A couple weeks ago, I took my new camera out to play at Discovery Park. It is Seattle’s largest park! You can walk almost 12 miles of trails there – through the forest and along the beach, visit the lighthouse, all on what used to be the historic grounds of Fort Lawton.
An essential part of living a more sustainable life is to experience your natural surroundings. Even if you don’t necessarily do anything sustainable (except try not to disturb the habitat!), simply exploring your neighborhood parks and natural habitats can make you all the more aware of how necessary each ecosystem is. 
History has a way of preserving natural habitats and parks – many parks are dedicated and sponsored by those with historical ties to the area. In the case of Discovery Park, after decades of use by the U.S. Army housing troops and missiles, German and Italian POW’s in WWII, the land was declared surplus, and the City of Seattle voters approved a $3 million bond to purchase the land for use as a park. The rest, as they say, is history.
[info from seattle.gov]
The West Point lighthouse, also known as the Discovery Park lighthouse, was opened in 1881, the first one of its kind on the Puget Sound, and the last one to become automated. 
Anna A. Snook 