Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

04/30/2026

Big changes are coming to the Padilla Bay uplands!

During your next visit, you might notice several of our fields have been covered in black tarps. These tarps, which are made of recycled billboard vinyl, will stay on the fields throughout spring and summer to heat and kill the non-native pasture grasses underneath. In the fall, the tarps will be removed, and our staff and community volunteers will seed the fields with native wildflowers like camas, golden paintbrush, sea blush, and globe gilia. This is the next stage of our coastal prairie restoration project, which aims to restore 15 acres of native grassland habitat by 2028.

If you’d like to see these plants up close (including a flowering golden paintbrush!), check out our prairie demonstration bed by the interpretive center on your next visit.

04/01/2026

It was so great to have everyone in the collab visit!

03/25/2026

Not doing anything this Saturday? There are still a handful of spots open for our guest speaker this weekend! Sign up for free below

Hear about how ROV surveys within kelp forests and open-source AI models are used to process survey images and extract data

03/04/2026

Looking for something to do during spring break? Check out all the activities happening at Padilla Bay!

02/25/2026

Big news for little readers, our kids’ library collection just got an exciting refresh! Come visit our interpretive center to take a peek at some of our new titles, including stories from Native Northwest!

This was made possible by our amazing Padilla Bay Foundation!

02/05/2026

Join us for this free event about all the love happening in our local ecosystems ❤️
Follow by time and supplies to make valentines!
Sign up below

Learn about reproduction in our various local organisms followed by a craft!

01/27/2026

There are still a handful of spots open for this amazing free program!

Registration for the 2026 Salish Sea Stewards Volunteer Training is now open! We are looking for 26 new participants who enjoy the beach, getting your hands dirty and helping our marine environment... well, and you also like to have fun!

Check out the QR code and information in the flyer below or at the Skagit MRC website: https://www.skagitmrc.org/projects/salish-sea-stewards/

12/11/2025

Hello friends, neighbors and visitors. The Breazeale interpretive center will remain closed today (Thursday) and most likely tomorrow given ongoing flooding and evacuations. The tunnel and overlook are also closed. The upland trail and parking lot are open, although conditions on the trail will be quite muddy. Thanks and stay safe and dry.

12/09/2025

More spots are open for Wrack and Wreath classes December 13th and 16th for ages 3-9
Sign up below!

Join us for a seasonal nature craft!

10/17/2025

Today we had the first Family Friendly Cider Pressing class in almost 6 years! We are so excited to bring this class back to Padilla Bay.

There are still a few spots left for tomorrow’s class! Register for free on our eventbrite page.