“If Eagle Landing Park could speak, what kind of visitor would she like?” reads a post on the new website. “How can I be a contributing member of her ecosystem? The premise of this Biography is that I can serve the park by being her memory, but as I walked through the park today I thought of other ways I could benefit her on a daily basis. In addition to being a brain for the park, I can also be a white blood cell. As I move through her, I can identify and remove that which does not belong. Today I collected cans, bottles, trash, and ivy.”

Branson said he became interested in native plant stewardship around 2001, then took a Stewardship Training from the Washington Native Plant Society in 2004. He then made Eagle Landing Park his pet project. Volunteers have been trying to restore the forest to health since the park opened in 2005.

“Because of what I’ve learned from the Washington Native Plant Society, I think of Eagle Landing Park as an ecosystem, a living entity, not just a place,” he added.

Branson also said:

“I started EagleLandingPark.org in 2006 in order to help people appreciate the natural beauty of the park. 365 Stones: A Biography of Eagle Landing Park, is an extension of that effort. Like a biography of a person, this daily blog will help people get to know what is beautiful, fascinating, and useful about this local park. It will also offer practical ways that local residents can help improve the health of the forest while enjoying exercise and recreation. At the end of the year, the 365 entries will be compiled into a book to be published electronically, and possibly printed, and then anyone can read it to learn more about how one little neighborhood park struggled to become healthy under the pressures of daily use and abuse.

Will Eagle Landing Park be healthier at the end of one year? I don’t know yet, but either way, we will have a better understanding of the ecosystem of the park. The more I learn about nature, the more I enjoy a simple walk through the woods. Every day is something new. I hope to be a benefit to the park while doing something I enjoy. Hopefully readers of the blog will learn to look at the park differently, and see the hidden forest that had escaped their notice.

Also, it’s an excuse to go for a walk with my dogs.”

One reason Branson may be so attached to this park is because his family once owned the land, and sold it to the City of Burien, according to its website:

In the early 1900s, the land known as Eagle Landing Park belonged to the Branson family. The Branson property was part of a 200-acre parcel owned by the Seahurst Land Company, which supplied water to local residents from springs on the property. The original Branson estate was a 9-acre wooded waterfront residential lot. In 1915, a relative of the owner built a residence in the northern portion of the property, which was upgraded and expanded in the 1930s. A county road through the property was platted but never built, and has been vacated since 1935. The property was logged about 90 years ago, when much of the timber in Burien, Seahurst, and Gregory Heights was felled to supply wood for America’s Liberty Ships in World War I.

The steeply sloped property sits atop two geologic units – glacial lake clay and silt below, and glacial outwash sand and gravel above – both deposited during glaciation of Puget Sound in the last Ice Age. Springs trickle from the hillside at an elevation of about 50 feet. The area has a long history of slope instability, according to oral history and the topographic features of the site.

Continue on to learn about how the City acquired this land.

Be sure to check out Jim’s new blog here!

Have a cool photo you’d like to share with our Readers?

Please email editor@b-townblog.com and we’ll do our best to post ‘em!

Willis carved the 44-inch eagle in Western Red Cedar in the Northwest Indian style. It is mounted on a pedestal and housed in a shelter constructed by Eagle Scout candidate Sean Kent as project to complete his Eagle Scout requirements.

BTB photographer Michael Brunk attended the ceremony and shot the following photos. Click individual images to view the full-size photo.

Here are additional details provided by Burien Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services:

Eagle Carving Dedicated to City Park

Eagle Landing Park in Burien has been the home to many eagles over the years. Now a new eagle has taken permanent residence in the park. This eagle however is a carving and the City’s latest addition to an extensive collection of public art.

Galen Willis, a Burien resident and artist, recently donated a hand-carved wooden sculpture of an eagle he carved from Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) an evergreen coniferous tree in the Cypress family and is native to western North America. It is the Provincial tree of British Columbia, and has extensive applications for the indigenous First Nations of the Pacific Northwest.

Mr. Willis created the sculpture for the purpose of placing it in the park. The carving style of the eagle is referred to as Native American or Northwest Indian, and is partially painted red and black. The eagle carving is itself over 44 inches tall and is mounted on a pedestal.

As part of this project another volunteer, Sean Kent, constructed a shelter to house and display the carving. It is only fitting that Sean is an Eagle Scout candidate. He is a member of Troop 392, a senior at Mt. Rainier High School and he resides in Tukwila. His project was done as part of his work to complete his Eagle Scout requirements. Sean solicited and received numerous donations from local business owners, including eight massive peeler poles which support the structure.

Other donors included Manke Lumber, Miles Sand and Gravel, Puget Sound Steel, Sound Building Supply, Stella Jones, Tacoma Screw, and Valley Equipment and Truck. A general contractor, Mark Leggett, also generously gave his time and expertise on the project.

The sculpture was earlier approved by the City’s Arts Commission and Parks Advisory Board for placement in the park. The formal dedication of the sculpture took place on October 24, 2011. It was attended by City representatives, as well as friends and family of those involved in the project.

Eagle Landing Park is located at 14641 25th Ave SW in Burien. Established in 2005, it is a six-acre park containing many native plants, mammals and birds including a metal stairway which winds its way down a steep slope to Puget Sound. Eagles have nested and rested in the old-growth conifer forest of the park since 1991.

Have we mentioned recently how much we love publishing reader photos? If you capture an interesting local image we’d love to publish it. Just contact us.

As is usually the case in Burien, there are volunteer park cleanups going on this weekend, with two of note:

1. SHOREWOOD PARK: Saturday 8/14/10, 10 am-12 pm:
The Shorewood event is scheduled at Shorewood Park from 10am – 12 pm. Please just show up if you’re interested – bring pruners and gloves if you have them. Shorewood Park is located at 28th Ave SW and SW 118th Street (follow Ambaum to 116th Street, turn left so you are heading west on 116th Street and follow to 28th Ave SW make a left and go 2 blocks, the park entrance is on your left side.) No Restroom Facilities.

The second Saturday of the month will alternate between Salmon Creek Ravine (odd months) and Shorewood Park (even months.) Work will happen from 10-noon. The “Shorewood on the Sound” neighborhood group has taken the lead on Shorewood Park and is now adding their wonderful environmental skills to Salmon Creek Ravine. Please check www.seahurstpark.org for updated locations of the work parties!

2. EAGLE LANDING PARK: Sunday, 8/15/10, 10 am-1 pm (Monthly – 2nd Sunday of the Month)
Please just show up if you’re interested – bring some water/gloves, and loppers if you have them. Volunteer Park Steward is Jim Branson. Eagle Landing Park is located at 14641 25th Ave SW. Follow SW 149th street heading past 25th AVE SW and the park is located on the left (west ) side of the street. The parking lot is small so if you park in the neighborhood please take care not to block neighbor’s driveways. No restrooms on site – the closest facilities are at Lake Burien Park (149th & 18th Ave SW). Please also check http://eaglelandingpark.org/ for updated information on volunteer work parties and information on Eagle Landing Park.

This week’s Photo Friday is a set of pics taken by BTB Reader Joy Fisher, who used a plastic 35mm Holga camera to take photos at Burien’s Eagle Landing Park.

Here’s how Joy describes her set:

It was my 4-year old’s birthday and a beautiful May day, so the extended family decided to take a walk down that 1,000 stairs to the beach there at Eagle’s Landing.

I used a plastic 35mm Holga “bent corners” camera that is well known in the lomography world (www.lomography.com if you want more info on what that is exactly). I think my film’s ISO was 800 speed that day.

A Holga camera.

Clara, my 4-year old had a blast pushing on the geoducks and watching them squirt.  The tide was out a bit and lots of seaweed was on the beach.

I took the film to Walgreens and had them put the images onto CD for me. I actually had the one of my daughter squatting with her back to the camera holding the shells blown up into a 16×20 that I dry mounted and set up on the mantle. Love that picture of her!

Here’s Joy’s slideshow:

Joy calls herself a “Georgia Peach,” and says that she met her husband in Florida in 1998 at a training session for work, and eventually moved out here to be with him. She’s been here a decade now. Her hubby grew up in the Seahurst neighborhood of Burien and his parents are still in their same house, which is a 90-year old farmhouse. After they married they bought their first home in Burien to be closer to his family before starting their own.

Joy recently started to sell some of her photography on an etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/joyluck76.  She also has a blog: www.thisjoyslife.com.

According to microsites.lomography.com, the Holga camera is described as:

A chunky camera made almost entirely of plastic has been put on this Earth to save us … The 60’s trend of handy sized half-frame photography is back!

Summer’s finally here, and what better way to embrace it than by whackin’ weeds at local parks?

Volunteers are needed at two local parks, to help remove invasive plants like ivy, blackberry and everyone’s fave, “Stinky Bob.”

Here are the details:

SALMON CREEK PARK: Saturday 7/10/10 10 am-12 pm:
Once more we will meet at 10 AM where 130th SW bends into 131st. You may park along 16th SW (Map here). We will continue to work along the trail, removing Ivy and Himalayan Blackberry and Stinky Bob. Trees deeper in the forest await rescue from Ivy as well as a few on the bank and the trail. Please notice the dead ivy on trees along the road – result of work done at our January and March work parties.

EAGLE LANDING PARK: Sunday, 7/11/10 10 am-1 pm (Monthly – 2nd Sunday of the Month):
Please just show up if you’re interested – bring some water/gloves, and loppers if you have them. Volunteer Park Steward is Jim Branson. Eagle Landing Park is located at 14641 25th Ave SW. Follow SW 149th street heading past 25th AVE SW and the park is located on the left (west ) side of the street. The parking lot is small so if you park in the neighborhood please take care not to block neighbor’s driveways. No restrooms on site – the closest facilities are at Lake Burien Park (149th & 18th Ave SW). Please also check http://eaglelandingpark.org/ for updated information on volunteer work parties and information on Eagle Landing Park.

The second Saturday of the month will alternate between Salmon Creek Ravine (odd months) and Shorewood Park (even months.) Work will happen from 10-noon. The “Shorewood on the Sound” neighborhood group has taken the lead on Shorewood Park and is now adding their wonderful environmental skills to Salmon Creek Ravine.

We predict that, like many recent seasonal changes, this weekend will suddenly feel like summer has arrived. Therefore, it’s going to be a great time to be outside, and what better way than by helping out your community by doing some park cleaning?

Here are two events that will surely satisfy your urge to help Burien’s parks:

SHOREWOOD PARK: Saturday 6/12/10 10 am-12 pm
The Shorewood event is scheduled at Shorewood Park from 10am – 12 pm.  Please just show up if you’re interested – bring pruners and gloves if you have them.  Shorewood is located at 28th Avenue SW and SW 118th Street (follow Ambaum to 116th Street, head west on 116th Street and follow to 28th Avenue SW, make a left and go 2 blocks, the park entrance is on your left side.)  No Restroom Facilities.

The second Saturday of the month cleanups will alternate between Salmon Creek Ravine (odd months) and Shorewood Park (even months.)  Work will happen from 10-noon.  The “Shorewood on the Sound” neighborhood group has taken the lead on Shorewood Park and is now adding their wonderful environmental skills to Salmon Creek Ravine.  Please check www.seahurstpark.org for updated locations of the work parties!

EAGLE LANDING PARK:  Sunday, 6/13/10  10 am-1 pm  (Monthly – 2nd Sunday of the Month)
Please just show up if you’re interested – bring some water/gloves, and loppers if you have them. Volunteer Park Steward is Jim Branson.   Eagle Landing Park is located at 14641 25th Ave SW.  Follow SW 149th street heading past 25th AVE SW and the park is located on the left (west ) side of the street.  The parking lot is small so if you park in the neighborhood please take care not to block neighbor’s driveways.  No restrooms on site – the closest facilities are at Lake Burien Park (149th & 18th Ave SW).  Please also check http://eaglelandingpark.org/ for updated information on volunteer work parties and information on Eagle Landing Park.