[4][5] The Drainage Canal that carries Ravenna Creek past UBNA to Union Bay is locally sometimes called University Slough.

The little grasslands, modest ponds, and lake shoreline of the UBNA is a sanctuary for birds (including double-crested cormorants, great blue herons, and eagles);[6] turtles and frogs may be seen.

[8][13] Most of the land has been built upon by University Village (1956), UW athletic fields, buildings, and main parking lot E; the remainder comprises the UBNA, colloquially called "the fill".

[citation needed] The Burke-Gilman Trail follows the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway line along the original shoreline of Union Bay past the UW power plant and University Village.

Removal of invasive species, such as Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) and morning glory (Convolvulus arvensis), are part of a continual effort to restore the site to a natural area.