Why Urban Nature Matters
Seattle is known for its natural beauty, but places like Discovery Park remind us that access to nature doesn’t have to mean leaving the city behind. As Seattle grows, preserving large, connected natural landscapes becomes increasingly important, not only for wildlife, but also for the health and well-being of the people who visit them.
Discovery Park was created with this vision in mind. Its forests, meadows, beaches, and bluffs offer a place to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with the natural world. For many visitors, the park provides a welcome escape from the pace of everyday life while remaining just minutes from downtown Seattle.
The words of renowned landscape architect and planner Ian McHarg continue to resonate with us today, capturing why spaces like Discovery Park are so essential.
“There are many people who look to nature for meaning and order, peace and tranquility, introspection and stimulus. Many more look to nature and activity in the outdoors as the road to restoration and health. However, there are multitudes alive today for whom the cherished scene of their forefathers or their childhood has been shifted in the name of progress. We need nature as much in the city as in the countryside. In order to endure we must maintain the bounty of our inheritance. It is not a choice of either the city or the countryside: both are essential, but today it is nature, beleaguered in the country, too scarce in the city which has become precious.”
– Ian McHarg, Design with Nature
Discovery Park Brings This Vision to Life
More than 50 years after Discovery Park was established, McHarg’s message feels as relevant as ever. The park demonstrates that cities don’t have to choose between growth and access to nature. Protecting urban forests, restoring native habitats, and preserving open space ensures that future generations can continue to experience the quiet, beauty, and biodiversity that make Discovery Park unique.
Friends of Discovery Park is committed to carrying this vision forward through habitat restoration, volunteer stewardship, education, and advocacy. Every restoration project, every volunteer event, and every effort to protect the park helps preserve this extraordinary place for both people and wildlife.
Learn more about our conservation and advocacy efforts on our Our Work page.
If you’d like to help protect Discovery Park for future generations, please consider making a donation. Your support helps fund restoration projects, volunteer programs, education, and ongoing stewardship throughout Seattle’s largest public park.