Rock Work on a Bridge Approach, Bear Claws and Ferns Ferns Ferns.

The children worked hard hauling rocks in formation for a bridge approach on a trail at Evans Creek Preserve with the WA Trails Association.  It is enjoyable to return to the site of our original Stewardship Squad event as we approach the Homeschool Stewardship Squad's third year in service!   The number of ferns that we have transplanted measure in the hundreds by now.  Krista, our long-time WTA crew leader, aroused the children's rapt attention when she pointed to a tree showing the scratches of a bear's claw, which to everyone's relief were not fresh.

The children's sense of pride and ownership of the wilderness is evident when their forest play includes racing along trails, climbing trees and also commenting on areas in need of stewardship.  Witnessing their sense of responsibility blossom alongside a carefree, satiating pleasure in nature is a lovely thing.

Thank you to Squad-regular Becky Johnston for her reporting & photography, as the Watters Family was forced to spend the morning at the Tukwila Costco Tire Shop.  (We did explore the store's backyard and found quantities of ivy that could really use some stewardship!)

Magnuson Park wetland weeding & blackberry digging. Then, swimming!

Squad worked with the Green Seattle Partnership in maintaing a wetland & buffer area at historic Magnuson Park.  Our Forest Steward, Thomas, shared with us that his neighborhood stewardship group has been tending the park for 18ys.  That was back when the City got serious about redeveloping the former naval base, their group advocated for environmental interests and backed up their opinions with time and labor.  We now can all benefit from a wide trail network and revitalized native habitats, amid the military relics.

We have removed blackberry countless times, but this was our first pulling out noxious reed canary grass / Phalaris arundinacea from a wetland.  We also enjoyed a large paper-wasp nest and of course swimming in the lake!

New parkland on Squak Mtn. Creating & destroying a trail. Plus hardhat watering!

King County acquired an interesting piece of property on Squak Mountain recently.  The 226 acres are adjacent to Squak Mountain State Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park (King County Parks) is being converted from a privately held trails and RV campground- it even features a lodge, which will be interesting to follow the development of.  The terrific Trust for Public Land is temporarily purchasing the property to halt the logging planned, so that the County can arranged the funds to purchase it.

Stewardship Squad transplanted native sword ferns / Polystichum munitum alongside new trails created by the Washington Trails Association and in the middle of old trails being decommissioned due to poor design (drainage, grade, etc.).  It was a lovely end of summer day, just after a heavy downpour, so the plants and soil were hydrated enough to transplant- a bit risky until fall rain is steady.  We helped them along by filling our hardhats with water, hauling them up the hill and watering them in.  Great fun!

More weeding & swimming in the Mountains to Sound Greenway.

Lake Washington was at its finest during the height of a hot summer.  Fortunately the large Oregon ash / Fraxinus latifolia trees in the wetland buffer shaded us as we pulled noxious weeds from native plantings.  After working at a leisurely pace in the sultry weather we were joined by even more homeschooling friends for a fun afternoon in the refreshing lake.    

Conspicuous across our work site were thick mats of dead (for the summer) noxious stickyweed / Galium aparine that had clearly been smothering the small native plants back in spring when their growth is rampant.  The dry mats of stringy, grasping stems made clear why it is also known by the name bedstraw and also cleavers, as evident by the grasping round seedballs left all over our clothes and gloves.  Surely you know them.  Indeed it was such small hooks on burrs that inspired the creation of velcro.  Our less-seen native species of Galium include small bedstraw / Galium trifidum & boreal bedstraw / Galium boreale.  They are in the family Rubiaceae, which includes coffee, and supposedly the seeds of G. aparine can be used as a substitute as well as having edible foliage with medicinal properties.

Falling down a rabbit hole at Discovery Park.

Many a homeschooler are lovers of literature.  So, you can imagine the delight at having an opportunity to fall down actual rabbit holes at Discovery Park.  

And frankly, who doesn't love a good hole in the ground?  Filling them in was a first for Squad and quite popular, as was watering.  Matt, our forest steward from the Green Seattle Partnership hauled his own personal hoses in a backpack so we could hook up >50' away to water the native plantings.  Other work included digging out blackberry and mulching.   There is much to see in this 500+ acre historic park, we are looking forward to coming back.

UPDATE: Matt discussed the holes further with Park staff who think they may evidence of mountain beaver activity rather than rabbits.  Perhaps this is the beginning of a new piece of literature....

Mats of native trailing blackberry / Rubus ursinus.

Lovely Puget Sound.  Not so lovely Himalayan blackberry / Rubus armeniacus.