EATONVILLE, Wash. — Northwest Trek Wildlife Park marks its 50th anniversary this weekend, celebrating five decades of rescuing wild animals and showcasing them in natural habitats.

The Eatonville park began with an extraordinary donation from a local family. Connie Hellyer's parents donated more than 700 acres for a wildlife park designed to make animals native to the Northwest feel at home.

"It was unusual in the time it was established," said Hellyer. "They wanted the animals to be happy."

The dream became reality on July 17, 1975, when Gov. Dan Evans symbolically cut a log to open the park. Today, American bison and Roosevelt elk roam the land alongside mountain goats and bighorn sheep.

"Connecting people to wildlife is at the heart of everything we do here at Northwest Trek," said Rick Dietz, the park's director. "Over the last 50 years, we've created some innovative ways to foster that connection."

The park features award-winning exhibits like Eagle Passage, showcasing bald eagle recovery efforts, and offers tours via electric trams through free-roaming areas.

Hellyer, who has written A Home for Chocolate, a children's book about Northwest Trek, says she loves watching young visitors discover wildlife.

"They seem to be awestruck when they get close to a wild animal," she said. "It's a transformative experience for children."

The anniversary celebration runs July 19-20, featuring family activities including a scavenger hunt, craft stations and special keeper chats with raccoons, grizzly bears, porcupines and gray wolves.

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