The Nisqually Reach Nature Center is a great place to get acquainted with the natural history of South Puget Sound's estuaries, and as a home base for serious studies. Studying or even observing mudflat organisms and near-shore fish is not easy unless the tides are right, so we're building an aquarium system to show you what's out there. Right now, we have four circulating seawater aquaria, and a fifth in development.

• Our fish and sea-bottom aquarium has an ever-changing variety of small bottom fish, sea stars, and shellfish

• Our mudflat aquarium simulates the rise and fall of the tides and has a variety of snails and other burrowing organisms, as well as some surface-dwelling shellfish.

• Our piling habitat aquarium also simulates the rise and fall of the tides. Here, we're conducting an ongoing experiment to learn how pilings are colonized.

And soon to be online will be a subtidal macro algae habiat, which we'll also seed with native Olympia Oysters (Ostrea lurida).

Observing birds at the nature center is a special treat. Luhr Beach is the best place to observe birds on Nisqually Reach and Nisqually Flats. Set up your spotting scope on the pier under the roof, or in really inclement weather, seek shelter in our observation lounge wih a 180-degree view. Click on the link above to see a list of birds we have seen from Luhr Beach.