February Happenings!
On February 4th, the Green Seattle Partnership Shareholder's Meeting occurred at the Center for Urban Horticulture. The first activity was a tour of the new boardwalk (well, not so new anymore as it was completed in June 2016 but it still feels new to me!) by Carolyn and Zac. Attendees at the meeting were mainly forest stewards who are in charge of restoration projects all over the City--all volunteers! It was pouring down rain during the tour but we still had a great showing. It was fun discussing different restoration techniques that people use at their various sites to control invasive species such as staking willows to shade out reed canary grass.
On February 27th, Carolyn led a tour of Yesler Swamp for the Community, Environment, and Planning class of 2018. They were visiting with their "climate change resiliency planning" class and had a great discussion about the importance of wetlands and the ecosystem services they provide such as flood prevention and slowing/filtering of stormwater runoff. We hope you will all come out and volunteer with us sometime!
On February 19th, Anne-Gi, a student in the UW Masters of Environmental Horticulture program, led a volunteer event with 40 community members and UW students. The group worked in mitigation zone W7 and others, planting a variety of trees and shrubs and removing some ivy. Thanks for your hardwork everyone!
On February 27th, Carolyn led a tour of Yesler Swamp for the Community, Environment, and Planning class of 2018. They were visiting with their "climate change resiliency planning" class and had a great discussion about the importance of wetlands and the ecosystem services they provide such as flood prevention and slowing/filtering of stormwater runoff. We hope you will all come out and volunteer with us sometime!
On February 19th, Anne-Gi, a student in the UW Masters of Environmental Horticulture program, led a volunteer event with 40 community members and UW students. The group worked in mitigation zone W7 and others, planting a variety of trees and shrubs and removing some ivy. Thanks for your hardwork everyone!
Volunteer Day 42 (12/4/16)
On a beautiful and sunny (yet frigid) day, twelve volunteers joined us to plant about 200 native trees and shrubs in Yesler Swamp today. The plants were generously given to us by Seattle Parks and Recreation. Species ranged from Western Red Cedar and Spruce, to Snowberry and Indian Plum. The plants were installed on the portion of the swamp that is Seattle Parks Property (the eastern edge and northern point). These areas had been cleared by volunteers earlier this year and were ready for some new plants! There was so much planting to be done today that I failed to take any pictures, so you will just have to go and see the new plants for yourself on your next stroll on the boardwalk. :)
-Carolyn
-Carolyn
Volunteer Day 41 (7/10/16)
We had a great work day today, with volunteers both new and seasoned! We removed a lot of jewel weed from the perimeter of the boardwalk in addition to preparing the section of the boardwalk that will be gravel.
Volunteer Day 40 (5/15/16)
Volunteer Day 39 (4/23/16) Earth Day!
Today, we had a great work day with 35 volunteers from an environmental science class at U.W., the U.W. Campus Ministry Wesley Club, and community members. Unfortunately, fire ants have recently been discovered in Yesler Swamp, but that didn't stop courageous volunteers from putting 20 new native plants in the ground near the ant hill! Other volunteers removed invasive species such as Himalayan Blackberry, English Ivy, Morning Glory, and Reed Canary grass from two other sites in the swamp. We really loved the energy of the volunteers today! Happy Earth Day!
Volunteer Day 38 (3/6/16)
We worked with two of the U.W. Restoration Capstone groups today--one group planted in U3, and another worked on blackberry removal near where the new section of the boardwalk will be continued. We unfortunately had to end the work party early due to a thunder storm, but we got some great work done prior to the storm. 600 plants were put in the ground, and about 500 square feet of invasive plant material was removed!
|
Volunteer Day 37 (2/21/16)
Today, we had a great work event with Community, Environment, and Planning students (left) from U.W. in addition to other community members. We worked in a new spot this time which meant there was a wealth of new treasures ranging from a hubcap to a headlight to a football. We slayed blackberry as the threat of rain was looming.
Volunteer Day 36 (1/30/16)
Volunteer Day 35 (10/4/15)
After two years of hard work, Carolyn and I have scaled back our restoration efforts to one work party per month. With fewer work parties we will have to be more strategic about site maintenance and native plant protection. On October 4th we received volunteer assistance from 15 UW students and 2 community members thanks to our connections with the UW Restoration Ecology Network. By the end of the day we had built up 6 new platforms to help the invasive vegetation piles decompose faster and to prevent the risk of a tall debris pile falling over and injuring people or animals. Our efforts on Oct. 4th also made room for the new boardwalk trail section to be built on the eastern edge of the swamp. Construction of the east trail section is scheduled to start in Spring 2016. Construction of the NW entrance trail is scheduled to start this Winter! If you'd like to learn more about the upcoming boardwalk construction schedule come to our November volunteer event (11/15: 10am to 1pm), we'd be happy to answer your questions.
Thanks for reading! Tyler Licata |
Volunteer Day 34 (8/23/15)
**Volunteer Spotlight: David Gordon & Deb Green**
David (right, bottom) and Deb (right, top) have consistently attended our work parties since October 2014, and rarely miss a work day. Tyler and I always enjoy their positive attitude, hardwork ethic, and great sense of humor. We asked David and Deb a few questions about their work at Yesler Swamp: 1. What is your favorite thing about Yesler Swamp? David: "Having fun with the volunteers." Deb: "I think it's fun to be here. We always see wildlife, like the Eagle when he had a fish...and today we saw the Barred owls. I also enjoy the mix of people who come to help out here. This is way better than being inside at the gym. And we get to hang out with like minded individuals who care about nature." 2. What is your favorite native plant? David: "Skunk cabbage.. it's an early bloomer and it's giant flower is a sign of spring. The skunk cabbage flower would signal to the Natives that the salmon are coming. Skunk cabbage also loves swamps." Deb: "Red flowering currant...and my least favorite is English ivy!" 3. What is your favorite thing to do at the swamp? David: "DEATH TO BLACKBERRY!!" Deb: "Removing morning glory and English ivy...it gives me a sense of accomplishment to rip it out in big clumps!" Thanks David and Deb for all of your hardwork and dedication to the Yesler Swamp Project! Our work parties would not be nearly as productive and fun without you! :-) |
Volunteer Day 33 (8/2/15)
It's been such a hot summer in the swamp! But today it was cooler, and we even experienced a sprinkle of rain the morning. We were joined by a whopping 24 ESRM 100 students in addition to our returning, wonderful, & faithful volunteers David Gordon, Deb Green, and Ken Walsh. I was really impressed by this group's ability to be super careful of the tagged native plants that we have planted at past work parties. Sometimes the smaller ones get trampled as volunteers are walking around looking for invasives to slay, but I did not spot any casualties today! Wow, that rhymed!
I instructed volunteers to steer clear of a particular cottonwood tree that has been known to host a yellowjacket nest, but unfortunately, we learned that the yellowjacket nest has moved to a brush pile. Tyler and another volunteer were stung, and Tyler's hand turned into a balloon! Thankfully none of the victims are allergic to stings.
In addition to finding the yellowjacket nest under rather unfortunate circumstances, we also found what appears to be part of a bumble bee hive (below. I gave what we found to a volunteer, Allison, who is taking a class about bees. She said she would ask her professor for more information, so hopefully she reports back to me about that! Other treasures found at today's work party included an old Schmidt beer can that claims it's "the brew that grew with the pacific northwest," a hairbrush, and......
The pair of barred owls that live in the swamp!!
As we were walking back on the boardwalk to take the tools to the tool shed, I noticed the owls and thankfully almost every volunteer got a chance to see. They were patiently roosting in the trees and did not appear to be bothered by us gawking at them. Can you find the owl in my picture below? Hint: it's smack dab in the center.
I instructed volunteers to steer clear of a particular cottonwood tree that has been known to host a yellowjacket nest, but unfortunately, we learned that the yellowjacket nest has moved to a brush pile. Tyler and another volunteer were stung, and Tyler's hand turned into a balloon! Thankfully none of the victims are allergic to stings.
In addition to finding the yellowjacket nest under rather unfortunate circumstances, we also found what appears to be part of a bumble bee hive (below. I gave what we found to a volunteer, Allison, who is taking a class about bees. She said she would ask her professor for more information, so hopefully she reports back to me about that! Other treasures found at today's work party included an old Schmidt beer can that claims it's "the brew that grew with the pacific northwest," a hairbrush, and......
The pair of barred owls that live in the swamp!!
As we were walking back on the boardwalk to take the tools to the tool shed, I noticed the owls and thankfully almost every volunteer got a chance to see. They were patiently roosting in the trees and did not appear to be bothered by us gawking at them. Can you find the owl in my picture below? Hint: it's smack dab in the center.
middle East Peace Camp Tour (7/27/15)
Today, Tyler, myself, and Friends of Yesler Swamp board members Virginia, Jean, and Carol had the pleasure of showing Middle East Peace Campers and counselors around Yesler Swamp via two tour rotations. The Middle East Peace Camp is a week long camp that takes place at the Center for Urban Horticulture every summer for Arab and Jewish children. I met one of the camp counselors, Mahdi, at the U.W. Undergraduate Research Symposium last spring and we talked about doing an event together since the Center for Urban Horticulture and Yesler Swamp are so close to one another. We walked with campers aged 4 to 14 through Yesler Swamp explaining the boardwalk construction, our restoration work, the vast variety of wildlife that lives in the swamp, and the importance of being an active member of one's community. The kids asked great questions and were a very attentive audience, so we were very glad to share Yesler Swamp with them and hope we can do this again next year. I was impressed that the camp seemed to be all run by young adults!
We were invited to attend the potluck at the end of the camp, where we enjoyed Middle Eastern cuisine, music, dancing, singing, and the campers' artwork from the week. What a wonderful opportunity! Learn more about this great camp here: http://www.middleeastpeacecamp.org/ **Photo credit to Jean Colley** |
Volunteer Day 32 (6/28/15)
Volunteer Day 31 (6/6/15) Seattle Works Day!
Volunteer Day 30 (4/22/15) Earth Day!
On this beautiful sunny day, about 20 Seattle Prep seniors and staff joined us for a work party in celebration of Earth Day. We divided and conquered with three separate groups working on different areas of the hillside that runs along Surber Drive. The usual invasive suspects were removed with rigor (Himalayan Blackberry, English Ivy) and replaced with dainty native plants that we really hope will thrive. Some of the students especially enjoyed climbing up in the trees to tackle the invasives that had snuck all the way up there. The staff didn't like that too much though.
We were excited to re-connect with Seattle Prep staff who helped out last year during the school's Annual Day of Service in addition to sharing the swamp with the new seniors. Thank you Seattle Prep for your continued support of our project. Go Panthers! ~Carolyn |
Volunteer Day 29 (4/12/15)
Just over 20 fearless volunteers came to the swamp on Sunday April 12th. Two elementary students and their Mom traveled all the way from Issaquah to help out with the restoration. I asked their Mom where she heard about the Yesler Swamp restoration project and she told me that she searched "Earth Day Restoration" on Google and she saw our website listed on the University of Washington's website. We are glad that finding out about our work parties is so easy!
We primarily worked on digging up English Ivy and Himalayan Blackberry roots balls from the Surber Dr. hillside along the east trail. During the second half of the work party we were able to plant (5) Sword Ferns, (10) Nootka Rose, (5) Red Elderberry, (5) Cascara, and (5) Ocean Spray. We were impressed with how many plants we were able to plant just in one work party!
Our next work party will be on Wednesday morning April 22nd starting at 9am. 20 high school students from Seattle Preparatory Institute will be joining us to honor their long time tradition to support Earth Day by restoring numerous green spaces around Seattle once a year.
Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoy our pictures from the work party, below.
~Tyler and Carolyn
We primarily worked on digging up English Ivy and Himalayan Blackberry roots balls from the Surber Dr. hillside along the east trail. During the second half of the work party we were able to plant (5) Sword Ferns, (10) Nootka Rose, (5) Red Elderberry, (5) Cascara, and (5) Ocean Spray. We were impressed with how many plants we were able to plant just in one work party!
Our next work party will be on Wednesday morning April 22nd starting at 9am. 20 high school students from Seattle Preparatory Institute will be joining us to honor their long time tradition to support Earth Day by restoring numerous green spaces around Seattle once a year.
Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoy our pictures from the work party, below.
~Tyler and Carolyn
Volunteer Day 28 (2/22/15)
Today we had a wonderful work party with a UW Ecological Restoration Network capstone group and Edmonds Community College Service Learning students. We did some serious invasive species removal in preparation for our native plants that we will be retrieving from the King Conservation District Plant Sale next weekend. Due to all the recent rain, the soil was very muddy, but thankfully no one slipped and fell. Fortunately, the only casualties we have experienced in the swamp thus far have been tools (a broken shovel and a broken hoe). A long time Yesler Swamp steward, Lewis Johnson, took some spectacular pictures of our recent work parties. Check them out below! We plan to plant native species at our next work party before we take a little hiatus for spring break.
Volunteer Day 27 (2/7/15)
The rain was relentless but that didn’t stop nearly 20 volunteers from traveling out to the Yesler Swamp to support our restoration efforts. There were UW student volunteers from an environmental science and resource management class, neighborhood volunteers from the Laurelhurst and Interlaken areas, and two UW volleyball players! Our volunteer team worked on the eastern portion of the Yesler Swamp trail as we normally do, but this time we began tearing up blackberry and English Ivy near the Beaver Lodge. We also built a second bridge over the recently restored drainage ditch which is preventing water from ponding at the bottom of Surber Drive. This should help keep mosquitoes and stinky swamp smells to a minimum during the warmer months.
Unfortunately, after the work party, when I was returning tools and work gloves to the Center for Urban Horticulture, I noticed a bright pair of purple Nike running shoes with a fresh coating of mud on them right next to the sidewalk hanging from a blackberry bramble. I soon realized that one of our volunteers had tossed them into the bushes after leaving the work party. Let’s just say that Carolyn and I handled the situation… we quickly informed the culprits that we had caught them and we explained how their actions were not only disrespectful but also a student conduct violation. I took the shoes back to the tool shed and washed the mud off no problem, those shoes were in near perfect condition after the mud was washed off. I will not be letting these fancy Nike’s go to waste!
~Tyler Licata
Unfortunately, after the work party, when I was returning tools and work gloves to the Center for Urban Horticulture, I noticed a bright pair of purple Nike running shoes with a fresh coating of mud on them right next to the sidewalk hanging from a blackberry bramble. I soon realized that one of our volunteers had tossed them into the bushes after leaving the work party. Let’s just say that Carolyn and I handled the situation… we quickly informed the culprits that we had caught them and we explained how their actions were not only disrespectful but also a student conduct violation. I took the shoes back to the tool shed and washed the mud off no problem, those shoes were in near perfect condition after the mud was washed off. I will not be letting these fancy Nike’s go to waste!
~Tyler Licata
Volunteer Day 26 (1/24/15)Today was an exciting day at the swamp. We worked with students in the ESRM 100 class at UW, CEP students, and community volunteers. We worked in new territory (wetland zone 9, which is seasonally inundated with water) clearing the usual invasives and planting slough sedge. Alexis and Claire diligently planted about 130 sedges which are an important ground cover species for wetlands. Indigenous knowledge drop: First Nations people used the foliage of the slough sedge for making hats and baskets, and the men used the sharp edges of the foliage for shaving their faces (nwplants.com).
There is an eagle's nest across the street from the swamp that has been there for some time. Today, the eagles were particularly active and we had a lot of fun watching them fly around the swamp, talking with one another. There were two adults, and one juvenile. One of the adults had a fish in it's talons, which it dropped on the street, and swooped down to to pick it up. The juvenile eagle spent the rest of the work party perched on a tree right above where we were working. They were hard to photograph, but I tried my best (below). We also eperienced another casuality at the swamp (below). One of our beloved tools, the sharp hoe, has a broken shaft. We hope to replace this shaft before the next work party as this tool is particularly efficient at pulling up English Ivy and attacking Blackberry. |
Volunteer Day 25 (1/11/15)
Our first work party of the new year was a smashing success! David and Tyler worked tirelessly to construct a creek, bordered with large branches that had fallen during a windstorm. This creek will help standing water move through the swamp, thus allowing more room for planting. We also saw evidence of the resident beaver family (right).
Will, a dedicated CEP volunteer, reflects below: Sunday's work party was my second time going to Yesler Swamp, and I was blown away by how much progress has been made since I'd last been! There's a huge list of stuff that's changed for the better. To single out just one, the boardwalk looks fantastic. I can't wait to see how much more will be installed by the next time I visit. This week, I was tasked with invasive species removal, which means I spent a whole lot of time swinging around a pickaxe and rooting out clusters of plants that didn't belong. When the work party wrapped up, I couldn't help but look back at the massive mound of plant refuse I had taken out with a sense of pride and accomplishment. |
Volunteer Day 24 (11/16/2014)
Today, we had a very energetic and enthusiastic group of Seattle Central Community College students who were such a joy to work with! In addition to the Seattle Central students, we were also joined by community members Dave Gordon, Mike Cleveland, Tommy Cleveland, Cole Gross, and a handful of other CEP students. We found EIGHTY bottles and beer cans on the hillside (lower left). We have never cleared that area, but are surely glad we did! One volunteer also found a purse deep in the ground (lower right)! Read a reflection from fellow CEP student, Devin Reynolds, on the day:
On November 16th, the Seattle Central College chapter of the international honor society, Phi Theta Kappa partnered up with students from the UW's Community, Environment and Planning to work on mitigation site U3 at Yesler Swamp, near the Beaver Lodge. Phi Theta Kappa brought 25 people out and were eager to jump right in and help. The direction of Carolyn and Tyler was helpful and we all had a great time removing blackberry and other invasive species from a steep hillside along the trail. We will definitely work together moving forward and would love to continue learning more about this site and the connection that Carolyn and Tyler have with it.
~Devin
On November 16th, the Seattle Central College chapter of the international honor society, Phi Theta Kappa partnered up with students from the UW's Community, Environment and Planning to work on mitigation site U3 at Yesler Swamp, near the Beaver Lodge. Phi Theta Kappa brought 25 people out and were eager to jump right in and help. The direction of Carolyn and Tyler was helpful and we all had a great time removing blackberry and other invasive species from a steep hillside along the trail. We will definitely work together moving forward and would love to continue learning more about this site and the connection that Carolyn and Tyler have with it.
~Devin
Volunteer Day 23 (11/2/2014)
We had the pleasure of hosting UW Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority sisters (bottom right) and Edmonds Community College Service Learning students (bottom left) at the swamp today. Alexis Lorenz, a fellow CEP classmate and service coordinator for the AEPhi sorority reflects below:
"The ladies of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority enjoyed a nice crisp morning at the swamp. For most in attendance, it was their first time participating in restoration work. Carolyn and Tyler educated the ladies about the history of the swamp, and why restoration work is important. After a brief tour, everyone got to work. Invasive species were pulled, fallen leaves were raked, and the trail was relined with bark. There is something truly magical about working together in nature and Alpha Epsilon Phi was delighted to be able to share that experience with the Friends of Yesler Swamp."
- Alexis
"The ladies of Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority enjoyed a nice crisp morning at the swamp. For most in attendance, it was their first time participating in restoration work. Carolyn and Tyler educated the ladies about the history of the swamp, and why restoration work is important. After a brief tour, everyone got to work. Invasive species were pulled, fallen leaves were raked, and the trail was relined with bark. There is something truly magical about working together in nature and Alpha Epsilon Phi was delighted to be able to share that experience with the Friends of Yesler Swamp."
- Alexis
Volunteer Day 22 (10/19/14)
Another beautiful fall day at the swamp! We had 3 CEP students in attendance in addition to Tyler and I: Mihai, Yifan, and Jenna. Yifan brought her parents who were visiting from China. Jonica, a community member, joined us for a second work party, and David and Deb who do restoration work at Alder Creek also joined us. Tyler summits one of three of our large weed piles, left, and Mihai flexes his muscles, below. Yifan reflects on her day at the swamp, below:
"Today, besides weeding, we transplanted native plants into the swamp. Since I haven’t been working out for about a week, my muscles were not strong enough to use the tools well. I found that there were some roots or branches laying in the soil, which prevented us from digging a deeper hole. It took some effort to cut the big English Ivy roots in halves and pull them out. My family traveled to Seattle to visit me, and they joined the work party with me. It was great family time in addition to getting native plants transplanted and some weeds cleared out!" -Yifan |
Volunteer Day 21 (10/5/14)
Today was our Fall Kick Off Work Party at the Swamp. One of our Community Engagement Committee (CEC) members in CEP, Yifan (photo to the right), shares her first experience at the swamp:
"On Sunday Oct. 5th at ten a.m., I arrived at the Yesler Swamp. The Swamp has lots of tall trees that provide well-shaded areas. In one of the well shaded areas we started our work party. Our team includes community members, Boy Scout volunteers, student from Environmental Science and Resource Management class, and students in the UW Community, Environment& Planning major. Our work party leads Carolyn and Tyler helped us identify the weeds that we should pull out, and provided us tools. After identifying the black berries, the English Ivy and some other invasive plants, I armed myself up with thick gloves and tools. As I was bending down to pull out invasive plants, I found weeding to be good workout. Besides putting force into pulling plants out, the more important is to make sure that the roots are out of the soil. To get the roots out of the soil, I can either use my hands to dig the roots out (which may take a while), or to use a tool to loosen the soil, and pull the roots out. My favorite spot for weeding is the place where the weeds are dense, and I can use a tool to first loosen the soil, and then easily pull out good amount of weeds. The whole weeding experience is very fun, because I could chat with others while pulling out weeds, share laughter and feel the sense of accomplishment after a certain area is cleared of invasive plants. I am looking forward to the next work party even if the weather becomes rainy." -Yifan |
Cajun Extravaganza: Ribbon Cutting Celebration!!
(9/21/14)
Today was a smashing success! We enjoyed music from the Folichon Cajun Band, speeches about why the Yesler Swamp is so important from our generous supporters, guided swamp walks, watermelon, jambalaya, potato salad, and drinks. About 100 people came (our prediction was spot on!) and had a jolly time under the sun. Carolyn set up the official ribbon to be cut, which was jointly cut by the Friends of Yesler Swamp and donors before everyone enjoyed a stroll on the boardwalk.
We raised money at this event to continue the other phases of boardwalk construction. Thanks everyone! |
Volunteer Day 20 (9/14/14)
Today, we traded in our sharp hoes, clippers, and pick axes for wheelbarrows, shovels, and rakes. We put down fresh bark chips on the trail in anticipation of the ribbon cutting event exactly a week from today! We are anticipating a crowd of about 100 people including community members, Friends of Yesler Swamp board members and donors, and representatives from organizations that have provided grant funding for the boardwalk: King County Conservation District, Department of Neighborhoods, Seattle Parks Foundation, and the City of Seattle. There will be a local Cajun Band, and some scrumptious Cajun food prepared by myself, Tyler, Jerry, and Kern. Hope to see you all there!
Volunteer Day 19 (8/24/14)
With the first phase of the boardwalk complete, we needed to lay down gravel as a transition between the bark chipped trail and the new boardwalk. But there were some tree stumps in the way. So, myself, Tyler, Corrie, Phil, Lewis, and Jerry all took a break from our regular mayhem in U3 and moved to the west edge of the swamp. There, we worked hard to use a wench to remove 6 tree stumps.
Lucy (above) joined us for the work party that day, and kept trying to help us out by running around under foot. We finally convinced her to go take it easy on the boardwalk. Another hot day in August, sweating away at the swamp! Thank goodness for all the shade that the tree canopy provides.
Lucy (above) joined us for the work party that day, and kept trying to help us out by running around under foot. We finally convinced her to go take it easy on the boardwalk. Another hot day in August, sweating away at the swamp! Thank goodness for all the shade that the tree canopy provides.
Volunteer Day 18 (6/28/14)
EVIDENCE OF THE BEAVER!!
|
Today, I had the pleasure of cutting down a handful of stinky and non-native tree and shrub species in the eastern portion of the swamp; like European Mountain Ash, Chestnut, and Laurel. Now that summer is in full swing it’s been real difficult keeping our new native plants watered properly and there are a few evergreen’s that had to be transplanted further away from the walking trail and those trees have been struggling ever since. Thus proving how bad of an idea it is to plant during the summer season. On the brighter side, our team has been closely monitoring the area to help mitigate the amount of morning glory (bindweed) revival especially when it starts to climb all over a debris pile or a friendly native plant. We’ve also started clearing parts of the hillside below Surber Dr in the Laurelhurst neighborhood because the English Ivy isn’t going to disappear unless shade trees are planted on the hillside. This work has been incredibly rewarding for all of us involved this past year and we’re looking forward to another year of hard work in the Yesler Swamp.
|
Did they mean to say "whatSOever....?"
|
Volunteer Day 17 (6/7/14)
Volunteer Day 16 (5/31/14)
Volunteer Day 15 (5/12/14)
What a great afternoon for a day in the Yesler Swamp. Carolyn, Fred, and I welcomed 30 volunteers from Laurelhurst Elementary School. Patrick and a strong team of 5th graders joined us for an hour of restoring the eastern upland area of the swamp trail right below Surber Dr.
The students, parents, and teachers successfully planted over 20 native plants and they deserve a huge thank you because without their help our cause would not go on. More specifically, the wooden boardwalk project funded by the Friends of Yesler Swamp Non-Profit would not satisfy its numerous grant requirements unless the wetland surrounding the boardwalk trail is restored to its native state.
After a solid hour of working in the dirt the students were handed eight treasure maps. They split off in small teams scavenging the swamp for a short list of unique Yesler Swamp trinkets. At the end, only one team managed to find the elusive bird feather and they were rewarded with a brand new Hot Wheel car, Sid the Sloth from Ice Age, and a stack of cartoon stickers. When everything started to wrap up I thought to myself how wonderful it is to have eager students come join us for a couple hours and actively learn about an urban ecosystem, instead of sitting inside a classroom on a beautiful day. I hope our efforts here at the Yesler Swamp inspire young citizens of Seattle to treat the earth with respect and value its natural services which we often take for granted.
~Tyler
The students, parents, and teachers successfully planted over 20 native plants and they deserve a huge thank you because without their help our cause would not go on. More specifically, the wooden boardwalk project funded by the Friends of Yesler Swamp Non-Profit would not satisfy its numerous grant requirements unless the wetland surrounding the boardwalk trail is restored to its native state.
After a solid hour of working in the dirt the students were handed eight treasure maps. They split off in small teams scavenging the swamp for a short list of unique Yesler Swamp trinkets. At the end, only one team managed to find the elusive bird feather and they were rewarded with a brand new Hot Wheel car, Sid the Sloth from Ice Age, and a stack of cartoon stickers. When everything started to wrap up I thought to myself how wonderful it is to have eager students come join us for a couple hours and actively learn about an urban ecosystem, instead of sitting inside a classroom on a beautiful day. I hope our efforts here at the Yesler Swamp inspire young citizens of Seattle to treat the earth with respect and value its natural services which we often take for granted.
~Tyler
Volunteer Day 14 (5/3/14)
The 15th work party was super productive! Me, myself and I managed to snap a beautiful shot of the Yesler Swamp Lagoon and I planted 15 native plants; including Vine Maple, Western Red Cedar, Thimbleberry, and Sword Ferns. This new and improved eastern portion of the trail near the Laurelhurst neighborhood is well on its way to becoming a healthy and ecologically diverse urban wilderness area. Shoulder height ferns and wild shrubs are filling in and overtaking the blackberry and English Ivy at an amazing rate; and neighbors to the swamp are constantly visiting the trail – saying that it’s a wonderful place to explore and wander around with their families.
Moving west along the trail will bring you to two other student led restoration projects which have also had a tremendous impact. At the Southwestern end of the trail there are 8 brand new diamond pier pin piles. The Friends of Yesler Swamp and Washington Conservation Corp. have been busy at work! Pretty soon there will be a brand new wooden boardwalk allowing swampies to circumnavigate the entire trail system without getting wet or damaging any vegetation.
~Tyler
Moving west along the trail will bring you to two other student led restoration projects which have also had a tremendous impact. At the Southwestern end of the trail there are 8 brand new diamond pier pin piles. The Friends of Yesler Swamp and Washington Conservation Corp. have been busy at work! Pretty soon there will be a brand new wooden boardwalk allowing swampies to circumnavigate the entire trail system without getting wet or damaging any vegetation.
~Tyler
Volunteer Day 13 (4/19/14)
Our Earth Day work party in collaboration with the Campus Sustainability Fund was a smashing success. We had both new and old volunteers dancing about in the rain ripping up ivy and planting beautiful natives such as rhododendrons, vine maple, and salmonberry. Our top 3 volunteers went home with complimentary Campus Sustainability Fund water bottles and tote bags. One of our top volunteers, Lewis, did his graduate work at the UW and had extensive experience in the swamp before we even started our project. He commented that the swamp has changed dramatically since his last visit. Other volunteers included our team member with the bird blind project, Corrie, and the strong Samoan Phil who came all the way from Mukilteo to help out. With everybody's help, we eradicated an entire patch of reed canary grass to expose a new waterway. We also experienced our first casualty of the year: a shovel. That darn ivy root!
~Carolyn & Tyler
~Carolyn & Tyler
Volunteer Day 12 (4/15/14)
Today we had the immense pleasure of hosting 50 seniors from Seattle Prep. We split into two groups to do work at our usual spot in the swamp and at a site in the neighboring Union Bay Natural Area. The students courageously uprooted Ivy's massive roots, planted Vine Maple, Cedars, Rhododendrons, and Salmonberry. We were not able to view the beaver lodge because the water level has risen, but there was a great view of the lagoon on the other side. Throughout the day, Tyler and Carolyn educated the seniors about UW and the amazing CEP program. Many of them expressed interest at the end by taking our offerings of CEP buttons and stickers. After all of the hard work, we raffled off 3 Friends of Yesler Swamp t-shirts to students who remembered factoids from throughout the day. Much gratitude to Seattle Prep students, teachers, and parent volunteers!!
~Carolyn
~Carolyn
Volunteer Day 11 (4/6/14)
Volunteer Day 10 (3/1/14)
Today we enjoyed the company of energetic students from Edmonds Community College. They helped us slay ivy, transport native plants, and re-mulch the trail. We also enjoyed the company of donated snacks from QFC. Hopefully these donations will be an ongoing occurrence at our larger work parties! The combined efforts of the Boy Scouts, Edmonds CC students, and UW students resulted in 2 truck loads full (Thanks Jerry for the truck!) of supah fresh smellin' cedar mulch put down at the swamp. Despite the Springy weather we had experienced earlier in the week, it rained during our work party. But this didn't stop the volunteers from enjoying an educational lunch break and a swamp tour. We hope to see the new volunteers again soon!
Thanks for reading!
Carolyn & Tyler
Thanks for reading!
Carolyn & Tyler
Volunteer Day 9 (2/15/14)
The pattering of the raindrops on the leaf canopy along with the usual tittering of birds was replaced this morning by the jarring honks of a small dog laying on the horn of his owner's truck. Beep...BEEEEEEP...beepbeepbeep...Beep. Andrew, one of our faithful volunteers, had brought his Pug-Dachshund mix, Bosco to the work party. Bosco worked hard with us for an hour or so, until the heavy rain and wind made him shake with chills so Andrew put him in his car. Maybe if he had ran around with the other canine volunteer, Oscar, as shown in the pictures above, he would have kept warm. The Seahawks jersey Andrew tied on him did more bad than good--raincoats aren't made out of cotton.
We enjoyed the company of four new faces: Matt, a fellow CEP student, Sofia, an environmental science student at the UW, and Micah, and Elliot, members of Tyler's family. After a couple hours of battling English Ivy, the rain picked up and Tyler's family left. They were quickly replaced by Matt and Sofia who showed up just in the nick of time as we started to dig some holes for the rest of the plants harvested from Monroe.
As we were digging, the usual glass and aluminum bottles were unearthed, but one item was not like the others...a large wallet, with a license that expired in 1995 and about ten credit cards was also discovered. We were concerned that the body would be next...
So make sure to read our next journal to learn more about the untold mysteries that lay deep in the peat bog of the Yesler Swamp *cue dramatic music*
Thanks for reading!
Carolyn & Tyler
We enjoyed the company of four new faces: Matt, a fellow CEP student, Sofia, an environmental science student at the UW, and Micah, and Elliot, members of Tyler's family. After a couple hours of battling English Ivy, the rain picked up and Tyler's family left. They were quickly replaced by Matt and Sofia who showed up just in the nick of time as we started to dig some holes for the rest of the plants harvested from Monroe.
As we were digging, the usual glass and aluminum bottles were unearthed, but one item was not like the others...a large wallet, with a license that expired in 1995 and about ten credit cards was also discovered. We were concerned that the body would be next...
So make sure to read our next journal to learn more about the untold mysteries that lay deep in the peat bog of the Yesler Swamp *cue dramatic music*
Thanks for reading!
Carolyn & Tyler
Volunteer Day 8 (2/9/14)
Our first Sunday (and snowy) work party was tough. It was difficult to see the ivy because of the snow, and volunteers experienced cold toes. However, it was still a grand old time. Many families were out and about with their doggies enjoying the snow and making snowmen such as the one featured to the left. Interacting with so many people at the swamp made us feel like part of the neighborhood.
Thanks for reading! ~Carolyn & Tyler |
Volunteer Day 7 (1/25/14)
Volunteer Day 6.5 (1/18/14)
We call this day "Volunteer Day 6.5" because it was mostly at a location other than Yesler Swamp. Around 9:00 am, Jerry, Tyler, and Carolyn trekked up to Jerry's property in Monroe to uproot native species. We filled the truck bed with Sword Ferns, Deer Ferns, Oregon Grape, and Salmonberry. It was a beautiful sunny day and a great start to the weekend. The most exciting moment of the trip was when Jerry knocked down a very tall decaying tree and leaped for cover out of fear it would fall on him. He was unharmed except for a big bruise on his shin from the leap!
Salmonberry and the ferns were in abundance on the property, but it took a bit of hunting to locate the patch of Oregon Grape. As we headed back to the swamp with the truck bed full of bare rooted plants, we felt like plant bandits. Once at the swamp, we unloaded the plants and placed them in mitigation zone w7, with the root systems covered in dirt. We hope to plant these on Martin Luther King Day in support of the University of Washington's mission to make MLK day "a day on, not a day off." We are crossing our fingers that our bare rooting technique will be conducive to the plants' survival--the soil type they inhabited in Monroe is quite different from the soil type in the swamp! Thanks for reading! ~Carolyn |
Volunteer Day 6 (1/11/14)
Despite a forecasted storm, the weather was pleasant when we embarked on our sixth workday. As we were uprooting English Ivy in mitigation zone W7, it started to rain. We carried on with our work, enjoying the first wet workday of the year. It was neat to observe how water flows through the swamp on a rainy day and listen to the raindrops pattering on the leaf canopy.
The morale of the group was strong until the smallest volunteer, Collin, got a bit too wet and cold. We decided to call it a day a little earlier than usual as the wind picked up and the rain turned to hail...but not before creating a large pile of uprooted ivy.
We hope our next work party will involve planting natives in mitigation zone W7 as we enter into the rainy season. We plan to uproot salmonberry and sword ferns from Gerald Gettel's property in Monroe, Washington. The salmonberry attracts Rufus Hummingbirds which will be exciting for birdwatchers.
We look forward to the Friends of Yesler Swamp's first educational event in collaboration with CEP. It will be a seed planting at the Urban Horticulture Center on Monday, January 27, at10:30 am with Patrick Howard's fifth grade class from Laurelhurst Elementary. Dr. Kern Ewing and his graduate research assistant, Jon Diemer, will be leading the planting. This will be followed by a guided swamp walk for the students. In the spring, the class will return to plant the little trees.
Hope you will consider joining us!
Carolyn Foster
The morale of the group was strong until the smallest volunteer, Collin, got a bit too wet and cold. We decided to call it a day a little earlier than usual as the wind picked up and the rain turned to hail...but not before creating a large pile of uprooted ivy.
We hope our next work party will involve planting natives in mitigation zone W7 as we enter into the rainy season. We plan to uproot salmonberry and sword ferns from Gerald Gettel's property in Monroe, Washington. The salmonberry attracts Rufus Hummingbirds which will be exciting for birdwatchers.
We look forward to the Friends of Yesler Swamp's first educational event in collaboration with CEP. It will be a seed planting at the Urban Horticulture Center on Monday, January 27, at10:30 am with Patrick Howard's fifth grade class from Laurelhurst Elementary. Dr. Kern Ewing and his graduate research assistant, Jon Diemer, will be leading the planting. This will be followed by a guided swamp walk for the students. In the spring, the class will return to plant the little trees.
Hope you will consider joining us!
Carolyn Foster
Volunteer Day 5 (12/7/13)
I thought the cold weather might stop us from fixing up the swamp during our fifth work party. I couldn't have been more wrong! We removed an enormous pile of Himalayan Blackberry from the eastern section of the swamp trail in mitigation zone W7. I also found out that winter is an excellent time to be removing invasive plants like blackberry because the plants are very brittle and dormant during these cold winter months. Plus the lake level is 2 feet lower than the spring/summertime level which allowed us to work and walk around on solid ground that would normally be muddy and treacherous.
I'm really excited about this work party because my fellow Boy Scouts from Troop 356 showed up bright and early ready to help out! With our powers combined we were able to accomplish the most work that I've seen so far. So thank you to them, and we hope to continue this kind of progress in the future.
Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!
Your Friend,
Tyler Licata
I'm really excited about this work party because my fellow Boy Scouts from Troop 356 showed up bright and early ready to help out! With our powers combined we were able to accomplish the most work that I've seen so far. So thank you to them, and we hope to continue this kind of progress in the future.
Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!
Your Friend,
Tyler Licata
Volunteer Day 4 (11/16/13)
The Pacific Northwest rain has been very friendly to us volunteers this fall, considering all four work parties have been sunny and dry! Yesterday, three volunteers (Carolyn, Alexis, and Casey) and I were able to expand the view going out to the Yesler Swamp Lagoon on the west side of the trail. We slayed two giant piles full of blackberry vines and opened up a huge space to plant some native plants near the lake shore. The only bad thing we came across was a floating beaver that had passed away not to long ago. I sure hope the rest of the beaver family is staying healthy and strong!
Next week our group will be working on the eastern portion of the swamp trail with Boy Scout Troop 356. And when we return, Dr. Kern Ewing and the rest of the "Friend's of Yesler Swamp" will be hosting a gumbo feast in the Laurelhurst neighborhood.
Thanks for reading!
Tyler Licata
Next week our group will be working on the eastern portion of the swamp trail with Boy Scout Troop 356. And when we return, Dr. Kern Ewing and the rest of the "Friend's of Yesler Swamp" will be hosting a gumbo feast in the Laurelhurst neighborhood.
Thanks for reading!
Tyler Licata
Volunteer Day 3 (11/9/13)
Today we finished the re"barking" project with the help of Gerald Gettel and Fred Hoffer from the "Friends of Yesler Swamp." In addition, mitigation zone W1 was cured of its bindweed and blackberry infestations. Our group also gained some new helping hands — Morgan, BG, Andrew, Andrea, Zhenya, and Joe. We are looking forward to next weekend’s work party which will mark the start of a new restoration project in wetland zone 8 near the large cottonwood tree stand on the Far East side of the trail near the beaver lodge.
PS. Carolyn and Tyler are excited to attend the "Friends of Yesler Swamp" Board meeting on Tuesday November 12.
Carolyn Foster
PS. Carolyn and Tyler are excited to attend the "Friends of Yesler Swamp" Board meeting on Tuesday November 12.
Carolyn Foster
Volunteer Day 2 (10/26/13)
The Yesler Swamp Trail is coming back to life! Carolyn, Jia, Dustin and I were able to restore a significant section on the north end trail near Surber Dr NE. We also removed some of those gnarly blackberry and bindweed plants from a previous capstone project.
There is still a lot of work to be done, and we're very excited to pick up where we left off (on Nov. 9th)! I plan to meet with Boy Scout Troop 356 during the first week of November to help us in our efforts.
Tyler Licata
There is still a lot of work to be done, and we're very excited to pick up where we left off (on Nov. 9th)! I plan to meet with Boy Scout Troop 356 during the first week of November to help us in our efforts.
Tyler Licata
Volunteer Day 1 (10/19/13)
New cedar chip/bark now covers the western end of the Yesler Swamp Trail!
Thank you to all my fellow CEP classmates (Carolyn Foster, Steve Xu, Zack Sanders, and Jia Yuan) for supporting the swamp trail effort.
Tyler Licata
Thank you to all my fellow CEP classmates (Carolyn Foster, Steve Xu, Zack Sanders, and Jia Yuan) for supporting the swamp trail effort.
Tyler Licata