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!

The annual Tyee Holiday Bazaar will be held this Saturday, Dec. 5th, from 9am to 4pm at the Tyee High School Complex, located at 4424 South 188th Street in Seatac.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Tyee Holiday Bazaar

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 5th from 9am to 4pm

WHERE: Tyee High School Complex, located at 4424 South 188th in SeaTac

INFO: From a press release:

Do your holiday shopping from over 100 booths of hand-made and commercial items.

Shoppers can also get their Christmas tree, have their picture taken with Santa, and enjoy breakfast, lunch or a hot fresh espresso beverage.

There’s even a Kid activity center for the little shoppers.

We are also still accepting craft vendors – contact Alana Vinther at 206.433.2128 or vintheam@hsd401.org for information. $50 per space includes 1 table and 2 chairs, and load/unload help is provided.

Every year more than 2,000 people attend because it is a longstanding tradition in our community.

All proceeds benefit Tyee student activities.

Sponsored by Global Connections DECA.

You can always tell when the Christmas season is upon us when the cut Christmas trees are on the lot and ready for sale at BTB Advertiser Herr Backyard Garden Center in Burien – let the Holiday’s begin at Burien’s Christmas Store!

Burien-ites have counted on Herr for their fresh-cut Christmas trees for many years, including back in the day when it was Herr Lumber. Still in the original lumber yard location, the Herr sister-in-laws, Diane Herr-Lorella and Lisa Herr continue the family tradition.

You can get your fresh-cut tree starting this Friday, Nov. 27th at 10am. From then until Dec. 23rd they’ll be open seven days a week from 10am-8pm, so you’ll be able to get your picture-perfect tree after work, or on weekends. They’ll also be open ’til 1pm on Christmas Eve.

Hand picked trees include Nobels, Grands, Frasers, Douglas–both shirred and natural–and of course good ole’ deluxe “Charley Browns.” Prices start at just $11.95! Plus they’ve got a gorgeous selection of artificial and flocked trees in their Gift Shop. From “all that glitters IS gold”, to silver to green they’ve got only the best in artificials.

And because Herr is Burien’s Christmas Store, you know you’ll find lots of gifts for everyone on your list. From private label foodstuffs to newley arrived “Pashminas”, novelty tablewear, to Christmas lights, you’ll find that this season Lisa and Diane made some very sharp purchases to pass holiday savings on to their customers. And while you’re in the gift shop be sure and check out their complete wall of affordable and unique and one-of-a kind tree ornaments–the largest selection in the Highline area.

SPECIAL DEAL: And this year when you purchase a Herr Gift Card as a gift, when you mention The B-town Blog, they’ll add 10% to your card.

Let’s see…that means that if you buy a $50 gift card, they’ll put $55 on the card!

Since Herr is a garden store, Diane and Lisa have recommended that you consider giving a living gift of a shrub or tree this Christmas. Give it now and plant it in the spring. They’ve also got a nice selection of live Christmas trees to decorate now and plant later.

‘Tis the season to be jolly. The Christmas season starts this Friday, Nov. 27th when BTB Advertiser Herr Backyard Garden Center’s fresh Christmas trees go on sale starting at 10am.

Herr is located at 107 SW 160th, near the Five Corners area in Burien.

[Would you like to have a “Blogvertorial” story, event listing and/or Ad like this on a popular, fast-growing website seen by nearly 40,000 interested Local Readers every month? Email us for more info, or check out our Advertise page!]

Welcome our latest Advertiser – Zenith Holland Gardens, located just south of B-Town in Des Moines!

It’s Christmas tree time and Zenith Holland Gardens in Des Moines is the place to find yours.

The trees arrive tomorrow – Friday, Nov. 20th.

“Real trees have a great natural fragrance,” reminds Lyn Robinson of Zenith Holland. “Real trees smell like Christmas!”

Located just south of downtown Des Moines, Zenith Holland is open seven days a week (see map below).

They offer a terrific selection: Noble Fir, Grand Fir and Douglas Fir. Trees come in all sizes, from tabletops to twelve feet.

Many Christmas tree lots accept only cash from their customers. Zenith Holland also takes Visa, Mastercard and personal checks.

“And who actually delivers Christmas trees?” Lyn points out. “Well, we do!” Delivery fees are waived for tree buyers in the local Des Moines area.

While you’re there, check out the wonderful holiday wreaths, garlands and festive centerpieces Zenith Holland is offering.

Zenith Holland is open seven days a week from 10am to 9pm. They open at 9am on Saturdays.

Like a sapling in a forest, Zenith Holland is easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there.

It’s easy to find:

• Head south through downtown Des Moines on Marine View Drive.
• You’ll pass the Red Robin restaurant on your right. Stay in the right lane, curving gently up the hill, past the Taco Time on your left.
• About a quarter mile up you’ll see Zenith Holland’s entry point wooden sign on your left.

Zenith Holland Gardens
23260 Marine View Drive South
Des Moines, WA 98198

Phone: 206-878-7002

Hours:

• Open seven days a week
• Saturday 9am to 9pm
• Sunday through Friday 10am to 9pm

[Would you like to have a “Blogvertorial” story, event listing and/or Ad like this on a popular, fast-growing website seen by nearly 40,000 interested Local Readers every month? Email us for more info, or check out our Advertise page!]

BTB Reader Rebecca Dare brought this to our attention a few days ago – around Burien, there are numerous “orphan” trees (and plants/bushes) that may be suffering from this extreme heat and drought.

These living things might be growing near unattended buildings, near sidewalks and other places where they may not get the water they need, especially during times of high heat.

So we’re putting out the call to all Readers to “adopt” one of these poor trees and bring them water.

Here’s Rebecca’s email to us:

I noticed a Forest Pansy Redbud (one of my favorite trees) dying near the Thai restaurant (the old IHOP) and started taking bottles of water to try to save it for the last few days. The rhodys around it are already toast so I’m not bothering with them.

I’d like to add that mulch can help hold in the water — just don’t put mulch all the way up to the trunk of a tree.

At this point — this week — I think just water would be a big help! And whenever & however a person could do it. (At this point I’ve just been watering the redbud once a day — approx. 4 gallons or so.

On the day we did the big walk around with Thomas Sieverts, some of us were pretty concerned (Kitty Milne among us) about the plants by the old City Hall. I’ve been meaning to take a look at them, but not sure how best to water — maybe I’ll look into it. At the SuBu raised beds at B/IAS was have access to water.

If you see another plant or tree suffering, it’d be wonderful if you’d adopt it until things get better.

Thanks, Rebecca

UPDATE 8/3/09: Rebecca sent us these pics of herself and Bill Opfermann watering one of these trees:

We did some research, and here’s more information that might help you save one of these plants and keep Burien green:

• What a tree under “drought stress” looks like:
  • Symptoms of drought injury to trees can be sudden or may take up to two years to be revealed. Drought injury symptoms on tree leaves include wilting, curling at the edges, and yellowing.
  • Deciduous leaves may develop scorch, brown outside edges or browning between veins.
  • Evergreen needles may turn yellow, red or purple. They may also turn brown at the tips of the needles and browning may progress through the needle towards the twig.
  • In continued drought, leaves may be smaller than normal, drop prematurely or remain attached to the tree even though brown.
  • Often times, drought stress may not kill a tree outright, but set it up for more serious secondary insect and disease infestations in following years.

• Where to water your tree:

• Deep watering to a depth of 12” inches below the soil surface is recommended.
• Saturate the soil around the tree within the “dripline” (the outer edges of the tree’s branches) to disperse water down toward the roots.
• For evergreens, water 3’-5’ beyond the dripline on all sides of the tree.
• The objective is to water slowly, dispersing the flow of water to get the water deep down to the trees roots. Wateringfor short periods of time only encourages shallow rooting which can lead to more drought damage.
• Don’t dig holes in the ground in an effort to water deeply. This dries out roots even more. A soil needle/deep root feeder attached to a hose is acceptable to insert into the ground if your soil is not too hard and compact.
• Overhead spraying of tree leaves is inefficient and should be avoided during drought conditions. Watering at ground level to avoid throwing water in the air is more efficient.

• Tree Watering: Amount of water needed and methods to use:

• During the drought, trees must be given top watering priority over your lawn. However, caring for trees requires different watering methods than your lawn.
• During water restrictions, irrigation systems designed to water turf do not sufficiently water your trees. During the drought, trees should be given a higher priority than lawns. Lawns can be replaced in a matter of months whereas a 20 year old tree will take 20 years to replace.
• How much water your tree should receive depends upon the tree size. A general rule of thumb is to use approximately 10 gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter for each watering. Measure trunk diameter at knee height. General formula: Tree Diameter x 5 minutes = Total Watering Time.
• Example: When you hand water using a hose at medium pressure, it will take approximately 5 minutes to produce 10 gallons of water. If you have a 4” diameter tree, it should receive 40 gallons of water – multiply by 5 minutes to equal total watering time of 20 minutes.
• All size trees should be watered April through September according to the guidelines below. All trees should also receive adequate water during the winter months too –For more information on winter watering, see below.
• Water should be distributed evenly under the dripline of the tree.
• The best watering method depends upon whether you have a small (1-7” diameter), medium (8-15” diameter) or large sized (16”+ diameter) tree.
• Small Trees (1-7” diameter) –3 times per month, April through September.
• Newly planted and smaller trees can get adequate water within the existing watering restrictions by hand watering with a soft spray hose attachment as a separate zone on your designated day.

So, if you decide to help out one of Burien’s (and your planet’s) fellow living things, please take some pics and email them to us along with info on where the tree/planet was located!

Previously we reported on vandalism at the new Town Square, and before that at Seahurst Park Beach’s new picnic area, and now BTB Contributor Jim Branson sent us these photos of some recent vandalism in Olde Burien, including graffiti and broken tree limbs:

Click to View Jim Branson’s Photo Slideshow

What’s the deal B-Town peeps? Why are you being so destructive this summer?

An Editorial by Jim Branson

On Arbor Day, the City of Burien called our attention to the beauty and value of trees by planting a dogwood in Dottie Harper Park.

This is commendable, and if it inspires people to plant appropriate trees in their own yards, it could have some long-term benefit.

We might also benefit by paying attention to the trees we’ve lost. In recent years, Burien has lost hundreds of trees, a few here, one there, a dozen more over here. These trees fall silently, when we don’t pay attention, and one might not even be aware of the gradual loss of canopy if no one takes the time to notice the missing trees. Ideally, the City of Burien should have an inventory of its trees, with notes on their health, so we can know if we are successful in being a Tree City U. S. A., as we were designated 7 years ago. This would take a coordinated effort involving arborists, but we can start by cataloguing the trees we have lost recently.

If you go to Google Maps and choose the Street View at 4th SW and SW 152nd, you can drive down memory lane and see the trees we’ve lost in that block beside the new Town Square. It was a green canopy from more than twenty trees, making a shady street, providing relief at the height of summer, and softening the big ugly box of the Dollar Tree store. Most of those large, healthy trees are gone, and it will take 30 years for that canopy to be replaced:

View Larger Map

Along Des Moines Way, from 156th north to the freeway, we’ve lost about a dozen large shade trees to a public works project. You can see them on the Google Maps aerial view, but they are missing at the time the street view was shot. Further south on Des Moines Way, at 176th, you’ll see a wide swath cut through the margin of a wetland. Dozens of trees were cut down for this “park,” but I have visited this site a dozen times and never seen a single person walking along this trail to nowhere. It seems more likely that the sole purpose of bulldozing those trees was for the convenience of the sewer district when they installed a new line.

At Lake Burien School Park, the large poplars were deemed healthy by the first consulting arborist, but the City found a different arborist to say they were diseased, and they cut them all down, healthy or not. Whatever the reason, we are losing trees far faster than new ones can take their places.

It’s not just public lands that feel the bite of the chainsaw. Private property owners are taking down mature trees, one by one. You don’t necessarily notice one tree missing here or there, but if you take the time to walk through your neighborhood and check, you’ll see that the missing trees add up to a substantial loss. In the Seahurst neighborhood, in the past year, at least fourteen significant, mature, healthy (as far as I could tell) trees were cut down at ten residential addresses. For the most part, these homeowners cut their trees legally, although a few in areas with steep slopes might have required a permit and might have been denied. State law prohibits the cutting of trees without a permit within a certain distance of the eagles’ nest tree in Eagle Landing Park, but those rules are confusing and enforcement is lax.

If we wanted to, instead of Arbor Day, we could celebrate Chainsaw day, and all the homeowners in Burien could cut down all their trees at once while the City mows down trees in parks and along streets. Obviously, this would be absurd and horrific. Why is it any less absurd and horrific to lose our trees one by one?

The Tree City USA website says that Burien has been a Tree City for seven years. It also says that in order to be certified as a Tree City, the city need to satisfy four requirements:

• A Tree Board or Department
• A Tree Care Ordinance
• A Community Forestry Program With an Annual Budget of at Least $2 Per Capita
• An Arbor Day Observance and Proclamation

As far as I can tell, the Tree Board disbanded a long time ago, and I was unable to find any reference to Burien’s Community Forestry Program or its budget (perhaps it’s a subcategory of some other budget or program). The City’s tree ordinance has a host of inadequacies, but it doesn’t even cover the majority of our trees, located on private property.

Twenty years from now, when we celebrate Arbor Day with the planting of another tree in another park, what will our urban forest look like? Without a detailed inventory, and if people don’t pay attention to this gradual loss, we might be significantly poorer in trees without even realizing it.

If you look at the King County aerial photos of Burien for 1936 and 2008, you can see, obviously, that we have lost the majority of our urban forest canopy:

For many reasons, environmental, economic, and aesthetic, it is important to reverse that loss and start increasing our canopy cover. If we don’t get serious about managing our trees collectively and offering incentives for homeowners to plant and retain trees, Arbor Day plantings will only be symbolic and futile.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Branson is a longtime area resident and environmental activist. Previously, he wrote an editorial on "Earth Hour" that received quite a few Comments from Readers. What do you think of his opinion on Burien's trees? Please Comment below.

If you have an opinion about a local issue and would like to contribute, please email us.]

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

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

BOY SCOUT TROOP #375 RECYCLING EVENT SAT./SUN. JAN. 3-4:

• Boy Scout Troop #375 will be recycling trees this Saturday and Sunday (1/3-1/4) from 10am – 3pm.
• Go to 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.
• Call Diane 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. 12-16 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 12 – 16 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.
• More information: Contact Dave Steen at 206-870-6532

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 placing it inside your yard waste container (especially with all the wind we’ve been getting lately – we don’t need tumbleweed Christmas trees clogging our roads now do we?).
• 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, at 206-296-4466 or 1-800-325-6165 (toll-free).