Thornton Creek Alliance General Meeting - Thursday

GREENWAYS & URBAN FORESTS

Natural Area Restoration, Volunteers, Crime & Personal Safety

Public Welcome!

Bring your ideas to an open discussion! Participate in brainstorming sessions with neighbors and community leaders.  Hear from others working to create better neighborhoods by integrating community interests.

January 26^th Thursday 7pm – 9pm

Meadowbrook Community Center,  10517 35th Ave. NE, Seattle 98125

ATTENDING:

Sally Bagshaw           Seattle City Council Chair of Parks Committee 

Terrie Johnston          SPD Community Liaison

Joanna Nelson de Flores          Green Seattle Partnership Project Manager

Chris Saleeba            Seattle Greenways

Emily Lofstedt            Seattle Parks and Recreation        

ALSO PARTICIPATING:

Blockwatch + Educators + Park Stewards + Parks Department + Tree Ambassador Program + Community Activists: Maple Leaf, Pinehurst, Shoreline,..

AND

Anyone who wants to explore how we nurture our natural areas while enhancing our personal safety in and around them.

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The spring meeting is March 22.  Call Judy Olson at 206-523-4384 with comments or post a message at facebook.com/Thornton.Creek.Alliance or write: TCA, PO BOX 25690, Seattle, WA 98165.  All meetings are free and open to the public.

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Agenda for Jan 26, 2012, General Meeting

Meadowbrook Community Center

10517 35th Ave. NE, Seattle 98125

7 to 9 p.m.

7:00 1. Announcements

7:04 2. Agenda Review

7:05 3. Program: Greenways & Urban Forests - Natural Area Restoration, Volunteers, Crime and Personal Safety  

City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw

Seattle Parks’ Emily Lofstedt

Seattle Greenways Rep Chris Saleeba

SPD Community Liaison Terrie Johnston

Green Seattle Partnership’s Joanna Nelson de Flores

--Judy Olson, Program Vice President

8:40 4. Business meeting

Review minutes - Tom Cunningham

Membership report - Ruth Williams

Web Page update - Dan Mahler/Doug Bostrom

Facebook update - Brad Johnson

Treasurer's report - Gary Olson

Other issues as time allows

8:55 5. A  9:55 5.  Adjourn

9:00 6. Room is empty! 

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Keep in touch with Thornton Creek Alliance! You can reach us at:

Frank Backus, Pres. - frankbackus1@gmail.com

Dan Mahler, 1st VP - kkmahler@earthlink.net

Ruth Williams,  Membership VP - ruthalice@comcast.net  

Judy Olson, Program VP -  judyngaryol@msn.com

Gary Olson, Treas.  – judyngaryol@msn.com

Tom Cunningham, Sec. - cunningham39@hotmail.com

Also find Thornton Creek Alliance on Facebook!

Thornton Creek at Beaver Pond Natural Area Will Get Facelift

Next Wednesday, Jan 11th, Seattle Parks Department is hosting a public workshop to shape the future of the newly renamed Beaver Pond Natural Area.

Wooducks and Hooded Merganzer
are just two of the many birds and wildlife
that call Beaver Pond Park home.
ph credit - Don MacCall

Just across the street from Northgate Mall and Thornton Place, Beaver Pond Natural Area, was formerly known as Thornton Creek Park Six. The park stretches in contiguous parcels from NE 103rd and Fifth Ave NE north across Eighth NE to NE 107th and Roosevelt. It is a unique natural area in North Seattle, because it contains so many different types of terrain, flora and fauna. Beavers have transformed a section of the park into an amazing wildlife refuge.

Thornton Creek Alliance (TCA) is partnering with Seattle Parks and Rec with a $500K Opportunity Fund grant to reshape the park and improve the route of the creek.  

Ruth Williams is a Park Steward, TCA Vice-president
and is and enthusiastic Tree Ambassador

The community is invited to participate in the planning meeting for the restoration project on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 from 7 – 9 p.m. at Northgate Community Center . Northgate Community Center is located at 10510 5^th Ave NE.

For additional information about the project, please visit http://seattle.gov/parks/projects/thornton_creek/naturalize_northgate.htm or contact Emily Lofstedt, Parks Planner, at 206-684-7047 or emily.lofstedt@seattle.gov.

Great Blue Heron is a frequent visitor at
Beaver Pond Park.
ph credit - Bob Barta

The beavers are active all the time engineering their habitat.
ph-credit- Janet Way

The Park is a fascinating place because it provides a close in opportunity, in a major urban center (Northgate Urban Center) to view a wide variety of wildlife including; cutthroat trout, waterfowl such as the wooducks and heron, songbirds, raccoons and of course the beavers. They are often the most elusive though, but you can easily see the results of their work.

Thornton Creek beaver comes out at night to search
for trees and branches for their dams and lodges.
ph credit - Don MacCall

There are many topics to be considered in the workshop including re-routing the creek so it is less impacted by the street grid. The parks southern section abuts NE 105th and crosses to the northern section under Eighth Ave NE. The TCA proposal and future investments aim to install a "box culvert" and other proposals from neighbors include possibly closing 105th to cars, since it is very narrow and hosts a huge drainage pipe leading from Norhtgate Mall.

This type of pruning is considered bad for trees since it leaves them
open to infection.

Another important topic will be vandalism, vagrancy and petty crime which is considered a problem by neighbors.  Park stewards and many neighbors were appalled a couple weeks ago, when a neighbor took a vigilante action and permanently damaged a huge section of the southern section, by "limbing up" dozens of conifers and slashing the understory which had been previously planted in grant projects. Presumably, this individual thought it would decrease crime and vagrancy to increase "sightlines" in the area. Seattle Parks is investigating the incident and hopefully will send a strong message that this type of individual effort is not good policy.

Trees along the creek were damaged irreparably by
vigilante actions recently.

But the park offers so many unique benefits for passive recreation and excellent and refreshing natural

interactions, that Beaver Pond Natural Area is a spectacular resource that has survived urbanization. 

Looking East, the creek begins it's plunge toward Roosevelt
and downstream towards Lake Washington

"Goofy Racoons"
at Beaver Pond Natural Area
ph credit - Don MacCall

View of Beaver Pond from NE 106th.
ph credit - Janet Way

Citizens are invited to give their input to Seattle Parks at the upcoming meeting. Stop by the park and explore its amazing diversity soon! 

Thornton Creek Park Six Wildlife Report - Ruth Williams

Park Six Beaver and Wooducks in same shot!
ph credit - Don MacCall

Wildlife is thriving at Thornton creek Park Six, just downstream from Northgate.

Painted Turtle at Park Six
ph credit - Don MacCall

Ruth Williams, Thornton Creek Alliance vice president and park steward, reports on the latest wildlife activities there. 

Ruth Williams - Park Six Steward and TCA VP
ph credit - Janet Way

Park Six is an amazing wildlife refuge which is being redesigned by beavers. Since the beavers arrived and built dams, ponds and lodges, the wildlife variety and numbers have grown exponentially.

This evening at the beaver pond there was a lot of activity.  I saw at least
four beavers, including a juvenile.  Sometimes they were up on the bank
eating greens.  I am pleased to report that they like knotweed.  It was
great to see so many of the neighbors coming out to enjoy the show.  Also in
evidence were a hummingbird and a mallard with five very small babies.

One neighbor reported he is certain the beavers have built a bank lodge.  He
showed me a site where he says he has seen them coming and going several
times.  This means the lodge is under, or nearly under, the apartment
parking lot.  Is it possible this could cause a serious sag?  The site is a
little difficult to describe.  I could get a picture one day soon or meet
someone there and point it out.

The beavers have also begun a dam at that same site as last year:  right at
the NW corner of the intersection of 8th Ave. NE and NE 105th St.

Ruth

Song Sparrow at Thornton Creek Park Six
ph Credit - Don MacCall

Arthur Lee Jacobsen Speaking at Thornton Creek Alliance Annual Meeting Thursday

Thornton Creek Alliance is hosting tree expert Arthur Lee Jacobsen at its Annual Membership Meeting Thursday, March 31st.


Native Grovc in Hamlin Park
includes Western Hemlocks, Wester Red Cedars,
White Pine and Douglas Firs

When: March 31st, Thurs. - Annual Membership Meeting :

Arthur Lee Jacobson, Renowned Seattle Plant Expert,


will present:

Native Trees in our Watershed
Time: Social Time: 6:45pm Program: 7:00pm
Arthur Lee Jacobson is well known for his in-depth knowledge of a vast array of plants and for his books and essays. You can learn more about him at his web site (http://www.arthurleej.com). We will have copies of his books available for sale. Don't miss this unique presentation!
Where: Lake City Presbyterian Church (Rm B2) - 3841 NE 123rd St . (Corner of 40th NE and NE 123rd. Park in back and enter through the basement door.)
Meeting is free and open to the public. TCA elections and business meeting will follow the presentation.

Bald Eagle Roosts in Douglas Fir
above Paramount Park

Thornton Creek Park 6 Wildlife

Mallards AND Wooducks behind

Hooded Megansers and Mallards

Thornton Creek Park #6 near Northgate is always a great wildlife show. 

The beavers have created an incredible wetland habitat for many creatures. It is a natural area park, located along the South Branch of Thornton Creek on either side of 8th NE between NE 106th and 103rd Sts.

Today three kinds of ducks were sighted, including the Wooducks, Hooded Megansers and as usual lots of mallards. Also, yesterday spotted the Great Blue Heron again. 

Also today TCA (Thornton Creek Alliance)  hosted a small workparty to remove invasives like ivy and blackberry. Ruth Williams has been the wildlife steward for Park #6 for over the last decade. Work Parties are held on weekends throughout the year for volunteers to help control invasive weeds and replant with native plants.

Ruth Williams, TCA Vice-President and longtime
steward of Thornton Creek Park #6

Other interesting features at the park these days are things like this interesting fungus growing on one of the fallen logs. (Many trees have been felled by the beavers, and have transformed the habitat into a totally different place from what we'd come to expect 10 yrs ago.)

Turkey Tail fungus 

Trametes versicolor

Also, the park stewards have installed wooduck houses, to provide possible nesting places for these beautiful native ducks.

Wooduck Nesting Box

Thornton Creek Park Six is a peaceful place that needs 

a better name. 

Memorial to a Creek Steward

Brian Bodenbach Shares some photos he's taken at the event
with Carrie MacArthur and son. Carrie now works as an environmental consultant
so you might say that Steve's values were passed on to his descendants.

A hardy group met today at Thornton Creek Park #2 in Victory Heights Neighborhood to commemorate
the lifetime of stewardship of North seattle Resident, Steve MacArthur.

Steve passed away a few months ago and today Thornton Creek Alliance, Family and Friends met to
plant some trees and install a small memorial plaque in Steve's memory.

Steve was a watchdog for Thornton Creek, because his family home was on the North Branch near Lake City.  He was one of the founding members of Thornton Creek Alliance and a member of the Thornton Creek Watershed Oversight Committee.

Family members and friends shared how Steve was fiercely protective of the creek and would ensure that anyone who violated it, heard from him. They also shared his great sense of humor and fun.
The night the creek overflowed on New Years 1996, he called other creek stewards together and everyone kept an eye on it, while sharing beer and stories.

Steve MacArthur's Grandchildren "helping" out with
tree planting

Today though was about planting some native trees and installing a lovely memorial plaque near Thornton Creek's southbranch at TC Park #2.

Steve's Memorial Plaque

And Thornton Creek rolls on below, splashing and gurgling towards Lake Washington. The urban creek still has it's problems, but it also has people like Steve MacArthur who care.

Thornton Creek at Park #2

                                                

Resourceful Racoons at Thornton Creek Park #6

Nimble Racoon
Photo credit-Don MacCall

Report on Racoon activities at Thornton Creek Park #6
by Ruth Williams and Don MacCall

This is a great series of shots by Don MacCall and Ruth Williams of Thornton creek Alliance. They are longtime stewards of Thornton Creek Park #6 near Northgate.  The downstream section of this park has been adopted by beavers who have utterly transformed the place into an active wetland, and haven for many urban wildlife species. Racoons are just one of the species attracted to this place.

They are well adapted to the urban forests and are fascinating for people to observe because of their obvious intelligence and resourcefulness.

Goofy Racoons-
Photo credit-Don MacCall

On the banks, Racoon Family going for a swim

The racoon babies are just too cute to ignore. The picture of the group on the creek bank

shows a mother with FIVE babies.  A couple of weeks ago we saw two adult

raccoons sauntering down Northgate Way!  Again, these pictures were taken by

Don McCall.

Ruth

Alice Bryant Park: Let's Give Peace a Park!

Let just admit it.... Thornton Creek Park #6 needs a better name.  Why not make it a Peace Park, since Northgate needs a peaceful place?

Photo credit - Seattle Parks Dept

Alice Franklin Bryant (1899-1977) was a nationally-known, Peace Activist in the Northwest. She had been a prisoner of war during WW II by the Japanese military in the Phillipines, and yet became an advocate for "Nuclear Disarmament" and against the internment of Japanese Americans during the war years here. She even travelled to Japan to support Hiroshima victims.

She went on to a vibrant politically active career in the Seattle area, running for Congress and the US Senate. She received many awards including a citation from Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman and from the WAState Senate.

Now, Peace groups in the Seattle area and Thornton Creek Alliance have taken a position advocating for a "Peace Park" named after Alice Bryant in the Northgate area.

Alice Franklin Bryant 

Thornton Creek Park #6, has been without a real name since it's inception during the Forward Thrust Bond years in the 1960's and 70's. It is across the street to the new Thornton Place Development at Northgate and the Daylighted Thornton Creek segment. It is a lovely, and somewhat wild, little natural area that provides an element of "peace" to a busy urban hub, for those who seek it out.  There are other "nameless, numbered parks" in the watershed and in other parts of town as well.

Thornton Creek's South branch is rich in native plantings, some invasive weeds and yet provides a wildlife sanctuary for many native species and a respite for local residents and workers who seek peaceful surroundings. It has been a "work in progress" for over a dozen years, and much restoration work has been accomplished by local stewards.

Local activists have collected over 300 signatures to support the idea of naming this nameless park in honor of Alice Bryant. They've held vigils and received support from many current and former elected officials and other dignitaries such as, Gov Albert Rosselini, former Senator Donn Charnley, Seattle City Councilmembers, many local residents and groups such as SNOW(Sound Non-violent Opponents of War) and local Churches like Seattle First Baptist.


Her connections to North Seattle are through her family members, who've been longterm stewards at this park. Alice was a passionate supporter of the environment, especially on it's relationship to disarmement. Here is a message from Ruth Williams, Alice's grandaughter and TCA 2nd Vice President about the progress that's been made on the park naming issue.

Alice meets with a Japanese Diplomat in Tokyo

At the Thursday, June 16th, Thornton Creek Alliance meeting the group voted

unanimously for their naming proposals for the unnamed Thornton Creek Parks.

They are proposing the following:

1)  A naming convention for the currently unnamed park properties along

Thornton Creek and its tributaries that would highlight a distinctive

natural feature of each property, followed by ".  Natural Area on Thornton

Creek"; and a notable exception

Thornton Creek Southbranch at restoration site near 

Fifth Ave NE, Northgate

Photo credit - Janet Way

2)  Naming at least part of TC Park 6 "Alice Bryant Peace Park on Thornton

Creek."

It was necessary for TCA to take a stand on the park naming issue because

Seattle Parks is considering not naming any of the parks, but only the entry

points.  

And the "Alice Bryant Peace Park on Thornton Creek" name already has 300

supporting signatures, many of which belong to watershed activists as well

as others from all over the community.  This name will add a wonderful new

dimension to the Northgate neighborhood.  It is already generating more

interest in the park from the greater community. A few of them have already

attended some of our Park Six work parties.

The TCA naming system and the name are not a done deal yet, but the

endorsement is of immeasurable help in making NE Seattle's peace park a

reality.  Sally Bagshaw, the new chairwoman of the Seattle City Council

committee on Parks and Seattle Center, has been an effective watchdog in

making sure that Parks respects the public will.  We believe her office will

make sure we get a fair hearing when the TC parks come up for naming in the

fall.

Great Blue Heron feeding at Thornton Creek Park 6