I saved Scott Hewitt’s article “Hidden Oases of I-5” (The Columbian, July 10), because I recently moved here last year from Virginia and love the outdoors. Our Shenandoah “Mountains” didn’t look anything like the mountains I see here on a daily basis, and in Googling many different combinations of “nature,” “natural area,” “refuge,” “preserve,” “parks,” “Vancouver” and “Clark County,” I’ve discovered oases of natural wonder all over the place.
I’m looking forward to exploring the state parks in Hewitt’s article, and I want to bring attention to some of the lesser-known wonders here in Clark County, because friends I have made here haven’t heard of them. There is the Heritage Trees program, including 39 magnificent trees, many in homeowners’ yards but visible from the sidewalk; the Legacy Lands Program, which protects important habitat in both passive use and conservation areas; Ridgefield and Steigerwald national wildlife refuges; Jane Weber Arboretum; pop-up arboretums in Vancouver city parks; and many trails listed on the Clark County Public Works website.
The Pacific Northwest is a treasure of natural beauty, and much of it is only footsteps or a few miles from your front door.
