Bucket Brigade Sheet Mulching at T-105 on the Duwamish.

Brrrr….!  This was a chilly Squad, the kids were one-upping each other on the most layers worn.  It was impressive to see ice all the way up the restored slough-channel, in which the tide was quite high so we hiked around it, rather than crossing it to the restoration site.  We began with a short explanation of a watershed, in this case the Green-Duwamish Watershed.  (See your King County watershed here)  I wasn't so sure the kinds would find the coordinated discipline involved in a bucket-brigade enjoyable, but they had a blast!  Great idea Dhira.  Much mulch was dumped onto the cardboard we spread out for weed control.  A great time with EarthCops on the Duwamish River in the heart of Seattle. 

Fur ID…..?

mossy rose gall (click pic for link)

Blackberry weeding with the Nature Consortium, serenaded!

It is always a treat to hear live music at Nature Consortium work parties!  The klezmer-esque band of percussion/tuba/clarinet was both lively and moody, perfect for the misty weather.  The ample crowd of Squad-regulars did a stellar job with the usual blackberry weeding, including a brush-up on Rubus armeniacus (syn. Rubus discolor) vs. the native trailing blackberry Rubus ursinus (note this link includes a few comparison pics and also includes the noxious Rubus laciniata / cut-leaf evergreen blackberry).

Squad on the Duwamish River. Steamy mulch.

We have worked many a task at Stewardship Squad, from wielding the weed wrench, to hauling stones and of course weeding, planting and mulching.  This time however, was our first for sheet-mulching on a large-scale.  The native plants contend with hedge bindweed (Convolvulus sepium) and poison-hemlock (Conium maculata) at the riverside restoration site- the cardboard layer underneath the woodchips helps smother existing rhizomes, plants and seeds.  This restoration project was begun by an interested employee at the adjacent BECU headquarters, who's employer supported the efforts and they grew!  Other partners and the City of Tukwila are involved now.  May we all be as inspired to better our surroundings.  The Homeschool Stewardship Squad was happy to help.  And glad for the steamy mulch piles on a chilly day.

Cheasty Greenspace native planting.

The kids had a terrific time planting natives, pulling ivy and playing (forts!) in the misty woods.  A fellow homeschooler helped found a neighborhood stewardship group in their backyard, the Cheasty Greenspace near Beacon Hill.  They have excellent long-range goals and many work parties under their belts.

Coal Creek Trail with WTA. Destroying a trail!

This was an exciting work party with the Washington Trails Association because we ruined a trail the first time!  A portion of the Coal Creek Trail on Couger Mountain is often soggy, so this section was re-routed.  We helped to transplant sword ferns / Polystichum munitum directly into the old trail so as to fill it back in.  We had to leave a small path though, as the new section wasn't completely open and indeed trail-runners bobbed and weaved through the kids and the ferns as we worked.  This was our first quite cold event for autumn 2013!  A few headed out early and some had to warm their toes in their packs.  Notable also were the very exciting truck rides up to the work site and brownies shared by another friendly WTA veteran volunteer!