Nisqually Delta Booklet and Puzzle Tiles

The Nisqually River Delta in Washington State provides a model of river estuary restoration and a hopeful message about our environment. This puzzle provides a hands-on learning activity for adults and children to visualize the impact of removing 100-year-old agricultural dikes at the Nisqually Delta on salmon and the thousands of species that rely on healthy productive estuaries. Restoration projects take a long time – often more than a 100 years– to realize their potential. Artists can help to convey an image of a hopeful future.

The puzzle and guide help people:

• Learn why estuaries are important.
• Learn the history of the Nisqually Delta and the leadership role of the Nisqually Tribe, local citizens, and the US Government in estuary restoration.
• Visualize the impact of invasive species left from agricultural development of the delta.
• Visualize agricultural dike removal.
• Learn about plants and animals that thrive in estuaries.
• Develop map-reading skills.
• Explore how art can inspire river restoration.