2025 Trailhead Ambassador Program

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is partnering with the Outdoor Equity Coalition for the 2025 Ambassador Program at the Fir Island Farm Reserve Wildlife Area Unit and at the Samish River Wildlife Area Unit (East 90). 

Saturdays April - June, 2025, Fir Island

Saturdays April - August, 2025, Samish River Unit 

The purpose is to host welcoming and inclusive experiences for visitors at trailheads. Contact Brit Kramer at 360-481-5010 for more information.

Fir Island Farm Reserve Wildlife Area Unit

The Fir Island Farm Reserve is a Game Reserve with over 200 acres of restored intertidal estuary and managed agricultural land in southwest Skagit County. The reserve attracts thousands of snow geese, swans, ducks and shorebirds in the fall through early spring. The unit is managed to provide an undisturbed feeding and resting area for wintering waterfowl adjacent to Skagit Bay. Hunting and trapping is NOT allowed on this unit, but a short trail along the dike offers views of Skagit Bay and opportunities for shorebird and waterfowl viewing. A recent restoration project completed in 2016 restored approximately 130 acres of farmland to intertidal estuary providing critical juvenile rearing habitat for Endangered Species Act-listed chinook and other salmon.

The Fir Island Farm Unit is located in southwest Skagit County on Fir Island. The unit is located on Fir Island Road, about 2.7 miles west of the South Fork Skagit River bridge in Conway.

The Fir Island Farm Unit is part of the Skagit River delta. It is flanked by Dry Slough to the east and Brown's Slough to the west and Skagit Bay to the south. Agricultural lands in this area were diked and drained beginning in the late 1800's. This unit is part of the Skagit Wildlife Area. Game Management Unit: 407

Wildlife viewing
This unit includes intertidal estuary and managed agricultural fields, offering visitors the opportunity to view a variety of waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors.

This unit attracts thousands of snow geese in the fall through early spring. Managed agricultural fields provide a winter feeding and resting area for snow geese and other waterfowl adjacent to the Skagit Bay estuary. A bald eagle nest (active during nesting season) is located in a tree on the west side of the unit's entrance road. Google the Tweeters Info Page to find the Tweeters - Northwest Birding email list managed by the University of Washington; this list provides information about current sightings throughout Western Washington.

Search for potential birding opportunities on or near a wildlife area unit by using eBird Northwest, a citizen science database portal that provides freely-shared bird lists at 'hotspots' and interactive maps plus other birding information updated daily.

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Samish River Wildlife Area Unit

The Samish River Unit covers 107 acres in northwest Skagit County. The unit was comprised of agricultural land until WDFW acquired it in 2004. The federal Natural Resource Conservation Service holds an easement on the property which allows for 15 acres to be managed with agricultural enhancements for migratory waterfowl forage. The remainder of the unit is a mix of sculpted wetlands, grass fields, and shrub-scrub habitat. Two waterfowl hunting areas on the unit are managed  by WDFW's Private Lands Access Program.

The Samish River Unit is frequented by short eared owls in the winter, which feed primarily on voles and other rodents found in the grass fields. Some birders and wildlife enthusiasts refer to the Samish River Unit as the "East 90" site due to a 90 degree turn in the adjacent road.

The Samish River Unit is located near the mouth of the Samish River off Bayview-Edison Road, just south and west of the town of Edison in northwest Skagit County. This unit is part of the Skagit Wildlife Area. Game Management Unit: 407

Fishing
The unit offers access to the Samish River, which is very popular with anglers especially during the late summer.

Wildlife viewing
Wildlife viewing and bird photography is very popular at this site. We suggest the following resources to support safe, responsible and ethical wildlife watching:

WDFW Wildlife Viewing webpage
Ethical wildlife photography practices
Tips for sharing WDFW managed lands during hunting seasons

The Samish River Unit is frequented by short eared owls in the winter, which feed primarily on voles and other rodents found in the grass fields.

Search for potential birding opportunities on or near a wildlife area unit by using eBird Northwest, a citizen science database portal that provides freely-shared bird lists at 'hotspots' and interactive maps plus other birding information updated daily.

LEARN MORE