Downtown Centralia hosts a beautiful 70-acre natural area called Seminary Hill. The natural area overlooks Centralia, the Chehalis and Skookumchuck River valleys and the municipal water reservoirs on Seminary Hill Road.
This week, my family joined the Friends of Seminary Hill for their annual work party to preserve and improve the 2.25 miles of trails and natural area. The Friends of Seminary Hill is a community group that that partners with the City of Centralia to maintain the area.
Each Spring and Fall we join the Friends of Seminary Hill and lend a hand. I encourage you to learn more about the Hill and the Friends, and join us at the many events scheduled on the Hill throughout the year.
To learn more about Seminary Hill or to support and volunteer, consider visiting Seminary Hill Natural Area website. There are plenty of opportunities throughout the year to participate in events or volunteer. Stay Tuned for the 2020 planning meeting and upcoming events.
To learn more about the Friends of Seminary Hill, visit Friends of Seminary Hill!
What is a Natural Area like Seminary Hill? According to the Friends, it is:
- A quiet place to walk or run. The trails are main- tained for careful walking. (For safety and trail damage reasons, wheeled vehicles are banned by city ordinance.)
- A grand place for nature study. There is a wide variety of trees, shrubs and leafy plants…some of the older trees date from about 1900. The low growing plants are sensitive to foot traffic, so it’s best to stay on trails.
- Possibly a place to picnic…. but littered natural areas aren’t very natural. A simple rule is to take out everything you take in. And fire is the worst enemy of all. (Camping, guns of all sorts, and fires are also banned by city ordinance.)