History, nature and community

There are places in our communities that become special because of the people who care for them. In Ephrata, one local landowner has spent years creating a place where people can get outside, enjoy the scenery and learn a little more about the community around them.

The hiking trail on the Beezley Hills has become a destination for local families, school groups and several avid bikers. The trail includes signs promoting autism awareness, an Autism “Ribbon” statue that serves as a goalpost for many hikers, benches where visitors can stop and enjoy the view, and picnic tables at the end of the trail. At the beginning of the trail, a new heritage garden will provide visitors with an opportunity to learn how to identify native plants, distinguish them from non-native species and better understand what it takes to establish and maintain a native landscape. A Little Library and additional benches are also planned near the trailhead, creating another place where visitors can stop, enjoy the garden, share a book or simply have a conversation.

The Beezley Hills are known for spectacular wildflowers, with colorful blooms covering the hillsides. The Columbia Basin Conservation District is working with landowner Mike Scellick and a group of community partners to create another Community Heritage Garden that will celebrate the native plants of the region while promoting awareness of the Grant County Autism group. 

The garden is about more than native plants. Nearly all of the native flowering plants selected for the project will provide valuable resources for pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are an important part of our local ecosystem and play an especially important role in a community where agriculture and home gardens are such a significant part of daily life. The garden will give visitors a chance to see firsthand how native plants can support pollinators while creating an aesthetic low-water landscape.

The project is one example of what can happen when people come together to care for a place. A few examples: the City of Ephrata has been working with the landowner to explore bringing irrigation water to the garden. The Ephrata Garden Club has also volunteered to help plant and care for the garden. Benson Farm Native Seeds has supported the restoration by providing some of the native plant plugs at no cost, while the Columbia Basin Conservation District received a grant from Forterra to cover most of the supplies and remaining plants needed for the Heritage Garden at Autism Park. 

And soon, the community will have an opportunity to celebrate another important piece of Ephrata’s history.

On Saturday, Oct. 24, at 11:30 a.m., the community is invited to gather at 42 C St. NW in Ephrata, at the Nat Washington House, for a Pomeroy Marker Dedication, Pictorial Postmark release and Grant County Autism Park Dedication.

The Beezley Hills Community Heritage Garden is just beginning to take root. With the support of the community, it has the potential to become much more than a heritage garden. It can become a place where history, nature, education and community come together.

    The location of the planned Community Heritage Garden in Ephrata.