Discovery Park Sunny Winter Work Round-Up.

February 24, 2015

Hummingbirds noisily danced & dipped, kids planted, adults shoveled and the coats came off- yet another unseasonably warm and sunny Squad for the 2015 winter-that-wasn't. A variety of jobs were tackled at our second event at the Discovery Park restoration site stewarded by Matt Chadsey, supported by both the park and the Green Seattle Partnership. One crew tackled the thorn battle(!) digging out blackberry from native Nutka roses, while others flagged older natives, planted new ones and mulched them. All amongst horsing-around of course. We will come back in the summer to go swimming afterwards!

Chamerion angustifolium / fireweed or rose willow herb — *Chamerion angustifolium* / fireweed or rose willow herb

Potting-up 400! native plants at KCD's wetland plant nursery.

February 12, 2015

Wow, four-hundred might be a new Stewardship Squad record for the number of bare root plants potted up. We enjoyed very warm sun and a nice crowd at the King Conservation District's wetland plant nursery for planting red osier dogwood and salmonberry into pots for future-use in restoration projects. The kids checked the flooded beds for signs of their beloved tadpoles, but will have to come back in the spring for much activity. They worked so swiftly that they also had plenty of time for the usual tag, hide & seek and epic snacking- essential components of most activities. We look forward to using these plants out in the field at future work parties.

Big Native Planting in the Cheasty Greenspace, Beacon Hill.

January 27, 2015

Stewardship Squad always has a great time at Cheasty. It is satisfying to nourish a misty urban forest right next to Downtown with a big batch of homeschoolers. On this day, we planted native woodland (& edge) species in mulched areas that were perviously garbage heaps & head-high blackberry thickets- cedar, hemlock, sword fern, currant, mahonia, grand fir, vine maple & goat's beard. The Angeline Trailhead we worked at boasts a stately staircase & retaining wall made by a passionate stone-salvager who harvests vintage slabs off of historic buildings coming down around the city, for use in public park stone-works- what a gift to us all. Afterwards the kids had a big romp through the trail system, which the local community continues to develop admirably with the help of many donors and the Green Seattle Partnership.

Squak Lodge Trails: A New Park!

January 08, 2015

Squad greeted 2015 in a crystal-dripped moss palace. Veiled in mist, we trucked up Squak Mountain to hike into a new trail being constructed in King County's new nature park, Squak Lodge Trails. We first worked here back in September with the WA Trails Asscn, the site has an interesting former use. The kids took up the challenge of grading slopes and shoveling cut & fill, with the usual hardy sword ferns replanted along the sides. A beautiful afternoon.

River Work: Hammering Willow Stakes, Planting With a View & Flagging.

November 25, 2014

The kids absolutely loved swinging heavy metal mallets to drive steel stakes into the river mud. They pounded and pounded to create shaft-holes for the live willow stakes that will grow rapidly to fill in the Duwamish with much-needed shrub cover- if the beavers don't mow them down first. Fortunately we 'planted' a good batch with the Puget Sound Stewards from EarthCorps, to make up for it.

Also fun was flagging the hillside of natives we planted in the sparkling rain, particularly gorgeous covered in drops was the noxious but furry Verbascum thapsus / mullein, which is very satisfying to pop out and chuck on the compost pile. Codiga Park was bequeathed as a restoration site by the former owners of a dairy farmstead whom still live adjacent. We had a wide view of the riverbed from the top of the hill and the kids felt like they owned the park, running along secret back trails, discovering views, a scurrying mouse & bird's nest fungus. Across the river, we could see a native planting we worked on previously, very satisfying indeed.