Week 224 - Two New Grant Awards -Two New Signs and Four Events

New Funds

If you have been following along you probably know a $500,000 King County Conservation Futures (KCCF) grant was awarded over a year ago to help save remaining forest land in North Creek Forest. Within the last week KCCF reallocated additional funds of $181,000 and $303,000. This brings the total commitment from King County to $984,000.

All dollars from King County require a 1:1 match from another source. Toward this end the city has a Recreation and Conservation grant of $197,500 from the Land and Water fund. This enables $395,000 in purchase funds with $786,500 remaining to be matched. Our Capital Campaign to find these matching funds is about to launch.

---

The Signs

These recently posted signs testify to the conservation of three parcels of land equaling 41.55 acres. On the left notice funding is from two counties. One purchase spanned both counties. On the right you also see two sources of funding. The one in the left corner is a Land and Water grant. It give conserved land the same status as Yellowstone National Park. We are excited to see these signs go up.

Event 1: Tulalip Members - Marysville School District

February 26th

The Tulalip Higher Education Program brought over 40 students from the Marysville School District to meet with UW Bothell Admissions department staff Rachael Meares, Admissions Advisor and Native American Outreach, to participate at a restoration site with Friends of North Creek Forest and the UWREN program.

This event was to inform high school students from the Tulalip Tribes and Marysville School District about the UWREN program.

Prior to arrival Professor Warren Gold met with past and present members of UWREN, Friends of North Creek Forest and a Bothell City Council member. We each reflected on the value of UWREN from our unique perspectives.

---

In the foreground former UWREN graduate and current City Council Member Andy Rheaume (left) talks about the way UWREN serves the city.

FNCF Executive Director, Jim Freese, (not shown) discussed the value of UWREN's contributions to the community.

In the far background former UWREN member and FNCF Volunteer Coordinator, Kent Parkinson, joined this years UWREN team member, Carolyn Stapp to share their personal UWREN experience.

---

Up next was a tour of UWREN sites finished in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. Students were able to see planting designs and get a hint of the science behind those designs. They were also able to see changes from year to year.

---

UWREN Site 3

Arriving at this years site we broke into 8 student teams.  These teams planted about 100 Pacific Willow and Red Twig Dogwood "live stakes".

---

Pacific Willow (yellow bark) and Red Twig Dogwood (red bark) will grow to 50' and 15'-20' respectively.

---

It is not lost on some of us that up until 1855 the Sammamish People occupied this area from Kenmore to Lake Sammamish. After smallpox and a treaty halved their numbers and dislocated the rest, most Sammamish People were absorbed into the Tulalip Tribes.

We wonder if great great grandchildren of the Sammamish People were among these students, restoring native vegetation where it was once complex, rich and balanced... where Chinook salmon, once plentiful, have all but vanished.

Tulalip Higher Education and Marysville School District chaperones were pleased with the activity, “It was great to see the students learning outside of the classroom,” comments Matt Remle (Lakota), Native Liaison for the Marysville School District. UW Bothell Admissions Department’s Rachael Meares describes reaching out to community partners to collaboratively develop programs for high school student visits, “The students will remember UW Bothell because it was an experiential visit – usually, they just get flooded with PowerPoints and pamphlets at most college visits.”

We can't think of a better example of North Creek Forest serving students. It was a fulfilling day.  FNCF

---

Event 2: Dr. Amy Lambert's Class: Beginning Restoration

March 6

This day we were short on photos but long on work.


A combination of 30+ students, UWREN members and  several FNCF members can change things fast.

---

Spreading mulch and rooting out the last of the Himalayan blackberries, often in mud, was our chore for the day.


We logged 127.5 hours.


Thank you for coming out. Now you know about restoration at it's most difficult stage. If you return in two weeks you will be surprised at the changes. Plants are going in and mulch is going down.

---

Event 3: Soundview is back!

Photo by Alice Tsoodle

March 7

Soundview International Baccalaureate School is back. These 5th and 7th grade kids mowed down some of the last remaining blackberries on the three sites.

They are getting really good at pacing themselves. And they are very aware of safety.  Our number one responsibility to not get hurt or hurt someone else.

---

The physical work can be fun by itself but it makes more sense when you understand why in as many ways as possible. So we rotate kids through education modules.

Here FNCF Vice President, Dr. David Bain, takes small groups of Soundview students through a set of water quality tests.

No problem finding water. The good news is this water used to run muddy but with site restoration complete now runs clean.

Photo by Alice Tsoodle

Photo by Alice Tsoodle

At another station kids learned how to use a monocular magnifier.

---

Photo by Alice Tsoodle

The goal here is to learn how to identify trees by their buds.


This is the beginning. Kids soon discovered they could place the magnifier up to their eye and hold it in place by squinting, thus freeing both hands to hold the branch steady.

---

With a little creativity who knows...

We might discover the world is much more interesting that we realized.


[The photographer had to try this himself after everyone left. Couldn't see much but you don't know unless you try.]


From the FNCF Ranger Team:
Thank you students for your hard work!

---

The FNCF "Ranger" Team: L to R back to front: Kent Parkinson, Jim Freese, Alice Tsoodle, Cathy Ferbrache-Garrand, David Bain, Theresa Marshall and Carolyn Freese

Event 4: UWREN Day of Service

Today was an open event and it was fit for a swimming competition. Still, we knocked down a total of 52 hours of work.

Lisa Johnson (foreground) from UWB Professor Atkinson's class has been a regular. Today Josh Lassatt (background) and Tyler Robertson showed up too.


Thanks all for your hard work in tough conditions.
FNCF

---

Stewardship Events are supported by grants from:

                                              Tulalip Tribes 

The Rose Foundation
Puget Sound Mitigation Fund

a grantmaking fund created by
Puget Soundkeeper Alliance