The Puget Creek Natural Area in Tacoma’s north end is a lot of different things. It’s been a public space since early Tacoma businessman and booster Allen Mason donated it to the city in 1888, “to the uses of the public forever,” but it’s had its good and bad years since then. Stretching from the uplands along Proctor Street down to the watrerfront of Ruston Way, these 66 acres represent an excellent example of a watershed on a smaller scale. There will be an Ikkatsu Project stewardship opportunity at Puget Creek on January 17, 2022, with debris cleanup, water monitoring and restoration projects that will get you familiar with this unique part of the city. Who knows, you may even find some gold.

Nah. But it’s happened before. On August 8, 1891, a headline in the Tacoma News proclaimed, “Gold Discovered in Puget Park!” While gold had been found in small quantities in the area on a couple different occasions, the amount was never enough to spur more exploration. That doesn’t mean there’s not a 12-pound nugget out there somewhere, but if there is, it has eluded searchers since the late 1800’s.

Whether you find precious metals or just more plastic debris, it’s always a good idea to pick it up. More info on the event here, and registering is as easy as clicking on the Volunteer header and entering your information. see you there!