Seattle’s Japanese Garden will close for five weeks this summer for a $2.8M Ishigaki wall rebuild and accessible pathways. A 15th‑generation master stonemason will lead the stonework with American artisans.

Two new lit turf fields opened in north Gig Harbor and are taking reservations. The YMCA will operate the site and has posted hours, rates and a booking calendar.

A juvenile gray whale appeared this week in the north fork of the Willapa River near Raymond; Cascadia Research and partners are monitoring the animal and asking the public to keep back.

A $155 million parks bond would fund 100+ projects in Tacoma, with Dash Point Pier reconstruction listed as an early priority. Ballots are arriving next week.

A federal judge ordered increased spill at eight Columbia and Snake River dams to help endangered salmon. Tribes cheered while utilities warn of rate and navigation impacts.

Seattle Parks closed water at Matthews Beach after a contamination event; Seattle Public Utilities is responding and the beach will remain closed until April 4.

A home security camera in Admiral recorded two coyotes trotting across a front yard early Friday; wildlife officials urge pet precautions and reporting.

A small group of un‑catalogued orcas with cookie‑cutter shark scars cruised Elliott Bay off Jack Block Park this morning, delighting shoreline watchers and drawing researchers’ interest.

Christina Owen will lead Seattle Botanic Gardens as its first CEO after the Arboretum Foundation and UW Botanic Gardens merged in January. Owen has led UWBG since 2021.

Seattle's Waterfront Park logged nearly 8.4 million visits in 2025, a milestone for the city's rebuilt central waterfront and its local economy.

A viewer-submitted video shows a cougar wandering through a Woodinville neighborhood; wildlife officials urge residents to secure pets and report sightings.

A neighbor in Upper Alki filmed coyotes on Halleck SW, prompting concerns for pets and reminders from wildlife officials about hazing and prevention.

Home cameras captured a cougar prowling Bellingham’s Geneva neighborhood; residents have asked wildlife officials to assess whether the animal should be removed.