By SUSAN GORDON  •  The News Tribune he Mountaineers tree is the kind of marvel Tacoma residents show out-of-town visitors. At 218 feet tall and nearly 71/2 feet in diameter, the Douglas fir dwarfs its surroundings in Point Defiance Park. The 450-year-old tree towers on the edge of a centuries-old forest of other big firs, hemlocks and ancient cedars, one of just a few such sea-level stands still alive along the shore of Puget Sound. “It’s kind of like a museum piece,” said vegetation ecologist Chris Chappell of the state Natural Heritage Program, which tracks and promotes conservation of native ecosystems and rare species. Most of the park’s 702 acres haven’t been developed, making it an oasis of nature – home to flora and fauna absent elsewhere in the South Sound, where development has destroyed most of the original landscape, Chappell and other experts said. The peninsula’s nearly vertical bluffs, up to 250 feet tall, expose evidence of tens of thousands of years of geologic activity. The surrounding nutrient-rich waters of the Tacoma Narrows and the Dalco Passage support a wealth of marine life. Continue reading A NATURAL WONDER

Memories From environmental crusaders to everyday appreciators, Point Defiance's resources earn respect. •  The green party •  Park lover stumbles upon PB&J thieves •  Knee-high to elephant, girl learns to love the wild Strangler Carpets of English ivy in the Point's forests look lush, but the invading plant threatens native species. •  What evil lurks in the forest's heart? Ivy! Bandits Emboldened by human attention, raccoons - along with hungry deer - are making a nuisance of themselves. •  Cute-fluffy - and no good Field Guide Get a closer look at the plants, animals and geographic features that make the park so special. •  Plant life, animals and geography (PDF) Happenings Take in a free movie night or catch a historic re-enactment. • Point Defiance Events