Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Welcome to the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge page!
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Here there, handsome... It's officially the first day of summer! It's a busy time at the refuge. Baby birds are EVERYWHE...
06/20/2026

Here there, handsome... It's officially the first day of summer! It's a busy time at the refuge. Baby birds are EVERYWHERE. But if you're a duck, and you're a male, you're probably no longer helping with raising youngsters. Leaving is, in fact, a way of helping-- letting your family find food here while you go elsewhere takes the pressure off the resources available.

Photo credit: Madison Wegs

Some of us are not extroverts... like this Pacific chorus frog! Beautiful sunny weekends are when we expect really, real...
06/20/2026

Some of us are not extroverts... like this Pacific chorus frog! Beautiful sunny weekends are when we expect really, really high numbers of visitors at the refuge. If you aim to come here, better arrive early-- and have a backup destination in case you circle the parking lot too many times and need somewhere else to go. Solitude is hard to come by here on a weekend!

Photo credit: Madison Wegs

Happy Juneteenth! Our buildings are closed today, but you are welcome on the grounds from sunrise to sunset. You are lik...
06/19/2026

Happy Juneteenth! Our buildings are closed today, but you are welcome on the grounds from sunrise to sunset. You are likely to greeted by these handsome denizens of the wetlands (red-winged blackbirds), belting out their distinctive calls and flaunting their brilliant epaulets. Enjoy!

Photo credit: Madison Wegs

You may see these bold little chipmunks roaming the trail alongside you. Like their squirrel relatives, they quickly get...
06/18/2026

You may see these bold little chipmunks roaming the trail alongside you. Like their squirrel relatives, they quickly get used to the presence of people. But that is not a reason to offer them any of your food! They do just fine without it, and are a whole lot healthier eating the wild foods they're used to. Enjoy watching them do their own thing!

Photo credit: Madison Wegs

It's officially summer, the season of grass. Grass can make it harder to spot wildlife-- but it's there! Stroll slowly, ...
06/18/2026

It's officially summer, the season of grass. Grass can make it harder to spot wildlife-- but it's there! Stroll slowly, be patient, listen closely, and you'll be rewarded.

Photo credit: Madison Wegs

A splash of bright yellow beside a pond may well be monkeyflower. This plant loves to be near water, from the pond in fr...
06/17/2026

A splash of bright yellow beside a pond may well be monkeyflower. This plant loves to be near water, from the pond in front of the visitor center to the rocky Pacific shore. Like many plants, it has undergone a name change as DNA research helps parse out the details of genetic relationships, shifting from Mimulus to Erythranthe. Check out https://www.onezoom.org/ to explore our current understanding of the incredible tree of life.

Photo credit: Julia Pinnix/USFWS

This week marks the official change from spring to summer! Take in the seasonal transition by joining a guided walk, led...
06/16/2026

This week marks the official change from spring to summer! Take in the seasonal transition by joining a guided walk, led by knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers! Our schedule this week includes: 8 a.m. birdwatching on Wednesday, June 17; and 10 a.m. nature walks on Thursday, June 18 and Saturday, June 20. Please note: the 9 a.m. third Sunday nature walk is cancelled this month and the next nature journaling session is July 17, not June 17. Meet your guide outside of the visitor center.

Photo credit: Carole Holmson/USFWS

This otter displays its impressive teeth while chomping a fish it caught in the estuary. Otters are voracious eaters. Th...
06/16/2026

This otter displays its impressive teeth while chomping a fish it caught in the estuary. Otters are voracious eaters. They have been spotted lately eating ducklings as well as fish!

Photo credit: Lisa Genuit

Our weekend crew rocks! While our Park Ranger was on a detail to another wildlife refuge, we borrowed Hannah Ferwerda fr...
06/15/2026

Our weekend crew rocks! While our Park Ranger was on a detail to another wildlife refuge, we borrowed Hannah Ferwerda from the Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office. She proved to be a hardworking and enthusiastic replacement. Joining her were Max Franklin, an employee of the Friends of Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Complex; and Alan Black, currently completing his service with the U.S. Air Force in the Skillbridge program. Max, formerly in the Space Force, recently finished Skillbridge himself. These three folks have done a stellar job dealing with the busy spring weekend traffic. While we get to keep Max and Alan for a little while longer, Hannah took down the flag here for the last time on June 15 and headed back to her regular job. Thank you, Hannah!

Photo credit: Alan Black

06/15/2026

A photographer watched a Caspian tern catch a fish and offer it to nearby females, hoping they would accept the fish and agree to mate. But they weren't interested!

Video credit: Lisa Genuit

Address

100 Brown Farm Road NE
Olympia, WA
98516

Telephone

+13607539467

Website

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