As this was the seventh Green Seattle Day in the city, we were honored to see at least 20 volunteers appear at the McAbee entrance to Carkeek Park this particular Saturday. Volunteers again represented many age groups and backgrounds. We had couples, friends, children, and forestry and plant experts.
The plan was to remove invasives from several severely affected areas around the Park entrance, and plant about a dozen native conifers and shrubs in targeted areas. In the Blackberry areas, first we cut the canes, and piled them on the ground, and then we dug out the Blackberry roots, placing them on top of the pile of canes.
The photos from this day show the group of volunteers, tired and proud, who extended the Blackberry removal on the slope closest to the McAbee entrance. It is a densely invaded hillside, sloping down to the trail, which curves several times before becoming the main Piper’s Creek Trail through the Park. Once the considerable amount of Blackberry was removed from the slope, one could see down to the trail, which before had been blocked from view. One picture shows a freed tree where before blackberry vines had climbed into its branches.
Other groups worked removing blackberry from other areas, There is more blackberry to be removed from this slope, but with many people working together, a lot of progress was made toward creating a natural, healthy, and appealing entrance.