The Union Bay Natural Area, also known as Yesler Swamp is located near the Center for Urban Horticulture and bordered by NE 41st Street and Surber Drive.
The Friends of Yesler Swamp has published a variety of posts regarding the history of Yesler Swamp, including history of the area from settlement, sawmill, town of Yesler, historic photos, videos, source notes and more, on their website.
Friends of Yesler Swamp and the UW Botanic Gardens have been working together for over a decade to restore the native plants of Yesler Swamp, located near the Center for Urban Horticulture and bordered by NE 41st Street and Surber Drive, as well as construct a handicapped-accessible natural wetland trail, which also serves to protect and conserve swamp wildlife and minimize human impact on the wetlands. The boardwalk was completed on October 16th of last year with a celebration.
The Seattle City Council approved a Department of Neighborhoods Matching Fund award of $88,887 to restore Yesler Swamp and help with the cost of construction of the boardwalk. And the King Conservation District provided a $31,940 grant for construction of a Viewing Platform and more.
Friends of Yesler Swamp said on their website that the trail "offers views of the wetlands, the beaver lodge and the lagoon, while protecting wildlife by directing human foot traffic away from these sensitive areas.
Joe Neumann in the 76-acre Union Bay Natural Area at the Center for Urban Horticulture
This spring, Joe Neumann completed a Master of Environmental Horticulture degree at the University of Washington. He’s been working to restore different sites in the Union Bay Natural Area along the western shore of Lake Washington at the Center for Urban Horticulture. The restoration project includes clearing invasive plants and establishing native plants on three main sites to create healthy habitats for plant and animal life. Joe took a moment to discuss the research and practical fieldwork being undertaken by UW students in this program to improve plant health and habitat.
A boardwalk leads through Yesler Swamp on the eastern edge of the natural area, bordering the Laurelhurst neighborhood. Volunteers and students cleared invasives such as English ivy, firethorn, laurel, Himalayan blackberry, creeping buttercup, and reed canary grass. The area has a thick tree canopy, providing filtered light through the deciduous trees. The site was filled in with native herbaceous material, shrubs and groundcover, including fringe cup and mannagrass. On a tour of the site, Joe noted that invasives were on the decline and native plants are starting to thrive.
With Union Bay Natural Area rangers Joanna Long and Jon Backus, Joe built three bird boxes to attract certain species. Different species are particular about the dimensions of the hole, interior space, and the structure of the habitat. With guidance from Dr. John Marzluff, professor in the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, the team built and hung the bird boxes and have seen one box inhabited by the black capped chickadee. Since most of restoration work is plant-focused, Joe found it rewarding to work directly with wildlife by creating the nesting habitats.
On the western side of the natural area, the restoration project covers two main sites with the goal of establishing an open prairie, which is a rare and endangered habitat in Washington. Volunteer crews cleared waist-high Himalayan blackberry and cottonwoods that were creating too much shade for understory grasses. The open prairie is dotted with gravelly mounds which are called hummocks. They act as a drain and let water pass through them, making them a good host for plants that thrive in well-drained soil. Ninebark, yarrow, tufted-hair grass, blue wild-rye, and poverty oat grass are some of the new plants growing to establish the open prairie.
Just east of the first prairie site and closer to the shore of the lake, volunteers and students established a second open prairie. The site is rich in birdlife, and a member of the plover family – a killdeer – calls out sharply as people approach. The bird has found a nice nesting spot in the grasses and is protecting eggs from an errant footstep. The site was cleared of Himalayan blackberry and bags of sand were brought in to mix with the soil. Garry oaks, western buttercup, Roemer’s fescue, tufted hairgrass, and long-stolon sedge were planted to create the open prairie.
Originally, the site had been part of Lake Washington and when the ship canal was created, water receded and the site became a marshy area that was used as a garbage dump for over 40 years. Since the 1960s, the area has gone through various transformations and finally became a clean slate for new growth. Dr. Kern Ewing, professor of Plant Ecology at UW, hoped to establish an open prairie that would help diversify the natural area.
Joe describes the goals of restoration: to create a mosaic of different habitats. This could be a site that included groupings of tall trees, layers of shrubs, open prairie, a river running through the site – all elements that support the highest level of biodiversity.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment