Press release:

Since 2008, volunteers in Walker Preserve have removed large amounts of invasive plants and planted many native trees and shrubs. Walker Preserve is in the City of Normandy Park, along Walker Creek. Walker Creek has spawning coho and chum salmon each fall. Restoring native vegetation along the creek benefits salmon and other wildlife.

Please join us this Saturday, Jan. 14, to continue this work! We also have several monthly community weeding projects scheduled through the winter to remove ivy and other invasive weeds, and plant native trees and shrubs along the trail and stream in Walker Preserve and other areas in the basin.

This stewardship project is a joint effort of the City of Normandy Park, and the Miller and Walker Creeks Stewardship program.
Address: SW. 168th St. and 2nd Ave. SW. in Normandy Park, up the road from Normandy Park City Hall.

If driving, your parking options include:
Three spaces in the small lot at SW 171st St. and Second Ave. S.W.
On the street along SW. 168th St.

Date/Time: Saturday, January 14, 2012, 9:30 a.m. – noon

IMPORTANT NOTE: This park does not have a restroom.

Stewardship Purpose: Improve habitat along the stream by removing non-native, invasive plants

Activities:
• Seek out English ivy and remove it from trees and pull roots out of the ground. Seek out Himalayan blackberry plants, cut them back, and then dig out the root balls.

What to bring:
• Your enthusiasm
• Clothing that will protect you from the rain and blackberry thorns
• Filled water bottle
• Gloves if you have them

We provide:
• Gloves
• Tools
• Donuts!

Sign up and questions: Elissa Ostergaard, elissa.ostergaard@kingcounty.gov, 206-296-1909 (Saturday, January 14 only: 206-707-6549)

This volunteer event is an opportunity to visit a pleasant park along Walker Creek. The City of Normandy Park recently rebuilt the footbridge over the creek, and neighbors and other volunteers have made a lot of progress restoring the native plant community in this park.
This work will help create areas for native plants to go in later this winter. Please sign up if you can, or decide to show up at the last minute!