Autumn’s Untidy Beauty

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Wedgwood in Seattle History

Author Christy Peterson has provided us with a good excuse NOT to rake up all the leaves in the yard!  Skip the tidying, Christy advises.  Left where they fall, leaves and dying vegetation provide habitat for birds.  In rethinking fall clean-up, Christy writes,

Autumn seed heads provide food for birds. Photo courtesy of Tweets & Tree Frogs blog, October 2014.

Autumn seed heads provide food for birds.   Photo courtesy Christy Peterson, October 2014.

My little corner of the earth is slipping towards its winter nap. Leaves are falling, flowers fading, and everything is looking just a bit unkempt. (More so than normal anyway – my garden has never quite achieved the opposite of unkempt!) Despite the ragged edges, I won’t be rushing out with clippers and rakes. That’s because the fallen leaves and ragged stems that look untidy to us are gold for backyard wildlife.

Read more at Christy Peterson’s blog, Cultivating Wonder.

Posted in Nature and wildlife | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Pumpkin Season in Wedgwood

Posted on October 11, 2014 by Wedgwood in Seattle History
The ever-ready Scouts of Troop 151 promote pumpkin sales in Wedgwood.

The ever-ready Scouts of Troop 151 promote pumpkin sales in Wedgwood.

This year’s fun fall festival of pumpkins is brought to you by Scout Troop 151.  They are getting into the spirit with costumed sales helpers and a great variety of gourds for your October decorating needs.

The annual pumpkin extravaganza is held in the heart of the Wedgwood neighborhood of Seattle at the Hunter Tree Farm, 7744 35th Ave NE next to the Wedgwood Post Office.

Shop for pumpkins on Friday evening from 4 to 8 PM, and all day on Saturday and Sunday, 10 to 6.  Sunday, October 26 will be the last day of pumpkin sales.

Posted in Events and holidays | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Meadowbrook Update: September 2014

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Wedgwood in Seattle History

The rain and cooler temperatures of the week of September 21 to 27, 2014, were a signal to fish, that it is almost time for them to swim upstream!  The summer dry-season is over, and in-water work at The Confluence on Thornton Creek must finish by the end of September in compliance with state regulations on habitat for fish.

Continue reading →

Posted in Meadowbrook neighborhood, Thornton Creek | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Bird Migration Routes

Posted on September 21, 2014 by Wedgwood in Seattle History
Rufous Hummingbird by Lois Manowitz via Birdshare

Rufous Hummingbird by Lois Manowitz via Birdshare

An article from the All About Birds Blog of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology explains how birds migrate seasonally, following the “green wave” of plant resources.  The bird migration patterns show the importance of conservation efforts such as building the tree canopy.

Continue reading →

Posted in Nature and wildlife | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The New Boardwalk at Yesler Swamp

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Wedgwood in Seattle History

Yesler Swamp TrailThe Yesler Swamp is a wetland on part of what was the property of Henry Yesler, a Seattle pioneer who moved his sawmill business from downtown to this site on Union Bay in 1888.  The Town of Yesler later became part of Laurelhurst.

On Sunday, September 21, 2014 from 2 to 4 PM there was a celebration and ribbon-cutting for the first section of a new boardwalk completed on the Yesler Swamp Trail.  The celebration was held at the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st Street, where the Trail is easily accessed from the east corner of the parking lot.

Yesler Swamp overlook on the boardwalkThe Washington Conservation Corps recently completed this first phase of the Yesler Swamp boardwalk.  Made of cedar planks, the boardwalk extends out toward the lagoon and includes two overlooks so visitors can pause to enjoy the view.  Yesler Swamp is located on the north shore of Union Bay and is home to over 100 species of birds, plus other wildlife such as beaver and otter.

UPDATE:   The Yesler Swamp Boardwalk was completed in 2016.

Posted in Nature and wildlife, Neighborhood features | Tagged | Leave a comment

Twentieth Anniversary Celebration: Thornton Creek Alliance

Posted on September 6, 2014 by Wedgwood in Seattle History

Thornton Creek Alliance (TCA) is an all-volunteer organization whose goal is to benefit the watershed by encouraging individuals, groups, schools, businesses, and government to work together in addressing the environmental restoration of the creek system.  It has been twenty years since a few concerned activists began organizing to improve water quality, flood prevention, and habitat throughout the northeast Seattle watershed which includes the North and South Branches of Thornton Creek.

Continue reading →

Posted in Neighborhood features, Thornton Creek | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

August 2014 Update: Construction on the Creek

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Wedgwood in Seattle History

In the Summer of 2014 work is continuing on improvements at The Confluence, the joining-place of the north and south branches of Thornton Creek on 35th Ave NE at NE 107th Street.  The two branches flow into Meadowbrook Pond, a water-filtration and flood control area created by the Seattle Engineering Dept. in 1997-98.  In 2012-2013 the Pond was dredged and enlarged.  In 2014 in this final stage of construction, the creekbeds near to the Pond are being enlarged and an adjacent flood plain is being created.

Continue reading →

Posted in Meadowbrook neighborhood, Thornton Creek | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

A Tree in Montlake

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Wedgwood in Seattle History

Reblogged from Montlake.net/flyer/:  Seattle’s renowned tree expert Arthur Lee Jacobson has written about a fallen cherry tree near the Montlake Community Center at 1618 E. Calhoun Street, on the south side of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. Mr. Jacobson alerts everyone who would like to try growing this rare variety, to take cuttings from the fallen Horinji tree.

Continue reading →

Posted in Nature and wildlife, trees | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Slow-Down on the Trail: Construction Impacts the Burke-Gilman

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Wedgwood in Seattle History

An alert from the Seattle Parks and Recreation Dept:  Construction may affect use of the Burke-Gilman Trail between NE 125th and NE 135th Streets.

Continue reading →

Posted in Nature and wildlife, Neighborhood features | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

July 2014 Update: Thornton Creek Confluence Project

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Wedgwood in Seattle History

The South Fork of Thornton Creek flows eastward through culverts under 35th Ave NE at NE 107th Street in Meadowbrook.  Work is underway this summer to widen and improve this channel of Thornton Creek.  Instead of a straight, vegetation-choked channel, meanders will be created and a floodplain to absorb more water during rainy seasons, as part of the overall plan for The Confluence of the two branches of Thornton Creek.  The culverts which carry the creek under 35th Ave NE are being replaced with much larger ones this summer.  As part of digging up the creek, fish are being counted and conserved.  Watch here:

Posted in Meadowbrook neighborhood, Nature and wildlife | Tagged , , | Leave a comment