In Northwest Trek’s nursery, a small group of young trees is beginning a journey that will last for generations. Recently, the wildlife park received a donation of sequoia saplings from a Nisqually Tribe elder and PropagationNation, a local nonprofit working to bring redwoods and sequoias to the Northwest.

“These young trees carry deep cultural significance and an exciting future here at Northwest Trek,” said Nature Engagement Curator Craig Standridge.

For many Indigenous cultures, trees represent endurance, connection to the land, and the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next. Sequoias symbolize strength, resilience, and longevity, values that echo strongly in the Nisqually Tribe’s relationship with the land.

Each sapling has been carefully potted and placed in the nursery, where it will spend the next year or two putting down strong roots. Because these trees can eventually reach an incredible size, horticulture staff will take special care to choose planting sites that provide the space and conditions needed for them to thrive for centuries to come.

“Someday, these small starts will grow into towering giants, providing shade, habitat, and a living reminder of an important partnership and shared stewardship of this land,” said Standridge.

Growing a Relationship

The tree donation is one of many ways the relationship between Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and the Nisqually Indian Tribe has continued to grow.

The Nisqually people once called the two million acres surrounding present-day Olympia, Tenino, Dupont, and Mount Rainier, including the land where Northwest Trek stands today, their traditional homelands. Recognizing and honoring that history is an important part of Northwest Trek’s work to connect people, wildlife, and the land.

Standridge has spent the past several years building relationships with members of the Nisqually Tribe, and those conversations have gradually grown into a meaningful partnership.

Northwest Trek staff and the Nisqually Indian Tribe partnered to create a career Nature Engagement Fellowship position designed to build meaningful connections while advancing diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in conservation. The fellowship is funded through “Expanding the Basket: A Collaborative Journey with the Sound Medicine Creek Treaty Tribes,” supported by Woodland Park Zoo’s Building Organizational Capacity to Foster Empathy for Wildlife Grant Program.