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Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery is a spectacular location to picnic, observe wildlife, learn about the salmon life cycle, and enjoy a nature walk year-round. Located along Icicle Creek near Leavenworth, Washington, the hatchery boasts important habitat for some of the region鈥檚 smallest critters 鈥� pollinators! 鈥疨ollinators are crucial for our ecosystems and food production 鈥� about 85% of all plants and 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. That's鈥痮ne out of every three bites of food you eat! However, due to threats such as habitat loss, invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species , and pesticide use, pollinators are in decline and need our help now more than ever. We are committed to caring for these vital animals through our partnership with the Chelan-Douglas County Master Gardeners, who have created a thriving pollinator garden and provide extensive education and outreach both on and off the hatchery grounds.
Hatchery Pollinator Garden
Established in 2016, the hatchery pollinator garden was created to provide a safe habitat for pollinators and monarch butterflies while also educating students and the public. All plants in the garden were selected to provide nectar to pollinators all season long including over 200 milkweed plants and numerous plants native to Washington State. Visitors can enjoy beautiful blooms, the buzz of pollinators, and thoughtfully placed artwork, signage, and benches throughout the garden.
Designing a successful pollinator garden involves careful consideration of various flower shapes, colors, and bloom times to best accommodate a wide range of pollinators. The garden also supports solitary bees by providing bee houses and hosting a bee harvesting event in the fall to protect tube nesting bees over the winter. Each year, the Master Gardeners invest their time and efforts into enhancing and adding new features to the garden. This spring, they have been developing a native grass area and a new native plant bed to showcase even more species from the region. The garden has gained recognition as a Heritage Garden and a Pollinator Friendly Garden.
The pollinator garden also serves as a hub for community outreach, engaging wide-ranging audiences on site and beyond. During the Leavenworth Bird Festival, we collaborated with the Master Gardeners to host programs connecting salmon, pollinators, and birds under the common theme of migration.
A visiting school group recently collaborated with the gardeners to plant willows near the temporary beaver-holding ponds used by the Wenatchee-Entiat Beaver Project. These willows will ensure a sustainable source of fresh branches for future beaver residents and provide early season blooms for pollinators. To maximize our reach, the Service partners with the Master Gardeners to participate in local events, such as Earth Day festivals.
Wenatchee High School Pollinator Garden
A significant pollinator project recently came together through our partnership with the Master Gardeners, Wenatchee School District, Bureau of Land Management, and Team Naturaleza. Team Naturaleza, a program of Environment for the Americas, aims to engage Latino/Hispanic bilingual communities in informal natural science education and to achieve a healthier community by getting people safely outdoors. Thanks to funding from National Environmental Education Foundation, Team Naturaleza hosted an eight-week afterschool program at Pioneer Middle School, focused on monarch butterflies and pollinators. The program included career presentations from partner organizations and two field trips focused on native plant identification and the creation of a pollinator garden at Wenatchee High School.
Students in the afterschool program planted the garden with discounted plants from Derby Canyon Natives. The garden will continue to be maintained by the Wenatchee High School Earth Club. The students involved in this project will have the opportunity to watch the garden grow as they continue their journey into high school and can actively support it by joining the club, creating a long-lasting impact for program participants. To celebrate the program鈥檚 conclusion, students invited their families to visit the garden and experience what they had learned throughout the program. This project exemplifies how collaborative partnerships can help us all advance our missions and achieve greater good for our community.
To learn more or join future events hosted at the pollinator garden, please visit the Chelan-Douglas County Master Gardeners website.
About the hatchery
The next time you go fishing, you might just catch a salmon that was raised at Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery. Producing fish continues to be an irreplaceable tool in managing or restoring fisheries along with habitat conservation. In doing so, we help provide recreation opportunities to America鈥檚 39.9 million anglers who spend $99.4 billion annually in pursuit of their favored pastime.鈥疞earn more about鈥�Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery!
Since 1871, the National Fish Hatchery System has been at work improving recreational fishing and restoring aquatic species that are in decline, at risk, and are important to the health of our aquatic systems. Across the country, the network of national fish hatcheries work with states and tribes to conserve, restore and enhance the fish and aquatic resources of America for future generations.
