SNOHOMISH, Wash. — Shelton View Forest is a prospective park full of surprises. There are many entrances to get into the park. Close to the 234th Pl. S.W. entrance, visitors can find take-home gifts created by locals.
There's a little free library close to the elementary school entrance. Visitors can drop off or take a book, or read one while sitting at a bench created by volunteers throughout the forest.
"Volunteers built these benches ... throughout the forest so that it provides a resting place for folks. When they get up to the top of the big hills, it's good to have a bench to rest on." Hillary Sanders, president of Shelton View Forest Stewardship Association, explained.
There are also special projects like directional signage and owl nesting platforms. A lot of them are done by scouts.
"For my Eagle Scout project, I built five owl nesting platforms," Eagle Scout Evan Asbell from troop 420 said. "I chose to do it for an owl because they are so interesting. How they fly, how they look. And they're so cool to me."
Sean, a certified arborist from Canopy Cat Rescue helped Evan place five owl nests for Shelton View Forest's big-eyes residence.
In the five-mile trail, you can also find relics of abandoned cars on the west side of the forest.
"It will never fully degrade back to the soil — which is we say, no dumping. Pack it in, pack it out," Sanders said.
How to create a Great Horned Owl Nesting Platform by Evan Asbell:
- Cut 3x3 ft. of chicken wire.
- Put landscaping fabric on it and secure it together.
- Shape it into a cone.
- Cut drench hole on the bottom.
- Grab some sticks and layer them. (Pro tip: you want to start from the bottom, and build your way up. You don't want too many layers of sticks).
- Put it in a V shape, so it can sit on a fork of a tree.
Segment Producer Gloria Angelin. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.