A “work party” is scheduled for this Saturday, March 13th at the Salmon Creek Ravine in Burien beginning at 10am.

The goal of this two-hour “party” is to save this park from invasive plants like English Holly, English Ivy, English Laurel and Himalayan Blackberry (EDITOR’S NOTE: Looks like we’re going to have to defeat the English again…).

These events are always a satisfying form of both exercise and social interaction, but we recommend that you RSVP early to the organizers.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Invasive plant work party at Salmon Creek Ravine

WHEN: Saturday, March 13th beginning at 10am

WHERE: Meet at the intersection of Shorewood Drive and SW 130th – the top of Goat Hill near the Shorewood on the Sound sign.

INFO: From the Shorewood on the Sound blog:

Help to protect our local forests by coming to a work party at the Salmon Creek Ravine on March 13th at 10:00.

We’ll provide tools and gloves and a specific project to work on for 2 hours.

Meet at the intersection of Shorewood Drive and SW 130th – the top of Goat Hill near the Shorewood on the Sound sign.

This is your opportunity to participate in a group effort to save this beautiful forested park from invasive plants like English Holly, English Ivy, English Laurel and Himalayan Blackberry.

RSVP/CONTACT: RSVP to Jean Spohn at jeanspohn@comcast.net, or if you have any questions.

“Creating a Sustainable Gardening Community” will be the main topic at the next Sustainable Burien meeting at 2pm on Sunday, March 14th at the Burien Library.

The speaker will be Craig Bye, who will talk about:

• Creating a sustainable gardening community.
• Info about Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle (CHOSS), their mission, goal, and community outreach
• Mentoring programs and how the community can get involved

Here are the details:

WHAT: Sustainable Burien’s monthly meeting will feature Craig Bye, who will speak about creating a sustainable garden community.

WHEN: Sunday, March 14th from 2pm to 4pm; doors open at 1:30pm.

WHERE: Multipurpose room of the Burien Library, located at 400 SW 152nd.

INFO: From a press release:

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE GARDENING COMMUNITY

Our speaker will be Craig Bye, who will talk to us about:

• Creating a sustainable gardening community.
• Info about Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle (CHOSS), their mission, goal, and community outreach
• Mentoring programs and how the community can get involved

Check out their website at: http://www.gleanit.org/index.html

The remainder of the meeting will be covering our projects, such as our community gardening efforts and accomplishments; various projects toward the Wild Strawberry Festival (i.e., Bike Rodeo, Film Festival, our booth and free wild strawberry plants).

Please call Rebecca or Bill at 243-9366 if there are questions.

From their website:

Sustainable Burien is an organization started in January of 2008. We recognize the need to promote and participate in the creation of a sustainable community in Burien. We invite all residents and businesses to participate in creating a sustainable local community by sharing their ideas, passions, knowledge and talents.

At our meetings we will be collecting burned out CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs and dead rechargable batteries. People are welcome to bring any extra food items [produce from your garden, fruit from your trees, etc.] that they have and barter with others. Also bring any coupons for food that you get in the mail or from the newspaper, we’ll pass them on to the food bank, who can make good use of them.

Gatherings are held on the second Sunday of each month, – from 2:00 – 4:00PM at the (new) KCLS Burien Library (doors open at 1:30PM). For more information, go to: http://www.sustainableburien.org.

BTB Contributor Jim Branson alerts us that he’ll be leading a “native plant” hike through Seahurst Park for the Washington Native Plant Society this Saturday.

This event will consist of a small group hike through the park, and observing the native plants within, including Trilliums, aka “skunk cabbage.” The weather forecast for Saturday is for sunny and warm.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Washington Native Plant Society’s hike through Seahurst Park

WHEN: Saturday, March 6, 2010; 11:00 a.m. Over by 1 p.m.

WHERE: Meet at the lower parking lot at Seahurst Park at 11:00 am.

RSVP: To sign up, contact Jim at pseudotsuga@gmail.com

INFO: From an email:

This field trip will introduce you to the native plants of Seahurst Park, including Trillium and skunk cabbage.

Last year, patches of snow covered the ground when a few intrepid people toured the park, and the Trilliums were late.

This year, the Trilliums are up early, and the forecast for Saturday is sunny and warm.

Also of interest: the oldest living tree in Burien, which is less than twenty feet tall.

This leisurely one mile loop walk may be muddy, so wear sturdy shoes. You’ll also want to dress in layers, as you’ll be plenty warm by the time you reach the top of the hill.

If rain threatens, be sure to bring an umbrella or raincoat.

Limit of 20 participants.

Photo by Michael Brunk.

King County’s Spring Household Hazardous Wastemobile Event is coming up from Friday, March 26th through Sunday, March 28th at the Des Moines Marina.

This is the perfect opportunity to get rid of all that hazardous waste you’ve got sitting around, like dead batteries, fluorescent bulbs, oil, gas and a myriad of other stuff that can ruin the environment.

Here are the details:

WHAT: King County’s Spring Household Hazardous Wastemobile Event

WHEN: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday March 26 – March 28

WHERE: Des Moines Marina, located at 22307 Dock Street in Des Moines.

What to bring:

• solvents
• batteries, (lead acid, button, rechargeable)
• oil based paint
• cleaners
• pesticides
• oil
• antifreeze
• gasoline
• mercury products
• fluorescent bulbs and tubes
• propane tanks

What NOT to bring;

• latex paint
• empty containers
• computers
• TVs
• alkaline batteries
• explosives
• asbestos
• appliances
• medicines
• solid waste
• tires, etc

The following restrictions apply at all the household hazardous Wastemobile collection events:

• gasoline – 30 gallon limit
• total waste – 50 gallons per customer per day
• container size – no larger than five gallons
• fluorescent tubes or bulbs (not accepted from businesses) – limit 10
• automotive batteries – limit 5

The Wastemobile is FREE of charge and is for King County Residents and small quantity generators only. To find out if you qualify as a King County small quantity generator, call the Business Waste Line at 206 263-8899.

Additional information can be found at www.lhwmp.org or contact the Household Hazards Line at 206 296-4692, toll free at 1 888 869-4233

Teacher Marisha Auerbach will be speaking about Permaculture and her upcoming relief work in Haiti at the next Sustainable Burien meeting at 2pm on Sunday, Feb. 14th at the Burien Library.

Auerbach will introduce visitors to Permaculture, which offers simple strategies to reduce your expenses, save energy, and enrich your life locally through connection with natural principles. Nature provides a grand blueprint of how interconnected systems work together efficiently. We will look at the systems that we use in our lives and how they are affected by fluctuations globally. We will identify solutions that can be applied on the small scale to enrich our lives.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Sustainable Burien’s monthly meeting will feature Marisha Auerbach, who will speak about Permaculture, as well as her upcoming work in Haiti.

WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 14th from 2pm to 4pm; doors open at 1:30pm.

WHERE: Multipurpose room of the Burien Library, located at 400 SW 152nd.

INFO: From a press release:

WHAT ON EARTH IS PERMACULTURE?

Practical Permaculture Solutions:  Techniques to Save Money, Energy, and Time in a Changing World

Permaculture teacher Marisha Auerbach will introduce us to Permaculture.  Permaculture offers simple strategies to reduce your expenses, save energy, and enrich your life locally through connection with natural principles.  Nature provides a grand blueprint of how interconnected systems work together efficiently.  We will look at the systems that we use in our lives and how they are affected by fluctuations globally.  We will identify solutions that can be applied on the small scale to enrich our lives.

Marisha been practicing, studying, and teaching permaculture in the Pacific Northwest for the past decade.  As an itinerant permaculture designer, she calls the greater Olympia area home, notably Wild Thyme Farm, a 150 acre permaculture demonstration farm and FSC certified forest in the northern Willapa Hills.

Marisha Auerbach

Marisha encourages sustainable futures through her permaculture design work and consulting: polyculture gardening, seed saving, flower and gem essences, local economics, ethnobotany, herbalism, edible landscape design, organic gardening, creating perennial forage systems and building local community. Graduating from the Evergreen State College in 1998, Marisha focused on ethnobotany, ecological agriculture, and sustainability studies and continues to interact with students from the Evergreen State College by offering internships.

Our speaker will be going to Haiti February 22nd to help set up a permaculture project in Limbe (northern part of Haiti).  I’m sure Marisha will be sharing about that upcoming work as well at our meeting.  Besides the writing below, here’s a link: http://www.herbnwisdom.com/

Dear friends,

We are writing to you to request your assistance in an exciting new project that we will be involved with at the end of February. We are going to Haiti to learn and assist in the development of local food  networks.

We will be in the town of Limbe, in northern Haiti, west of Cape-Haitien.

Our friend, Rosedanie Cadet, is from Limbe and conceptualized this project, Helping Hands Noramise (link here), while she was visiting her family in December. The goal of the project is to assist the community in response to the following challenges:

• Challenges in agriculture. Poor agricultural techniques have been depleting Haitian soils for centuries.
• Many people have left the countryside in hopes of finding jobs in the cities
• Malnutrition and inadaquate distribution of food
• Deforestation and Ecosystem Destruction

She planned to launch this project next October, but after the earthquake, she has moved up the launch date. The earthquake poses huge additional challenges (and opportunities):

• Survivors from Port-au-Prince, who are originally from Limbe, are returning to live with their families. Many are facing a questionable
  future with a depleted rural economy in Limbe.
• Increased diaspora from Port-au-Prince, and the state of the economy of Haiti, puts increased demand on the need for local produce. The pressure on the upcoming growing season is felt both in Limbe and in greater Haiti.

The project is multi-tiered:

• Work with the network of  the remaining farmers to share best practices and educate others interested in farming.  Previous to the earthquake, the community in Limbe was either over 40 or under 18 years of age.
• Help set up a sustainable agriculture model on land owned by a church in Limbe, much like an extension service garden.
• Collaborate with farmers to improve soils, prevent pests, strategize for nutritional content, and enhance yields.
• Assist the community in building a food-processing facility which will create jobs and distribute preserved food (both in Limbe and greater Haiti).

Limbe is in a unique location, sheltered by two mountain ranges, and in a river valley. Its natural ecosystems are more intact than many other places in Haiti. Also, the soil is better than most areas of Haiti due to the microclimate of the region. It is a good location to learn from nature and experiment with techniques that can restore Haitian soils. This project will serve as a demonstration site for agriculture throughout Haiti.

As many of you are aware, permaculture offers strategies for stewardship of land and community.  There are techniques for maximizing organic matter (fertility) in the soil as fast as possible.  We highlight food plants that are high yielding and high in nutritional value.  Permaculture Design is dynamic as it is based in the natural ecologies of each unique place.

During our trip to Haiti, we will be learning about the unique cultural considerations for the community of Limbe.  We will aid the community of Limbe in assessing their needs and what resources they have locally for meeting those needs on site.  It is our goal to enrich their local environment through enhanced food security and jobs.

Since we will be there only two weeks, our (hopefully) achievable contribution during that time is to

• Listen, watch and learn about the culture in Limbe, to figure out how best to make permaculture-oriented suggestions for this project.
• Collaborate to set up a kitchen garden project at the church before the upcoming growing season
• Generate a list of plants to target for the project in the future.  Begin to set up a nursery to make these plants available in the greater community

This project will be happening in segments with every group of volunteers that comes to help. We will be going Feb 22nd to Mar 7th. We humbly request contributions for our travel costs and for support of the project.

Additionally, non-cash donations which we will take and leave in Limbe are:

• Sleeping bag and mat
• Seeds
• Solar camping shower
• Tin snips (to build rocket stoves)
• Books: creole/english dictionary
• Tropical plant resources
• Hip waders
• Handtools (snips, grubbers, hori hori)
• Boots/waterproof shoes

To make a donation for our travel expenses, you can send either of us money via Paypal (use our email address). You can also donate online here. Click on the link at the top which reads “Donate for sustainability for Limbe, in Northern Haiti.” Any money over our travel expenses that we receive will be put into the project. Should we quickly raise all funds for our travel costs, you can  donate directly to the project through the website here. This group is serving as the umbrella non-profit. Please mark your donation ‘To the Limbe Project’.

Thank you so much for any assistance that you can give.  We will update you on the project upon our return.  We intend to create a presentation to
share with our communities back home.

- Marisha Auerbach and Kelda Miller

Please call Rebecca or Bill at 243-9366 if there are questions.

From their website:

Sustainable Burien is an organization started in January of 2008. We recognize the need to promote and participate in the creation of a sustainable community in Burien. We invite all residents and businesses to participate in creating a sustainable local community by sharing their ideas, passions, knowledge and talents.

At our meetings we will be collecting burned out CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs and dead rechargable batteries. People are welcome to bring any extra food items [produce from your garden, fruit from your trees, etc.] that they have and barter with others. Also bring any coupons for food that you get in the mail or from the newspaper, we’ll pass them on to the food bank, who can make good use of them.

Gatherings are held on the second Sunday of each month, – from 2:00 – 4:00PM at the (new) KCLS Burien Library (doors open at 1:30PM). For more information, go to: http://www.sustainableburien.org.

Burien’s Gregory Heights Elementary Schools is one of 11 schools honored for completing the first level of King County’s Green Schools Program.

It is one of four Highline School District schools recognized; the others include Beverly Park Elementary School in unincorporated King County, Madrona Elementary School in SeaTac, and North Hill Elementary School in Des Moines.

Each school received a “We are a King County Green School” banner, a certificate of recognition, a success story on the program Web site and mention in a press release issued by King County.

Participating schools receive assistance on how to conserve resources such as paper, electricity and water, and they are often rewarded with reduced utility and garbage disposal costs.

“Each of these 11 schools has involved its whole school community – students, teachers and administrators – in reducing garbage and increasing recycling,” said Dale Alekel, King County Green Schools Program manager.

Highline Schools honored include:

• Gregory Heights Elementary School (Burien)
  
• Beverly Park Elementary School (unincorporated King County)
• Madrona Elementary School (SeaTac)
• North Hill Elementary School (Des Moines)

These schools completed level one of the program by initiating or improving recycling practices and engaging in waste-reduction strategies, such as decreasing paper use. Success stories for each school are at this website.

According to the King County website, some of Gregory Heights’ achievements include:

Waste Reduction and Recycling:

• The school increased its recycling rate from 23 percent to 38 percent.
• Efforts included educating students about recycling, reducing lunchtime garbage volume and launching breakfast milk carton recycling.
• The Gregory Heights Student Leadership Team gave classroom presentations on recycling, launched classroom waste audits, made posters and purchased a worm bin to begin composting food scraps
• Recycling containers provided by the Green Schools Program were added to the lunchroom for milk cartons, juice boxes, plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
• School staff placed recycling stickers on classroom and lunchroom recycling containers. Provided by the Green Schools Program, the stickers list what can and can’t be recycled.
• The school promoted and initiated a “waste free lunch” day in which students and staff were encouraged to reduce their lunchtime garbage. Students and staff noticed that garbage bins were much less full on the “waste free lunch” day.
• Students participated in a “zero waste” cubby clean out at the end of the year. Unwanted materials that would have been disposed in past years were reused or recycled.
• The school instituted “reuse it” boxes for paper. Eighty percent of the school’s teachers use these boxes in their classrooms.

2008 King County Earth Hero at School award:

The school received this award for the collaborative effort among students, parents, the PTSA, teachers, office, support staff and principal that resulted in a comprehensive recycling program with widespread participation. Students decorated bulletin boards with recycling information, the PTSA purchased recycling containers, student leaders and lunch assistants guided students on proper recycling, and a recycling ethic now pervades the entire school.

Participation in the King County Green Schools Program has grown each year. To date, 10 of King County’s 18 school districts have received assistance or are now participating, and in doing so they have increased recycling, reduced energy and resource consumption, and engaged students in benefiting the environment.

The program has helped more than 300 schools cut waste and save resources since its inception in 2003. By providing hands-on assistance, including school visits, tailored recommendations, help with outreach to students and staff, and recycling containers and stickers, the Green Schools Program provides schools and school districts with the support they need to set up and maintain effective conservation practices.

In addition to providing schools with the hands-on help they need, the program offers a website, www.kingcounty.gov/GreenSchools, with useful tools and resources.

Schools interested in receiving assistance to improve conservation practices can contact Dale Alekel at dale.alekel@kingcounty.gov.

And don’t forget – Gregory Heights’ “Better Together” Auction is coming up Saturday, Feb. 27th – read more about it here.

BTB Contributor Gregory Rehmke tips us that if you like Burien’s parks, enjoy nature and dig geology (pun intended), you might enjoy visiting Eagle Landing Park over the next few days to see some “Geology In Action,” as two large trees have slid down the hill to the beach just north of the wooden stairs.

Eagle Landing Park is located at the west end of SW 149th Street, where it meets 25th Ave SW, in Burien. The walk from the parking lot to the beach is about a quarter of a mile down a long wooden staircase, dropping 275 feet in elevation.

According to Greg:

“Steady rain has saturated the soil around these trees, and high tides have significantly undermined the four or five large trees right next to the wood stairs.

When those trees go down they will probably take the stairs and perhaps the whole bottom platform with them (see pictures below).

Monday, Feb. 1st, and Tuesday, Feb. 2nd will have very high tides, which could impact these trees:

• Mon., Feb. 1st: 13.5 at around 6:40am
• Tues., Feb. 2nd: 13.6 at around 7:15am

Gregory Rehmke
www.LibertyFlix.org
grehmke@gmail.com

According to a poster at the park entitled “Geology In Action”:

Seeing slow motion
You may not feel the earth move here, but the evidence is all around you. This whole bluff is scoop shaped, the result of a catastrophic landslide sometime in the last century. Small piles of debris show where springs and heavy rains have washed gravel and dirt down from the hillside.

Wetlands at the base of the bluff are a sign that water seeping through the hilltop’s sandy soil has run into something it can’t ooze through. In this case, it’s a layer of hard clay left behind by glaciers during the last Ice Age.

Creeping topsoil tilting trees
Gravity is causing the park’s topsoil to creep toward the beach and it’s dragging the trees down, too. Where the soil is moving slowly, the tree trunks develop a curve that keeps their growing tips pointing toward the sky.

Where the soil is moving faster than the trees can grow, the trunks are still straight. They’re tiled though, in the same direction they – and the soil – are creeping.

Here are some photos Greg took on Sunday, Jan. 31st showing the creeping “Geology In Action”:

If you plan on going to witness nature at work, be sure to take some pics and send ‘em to us at editor@b-townblog.com if you capture anything interesting!

Story & Photos by Michael Brunk

Tucked away in one corner of the Southwest Suburban Sewer District facility in Normandy Park is a small, unassuming building. It is here, just yards away from Miller Creek, that the Duwamish-Green Chapter of Trout Unlimited has their hatchery operation. On Saturday, January 23rd, members of Trout Unlimited and volunteers from across the community gathered here. Their purpose: to transport and release 110,000 young Coho Salmon fry into various creeks in the local area.

According to chapter member and local conservationist Andy Batcho, the Coho fry have been raised from eggs acquired from the Soos Creek Hatchery in early January. The fry are born with a yolk sac that provides nourishment at first, but soon the sac is consumed and it’s time for them to be released into the wild.

“It’s a balancing act,” says Dennis Clark, King County Steward of the Miller and Walker Creek basins. Despite the fact a wild Coho female will lay around 3,000 eggs, only 10% of those will hatch. This, combined with other factors, such as unexplained deaths of adult salmon before they can spawn, means that very few native fish are able to successfully reproduce.

Clark explained that hatchery operations are a useful piece of the overall strategy to bolster fish populations, but that it’s important that the newly planted fry not overwhelm the native fish. Timing and release location are two critical elements in ensuring that the hatchery-raised salmon are forced to compete and become healthy adult fish as a result.

In talking to the people at the hatchery and out in the field planting the young salmon, it is clear that this is an effort that attracts a broad swath of people from across the community – families with young children, retired engineers, doctors, local politicians, scientists, sportsmen and others. Despite the cold, gray weather, they come together with a desire to contribute something back to the environment.

By itself this volunteer-run effort is quite literally just a drop in the ocean, but combined with the hard work of many others in our region it adds to the incremental improvements in the overall health of the habitat in which we all live.

There are far worse ways to spend a Saturday morning.

Here’s a Photo Slideshow of the event:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

The Washington State Department of Ecology awarded grants of $50,000 each to four South King County communities that will help them comply with federal regulations regarding toxic runoff from streets and other surfaces.

The grant money will be applied toward anything from equipment purchases and storm drain cleaning to public education and outreach.

Recipient cities include:

• Des Moines
• Kent
• Normandy Park
• SeaTac

Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D – Des Moines), who chairs the state House Ecology and Parks Committee, says the timing of the awards couldn’t be better.

“Toxic runoff is one of the major causes of pollution to Puget Sound,” Upthegrove said.  “Research clearly shows it is a threat both to drinking water and marine life.  These grants will help communities that are already operating on lean budgets still meet federal requirements to address this very serious environmental health issue.”

About 14 million pounds of toxic pollutants – including petroleum, pesticides, and heavy metals – enter Puget Sound each year.  This constant influx of hazardous substances kills fish, closes beaches to swimming, and threatens drinking water supplies.  It imperils the region’s economy, not only because of the state’s reliance on water resources, but because cash-strapped municipalities lack sufficient funding to pay for cleanup efforts.

All four cities plan to use part of the grant money for detection of pollutants within their stormwater systems.  By pinpointing the source sites where pollutants enter these systems, they can take the necessary steps to address the problem.  Public education efforts will also be undertaken, to help teach people how they can help prevent toxic runoff from their homes and businesses.

“The clock is ticking for us to save Puget Sound, and how cities deal with toxic runoff is going to determine whether or not we’ll be successful,” Upthegrove said.  “This extra boost in state funds will help these communities move forward with pollution prevention efforts.”

Story & Photos by Michael Brunk

Perched on the hillside overlooking the Shorewood area is the Salmon Creek Ravine Park. This unimproved wilderness area spreads across 88 acres of mature forest. A network of primitive trails leads you through a lush landscape dotted with sword ferns, broad leaf maples, red cedar, hemlocks and other native plant life.

Unfortunately, all is not well in the forest. Like many of the area’s parks, invasive species are crowding out the natural vegetation and taking over. The effects of this struggle ripple through the ecosystem of our natural spaces, affecting not only the native plants but the wild life that feed on them.

To address the problem, Burien Parks, in conjunction with Shorewood on the Sound and the Environmental Science Center, organizes regular volunteer work parties to go into our local parks to conduct cleanup activities and remove non-native vegetation.

On Saturday, January 16, a group of 14 volunteers – including students from St. Francis of Assisi – led by naturalist Jean Spohn of the Environment Science Center, gathered for a two hour work party. Their main goal was to attack outgrowths of English ivy that cover the ground and grow up the trunks of trees in park.

Kevin Alexander from Sustainable Burien pointed out a tree near the entrance to the park that had cracked near the base and toppled over from the weight of the ivy growing on it. This vertical growth of ivy is considered the highest priority as it will bloom and produce berries that are consumed and scattered by wildlife, starting new growths of ivy in the process.

Volunteers cleared 35 trees of ivy, using a technique that involves cutting and removing roughly five feet of ivy vines from around the base of each tree. The remaining ivy growing higher on the trunk will eventually wilt and die over the next several months. While attacking the ivy, they also gathered and carried out any garbage found.

Despite all of the hard work by volunteers at the event, this is just the beginning of the reclamation process at Salmon Creek Ravine Park. Additional work parties are scheduled with the next one taking place on Saturday, March 13.

For complete details on work parties at this and other local parks, visit http://seahurstpark.org/volunteer.html.

Here are photos from Saturday’s event:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

Volunteers are needed to help the effort to remove invasive plants from Burien’s historic Salmon Creek Ravine this Saturday, Jan. 16th from 10am to Noon.

According to Burien Parks:

Salmon Creek Ravine is a passive park, with trails and access roads affording nature hikes, scenic beauty, and solitude. The heavily wooded Ravine, a remnant of the verdant fir and cedar forest that once cloaked the area, includes a mile-long, year-round stream, and another mile of feeder tributaries, some of which are spring-fed. It also contains vestiges of the logging industry that flourished here. Springboard notches still scar the ghostly cedar stumps scattered among the nettles and sword ferns, and the faint, mossy traces of skid roads still haunt the hillsides.

The area includes many natural features – shorelines, streams, wetlands, ridges, gullies, and slopes – which enhance the diversity of local wildlife. Animals common to the Ravine include bald eagles, raccoon, red fox, muskrat bats, osprey, otters, and grey squirrels.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Salmon Creek Ravine invasive plant work party

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 16th, from 10am to Noon

WHERE: Meet at the intersection of 16th Ave SW and SW 131st St. (see map here). The Salmon Creek Ravine trailhead is located next to the “Shorewood on the Sound” sign.  There will also be temporary signs at the location alerting motorists and volunteers about the work party.

INFO:

“We are starting a volunteer effort to remove invasive plants from the Salmon Creek Ravine.  There have volunteer efforts in both Shorewood Park and in Seahurst Park, and now the effort is expanding to include the Salmon Creek Ravine.

Wear sturdy shoes and work gloves.

Tools will be provided.”

For a historical perspective on Salmon Creek, download a PDF here.

Otherwise, mark your calendars and get ready to whack some weeds!

Contact Jean Spohn for further information at 206-433-0848.

Like to be helpful by whacking invasive ivy? This Sunday (Jan. 10th), from 10am to 1pm, YOU can help restore Burien’s Eagle Landing Park to health by joining in a “whacky” ivy removal work party.

According to BTB Contributor Jim Branson, volunteers meet on the second Sunday of every month from 10am to 1pm to remove invasive species and plant natives.

Please note that this volunteer effort is not sponsored by or affiliated with the parks department, so please bring your own tools if you have them.

You might need:

• Gloves
• Water
• Shears or loppers
• A pruning saw
• A mattock if you have one
• Layers of clothing appropriate for the weather (the forecast is for sunny and warm weather!)

As an extra bonus, a “Native Plant Steward” trained by the Washington Native Plant Society with over six years of experience battling ivy, will be on hand to answer any questions you might have.  We will be working toward the goals and priorities recently established in the Vegetation Management Plan developed by EarthCorps.

Eagle Landing Park is located at the west end of SW 149th Street, where it turns into 25th Ave SW.  Parking is limited, so some people may need to park on the street.

Also note that the nearest public restrooms are at Lake Burien School Park, at 149th and 18th.

Another reason to go? Bald Eagles actually live at Eagle Landing Park (whoda thunk it?) – here are two videos courtesy Mr. Branson:

Story and Photos by Scott Schaefer

Members of Boy Scout Troop #375 were busy Saturday (Jan. 2nd), at their annual Christmas Tree Recycling Fundraiser in the parking lot of BTB Advertiser Herr Backyard Garden Center on SW 160th, just behind the Cafe Lipshtick espresso booth.

It’s just $5 to donate your tree(s), and they’ll be accepting more tomorrow (Sunday, Jan. 3rd) from 9am to 4pm.

“This is one of two major fundraisers we do every year,” said Scoutmaster Mark Ufkes as he supervised the kids. “Along with our annual dinner at St. Francis, the money raised today will go towards scholarships for camps for scouts. And people should know that a kid can be a Boy Scout without having to pay much money.”

Ufkes continued: “To be a Boy Scout, all you have to do is a) be between 11 and 18 years old, b) be an upstanding citizen, c) believe in a higher power, and d) want to spend a lot of time outdoors doing adventures with other kids. Having money is not a factor.”

Troop #375 serves boys in areas including Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien, White Center and West Seattle. For more information, check out their website here.

This event is a “mandatory” one for members of this troop, and we counted at least 12 scouts while we were there Saturday afternoon. Ufkes says that all 20 boys from this troop will help out over the entire weekend, making one wonder:

How many scouts does it take to de-limb a Christmas tree?

To find out, click on Scott Schaefer’s Photo Slideshow below:

Click to View Scott Schaefer’s Photo Slideshow

The large truck hauler used at his event was donated by Scarsella Brothers Construction, who help out every year.

Over the last two years, 16 Eagle Scouts have been awarded in Troop #375, which is an unusually high number. The Troop is currently sponsored by St. Francis of Assisi Church in Burien.

According to the Des Moines Historical Society, Boy Scout Troop #375 was formed March 17, 1924 by Rev. Beatty, Scoutmaster, Rollin Case, and Franklin Lowery. In 1923, Rev. Cyrus Gilbert, a teacher at Sunnydale and Highline High School, had established a troop at Sunnydale.

We here at The B-Town Blog highly recommend that all Readers recycle your tree with these kids, because everything stays local, from the donations, which fund scout activities, to the firewood (which will be sold to raise funds) to the mulch made from the tree chippings (which will end up in a local yard).

Due to a last-minute scheduling conflict, Rep. Dave Upthegrove will NOT be at Sustainable Burien’s next meeting, this Sunday, Jan. 10th – instead, Rep. Sharon Nelson and Susan Robinson from Waste Management will be speaking.

Here are the revised details:

WHAT: Sustainable Burien will have two speakers for the January 10th gathering:

Susan Robinson from Waste Management will be our first speaker. Susan is the Pacific Northwest Director of Public Sector Services for Waste Management. Among other things she produces some of the Sustainable Solutions newsletters and is involved with planning Waste Management’s potential responses in the event of flooding caused by the Howard Hanson Dam. She is also involved in rolling out Solar Powered trash compactors for public spaces.

Our second speaker will be Sharon Nelson, 34th District Washington State Representative, serving West Seattle, White Center, Burien, and Vashon and Maury Islands. Her top priorities in Olympia include: Restoring and protecting Puget Sound, Making education work for each student, and Reducing congestion on our roads and highways.

Dave Upthegrove, 33rd District Washington State Representative has had to cancel due to a last minute conflict.

For more information about Sustainable Burien, go to www.sustainableburien.org

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 10th from 2pm to 4pm; doors open at 1:30pm.

WHERE: Main floor conference room of the new Burien Library, located at 400 SW 152nd.

INFO: “Come join us for learning, exploring and more…”

From their website:

Sustainable Burien is an organization started in January of 2008. We recognize the need to promote and participate in the creation of a sustainable community in Burien. We invite all residents and businesses to participate in creating a sustainable local community by sharing their ideas, passions, knowledge and talents.

At our meetings we will be collecting burned out CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs and dead rechargable batteries. People are welcome to bring any extra food items [produce from your garden, fruit from your trees, etc.] that they have and barter with others. Also bring any coupons for food that you get in the mail or from the newspaper, we’ll pass them on to the food bank, who can make good use of them.

Gatherings are held on the second Sunday of each month, – from 2:00 – 4:00PM at the (new) KCLS Burien Library (doors open at 1:30PM). For more information, go to: http://www.sustainableburien.org.

Please call Rebecca or Bill at 243-9366 if there are questions.

It’s that time of year again, when the holiday trimmings start coming off, get put into big plastic storage bins in the shed or garage, leaving behind a dilapidated and dried up, dangerously flammable Christmas tree with no place to go.

And not only that, but you probably also have lots of cardboard boxes, Styrofoam and packing materials scattered about as well.

Here’s your B-Town Blog guide to how to recycle your holiday crap:

BOY SCOUT TROOP #375 RECYCLING EVENT SAT./SUN. JAN. 2-3:

• Boy Scout Troop #375 will be recycling trees on Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 2nd and 3rd) from 9am – 3pm.
• Go to BTB Advertiser Herr Backyard Garden Center on SW 160th near First Ave South, and look for the Boy Scouts and wood chipper device.
• $5 fee per tree.
• Trees must be “clean,” meaning no tinsel, no forgotten ornaments, etc.
• Call Herr Garden Center for more information: 242-2014.

NORMANDY PARK:

• Allied Waste provides curbside collection of Christmas Trees to single-family residential yard debris customers.
• Yard Debris customers can set Christmas trees out on their regularly scheduled collection day.
• Trees must be free of flocking, tinsel, ornaments and metal hangers, cut to 4′ lengths and tied into bundles less than 2′ wide.
• Use biodegradable string or twine – no nylon, plastic or other synthetic materials.
• Flocked trees are not recyclable and will not be accepted – put flocked trees in the garbage.

JAN. 11-15 DES MOINES TREE-CYCLING EVENT:

• Allied Waste will be picking up Christmas trees for City of Des Moines residential curbside customers during the week of January 11 – 15 on the normal garbage pick-up day.
• Place trees curbside, cut into 4′ lengths and tie into bundles no more than 2′ wide.
• Tinsel, garland, and ornament hangers must be removed.
• There will be no charge for this special pick-up.
• Must be a garbage customer to be eligible.
• Trees need to be cut into 4′ lengths and tied into bundles no more than 2′ wide.
• Call Laura Techico with questions at 206-870-6595.

DO IT YOURSELF:

• Waste Management also takes Christmas trees, but we suggest cutting yours in 4′ lengths and tie it into bundles less than 2′ wide, and perhaps even cutting it up and placing it inside your yard waste container.
• Pacific Topsoils, Inc. in Tukwila allows Christmas tree drop-offs; Call for Hours (206) 772-3091; located at 6000 S 129th Street in Tukwila.
• King County has several options for recycling Christmas trees. Call the King County Solid Waste Division Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

More suggestions from Sustainable Burien’s website:

• Styrofoam: at the Sustainable Burien collection event on Thursday, Dec. 31st and Friday, Jan. 1 or at Styrorecycle any time. All Styrofoam must be clean. They’ll also take clean packing peanuts of all types. See their Events page for details.
• Christmas Trees: In your yard waste (ornaments and other non-biodegradable items need to be removed, check with your waste collection company to see how much cutting you need to do) or at the above-mentioned Boy Scout Troop #375 tree-cycling event.
• Boxes and wrapping paper: In with your regular recycling as long as you’ve removed ribbons, bows and any other non-recyclable material. Foil wrappings, wrapping with embedded material and other non-paper wrappings are not recyclable.
• Electronics: Under a Washington State law that went into effect Jan. 1, 2009, TVs, computers, monitors and laptops can be recycled for free at many locations. Usable, working items can be dropped off at most charities who will resell them. Dead or out-dated items can be recycled at a number of locations. Personally I suggest taking all electronics to RE-PC in Tukwila or South Seattle. They will resell what they can, and what can’t be sold is recycled properly and locally through Total Reclaim which is important. Some recycling locations ship material out of State or worse yet out of the country for “recycling” and that can cause big problems. See our archived tip for details. If all you’ve got is items that can’t be resold, save a step and take them all to Total Reclaim. Contact them to see what else they’ll take.
• For other Holiday related items: see the links in the top right corner of the King County Solid Waste Page.

Sustainable Burien wants everyone to know that they’re arranging for an innovative event on Thursday, Dec. 31st and Friday, Jan. 1st near Burien Town Square – FREE Styrofoam recycling!

That’s right folks – now you can safely and ecologically dispose of those pesky little Styrofoam critters, especially the ones that stick to you via static electricity. What a relief.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Styrofoam Recycling Event

WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 31st and Friday, Jan. 1st from 1pm to 5pm both days

WHERE: An empty storefront at 457 SW 148th, across the parking lot from Bartell’s and Ace Hardware, in the northeast corner of the lot.

INFO: From their website:

West Bild, the developer of Burien Town Square, has graciously loaned us an empty store front at 457 SW 148th, across the parking lot from Bartells and Ace Hardware, in the North East corner of the lot.

For two days only we’ll be collecting clean white Styrofoam (#6 or EPS) materials, the types most commonly found with new electronic products, appliance packaging, computers and monitors, furniture packaging and picnic/shipping coolers.

We cannot accept urethane foam cushions, expanded polypropylene (EPP), foam insulation, plastic wrap, bubble wrap or hard plastics.

We reserve the right to refuse anything that doesn’t meet the guidelines.

To determine if you have the right material look for the “#6″ or “EPS” inside the recycle symbol, if it’s sheet material bend it – it should break and snap with loose beads. All foreign material like plastic sheeting, tape, staples and cardboard must be removed.

All material collected will be taken to Styrorecycle where the Styrofoam is ground up, compressed and densified into blocks, which are then manufactured into products such as picture frames, TV and computer cases, office equipment and other plastic products.

Styrorecycle is on the west side of Ikea in Renton, if you’re going that way you can drop off Styrofoam for recycling at no charge. They are open Tuesday through Saturday, 9am to 5:30pm all year long.

More information available at the Sustainable Burien website.

The City of Burien has been awarded a $750,000 grant from the state Salmon Recovery Funding Board to return the northern shoreline of Seahurst Park to a restored, more accessible, and more natural condition, with hopes it will restore salmon habitat.

The money will be used by the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department, and construction is scheduled for fall of 2010. Crews will remove a seawall, rock riprap (huh?), groins (what th–???), paving and fill.

In addition to the $750,000 grant, the City of Burien will contribute $133,000 from a state grant and the Army Corps of Engineers will contribute $1,800,000 through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act.

Since being armored in the 1970s, beach elevations in Seahurst Park have dropped 3 to 4 feet due to wave scouring and the disconnection of the beach from sources of sediment. The changes in the beach have significantly degraded the quality of habitat for salmon and the organisms they depend on, particularly forage fish.

A similar project on the southern shoreline of the park to remove the seawall and restore the beach was completed in 2005. The northern section is much larger in scale and will include recreational elements such as a playground, picnic areas and trails.

The Salmon Recovery Funding Board on Dec. 11th announced it was awarding over $2.6 million for nine projects, including Seahurst Park, to protect and restore salmon habitat in King County.

Sustainable Burien’s next meeting will be a potluck on Sunday, Dec. 13th from 2pm to 4pm at the main floor conference room of the Burien library.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Sustainable Burien’s monthly meeting: “Join us for potluck and a roundtable discussion.  Bring ideas and a dish to share.”

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 13th from 2pm to 4pm – doors open at 1:30pm

WHERE: Main floor conference room of the new Burien Library, located at 400 SW 152nd

INFO: “Come join us for learning, exploring and more…”

From their website:

Sustainable Burien is an organization started in January of 2008. We recognize the need to promote and participate in the creation of a sustainable community in Burien. We invite all residents and businesses to participate in creating a sustainable local community by sharing their ideas, passions, knowledge and talents.

At our meetings we will be collecting burned out CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs and dead rechargable batteries. People are welcome to bring any extra food items [produce from your garden, fruit from your trees, etc.] that they have and barter with others. Also bring any coupons for food that you get in the mail or from the newspaper, we’ll pass them on to the food bank, who can make good use of them.

Gatherings are held on the second Sunday of each month, – from 2:00 – 4:00PM at the (new) KCLS Burien Library (doors open at 1:30PM). For more information, go to: http://www.sustainableburien.org.

Please call Rebecca or Bill at 243-9366 if there are questions.

The Port of Seattle announced that it will start sampling and testing stormwater from the former Lora Lake Apartment complex in Burien this winter as part of a legal agreement with the Department of Ecology (Ecology).

Ecology is seeking public comment on this plan through Wednesday, Dec. 23rd, and residents interested in reviewing the proposal should click here.

The project, called an “Interim Action,” is part of the work the Port is required to perform to study contamination at the site, which housed a barrel-cleaning company in the 1940s and 50s and an auto-wrecking facility from roughly 1960 to 1981.

A 22-building apartment complex was built in 1987. The Port, which owns Sea-Tac Airport nearby, bought the property in 1998 and demolished six buildings within the airport’s Third Runway protection zone in 2007.

The remainder of the buildings were demolished just recently.

Environmental samples taken in preparation for that demolition showed higher than expected levels of contaminants from the pre-apartment complex activities at the site. Pollutants associated with the site’s former activities include petroleum products, dioxin, solvents and other contaminants.

The Port demolished only above-ground structures, and took measures – under Ecology oversight – to not disturb potentially contaminated soil.

Port consultants will collect stormwater samples during rainstorms, with a plan to collect sampls during up to 10 storms. The information will help Ecology determine whether the site requires special or additional stormwater controls or treatment. Polluted runoff – stormwater – is the leading threat to water quality in the state’s urban areas.

As we reported in August, the Port of Seattle wants to develop facilities for airport-compatible activities there, such as air cargo, food service and warehouses, and on other property it owns within Burien’s Northeast Planning Area north of the airport.

But the now-vacant lot is just inside the Burien city limits and several city council members hope this location will anchor economic development in the Northeast Planning Area that will generate additional sales tax and other revenue for the city. Possible land uses include an auto mall and a business park.

City Manager Mike Martin said recently that an interchange at the location, at 15001 Des Moines Memorial Drive, would increase the value of the Lora Lake site for business development.

It is also available for review at the Burien Public Library (400 SW 152nd St., 206-243-3490), as well as the Department of Ecology’s regional office in Bellevue – by appointment (425-649-7190 – 3190 160th Ave. SE).

A fact sheet on Lora Lake Apartments site is available at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0909175.pdf.

For technical questions or to comment on the plan, please contact David South, Ecology Site Manager, 425-649-7200; e-mail dsou461@ecy.wa.gov.

The Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion (C.A.S.E.) is holding their monthly “Sea-Tac Expansion” Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 4th from 7pm to 9pm at the ERAC offices, located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW.

Here are the details:

WHAT: CASE Monthly Meeting

WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 4th, from 7pm to 9pm

WHERE: ERAC (Highline District Adm. Office), located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. S.W., Burien.

INFO: CASE President Brett Fish will conduct the meeting and will recognize elected leaders attending and introduce speakers.

There will be two subjects to discuss at the meeting:

1. The several environmental issues resulting from SeaTac airport polluted waste discharges.
2. Noise pollution resulting from the 3rd runway operations.

RCAA/CASE Consultant Greg Wingard will brief attendees on the results of the Port’s improvements of the storm water system which had an early trend of reducing pollution into area streams but currently the pollution is getting worse rather than better since June, 2008. Greg will also give an update on the status of Ecology’s Toxic Cleanup Program of the Lora Lake Apartments dioxin contaminated site.

Stuart Jenner, RCAA Board Member, will discuess his measurements of aircraft noise at various locations within the 3rd runway area.  He will also share some observations of the Sept. 29th forum on the increased noise held at the Criminal Justice Training Center.

Questions or Comments will be welcomed.

If you have questions or need directions, call 206-824-6589.

Sustainable Burien is having its next meeting on Sunday, Nov. 8th from 2pm to 4pm at the 2nd floor conference room of the Burien library.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Sustainable Burien’s monthly meeting

WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 8th from 2pm to 4pm – doors open at 1:30pm

WHERE: 2nd floor conference room of the new Burien Library, located at 400 SW 152nd

INFO: Nikola Davidson of EarthSystemsNW will speak on Harvesting the Rain – Cisterns, Rain Gardens, and More!

From their website:

Sustainable Burien is an organization started in January of 2008. We recognize the need to promote and participate in the creation of a sustainable community in Burien. We invite all residents and businesses to participate in creating a sustainable local community by sharing their ideas, passions, knowledge and talents.

At our meetings we will be collecting burned out CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs and dead rechargable batteries. People are welcome to bring any extra food items [produce from your garden, fruit from your trees, etc.] that they have and barter with others. Also bring any coupons for food that you get in the mail or from the newspaper, we’ll pass them on to the food bank, who can make good use of them.

Gatherings are held on the second Sunday of each month, – from 2:00 – 4:00PM at the (new) KCLS Burien Library (doors open at 1:30PM). For more information, go to: http://www.sustainableburien.org.

Please call Rebecca or Bill at 243-9366 if there are questions.

Our friend Dennis Clark, Miller/Walker Creek Basin Steward for King County, alerts us that over 36 salmon have been spotted in Miller and Walker Creeks.

Here’s his report:

With the rains of fall comes another age-old marker of the turn of the seasons: the salmon are returning to Highline.  Since October 10, at least three dozen coho salmon have returned to Miller and Walker Creeks.  Coho have been reported multiple times in Normandy Park, Burien, and as far upstream as SeaTac.  On Tuesday, Josh Feigin, an environmental specialist at the Port of Seattle, saw at least seven fish in Miller Creek on the airport property.

Some adult trout have been seen to pass upstream of this Miller Creek waterfall, which is about 5 feet high.

Remarkably, three of the fish made it past a substantial waterfall near S. 157th St. that usually prevents further upstream fish passage.  The coho began their upstream migration from Puget Sound following the first fall rains and appear to come in spurts with each succeeding rainfall.

While these are fairly good numbers for early in the season, the news is not all good.  Coho salmon on Miller Creek are suffering from what is termed “pre-spawn mortality.”  Otherwise seemingly healthy fish are dying before they can spawn.  Their deaths are preceded by bizarre swimming in which the fish literally throw themselves out of the water.  I witnessed this disturbing behavior on Friday when a fish jumped over my boots before dying (more info here).  It seems that as the rains gradually wash the pollutants that accumulated over the summer off the streets, fewer fish succumb to this phenomenon (and where do these pollutants go when “washed away”? Read more info here).

While the exact cause of pre-spawn mortality is unknown, it is likely linked to some combination of pollutants associated with modern industrial life.  While research continues, Burien residents can avoid or reduce pollution that is known to harm salmon such as car wash soap (wash your car at a commercial car wash or while parked on the lawn), leaking oil (fix oil leaks promptly), and pesticides (limit use or choose alternatives safer for kids, pets, and fish).

Despite these problems, the presence and persistence of salmon that begin and end their epic lives right here in Burien is a compelling reminder of the amazing world we share.  If you observe fish in the streams, please let Stream Steward Dennis Clark know by e-mail or at 206-296-1909.

Here’s a photo Dennis took Oct. 23rd of a male and female salmon at Miller Creek in Normandy Park:

Here are some photos courtesy Brett Fish showing the various stages of “pre-spawn mortality”:

More information is available at Dennis’ excellent blog here.

Burien’s Mathison Park, located at 425 SW 144th Street, includes 5.3 acres of forested open space on the east side of town, with the only problem being that visitors could only experience the one acre initially developed and accessible.

Since August, the park has been undergoing some serious renovations, including 100+ goats munching brush away (see our video coverage here), and more recently some serious earthwork and grading to establish a new trail system and playground.

The expected completion date is December, and once open, visitors will be able to walk along meandering trails, enjoy views of Mount Rainier and learn about the park’s flora and fauna through a series of interpretive panels. Along the trail people can rest on a trailside bench or take in a view from several overlooks or picnic sites.

For the kids, the addition of a new playground will be a welcome enhancement.

An additional element of the project is the removal of substantial amounts of invasive plant species (thanks goats!) and the re-establishment of native plants, especially along the trail corridors. The final touches will include interpretive signage throughout the trail system.

Design of the park expansion was provided by KPG and the construction contractor is L.W. Sundstrom Inc.

Funding for this project has been provided by the State of Washington’s Wildlife and Recreation Program, the King County Youth Sports Facilities Grant program, along with City of Burien capital improvement program funds.

Here’s a sketch of the project siteplan (click to view full image):

Sustainable Burien is teaming up with Gregory Conner, owner of the new Eat Local store in Burien (located at 810 SW 151st, next to Bicycles West, near the fire station) for a special (and FREE) “Taste, Tour and Talk” on Monday, Oct. 19th beginning at 5:30pm.

Here are the details:

WHAT: TASTE, TOUR & TALK with Gregory Conner of the new Eat Local store

WHEN: Monday, October 19th starting at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: The new Eat Local store in Burien, located at 810 SW 151st next to Bicycles West

COST: FREE, but please RSVP to Rebecca at rdare2@yahoo.com

INFO: From Sustainable Burien:

Greg will give us a taste of some of the food they prepare, a tour of the store, and a talk about local farms and lessening carbon footprint, etc.

Please RSVP to Rebecca (of Sustainable Burien) at rdare2@yahoo.com so we have an idea of how many people to expect.

The first salmon of the season on Miller Creek was sighted last Saturday at the Cove in Normandy Park, and stream steward Dennis Clark is putting the call out for volunteers this Saturday (Oct. 17th) to “help create a more healthy stream for this fish and its buddies.”

Here are the details:

WHAT: Help plant 37 trees and do a final bit of weeding on Miller Creek (at South 144th St. west of Des Moines Memorial Drive) in Burien. You’ll work under the yellowing leaves of the cottonwoods and enjoy a classic fall day out-of-doors.

• Do you care about a healthy environment for your children?
• Do you want to improve Highline for fish, wildlife, and people?
• Do you like caring for trees that you’ll be able to watch grow year by year?
• Do you want to get rid of the stress of the workweek by whacking non-native, invasive weeds?
• Do you want to meet some of your Highline neighbors?

If so, recruit your friends and family and join us to help restore a section of Miller Creek!

We will weed and mulch around trees and shrubs planted in October 2007 and October 2008; we will plant some new trees

What do you need?

• An eager attitude
• Sturdy shoes or boots
• Water bottle
• Gloves (if you have them)
• We provide gloves, tools, and snacks!

WHEN: Planting time is 9am this Saturday, October 17. With enough volunteers, we can get the work done in two hours.

WHERE: South 144th Street, one block west of Des Moines Memorial Drive (northeast Burien, just north of SR 518 and east of SR 509 (see map below).

INFO: For more details, download the flier here (PDF)

RSVP: RSVP so Dennis can provide enough tools and doughnuts for all. If you are a student, please have your parent/guardian download and complete this form (.doc file).

Want to plant trees but can’t make this date? I have another planting project with a private group that would welcome other volunteers on Sunday, October 25, 9 a.m. Let me know if you’d like to join.

This project is a cooperative effort of the Cities of Burien, Normandy Park, and SeaTac; the Port of Seattle; and King County. These governments are working with residents to improve water quality and create healthy streams in the Miller and Walker Creek basins.

Advance sign-up is encouraged to help us plan.

For sign up and questions, contact Dennis Clark, Miller/Walker Creek Basin Steward, dennis.clark@kingcounty.gov, or by phone at: 206-296-1909.

The City of Burien has been awarded a $117,600 grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology for its Shoreline Master Program.

This grant is part of a $6.3 million award to 70 Puget Sound communities, and is meant to modernize local shoreline regulations.

The neighboring city of Des Moines was awarded $133,000.

“From the San Juans to the Sound’s southern tip, 120 of the 130 local governments in the Puget Sound region are still using largely the same shoreline master programs they adopted in the 1970s,” said Ecology’s Gordon White, who oversees statewide shorelands activities. “Yet in the past 30 years, the area’s population has ballooned by nearly 60 percent. If we hope to restore, protect and preserve the Sound, we’ve got to start by managing our shoreline areas wisely.”

According to the city’s website:

Under the state Shoreline Management Act, each city and county with “shorelines of the state” must adopt a Shoreline Master Program (SMP) that is based on state laws and rules while tailored to the specific geographic, economic and environmental needs of the community.

Burien must update its current SMP by December 1, 2009, and this grant will be used for this purpose. The City and its consultants are well into updating the master program with the aid of the City’s Shoreline Advisory Committee.

For more information on Burien’s Shoreline Master Program, click here.

To view a draft of the Shoreline Jurisdiction map, click here (PDF).

To view the full list of Department of Ecology grants, click here (PDF).

From BTB Contributing Photographer Gregory Rehmke comes this gorgeous shot of Monday morning’s sunrise over Lake Burien – a great image to help you focus yourself for the start of another week:

Sustainable Burien is having its next meeting this Sunday, Oct. 11th from 2pm to 4pm at the Burien library.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Sustainable Burien’s monthly meeting

WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 11th from 2pm to 4pm – doors open at 1:30pm

WHERE: The new Burien Library, located at 400 SW 152nd

INFO: Jeff Kelley-Clarke from Seattle City Light will be the guest speaker. He will be speaking at 2 p.m. on how Seattle City Light can help residents and small businesses with energy conservation.

From their website:

Sustainable Burien is an organization started in January of 2008. We recognize the need to promote and participate in the creation of a sustainable community in Burien. We invite all residents and businesses to participate in creating a sustainable local community by sharing their ideas, passions, knowledge and talents.

At our meetings we will be collecting burned out CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs and dead rechargable batteries. People are welcome to bring any extra food items [produce from your garden, fruit from your trees, etc.] that they have and barter with others. Also bring any coupons for food that you get in the mail or from the newspaper, we’ll pass them on to the food bank, who can make good use of them.

Gatherings are held on the second Sunday of each month, – from 2:00 – 4:00PM at the (new) KCLS Burien Library (doors open at 1:30PM). For more information, go to: http://www.sustainableburien.org.

Please call Rebecca or Bill at 243-9366 if there are questions.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Sustainable Burien Holding Garden/Birthday Party At B/ IAS On Saturday, Aug. 8th
• Sustainable Burien Installs Community Gardens At B/ IAS

This Saturday (Sept. 26th) there will be an “Adopt-A-Park Work Party,” supported by both the Burien Parks Department and the Environmental Science Center at Seahurst Park’s South Shelter to get rid of some invasive ivy.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Work Party  in Seahurst Park near the South Shelter (Google Map)

WHEN: Saturday Sept. 26th, from 10am – Noon

WHERE: The work will take place along the beach at the south end of Seahurst Park.

This time the work will be in the area between the foot bridge over the creek and the new South Shelter. And as always we’re working on more invasives than just ivy. See the Volunteer Page for more information.

Meet in the lower parking lot by the foot bridge, you may need to park in the upper lot and walk down (please do not leave valuables in your car!)  The group will be working the South shoreline planting beds (past the South Shelter.)

For future dates and locations please check www.seahurstpark.org.

by Dennis Clark
Miller/Walker Creek Basin Steward

On Monday (Sept. 21st), a merry band of men who never lost their childhood sense of joy in playing in streams set off down Miller Creek in Burien and Normandy Park. Their grown up mission was to carefully assess and, where necessary, remove debris jams that block upstream salmon passage. With coho salmon due to return next month, now was the time to do this work.

Stream steward Dennis Clark, assisted by enthusiastic volunteers Andy Batcho, Jim Buchman, and Dave Evans, organized the project. Accompanying them was a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, the aptly named Larry Fisher. The B-Town Blog’s own Michael Brunk, who thought he came along merely to take photos, also ended up helping to move the largest logs.

Click below to view his Photo Slideshow:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

Salmon are persistent and agile fish and often can swim under, through, and over what appear to be complete blockages. However, in smaller streams such as Miller and Walker Creeks, some jams are complete blockages that would limit the ability of the fish to reach the upper parts of the stream where they would lay their eggs (spawn). At the same time, tree trunks and limbs in the stream provide an important role in creating pools where young salmon rear. Wood also provides shelter where young fish can hide from predators such as great blue herons. Consequently, the team carefully assessed each log/debris jam before deciding to take action. Larry provided the expertise and authority to determine which jams should be removed. Removal of jams in the stream – and most activities affecting the stream channel – require state approval. Based on their evaluation, the team disassembled two blockages. A third was too big for the equipment they had and they’ll return later this week to disassemble a part of that.

The debris jams on Miller Creek were on private property and the team thanks the various property owners who graciously granted property access.

This work complements ongoing efforts to improve streamside habitat, both by private property owners and through organized volunteer projects stretching from the Cove in Normandy Park to the restoration site on Miller Creek at S. 144th St. in Burien. October offers volunteer restoration opportunities on Miller and Walker Creeks on three Saturdays:

• Oct. 3rd
• Oct. 10th
• Oct. 17th

Learn more at the volunteer webpage here.

If you’re interested in volunteering on future stream blockage removals, contact Dennis at 206-296-1909, or via email: dennis.clark@kingcounty.gov.

The Normandy Park and Burien Fall Recycling Collection Event and Rain Barrel Sale is scheduled for this Saturday, Sept. 19th from 9am – 3pm at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center, which is located at 19010 First Avenue South.

At this event you can safely dispose of numerous unwanted materials, some for free, others for a small fee.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Normandy Park & Burien Recycling Collection Event

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 19h from 9 am to 3 pm

WHERE: Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center

INFO: Recycle these household wastes:

• TIRES: Bias ply, steel belted, and studded tires accepted. Limit 6 passenger tires per household (18 inches and below) free of charge. $1.50 charge for each tire on a rim. $5 charged for each large truck tire and $15 charged for each truck tire on rim (cash only). No oversized tires accepted.
• MOTOR OIL, FILTERS, & ANTIFREEZE: Motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, brake fluid, transmission fluid, 2-cycle oil, steering fluid, crankcase oil, kerosene, and home heating fuel. Do not mix with antifreeze, solvents, gasoline, or other substances.
• LEAD ACID BATTERIES: Car, truck, marine, and motorcycle batteries accepted.
• ALKALINE BATTERIES: AAAA, AAA, AA, A, B, C, and D cell batteries only.
• CARDBOARD: Please flatten. No wax coated cardboard.
• REUSEABLE HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND CLOTHING: Clothing and miscellaneous household items in good condition will be collected by Seattle Goodwill. Mattresses and furniture will not be accepted. Items in need of repair will not be accepted.
• PORCELAIN TOILETS AND SINKS: $5 charge (cash only). Toilet seats, hardware, and base wax rings must be removed.
• REFRIGERATORS/FREEZERS/HOUSEHOLD AIR CONDITIONERS: $25 charge for each refrigerator, freezer or household air conditioner (cash only).
• APPLIANCES AND SCRAP METAL: Auto parts, engines and gas lawnmowers (drained of oil and gasoline), metal lawn chairs, stoves, microwaves, barbecues, steel, aluminum, brass, copper and other ferrous and non-ferrous metals. $5 will be charged for each water heater that still has insulation coating (cash only). Metals that are insulated, rubber or oil coated, previously or currently contain chemicals, paint, or hazardous materials will not be accepted. Light fixture ballasts and sealed drums will not be accepted.
• PROPANE TANKS: Residential tanks only. $5 charge (cash only).
• ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT: DVD players, VCRs, stereo equipment, printers, copiers, fax machines, scanners, cellular phones and computer peripherals such as keyboards and mice. Computer monitors and televisions will not be accepted. You can recycle these items for free at other locations.

DON’T BRING:

• No scrap wood/bulky wood
• No construction/demolition debris No garbage No mattresses/furniture No plastic toys, hoses, etc.
• No window glass

These hazardous wastes:

• No oil based paint
• No pesticides/herbicides
• No household chemicals
• No cleaning products
• No fluorescent lights

Rules For Latex Paint

• Latex paint is no longer considered hazardous waste and the household hazardous waste facilities in King County (the Wastemobile, Factoria, and two Seattle sites) no longer accept it. Residents who cannot use up latex paint, please dry it out and put it in the garbage with the lid off. Visit the King County website www.kingcounty.gov/dnrp/swd for more informa- tion on how to dry out latex paint.

For event information, call 206-248-7603 or visit www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/disposal/ or call the Household Hazards Line Monday to Friday 9 am to 4:30 pm except holidays at 206-296-4692.

Washington now has a FREE recycling program called “E-Cycle Washington” for computers, computers monitors, laptops, and televisions. Call 1-800-RECYCLE or visit 1800recycle.wa.gov to find authorized E-Cycle Washington collection locations. In the Burien/Normandy Park area you may drop off computers, computers monitors, laptops, and televisions for free at the following E-Cycle Washington locations:

• Burien Goodwill Store (1031 SW 128th Street, Burien, WA 98146, 206-957-1020)
• Salvation Army Burien Store (16033 1st Ave S, Burien, WA 98148, 206-267- 7272)
• St. Vincent de Paul (13445 1st Ave S, Burien, WA 98168, 206-243-6370)

Please note – drop off locations may change. Quantities accepted are limited. Please also note that computer peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and printers are not included in this program but will be accepted at City Recycling Collection Events.

Rain Barrel & Compost Bin Sale:
To encourage the use of recycled content material and more efficient use of water, the cities of Burien and Normandy Park are offering recycled plastic rain barrels at a huge discount. In addition, start backyard composting with a compost bin to save resources and money. Composting is a natural process that turns yard waste into rich soil. Yard waste—grass, leaves, old flowers—contain mostly water. Once the material decomposes, rich soil is all that’s left.

$20 each. Cash only. While supplies last. No pre or post event sales.

Courtesy our friends at Burien Parks comes the following video and photo slideshow showcasing a “monster grinder” chewing up the brush and detritus left over (and not previously eaten by hired goats) in the makeover of Mathison Park.

Here’s what Parks’ Director Michael Lafreniere said:

This is what the goats couldn’t eat!

Mathison Park is being transformed into a real park with trails. Trees and underbrush have been removed, and what the goats couldn’t eat, this monster grinder is chewing up into woodchips. The chips will be used for a natural trail that winds through the park, so very little material will need to be taken off-site, but will be used as part of the improvements.

Click to View Burien Parks’ Photo Slideshow

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Mathison Park Expansion Project To Be Completed This Fall
• VIDEO: Hired Goats Are Eating Up Burien’s Mathison Park

We haven’t seen one of these since July 29th, when the temps hit 104-degrees – an actual Weather Advisory – this time for quite the opposite: a cold/wet and “breezy” front to come in Saturday.

Consider yourselves warned, especially those of you planning on attending say, an outdoor wedding late Saturday afternoon:

… A cool and wet Labor Day weekend is expected across western Washington…

A cold front will move across western Washington on Saturday… bringing periods of rain… cooler… and breezy conditions. The front will be followed by an unseasonably cool and showery upper level trough Saturday night through Labor Day. Temperatures in The Lowlands Sunday and Labor Day will struggle to hit the lower 60s during the afternoon hours.

Snow levels in the mountains will be around 6000 feet Saturday night into Labor Day. Temperatures above 3500 feet will remain in
the 40s during the daytime hours. Cold temperatures will be accompanied by occasional showers and breezy conditions.

People planning travel into the mountains this weekend should be prepared for fall-like conditions. Dress warm and take rain gear. Hypothermia can occur with these expected conditions.

Need further evidence to get your rain coat out? Local celeb Meteorologist Cliff Mass talks about this weather event on his blog here.

Photo courtesy Gregory Rehmke.

The Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion (C.A.S.E.) is holding their monthly “Sea-Tac Expansion” Meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 2nd from 7pm to 9pm at the ERAC offices, located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW.

Here are the details:

WHAT: CASE Monthly Meeting

WHEN: Wednesday, September 2nd, from 7pm to 9pm.

WHERE: ERAC (Highline District Adm. Office), located at 15675 Ambaum Blvd. S.W., Burien.

INFO: CASE President Brett Fish will conduct the meeting and briefly update us on a number of actions/issues we have with the Port of Seattle and with the 3rd runway operations. These will include:

• The significant noise Increase resulting from the operations using the 3rd runway is much greater than predicted prior to the construction because of the 24-hour use was not planned. Our State Representative Dave Upthegrove and Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler, former Director of the ACC (Airport Cities Coalition), will be available to speak on this subject.
• The multiyear study by the WA State Aviation Planning Council, started in 2005, has been completed and reported to the governor. The results do not identify the next regional airport in Washington as was expected. RCAA Operations Manager Chas Talbot will update us on this subject.
• Construction is still continuing on the re-construction of the #1 runway.
• Questions or Comments will be heard as time allows.

If you have questions or need directions, call 206-824-6589.

Sustainable Burien is having its next meeting on Sunday, Sept. 13th from 2pm to 4pm at the library.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Sustainable Burien’s monthly meeting

WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 14th from 2pm to 4pm – doors open at 1:30pm

WHERE: The new Burien Library, located at 400 SW 152nd

INFO: From their website:

Sustainable Burien is an organization started in January of 2008. We recognize the need to promote and participate in the creation of a sustainable community in Burien. We invite all residents and businesses to participate in creating a sustainable local community by sharing their ideas, passions, knowledge and talents.

At our meetings we will be collecting burned out CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) bulbs and dead rechargable batteries. People are welcome to bring any extra food items [produce from your garden, fruit from your trees, etc.] that they have and barter with others. Also bring any coupons for food that you get in the mail or from the newspaper, we’ll pass them on to the food bank, who can make good use of them.

Gatherings are held on the second Sunday of each month, – from 2:00 – 4:00PM at the (new) KCLS Burien Library (doors open at 1:30PM). For more information, go to: http://www.sustainableburien.org.

Please call Rebecca or Bill at 243-9366 if there are questions.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Sustainable Burien Holding Garden/Birthday Party At B/ IAS On Saturday, Aug. 8th
• Sustainable Burien Installs Community Gardens At B/ IAS

We’ve covered this before, but since then our friend Dennis Clark sent us these photos so we just had to do an update – Burien has its own, functioning, dam (building) beaver family living in Walker Creek near Des Moines Memorial Drive; the city may have to relocate these animals soon:

A recent posting in our forums from Sue (one of the beaver’s neighbors) is worth a note as well, expressing her concern for the safety of the animals if they’re relocated:

“We have recently had a couple of beavers decide to move into our pond area off of Desmoines Memorial Drive.

But, because they’re affecting the culverts under the roadway, the city may relocate them to avoid having to pay to keep them in their protected habitat.

We’ve had a guy from King County out a couple of times, and they’ve lowered the levels of the dams and cleared out the culverts.

They have warned us that if the beavers keep being beavers, that they will have to be relocated.

I’m not sure if anyone knows this but the mortality rate of a beaver, once relocated, is very slim. Please help us keep our wild life!!“

According to King County’s Miller/Walker Creek Basin Steward Dennis Clark:

As for the beavers, they are still there doing their dam beaver thing. I now TRULY understand the term “busy as a beaver.”

I’m the “King County guy” that Sue refers to, of course. Her characterization of the issue isn’t entirely accurate, unfortunately.

Right now, the City of Burien is reviewing how to manage the beavers. While it’s exciting to have the beavers and they provide ecological benefits, they also in their dam way cause some big drainage problems. The key challenge is keeping the culverts under Des Moines Memorial Drive free-flowing so water doesn’t back up and flood over the road and the neighbors to the north.

What makes the decision for the City particularly hard is that the costs of different options vary considerably and the outcomes of the more costly options are uncertain. WILDlife is unpredictable in its response to our efforts to “manage” it.

At this point, I don’t know when the City will make its decision.

previously, Clark has also written on his blog:

Per yesterday’s entry, further work was needed to clear the Walker Creek culverts under Des Moines Memorial Drive in Burien. Overnight, the beavers were as busy as — well, beavers — and they had partly replugged one culvert and rebuilt a dam.

My clearing efforts did raise the water level flowing downstream by 2 p.m. Friday. As occurred yesterday, shortly after I concluded my work, the water flowing downstream became clear. Any longer-lasting turbidity downstream likely is due to sediment in the stream being mobilized by the temporarily higher flows. Reports from people in Normandy Park confirm that turbidity decreases once the flows do.

This clearing of the culverts and the attendant flow fluctuations downstream hopefully should occur no longer than for a few days next week. This manipulation of the stream is not desirable and is only occurring as a byproduct of efforts to protect public property (a major road) and private property (a septic drain field).

So…what do YOU think the city should do with these beavers? Please take our poll, or leave a Comment below…

King County’s free Household Hazardous Wastemobile is coming to the Burien Fred Meyer on the weekend of Sept. 11-13th, from 10am to 5pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Fred Meyer is located at 14300 First Ave South in Burien (206-433-6446).

Operated by King County as part of the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program, the Wastemobile offers King County residents the ability to drop off hazardous household waste items, including:

• Pesticides
• Chlorine bleach
• Oil-based paints
• Automotive products (oil, antifreeze, auto batteries, etc.)
• Fluorescent bulbs/ballasts
• And other items

All free of charge!

By properly disposing of these materials and keeping them out of drains and landfills, King County residents are helping safeguard the environment.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens to the toxic waste after you drop if off, here’s some info:

• Corrosive Liquids – such as drain cleaner, pool chemicals, etc. are neutralized at a treatment facility.
• Latex paint – uncontaminated latex paint can be blended and tinted for reuse, then sold as new product. Latex paint that isn’t recyclable into new paint may be used as an additive in the manufacture of certain cement compounds.
• Lead acid batteries – recycled at smelters in the US, reclaiming the lead.
• Mercury – processed through retort and prepared for use in commercial applications.
• Oil-base paints, solvents and thinners – blended into a fuel mixture for use at facilities such as cement kilns.
• Pesticides and poisons – kept in their original containers or sealed in a bag if the container is rusty or leaking. Each container is nestled one-by-one into layers of absorbent granules inside steel drums. These wastes are incinerated or placed in a hazardous waste landfill.
• Used Motor Oil – accepted at the Wastemobile or by private sector businesses is re-refined into new lubricating products or reused as fuel for ships and cement kilns.

Please note that latex paint is no longer accepted during household hazardous waste collection events. Research has shown that dried or solidified latex paint can be safely disposed in the regular garbage.

Created in 1989, the Wastemobile was the first program of its kind in the nation. In its 18 years in operation, the program collected more than 14,771 tons of household hazardous waste from nearly 330,000 customers.

For more information, including acceptable materials, quantity limits and how to properly dispose of latex paint at home, call the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program’s Hazards Line at 206-296-4692, Monday through Friday between 9am and 4:30pm, except holidays. Recorded information is available after hours.

Full details are available on the Wastemobile Web Site at http://www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/disposal/wastemobile.

PARK(ing) Day 2009 is coming Friday, Sept. 18th, and people all across the world (and perhaps Burien?) will take to the streets to turn car spaces into people spaces, with a deadline for application of Thursday, Aug. 20th – so you’d better hurry the heck up!

The idea of the PARK(ing) Day is to “hire” a parking space, but then turn it into a mini Park rather than using it to park your car.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We know of a certain “Municipal Lot” that doesn’t seem to have many cars parked. Or you can always take over a spot on SW 152nd, First Ave South, Ambaum…you name it! Let’s see whatcha got Burien – be sure to email us if you’re going to do this so we can show up and take pics!

Putting together a parking space takes a little bit of planning, however it’s an easy and simple process and Feet First, Trust for Public Lands, and Seattle Parks Foundation will help you through it. The permit process has started but you can still get in thusly:

Email Elaine@feetfirst.info ASAP and remember, the deadline for application for a park on the street (filled out forms, plans and all) is Thursday, August 20th!

You can find lots more information and photos on http://my.parkingday.org. Here’s info from that website:

PARK(ing) Day is an open source invention, which means anyone can participate without official “permission,” as long as you observe the license (PDF).

That said, PARK(ing) Day has become a worldwide event, and this network allows participants, media and interested parties to connect and promote their PARK(ing) installations. We recommend that you “register” your PARK by:

1. Creating a group for your city or particular PARK location, or joining one if it exists already.
2. Adding your PARK to the 2009 Map. At least add your city, but we recommend adding the exact coordinates of your park once you’ve decided, since lots of people will taking PARK(ing) tours of their city on PARK(ing) Day.
3. Inviting other people to your group, including local merchants and materials donors.
4. Downloading the Media Kit (coming soon) and letting your local media know about your PARK. No need to contact Rebar – you’re the best spokesman for your big idea!

Here are some videos showing previous PARK(ing) Days to give you an idea of what this is all about:

Parking Day SE Seattle:

“Students from the New School perform at the ‘Distraction Preserve’ park on Rainier Avenue S. This park was organized by SEEDArts (www.seedseattle.org/seedarts/ ) with volunteers from the community!”

Parking Day San Francisco:

“The trailer for REBAR’s PARK(ing) Day 2006 – a worldwide reclamation of metered parking spaces as public parks! 47 PARKs in 13 cities.”

Parking Day NYC:

“Parking Day NYC 2007. Watch as over 30 parking spots all over NYC are liberated from the automobile and reclaimed as space for people.”

BTB Contributor Jim Branson sends us word that on Saturday, Aug. 22nd, at 2pm, there will be a free guided tour of Burien’s Eagle Landing Park, sponsored by the Washington Native Plant Society.

With any luck, the fledgling eagles (as seen in these rare videos) will be testing their wings in the area, as they have been for the past two weeks.

You can also learn about over 80 species of native plants in the park, the local geology and history of the land, as well as how fish and eagles improve the health of the forest.

The tour group will meet at 2pm at the kiosk at the parking lot, and the tour might take about an hour, depending on how many people show up and how many questions they have.

Bring a bottle of water, for when you get thirsty after climbing the stairs, and perhaps a pair of binoculars for the eagles.

Also please keep in mind there are no restrooms at the park, but Lake Burien School Park, five blocks away, has a restroom.

The tour will proceed, rain or shine, but the forecast is for perfect weather.

According to the Eagle Landing Park website:

Eagle Landing Park is a small six-acre park, in a quiet, residential Burien neighborhood. It opened on June 15th, 2005, and it is located at the west end of SW 149th Street, where it meets 25th Ave SW. The walk from the parking lot to the beach is about a quarter of a mile, dropping 275 feet in elevation.

The goal of the park is to provide visitors with an intimate experience of nature close to an urban center. Instead of driving for an hour to feel at home in the woods, you can have this experience within walking distance of City Hall. The park feels much larger than it is (it’s roughly the same size as Lake Burien School Park) because the trees screen out the surrounding homes and provide the illusion of endless forest.

Adding to the impression of untamed wilderness are the screams of the eagles, who have been nesting in a tree in the middle of the park since 1989. The park is home to over fifty species of native plants, and volunteers are working to remove invasive plants such as ivy and reintroduce more species of native plants. Visitors have seen woodpeckers, hawks, raccoons, otters and foxes, and you may see these creatures if you keep your dog on a leash and walk quietly along the trail.

Eagle Landing Park is an escape from hectic urban living, but like the flowers pictured above, it is a fragile beauty dependent on the good will of visitors to remain unspoiled.