The Conservation Committee of the Olympia Mountaineers will holds its annual outing at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on Feb. 12. The event is open to the public.

People planning to join the group should meet at the refuge visitor center at 9 a.m. There will be a brief presentation on the progress being made to return a large part of the freshwater dike area to a natural estuary.

The group will also discuss conservation priorities for the South Sound, Western Washington and elsewhere. This is an opportunity to contribute your thoughts and ideas for conservation and stewardship projects for the entire year.

About 10 a.m., the group will hike on a portion of the old dike trail and a portion of the new boardwalk as is open at the time.

For more information, contact Jim French at jimfrenchwa@comcast.net or go to olympiamountaineers.org/conservation.htm.