Carkeek Park WeWos win the Denny Healthy Environment Award

CONGRATULATIONS WeWos!

From Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent’s Office:
Today (November 28, 2017) Superintendent Jesús Aguirre announced the winners of Seattle Parks and Recreation’s 2017 Denny Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Stewardship. The winners are a cross-section of Seattle’s most creative, dedicated and hard-working volunteers who donate precious time and energy to improving Seattle’s parks and recreation programs.
 
“Choosing award winners is always a difficult task for us,” Aguirre said. “We are grateful to the many volunteers who contribute to Seattle Parks and Recreation’s mission of supporting healthy people, a healthy environment, and strong communities.”
 
In 2016, 37,722 people volunteered for Seattle Parks and Recreation, providing 231,675 hours of service, which is a donation valued by Independent Sector at $30.04 per hour or $6.9 million dollars in 2016.
 
AWARD – Healthy Environment:
Weekday Workers (WEWO) Carkeek Park
Since 2006, the Weekday Workers (WEWOs) have been improving the natural environment in Carkeek Park by removing invasive species, planting native species, clearing blocked trails, and performing other forest restoration activities every Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., rain or shine. The WEWOs host approximately 60 work parties each year. In 2016 alone, the WEWOs removed invasive plants from more than a half-acre area; did weeding maintenance on over two acres; saved 101 trees from strangulation by English ivy; and planted 132 native trees, 77 native shrubs and 110 native ground covers. The restoration of Carkeek Park’s forest is vital to the successful salmon runs, which thousands of park visitors enjoy every fall.

The Salmon have returned to Piper’s Creek

This male Chum salmon returned to its home waters in Venema Creek. Salmon return to their home waters to spawn, needing 2 things: a mate and suitable habitat for spawning; Photo by Matt Kuhar, CWCAP Naturalist, Nov 12, 2016

The salmon are in Carkeek Park!  Come down to the park and check them out!

The first salmon this fall was spotted on Oct 19th by Rick Henry in Piper’s Creek. Look for increasing numbers of live salmon through November with fish still in the creek through the first week or two of December.

Remember, please stay on the trails and use the viewing areas to watch for salmon.  Keep all of your dogs leashed and out of the creeks and away from the creek banks.

Here are some of the activities you might want to know about:

Salmon Stewards
Each Saturday & Sunday in November (plus the Friday after Thanksgiving) and the 1st weekend in December, 11am—2pm
Carkeek Park Salmon Stewards are a community of local volunteers trained to welcome, engage, educate, and inspire park visitors drawn by the annual Piper’s Creek salmon run. Check out the Carkeek Park Salmon Stewards Facebook page.

Salmon Spawning Survey
Each Saturday in November until the end of the salmon run in December
CWCAP volunteers collect data about deceased salmon to determine their numbers and spawning success. This annual survey follows the story of these fish after they are released from the Les Malmgren Imprint Pond 3-5 years earlier.

Carkeek Park Salmon Celebration, Saturday, November 19th, 11am-2pm, hosted by SPU‘s Carkeek Park Salmon Stewards.  All ages are invited to come on down to Carkeek Park to view the salmon, join in some activities and enjoy a hot beverage and donuts. Volunteer Salmon Stewards will be on hand to show you where the fish are and a lot about their life cycle, habitat, and how well they are doing in this amazing Seattle urban creek. There will be music, a kid-friendly scavenger hunt, a fish dissection, and representatives from several organizations that care about the salmon in our park including – Carkeek Park Advisory Council, Tilth Alliance, Carkeek Watershed Community Action Project, and Indigenous STEAM.

Master Gardeners Participate in the 2017 Festival of Fruit at Carkeek Park

Master Gardener Clinic table at the Orchard Festival 2017

The Carkeek Master Gardener Demonstration Gardeners participated in the Festival of Fruit, September 16th from 10am-2pm, at Carkeek Park with a MG clinic table, children’s activities and live honey bees.

Master Gardeners Mary Ann Kae, Jane Johnson, and Kathy Pendras, with visitors.

Children’s Activity presented by Mary Ann Kae, beekeeper; both children and adults were fascinated with this display and presentation.

Master Gardener Clinic table, with Mary Vincent and Kathy Pendras, greeting visitors.

11th Annual Piper’s Orchard Festival of Fruit

fruit fest poster 2017

The Friends of Piper’s Orchard invite the community to join them in celebrating Carkeek Park’s historic orchard on Saturday, September 16 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm in Carkeek Park. FREE and fun for the whole family, activities include:

In Piper’s Orchard
Visit the orchard
Orchard tours (11:30am and 1:30pm)
Get your fruit tree and grape questions answered
Apple variety tasting
Mason Bee demonstrations
Orchard Oculus art piece

At the Environmental Center
Apple pie contest (10-10:45am)
Apple identification
Fresh pressed cider demonstration
Buy pies and cider from Tillie’s Cafe (11am-2pm)
Master Gardener Clinic with activities for adults and children
Carkeek Wildlife Habitat Gardens tours
Live Music

Bring a homemade apple pie between 10:00 am and 10:30 am to enter into the pie contest or donate a homemade pie for resale. More interested in eating pies than baking them? That’s okay too! Donated pies will be available for purchase at Tillie’s Café, and the proceeds will go toward maintaining the orchard. Contest pies will also be available for purchase.

The Festival of Fruit is organized by the Friends of Piper’s Orchard, a group of dedicated volunteers who rescued the historic North Seattle orchard from invasive plants. Each year, the annual festival raises awareness and funds to help the volunteers ensure that the orchard, originally planted in the 1890s, will survive at least another 100 years.

Alongside the Friends of Piper’s Orchard, the Festival of Fruit is also sponsored by Seattle Parks and Recreation, Carkeek Park Advisory Council, Seattle Tree Fruit Society, and City Fruit.

Getting There: Metro bus lines D, 28 and 40 all travel near the McAbee entrance to Carkeek Park. From there it’s a ½ mile walk down the Piper’s Creek trail to Piper’s Orchard and another ½ mile to the Education Center.

Parking: Parking is very limited. Visitors are encouraged to park below the Education Center. Volunteers will be directing guests.

For more information
Call: 206-684-0877
Email: pipersorchard@gmail.com
Visit: www.pipersorchard.org

Work on Viewlands Trail begins August 14th

On Monday August 14th, crews will begin work on the Viewlands Trail reroute. The project will reroute the lower portion of the  Viewlands trail down the ridge to the NW, providing a gentler, drier path.

The existing trail will be open during construction of the new route, 8:30 a.m.–2:45 p.m., August 14–September 15. 

Please keep alert for vehicles moving materials along the Pipers Creek Trail.

Major funding for this project came from the “Meet Me at the Park” grant from the National Recreation and Park Association and the Walt Disney Company. Thank you to all that voted for this project in April (“Meet me at the Park” post).

For more information see go to http://parkways.seattle.gov/2017/08/04/carkeek-park-trails-restoration/.