Everyone's doing it and you should, too! Brush your boots when you go hiking...

We recently completed the installation of 2 boot brush stations at Seminary Hill Natural Area, the first boot brush stations in Lewis County.

We hope that the visitors will use the boot brush each time they enter and leave the trails at Seminary Hill, and we hope that awareness of Invasive Species and the Prevention of Spreading is something that visitors will take with them.

Invasive and noxious weed species are present and plentiful in Seminary Hill Natural Area.  These nonnative invasive weeds species compete with native vegetation for space and nutrients.  They can impede movement of wildlife and replace valuable food resources. Some of these invasive plants are even toxic to both animals and humans.

Volunteers spend several hours each year cutting, pulling, and removing invasive plants from Seminary Hill.  Prevention of NEW invasive weeds is an obvious priority of ours.  This is why we've installed 2 boot brush stations at 2 of the trailheads. It is our hope that by using the boot brush stations before and after using the trails, the spread of invasive weed seeds will be prevented.  We also hope that our message will spark awareness of the small things that everyone can do help prevent the spread of invasive species whenever or where ever they go to recreate.  Clean your boots, your gear , even your four-legged friend, EVERYTIME you recreate in Washington's green spaces.

We might be biased, but we think Lewis County is one of the most beautiful in our state.  We hope everyone will agree and help us in our efforts to keep it that way.