Heron Haven

The Heron Haven is a restoration site located in the Island Grove forest north of Anderson Hall. This site was established in June 2019 by undergraduate student Nikoli Stevens as a capstone project. Check out Nikoli’s clip on how the Heron Haven site has changed through time!

As the name suggests, the Heron Haven site is the home of a Heron rookery. Great Blue Herons have nested in the maple trees on site to raise their chicks. In the summer, it has been possible to see the Heron parents flying between their nests and the nearby Lake Union!

However, invasive English ivy threatened the survival of the Heron Rookery. This invasive species spreads across the forest floor, choking out shrubs, ferns, ground cover and herbaceous plants as it grows. Even worse, English ivy climbs trees and kills them by shading them out and pulling them down with their weight.

To protect the Heron Rookery, Nikoli took on the challenge of removing the English ivy and planting native Washington species in its place. He planned to put in additional trails so that students can explore the forest, and install edible plants to educate the public about how to eat and use native plants.

Throughout 2019, 2020, and 2021, Nikoli hosted work parties at Heron Haven to remove all of the English Ivy and begin to plant native species. During the 2021-22 school year and onward, Erik is site manager and is taking over the site and hosting more work parties to continue Nikoli’s work.