In celebration of Ballard's green spaces, Groundswell NW features and celebrates a "Park of the Month" and the community around it. In August the spotlight is on Golden Gardens Park and the group that is preserving the park's natural habitat.

From Groundswell NW:

This August, Golden Gardens Park celebrates one year of stewardship under the Green Seattle Partnership (GSP). Golden Gardens area originally used by native American people who for hundreds of years as a shoring station for canoes and a transfer station for freshwater boats. Harry Whitney Treat developed Golden Gardens Park as an amusement park in 1908. giving its current name at that time. Seattle purchased the park, including its woodlands, or Upper Forest, in 1923 creating Golden Gardens as we know it now.

Neighborhood groups and organizations such as EarthCorps have engaged in activity to maintain the park's lush vegetation since its creation. In August 2010, Rhonda Goebel and Alessandra Carreon began to serve as the park's newest forest stewards. Under their stewardship, more than 13,000 square feet of invasive plant species have been removed, hundreds of native plants have been introduced Over 600 volunteer hours so far, and they will continue their stewardship efforts because they know much more needs doing to maintain the park's natural beauty!

Golden Gardens has suffered serious forestry issues which the stewards have given much time to address. Serious landslides in the woodlands have occurred over time. An effective drainage system was installed in 1974 after three homes were damaged along View Avenue. More recently, a landslide brought down part of the road wall along the eastern edge of the park. In an effort to curb this erosion, forest stewards Rhonda and Alessandra have planted, mulched and stabilized park slopes. In addition, non-native species planted in the park have invaded and still cover a sizable portion of the Upper Forest footprint. However, in one year, the park has undergone significant improvement due to volunteer effort which we welcome.

Every second Saturday of each month, join the Golden Gardens Reforestation and Trails (or GGREAT) project from 9 am to 12 pm in service work parties. GGREAT meets at the offleash area near the upper parking lot. Golden Gardens thanks its community neighbors for all their help in revitalizing this important gem of a Seattle park! Learn more and stay current with park activities at: https://sites.google.com/site/goldengardensseattle.