Have you and your spouse ever had difficulty picking a house. It appears that a pair of Downy Woodpeckers are experiencing the same problem in the Arboretum. The question is who will get their way? Where will the eggs be laid? Where will the children go to school? Find out more at Union Bay Watch.
You can see the nesting site this little wren has chosen in Interlaken Park and you can hear it sing as well on Union Bay Watch. There is also information about a special little gull at Magnuson Park. Plus there is a mystery photo of another bird that has been looking for a nesting site in Interaken. You can see the photo in the post and there are additional photos and information posted at the East Gateway Park at Boyer and 24th Avenue. I hope you enjoy the photos.
Montlake Playground’s Norwell Fitness Equipment
Montlake Family Fitness recently announced the arrival of Norwell Outdoor Fitness Equipment for ages 13+ and up. This latest addition truly makes Montlake playground fit for all ages. You can read about all about the equipment and watch instruction videos on Montlake Family Fitness.
This project is funded in part by a Neighborhood Matching Fund award from the City of Seattle, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.
This Barred Owl photo was taken yesterday evening in Interlaken Park. The unresolved issue is, “Are we seeing just one owl or has a new male showed up to help feed the female while she sits on eggs?” Our best hope for owlets is if the female gets help. Find out more at Union Bay Watch.
Image: Flickr: Laurel Fan
If our Seattle Parks are important to you, it’s time to tell the Seattle City Council how you feel. Parks need your help more than ever.
Please consider attending a Public Hearing on Monday, April 7 at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 600 4th Avenue to let the Council Members know how you feel.
The Parks funding proposal now before the Select Committee on Parks Funding was developed by a 15-member citizens committee I co-chaired. We spent 9 intensive months looking at the needs of the Parks System. Our recommendations were enthusiastically supported by Mayor Murray and with only a few minor changes he sent it to the City Council for their consideration. The Council now needs to decide the final package and pass an Ordinance placing it on the August 2014 ballot for a public vote. Here is a link to the full recommendation.
The funding proposal will provide $54 million in annual funding to address a $270 million major maintenance backlog; keep community centers open longer to provide more programs for kids and seniors; improve ballfields and playgrounds; fix crumbling infrastructure at the Zoo and Aquarium; preserve open space for our growing city; ensure safe connections between our greenways and parks; and restore our urban forests.
In the past, the Parks Department has been reliant upon levies to make up for huge cuts in their budgets and this is not sustainable. Community center hours have been cut drastically and there basically aren’t any funds for new projects, e.g. connections to greenways, development of land-banked sites, community center programming, natural area restoration, etc.
Unfortunately, our backward and regressive taxing system doesn’t allow cities to provide basic services and parks is a basic service. Recreation programs are mostly for those who can afford to pay. In my mind this is all unacceptable.
Not only do we need to take of what we have, but we need to plan for the future Park System. Our city is growing and neighborhoods are becoming more densely populated. We need to ensure all residents have equal access to the benefits of physical activity, the natural environments, and community connections. All citizens deserve to have opportunities to lead healthy lives.
If you cannot come to the meeting, please send an email to the Council Members letting them know about your support. Here are their email addresses:
sally.bagshaw@seattle.gov
tim.burgess@seattle.gov
sally.clark@seattle.gov
jean.godden@seattle.gov
bruce.harrell@seattle.gov
nick.licata@seattle.gov
mike.obrien@seattle.gov
tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov
kshama.sawant@seattle.gov
I urge you to support the creation of a parks district with sufficient revenues to meet the overwhelming needs of the Seattle Parks System. If we don’t fix them now, they will continue to deteriorate and be more expensive to fix in the future.
Thank you so much for supporting Parks.
Barbara Wrigtht
Sadly, this week’s UBW post has to do with the death of one of the Interlaken Park Barred Owls. While the death was not intentional it could have been avoided. If you would like to offer your alternatives to using rat poison they are welcome in the comments section of this weeks Union Bay Watch post. However knowing how much we all care about the owls please offer the comments with empathy because the person or persons using rat poison may have never consider the impacts before. Thank you!
Visit Union Bay Watch to learn more about the rat infestation in Interlaken, the owls that feed off the rats, and a conversation about pest control.
Have you been wondering where your missing socks are going? Do the socks this bird is wearing look like yours? Please visit Union Bay Watch to see more photos and help solve this baffling sock mystery.
Images: LeAna Alvarado-Smith
After a few delays but just in time for the reappearing sun, Montlake Community Center’s new playground is open for business. Have at it kids!
After years of planning, a new multi-use trail is now on the horizon. A ten-foot wide trail for walkers and bikers has been designed and construction will begin later in 2014. The trail will start behind the stone cottage near the Madison Street entrance. The trail will run parallel to Lake Washington Blvd. and end at the north end of the park connecting to Arboretum Drive to form a loop. The route will meander through areas that are not frequently seen. New grading and bridges will allow walkers and bikers to get through wetlands that are only dry in the hottest weather. Arboretum Creek will be daylighted and the Azalea Way pond enlarged.
The paving material will be user-friendly for strollers, wheelchairs and bike riders going a slow speed. Bicycle commuters who travel with the traffic flow will be encouraged to continue to drive on Lake Washington Blvd. The parking lots at Interlaken Blvd. and at the north end of the park will be enlarged and paved.
Andy Sheffer, from the Seattle Park Dept. is the manager for this project. He recently met with the Montlake CC board to review the trail details, now that the public comment period is over and the plan is moving forward. The board expressed concern that the Park Dept. and/or Seattle Dept. of Transportation need to add signage to Montlake streets showing access to the new trail at Lynn St., Boyer Ave. and Interlaken Blvd. Some of the funds for this project are from WSDOT which is required to provide mitigation (enhancements) for the disruption to the neighborhood caused by SR-520 construction.
Julee Neuhart
Montlake Community Club President
Summer camp at the Washington Park Arboretum is bounding into its fourth year with more weeks offered and new programs. Come join us for a week (or more!) of fun and educational adventures in our 230 acre outdoor classroom located in the heart of Seattle. Our day-camp curriculums are designed in support of our mission: to promote environmental conservation through education and recreation. To achieve this we focus on hands-on exploration, play and experiential learning. Depending on the weekly theme, campers may become ethnobotanists, artists, urban farmers or field biologists all while learning about the importance of teamwork and sustainability.
Camps are available for 1st-6th graders, and include weeks on insects, wetlands, art, and farming. Click here for more information.
New this year! Fiddleheads Preschool Summer Camp! A half-day, week-long adventure for preschoolers age 4, 5 and 6 year olds entering kindergarten.
Camp sizes are limited and space fills up quickly, so register today!
You can register online or you can call 206-685-8033.
There is also a 15% discount for UW employees and Arboretum Foundation Members.
