Native Plant Stewardship Program Offers Free Education and Habitat Restoration Skills
I took part in this training and volunteer program in 2001 and it is invaluable information. If you’re lucky you’ll come away with some really great stories – like getting your boot sucked off in an east King county bog and learning the hard way why you ALWAYS pack extra socks when going out in the field.
In the meantime, I can entertain you with photographs from a salvage event we attended in 2002.
Stephen Hughes-Jelen (my husband), and Steve Richmond (of Garden Cycles) help another salvager / homeowner claim a fallen tree stump. They intended to place it in their yard. They lived nearby. This was the Trident development area in Redmond before homes were built.
Steve and Steve plot how to pack in as many plants as possible. Note the sword ferns and other plants are packed in burlap bags that we got for free from a Gerogetown coffee roaster. You can dump water over the burlap bags and it gets them really soaked and it will keep the plant roots damp and make them more likely to survive the transplant.
GRNSTRK set up for maximum hauling capacity. The 4’x8′ trailer can haul a LOT of plants. Here it is fully loaded and ready to head home.
In an exciting and extensive ten-week training program, you’ll learn and experience first-hand how to identify native plants; the importance of soils; how to propagate, plant and care for native plants; the functions and benefits of wetlands and forests; how to remove invasive plants; tips on educating the public; which native plants work well in urban settings (and attract wildlife); how to train and lead volunteers, and how to restore and monitor a variety of habitats. Expert training is through lectures, workshops and field trips.
The 10-week program is free in exchange for a 100-hour volunteer commitment within King County-most of which will take place in a Seattle Park. Following the training, teams of stewards will be assigned 1-acre sites in identified Seattle Parks where they will fulfill their volunteer commitments through designing and implementing native plant restoration plans.
Classes will be held on Fridays from 8:30am until 4:30pm at South Seattle Community College. Classes will begin Friday, April 25, 2007 and will run until June 27th, including three all-day Saturday field trips.
All applications for this Native Plant Forest Stewardship training are due by 5pm Tuesday, April 11th to Washington Native Plant Society, 6310 NE 74th Street, Suite 215E, Seattle, WA 98115 or by emailed to
npsp_KC@wnps.org. Download an application from Washington Native Plant Society at http://www.wnps.org/ or email Stewardship Coordinator, Deb Gurney at nsps_KC@wnps.org.“This program gives stewards the tools and confidence they need to teach others about native plants and lead projects that improve our streams, lakes, parks, forests, soil and air, and make us proud to live in our neighborhoods,” said Gary Smith, Chair of the Washington Native Plant Society’s Stewardship Program. “We encourage all native plant enthusiasts to apply, as well as volunteers who are working on or want to start a restoration project. The more we can educate and train people to provide this type of preventive care, we’re keeping the tax burden down for everyone-now and in the future-with benefits that will last well past our lifetimes.”