Events
Earth Day at Longfellow Creek - April 21, 2007
The day dawned overcast and cool but that did not stop more than 50 volunteers from showing up at the SW Thistle Street and SW Brandon Street sites for a day of hard work along the creek. Invasive plants were removed and piled up for disposal, native species were planted and the spaces between were mulched. It was a very productive day.
SW Thistle Street Report
by Kirsten Rohrbach
Earth Day volunteers completed and mulched a native planting along the Longfellow Creek drainage at the Thistle Street Green Space on April 21. Volunteers came from Seattle Works and the Duwamish Alive! event sponsored by People For Puget Sound; Seattle Parks and Recreation arranged for tools and mulch; and plants were donated by the Denny Wetland Nursery.
Volunteers also worked on maintaining native plantings by removing invasive weeds from the site such as non-native thistles and field bindweed. While they were working, our volunteers enjoyed the sights and sounds of the green space, including fringecup, red-flowering currant, and salmonberry in bloom and the appearance of courting hummingbirds!
 Earth Day volunteers pose in front of completed project at the Thistle Street Green Space. |
 Good people make the most of a "thorny" situation: Removing thistles along Longfellow Creek. |
 Volunteers spread mulch around native plantings. |
 A smiling volunteer removes field bindweed climbing up Oregon grape plantings. |
 A volunteer returns an empty wheelbarrow along the Legacy Trail for yet another load of mulch. |
SW Brandon Street Report
by Jay Mirro
April 21st, Duwamish Alive, Brandon Street Natural Area Workparty.
On a very typical April Saturday in Seattle (Rain, Sun, & Clouds), 30 plus
volunteers showed up at the monthly work party at the Brandon Street Natural
Area. This work party was special as it was part of the Duwamish Alive Earth Day
event that the People for Puget Sound hosted. The blackberry did not stand a
chance as folks ripped them out by their roots.
The 20 yard pile of mulch was devoured by shovels and pitchforks and spread out
at a nice 6 - 9 inch depth. In areas that had a heavy carpet of Reed Canary
Grass, cardboard was laid down first to keep it from coming back up through the
mulch. Elsewhere at the site, some volunteers braved the sharp leaves and
attacked the holly trees. Overall, 5 yards of weeds were pulled out, 70 native
plants were planted and 20 yards of mulch was spread.
Hurray for all the hard work that the volunteers did!
More Event Photographs