm – 5:00pm
• Full-Day: 9:00am – 5:00pm
• Outside reservation hours: $100/hour additional fee

Pricing Structure:

• Community Partners: $250 (Half-Day) | $500 (Full-Day)
• Corporate Partners: $500 (Half-Day) | $1,000 (Full-Day)
• UW Bothell Partners: $350 (Half-Day) | $700 (Full-Day)

Reservations must be submitted through 25Live. A CoSEE staff member will be present during your event. Learn more and reserve!