In the Wetherill Nature Preserve the visitor sees the conscientious attachment to the land of several generations.  In 1989 Marjorie Baird and her sister Sidonia Foley bequeathed sixteen acres of prime property - originally purchased by their grandfather, Seattle financier Jacob Furth - to the towns of Yarrow Point and Hunts Point to protect, in perpetuity, the land from development and to preserve its wildlife and native plants.  The sisters dedicated the Preserve to their mother, Sidonia Furth Wetherill, and their father, Army Colonel, Alexander Wetherill.  Marjorie Wetherill Baird died October 30, 2004, at the age of 92.

What surprises new visitors are the Preserve's number of trails and its size, and also the variety of bird life. Waterfront vistas across Cozy Cove sparkle in the sunshine.  A kingfisher sometimes chatters from the water's edge or an eagle will land in the lily pads, dipping its wings for a bath. The Preserve offers surprises at any time of the year, but bird life prevails especially in the springtime.  Song sparrows and chickadees sing and flit above in the trees. The quiet observer will find mother robins sitting on their nests in low shrubs and trees behind a cozy screen of leaves.

Click gallery to see photographs of the Preserve.

For more on the history of the Wetherill Nature Preserve, consult A Point in Time, A History of Yarrow Point, Washington.

Read our 2023 WNP Newsletter to learn more about some of the interesting events and projects that have happened over the last year, as well as forthcoming initiatives.

Location

The Wetherill Nature Preserve, located between Hunts and Yarrow Point, can be entered from the Points Loop Trail connecting the towns of Yarrow Point and Hunt's Point.  The Preserve is a sensitive area to be enjoyed, but protected, and is open all year during daylight hours.  Pets must be on leashes.

From the wetlands to the upland meadow, please come and enjoy, in your own backyard, The Wetherill Nature Preserve.