Juanita Woodlands Update
Fall 2005

2003 and 2004 were about raising money to save the Woodlands from the backhoe. This year has been focused on enhancing the aesthetic and educational potential of this urban forest.

Restoration

English ivy, Himalayan blackberries, and holly are the bane of our urban forests. Seattle has launched a 10-year, multi-million project to rid its parks of these invasive plants, which are slowly choking its trees and native shrubs. Our Woodlands are similarly afflicted, and up to 2 dozen community volunteers have assembled on 3 occasions during the past year to hack, hew, and pull out ivy and other noxious plants. Thanks to their efforts, a lot has been accomplished already. But there is much more to do. There’s always another ivy vine to pull and, more happily, there will be new trees to plan (see below).

Want to become a real ivy leaguer? Stay tuned for the next clean-up event, which will be announced on our website, www.juanitawoodlands.org, and on the signboard of Organized Spaces, on Juanita Drive adjacent to the Woodlands.

Education

The Environmental and Adventure School (EAS). The Lake Washington School District’s EAS, located on the Finn Hill Jr. High campus, used the Woodlands as a resource for students in the 6th through 8th grades; approximately 20-30 students visited the site every Friday during the 2004-2205 school year to learn about animal tracking, native plantings, and invasive species. As the enclosed Seattle Times article describes, the EAS students also introduced a class from the nearby Discovery School to the Woodlands. The article captures the unique educational value that the Woodlands can provide to environmental students of all ages.

EAS faculty is interested in using the Woodlands for additional outdoor programs, particularly if an environmental teaching center can be established on the site. Once we have had an opportunity to assess the opportunity for such a facility, we expect to meet with EAS leaders in the coming months to discuss ideas for a long-term educational program.

Environmental Learning Center. When the County purchased the Woodlands in 2004, Councilmembers and local residents suggested that establishing an environmental education facility there might be a particularly fitting way to realize the property’s educational potential, serve as a logistics center for environmental restoration programs in the surrounding area (e.g. O.O. Denny Creek, Finn Hill, etc.), and provide another rationale for the financing needed to preserve the entire 36 acre parcel. In this year’s budget, the King County Council set aside funds for a study on the feasibility of establishing such a center in the Woodlands, along with seed money for the center’s development, if appropriate.

The Cascade Land Conservancy was selected by the County to conduct an initial study. We expect that its report will be released this month. We’ll post it on our website, and follow up with community meetings to discuss the neighborhood’s response.

Removal…and Renewal

One important outcome of the Cascade Land Conservancy’s feasibility study is that forest pathologists who assessed the Woodlands’ condition diagnosed root rot in several stands of Douglas Fir throughout the site. The accepted remedy for root rot is to remove the infected trees, so that they don’t pass the fungus to neighboring healthy ones. The County plans to cut down diseased trees this month. It anticipates that a relatively small number of trees will be taken down. The good news, however, is that the affected areas can be replanted with a variety of native species, which will provide greater diversity, enhance aesthetics over time, and better protect the Woodlands against similar diseases. We have scheduled a replanting event for the morning of Saturday, December 10. Please check our website for details or contact Scott Morris at scottkmorris@comcast.net to sign up.

State Funding

The County financed its $7 million purchase of the Woodlands by using its Conservation Futures Trust Fund, and it now needs $1.5M in new funds (besides the $500,000 contribution that our neighborhood has pledged) to replenish the CFTC; the new funds will be used to support other environmental projects in the County.

We committed to help the County locate this additional money, so, early this year, we submitted a proposal for funding to the Washington State legislature. Representatives Ruth Kagi and Maralyn Chase and Senator Darlene Fairley provided support for our request, and many local residents sent in cards and letters as well. It’s tough to come in as a new player when budgets are tight, however, and we didn’t receive any funds from the state in its current capital budget.

These efforts usually do not succeed overnight, and we are not giving up. In next year’s legislative session, we hope to work with other neighborhood groups around Lake Washington to submit a combined proposal for state funds to preserve King County open space; together, our voices should carry considerably more weight – we won’t be speaking for just one neighborhood, but will be working on behalf of several communities throughout the county. A united front should give us more visibility in the Capitol.

Our grassroots efforts will be effective if we have strong volunteer support. If you are interested in helping out, please let us know. Drop us a line at our website, www.juanitawoodlands.org, or call or write Scott Morris directly. Scott’s phone is 206-972-9493 and his email address is scottkmorris@comcast.net.