Summer Nature Programs at Lake Sammamish State Park Wanda Peters, Lake Sammamish State Park Naturalist, has created an exciting line-up of special nature programs at Lake Sammamish State Park for people of all ages and abilities this summer.

All programs are free! Remember your Discover Pass!

Pre-School programs on Thursdays at 10 a.m. continue through Sept. 1.

Weekend programs for children and families continue through Labor Day weekend.

Check the website for the schedule.

http://lakesammamishfriends.org/

Twenty-four volunteers showed up this morning to help build the tower, the swings, the zip line and more. It took digging in the dirt, learning to work together with strangers and a lot of sweat, but the volunteers came away pleased with what they had accomplished. Many say they will return Thursday and/or Friday! A few more volunteers are needed to get the job done, ages 18+. At this point, forget signing up, just show up! Proceed to the playground (you can’t miss it!) at Sunset Beach. A pair of gloves, your water bottle and some sunscreen is all you need. Lunch from Zeek’s Pizza will be provided.

Mark your calendar for the October 15 ribbon cutting of the new playground!

OMG! What an exciting morning Monday was! The sun was already warming the perfectly calm lake, osprey were seen flying overhead, and early walkers with children or dogs in tow were out stretching their legs along the lakeshore paths. But the excitement was all at the new playground site as a giant crane lifted pre-formed concrete components of the playground from the truck trailers that had delivered them from Texas. The next big install dates will be next week, August 24,25, 26, when volunteers arrive to add the slides, the climbing net, the zip line, the twin towers and more!

More volunteers are still needed for ½ day or full-day shifts! Volunteers must be 18 or older. Lunch will be provided by Zeek’s pizza. Please sign up at this link:

www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c4faeaf2ca6f94-playground

Get ready, here comes the playground equipment! This week, Cadman’s donation of concrete has been poured for the foundations of the large concrete structures coming to the playground — next Monday, Aug. 15, beginning about 8 a.m.!! Come watch the Issaquah Mining Co. coal mine and mountain as it is lifted into place. And the Mushroom House. And the twin towers. It will be an exciting morning as the playground begins its journey to an October finish date!

But there will still be lots more for volunteers to help with during Community Build Days, Aug. 24, 25, 26. It will take 15 volunteers each day. Zeek’s Pizza will provide lunch!

Volunteers must be 18 years old. Sign up for half day or all day shifts, www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c4faeaf2ca6f94-playground

This installation is part of a project honoring Snoqualmie elder Xa-cha-blu, usually known as Marie Louie, born about 1800 in the village of Toltx, now the town of Carnation. She lived most of her life on the east shore of Lake Sammamish, and traveled by canoe and on foot between Seattle and the Cascade mountains.

Looking for a fun team building activity? Come to the park and help construct the equipment for the new all-access playground, due to open by October 1!

About 15 volunteers per day are needed for half-day or all-day shifts for Community Build Days, Aug. 24, 25, 26. Especially needed are volunteers comfortable working with power tools. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Lunch will be provided!

To volunteer, sign up at www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c4faeaf2ca6f94-playground

In late summer an exhibit describing Marie Louie, Snoqualmie Tribe elder and healer, will be installed at Tibbetts Beach. Stay tuned for a notice of an event to herald this 1-year long exhibit.

State Parks has decided to direct some of its department funds to poured-in-place rubber surfacing for the playground to make it the most accessible it can be. However, a few other cost overruns and change orders have put some of the finishing touches in funding jeopardy (e.g., landscaping, benches, etc.). Lakeside Industries to the rescue! Lakeside, based in Issaquah, has already donated 1,500 tons of fill dirt and gravel for the playground. But with the new surfacing, another 700 tons of aggregate is needed. Lakeside’s manager Jim Weidman said “We need to get to the finish line. Lakeside is in!”

Lakeside, this week you are the playground’s Super Hero! Shall we say Super Heron?

Earth movers, big machines, bulldozers, backhoes are all part of the excitement of the coming of the new playground at Lake Sammamish State Park. Bring the kids and come watch! W.S. Contractors is completing the site prep this week. Then there will be cement trucks coming to pour foundations for the heavier playground pieces, and big cranes to lift the equipment into place.

Volunteers are needed the week of August 24-26 to help put the playground together. While some construction skills will be needed, there are jobs for others that have no skills at all. The foreman can teach you how to spread gravel.

To volunteer, contact director@flssp.org.

One of the most exciting aspects of the new all-access playground will be its zip line! It may not go across a canopy of treetops, but it is sure to be fun for all ages. Just bring the rope back to the top of the starting platform, climb on board the disk and hold on as you zip your way across the playground! Visit the playground site this week and you’ll see that the paved sidewalk around it is nearly complete. Irrigation lines and a few foundations for playground equipment will be done in the next couple weeks, then it’s time for volunteers to help construct the equipment.

If you have an interest in volunteering, email director@flssp.com to be notified of times and dates when they are known.

Playtime can be educational! Lake Sammamish State Park has a mission to be a living laboratory for environmental education — even on the new playground!

In addition to the salmon "stream," kids will learn from signage that will share fun facts about mushrooms and pond life. Did you know that frogs don't drink water, but absorb it through their skin? Now you do!

Another local connection at the playground will be the long-forgotten Issaquah Mining Company, named on the mountain and mine.

The site work on the playground is moving quickly! Be sure to come check it out at the park. Kids enjoy watching the earth movers and cement work during the weekdays!

In August we welcome the ‘Kids Obstacle Challenge,’ a 1-mile course full of obstacles for kids to run with their parents. You can find event details at http://www.kidsobstaclechallenge.com/

Paddling in the Park – Lessons and Rentals! Through Sept. 10 - Now's the Time to Paddle the Lake!

Sunset Beach will be closed for public access while restoration work is being done. Fencing will go up around July 10, through the duration of the work. State Parks are renovating the entire swim beach, including in-water and the out-of-water sandy beach, an ADA walkway to the water and a sandbox for kids. It is estimated that the beach will re-open in November.

This month, site work is being completed for the long awaited all-access playground. Sidewalks and foundations are being poured, readying for the installation of the playground equipment. That’s where you come in! At least 200 hours of volunteer help will be needed for construction, spreading sub-surface gravel and more. All ages 10+ will be welcome. This is a great opportunity for youth or community groups to offer community service.