Editing Thurston County, Washington (section)

===Ecology and environment===
The habitat for the [[Castilleja levisecta|Golden Paintbrush]] (Castilleja levisecta) runs through the county. The plant was placed on the [[Endangered Species Act of 1973|Endangered Species]] list in 1997 but due to conservation efforts the {{convert|12|in|cm|adj=on|abbr=on}} tall prairie flower was delisted in 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sailor |first=Craig |date=July 22, 2023 |title=Rare South Sound blossom makes comeback |url=https://www.theolympian.com/news/state/washington/article277513923.html |work=The Olympian |access-date=September 1, 2023}}</ref>

Wildlife and land preserves in South Thurston County include the Black River Habitat Management Area, the Glacial Heritage Preserve,<ref>{{cite news |last=Browne Grivas |first=Erica |date=May 9, 2023 |title=Why conservation groups are trying to restore native prairies in WA |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/outdoors/why-conservation-groups-are-trying-to-restore-native-prairies-in-wa/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 1, 2023}}</ref> and the [[Scatter Creek Unit|Scatter Creek Wildlife Area]].