Once again this year, close to Earth Day, West Seattle’s forested Schmitz Preserve Park served as an outdoor classroom for visitors from Scriber Lake High School in Edmonds.

As we noted last year, longtime educator Chris Brown has a special reason for bringing students here – in addition to the park’s characteristics as an oasis of nature in the city, perfectly suited to the experiential learning that is a hallmark of the school in Edmonds. He’s a member of the Schmitz Family, whose donated land created the park more than a century ago. He was welcomed again on Tuesday, as he was last year, by Vicki Schmitz Block (below left):

Schmitz Preserve Park is one of West Seattle’s semi-hidden gems, with main entrances are on the east side of Alki Community Center (5817 SW Stevens) and off Admiral Way east of the historic bridge. (Here’s a map.)