Overall Environment
The approximately 50 acres of Madrona Cove immerses residents and guests in this diverse ecology so rich in wildlife and diversity of forest, coastal and wetland habitat. Dense evergreen Douglas firs populate the forest, along with thick stands of red and white alder, complimented by majestic big leaf maples and the striking red trunks of Pacific madrones. The quiet, shaded forest floor is carpeted with a thick bed of ferns, salal and evergreen huckleberry. The variety of plant species changes due to the dramatic hills and ravines that vary the sun exposure, soil type and hydrology. Wildlife is abundant with deer, flying squirrels, Pileated woodpeckers, Bald eagles, tree frogs, Barred and Great horned owls, and many other species present in the forest and wetlands. Pacific sand lance and Surf smelt spawn along the shoreline, and orca, river otters, seals, and other marine wildlife can be observed from the shore. There are birds to be watched, and berries and mushrooms to be collected.
The homes, trails and public amenities harmonize with the magical and ever changing woodland. As one makes their way through the foreground of the Douglas fir forest along the designated trails, the trees have been thinned to allow for openings to expansive views to the sparkling water of Puget Sound. Within the steep slopes of the south-central area of Madrona Cove, daylight illuminates the forest, and breezes enliven it into a chorus of swaying and rustling trees. Two dramatic steep-walled ravines carve and sculpt the land. Their side slopes embrace a lush forest floor of native plants below the Douglas fir canopy. One may take a rest on one of the many benches placed throughout Madrona Cove that are made from recycled wood of trees removed.
Along the softer slopes of the north-central edge of the Madrona Cove, the tree canopy is high overhead and attention is on the delicate sword ferns, vine maple, evergreen huckleberry and salal that inhabit the forest floor. The Alder Slope is characterized by a dense forest of young alder trees hugging a steep bluff. Their light grey, moss covered trunks reach for the sky and welcome light into the forest. Finally winding ones way to the steep shoreline bluffs several wetlands and seasonal streams collect rainwater from the surrounding hills and ravines. Following these streams and the sounds of lapping waves, one emerges from the forest onto an expansive pebble and driftwood beach for a rest in an Adirondack chair or for a kayak outing on the shore of Puget Sound.
